UAS Named Most LGBTQ-Friendly College in Alaska for 2019
For 2019, the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) has been named as the top LGBTQ-Friendly School for Alaska by the Campus Pride Index.
Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Alaska
Date of Press Release: June 14, 2019
For 2019, the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) has been named as the top LGBTQ-Friendly School for Alaska by the Campus Pride Index. In partnership with Campus Pride, BestColleges.com released its rankings for LGBTQ students in recognition and celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month. These rankings help students of various sexual identities and gender find institutions that provide inclusivity and quality in their educational endeavors.
The ranking is based on several criteria, including housing and residential life resources, like roommate matching so students can find LGBTQ+-friendly roommates, gender-inclusive on-campus housing, and gender-inclusive restroom facilities. Residence staff are trained in LGBTQ+ issues to provide a safer environment for LGBTQ+ students living on campus.
UAS also received high marks for its availability of counseling and support groups for LGBTQ+ students, where counseling staff all receive trans-inclusive training. One of those activities is Safe Zone Training, offered each semester, which has trained over 200 staff, faculty and student employees in the past three years. Safe Zone training creates a visible community of support on campus with a goal of eliminating discrimination and to provide a safer and freer campus community regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. UAS also hosts a Transgender Support Group, a Campus Inclusivity Alliance, and Green Dot training for faculty, staff, and students. It has a Care Team that supports student success and well-being, including for the LGBTQ+ community.
UAS includes LGBTQ+-specific course offerings as part of its curriculum. The university also provides an accessible process for students to change their gender identity in university records. The university encourages employment of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff members to create an inclusive environment in the classroom and across campus.
In recent years, UAS has hosted an annual Power and Privilege Symposium each November, which consistently has included topics and perspectives from the LGBTQ+ community. Past presenters at the Symposium have included the parents of Matthew Shepard, and also a presentation on gender diversity by Aiden Key, a member of the transgender community who grew up in Juneau.
Chancellor Rick Caulfield commented, “We are proud of the work our staff and faculty do to show support for all students, and especially those of the LGBTQ+ community. I’m very pleased that UAS has been identified as Alaska’s Most LGBTQ-Friendly School because of our demonstrated commitment to inclusivity. It is appropriate that we celebrate these efforts in June as Pride Month, but we recognize that these activities and more continue to be important on our campuses throughout the year.”
Learn more about campus life at the University of Alaska Southeast, or by speaking to an advisor at 907-796-6100.