UW-Green Bay named Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly University
GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced today that it has been informed of its selection as a 2015 Campus Pride Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly College and University.
The Top 25 listing was awarded based on the final responses to the Campus Pride Index, a national benchmarking tool in which schools self-assesses LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices www.campusprideindex.org. The Campus Pride Index is grounded in research on policy, program and practice and is conducted for and by LGBTQ experts in the field of higher education. Each campus updates its index annually and uses the Campus Pride benchmarking tool to make improvements for LGBTQ life on campus. UWGB received a 4.5 rating on a 5.0 scale.
“We are very excited about UW-Green Bay getting recognized by Campus Pride as a Top 25 ‘Best of the Best’ LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities,” said Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator Brenda Amenson-Hill. “UW-Green Bay works extremely hard to make sure all students have every opportunity to get involved and succeed in the college environment.
“I would extend special congratulations to Stacie Christian, Coordinator of the Pride Center and Inclusive Excellence at UW-Green Bay, for her leadership and hard work with the Pride Center interns, students, staff, faculty, allies and community members, working collaboratively to make the university as welcoming and inclusive as possible… and also to UWGB’s Residence Life staff members for their dedication and work to create and implement the new SAIL-Safe and Inclusive Living Community in fall 2014 which is gaining popularity.”
The Pride Center was created to identify and respond to the concerns and needs of UW-Green Bay LGBTQ students, faculty, staff, and their allies; to provide high-quality support services that contribute to the academic and personal growth of LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and allies; and to offer a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for LGBTQ people and their allies. A recent addition was the Campus Food, Cleaning, and Clothing Cupboard — available for all UWGB enrolled students. It provides food, cleaning supplies, and clothing at no cost for students struggling to make ends meet.
“I wish to recognize all of the support that comes from so many areas of UWGB that can make this happen — leadership, deans, staff and faculty from all areas of the campus, and alumni,” said Christian. “The interns, volunteers and students in the Pride Center know that so many individuals at UWGB understand and focus on making changes needed so LGBTQ students, staff, faculty and alumni can feel safe, and be treated equitably so they can do their best to support UWGB and our communities. UWGB as a community has come a long way in the past few years in making changes that are sometimes difficult to accomplish due to the complexity of working within established systems, but the perseverance of many who are aware for the need to make changes to provide equitable treatment for LGBTQ has paid off. The students have a supportive environment that allows them to accomplish their academic goals, and many LGBTQ at UWGB say this is a great place to work and go to school. The Pride Index offers great insights on where more work needs to be accomplished, and it is the goal of the Pride Center to work with the campus on the list of changes that will make UWGB a “5.0” on the next year’s rating scale.”
