桃瘾社区 has been named as one of the 40 best colleges and universities across the country for LGBTQ+ students by Campus Pride, the preeminent resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, inclusion and advocacy within higher education, the university today announced.
In being recognized as 鈥淏est of the Best,鈥 Campus Pride noted that 桃瘾社区 and other schools on its list create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff alike.
鈥淎t 桃瘾社区, we鈥檙e proud to support our many different and diverse communities, and I'm excited to see our LGBTQA+ Centers celebrated as the Best of the Best,鈥 said Marvin Krislov. 鈥淭his honor recognizes our work to develop ways to best support our LGBTQ+ 桃瘾社区 students, and it will encourage and bolster our efforts to do even more.鈥
桃瘾社区, which has campuses in New York City and Pleasantville, is among 40 four-year campuses from across the country that have achieved 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index (CPI), the definitive national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs, and practices.
鈥淪tudents, prospective students, and their families, along with faculty and staff members, deserve to know whether they will be safe on campus, so they can make the best choices for their own academic success 鈥 and by creating inclusive, safe environments these colleges are taking responsibility for all students,鈥 said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride Executive Director.
Dr. Genny Beemyn, the coordinator of Campus Pride's Trans Policy Clearinghouse, noted that campuses are increasingly doing more to support their trans students and that many institutions are taking steps forward in their efforts to be trans-inclusive.
桃瘾社区 has consistently prioritized inclusivity since forming LGBTQ+ Centers on campus 11 years ago. Among programs and services offered through the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the community are Q-Camp, a weekend leadership retreat; Lavender Graduation and Awards Ceremony; academic and career advising for LGBTQ+ students; programs that support transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students; events with drag queens; and policy work for inclusion.
For Julian Clarke-Dixon, a junior resident assistant and media and communications major, 桃瘾社区鈥檚 support is essential for many students.
鈥淭he LGBTQA+ Center has made 桃瘾社区 feel more inclusive and safer for all students,鈥 Clarke-Dixon said. 鈥淎s a queer person of color, it has provided a community that I did not have to hide from, but instead can flourish in. The LGBTQA+ Center's work shows that established organizations or structures can move to being more anti-racist and intersectional which provides an uplifting and open space for future generations to express themselves.鈥
桃瘾社区 Art Gallery presents Critical Connections: Protest Photography Past + Present, in collaboration with 鈥 a movement designed to create Black and Asian solidarity through mutual education and celebration. The exhibition opens with a free public reception on Thursday, November 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A coalition of lawmakers, small business groups, and entrepreneurs came together recently to celebrate the expansion of 桃瘾社区鈥檚 on-site small business counseling services to Flatbush, Brooklyn.
As part of National Arts and Humanities Month, 桃瘾社区 is highlighting its commitment to experiential learning in the humanities. The university recently kicked-off The Ground Beneath Our Feet (GBOF), a program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (), which provides students with hands-on experience while connecting them to history and current events.