The Campus Pride list of the top 25 LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities included IU-Bloomington for the third time in the 2015 record.
Campus Pride is a national nonprofit network of student leaders and campus groups devoted to improving college life for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students across the United States.
Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, earned a master’s degree in education from IU in 1997 and received the first IU GLBT Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2012.
Windmeyer wrote his first book “Out on Fraternity Row” during his time as a graduate student.
“I remember when we didn’t have a GLBT center on campus before Doug was part of the IU community,” said James Winbush, vice president for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs and Dean of the University Graduate School said. “And I remember there being a time when there were students, staff or faculty that felt scared to be outed because this campus was just not a GLBT-friendly place to be.”
Considering the perception of Southern Indiana, members of the LGBT community who came to campus felt they were in a place where they were not going to be accepted, Winbush said.
“They were thinking it was going to be a very hostile environment,” Winbush said. “But IU has made considerable steps since this time.”
Bauder said he was contacted by students in June that were on the steps of the Supreme Court when same-sex marriage was affirmed as a right, cheering on the decision made that day.
Since 2007, the Campus Pride Index has been one of the LGBT national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive communities.
The 2015 list, which was announced Monday, acknowledges the most LGBTQ-inclusive colleges and universities when it comes to policy, program and practice in higher education. Results of the list are determined through a voluntary, self-assessment survey.
The survey itself consists of more than 20 pages of content to determine the individual university’s standing compared to other academic institutions.
IU Bloomington appeared on this pride list in 2012 and 2014. In 2011, the campus received the top rating of five stars. This is on the scale of Campus Pride’s LBGT-Friendly Campus Climate Index.
To earn a spot in the Top 25, an institution had to score the highest percentages in the LGBTQ-friendly benchmarks. The listing this year includes public and private colleges with student populations ranging from 1,600 to more than 50,000.
Following the Religious Freedom Reformation Act that Gov. Mike Pence enacted in March, many prospective students and their families expressed concerns to the Office of Admissions in regards to inclusion when looking into IU as a potential school option.
“I spoke to students this past summer at orientation and said, ‘Please know the way that we define Hoosier hospitality here at IU is not the same as how our governor defines it,’” Bauder said.
Bauder said that this statement resulted in applause from the crowd of incoming students.
“I think this is more than a recognition that changes anything; it’s a recognition of the efforts done by this office and our support of other groups on campus,” Jamie Bartzel, office supervisor of the GLBT Student Support Services office, said. “We certainly don’t do this work alone, more so I think it is just a really great acknowledgment of the atmosphere that exists all over campus, not just in this building.”
Campus Pride released the Campus Pride Index 2.0 in the spring. This is a new version of the campus self-assessment with additional questions that raise the benchmarks of LGBTQ-friendliness for colleges and universities.
The survey questions correspond to eight LGBTQ-friendly factors. These factors include issues such as LGBTQ policy inclusion, academic life, housing and campus safety. Almost 200 campuses have listed their Campus Pride Index 2.0 survey results publicly.
“It’s a reminder of the lives of students we’ve impacted, who are in turn making significant changes around the country,” Bauder said. “Whether it’s in the courts or in state legislatures, in organizations like the NCAA, people keep coming out here and changing laws, changing peoples’ minds in little towns, in corporations, all around the country.”
Referring to this acknowledgement as a pebble in the pond, Bauder said IU had the shoulders of Alfred Kinsey to stand on as being one of the best LGBT-friendly campuses in the country.
“It’s a very accepting place, a nurturing place,” Bauder said. “It’s wonderful how this recognizes not just one time, but three times.”
IU Bloomington is one of nine schools listed to receive the five-star rating. Other schools include Rutgers University - New Brunswick, Ithaca College, University of Washington, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Montclair State University, Harvey Mudd College and University of Pennsylvania.
“The thing that is so satisfying, in addition to being part of DEMA now, is the number of students whose lives have been impacted by this office,” Bauder said. “And we’re now doing amazing work around the country.”
