What’s the first step to creating a more inclusive campus environment? It starts with listening and learning. When a non-binary student at Arkansas Tech University received an email from their school featuring a CampusWell article on gender identity, it had a big impact on how accepted they felt on campus.
What’s the first step to creating a more inclusive campus environment? It starts with listening and learning. When a non-binary student at Arkansas Tech University received an email from their school featuring a CampusWell article on gender identity, it had a big impact on how accepted they felt on campus.
“The article on transgender and gender non-conforming people really made me aware that there are many more like me within my community, and that I can help them out by acting as an ally out in the open,” the student said (who chose to remain anonymous). “Seeing my school sending out this article made me feel a lot more secure in myself and in my school community.”
A safe and inclusive school environment is crucial—not only for the mental and physical well being of its marginalized communities—but also for their academic success and retention. Nationwide surveys of LGBTQ and transgender youth and adults have found the following:
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24% of transgender adults report being physically, verbally, or sexually harassed while in college. Sixteen percent of those said they left college because of the harassment.
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60% of LGBTQ youth (ages 13-21) reported feeling unsafe at school and 44% said it was because of their gender expression.
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35% of transgender individuals who attended higher education of some kind experienced barriers such as harassment and financial issues, which in some cases forced them to leave.
CampusWell strives to help schools provide safe, inclusive environments by publishing articles specifically for marginalized students written by members of those communities. Part of that goal involves putting marginalized groups in the spotlight in an effort to break down stigma and prejudice, while also teaching students from majority populations how they can be better allies.
“If more people were outspoken about the topic [of gender nonconformity], the community would be a more compassionate and caring place,” the ATU student added. “I think that any kind of educational articles about [marginalized] groups and their struggles can help them better exist within society. And CampusWell really knows their demographic, so it’s a lot more intuitive for students than reading articles from elsewhere. The information in the articles is high quality.”
Actions may speak louder than words, but when it comes to supporting students within marginalized communities, receiving school-backed content that speaks to them directly is a way to help them feel safe, celebrated, accepted, and understood. Find out more about how your school can use CampusWell as a tool in the fight for equality.
Sources
Goldberg, A. (2018, August). Transgender students in higher education. UCLA School of Law. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-students-higher-education/
Kosciw, J., Greytak, E., Zongrone, A., et al. (2017). The 2017 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN. https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN-2017-National-School-Climate-Survey-NSCS-Full-Report.pdf
Goldberg, A. (2018, August). Transgender students in higher education. UCLA School of Law. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-students-higher-education/
Kosciw, J., Greytak, E., Zongrone, A., et al. (2017). The 2017 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN. https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN-2017-National-School-Climate-Survey-NSCS-Full-Report.pdf
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