* Individual degree of betterment may vary, pending: State and Local Legislation Institutional Politics Campus Climate Equitable Access to Resources Sustainable Primary Care

Principally, to create urgency. Hypothesis: Changing political climates and advancement of Queer civil rights is exacerbating the marginalization felt by our Queer Students at Clemson.

Contemporary Queer Civil Rights Movements National Climate for LGBTQ Youth Campus Pride – LGBTQ Campus Climate Index Assessment of Top 20 Institutions & Regional Institutions Assessment of Clemson University Deliberation of Climate Index Measures ReTeaching Gender & Sexuality Conclusions for Your Consideration

The index was developed by Campus Pride with a team of national LGBT researchers which included Brett Genny Beemyn, Ph.D, Susan R. Rankin, Ph.D. and Shane L. Windmeyer, M.S, Ed.

The overall campus climate index score is based on the responses to a completed assessment from the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. The responses to the 50+ self-assessment questions cover eight different factors for LGBT-inclusive policies, programs and practices. The eight factors are: LGBT Policy Inclusion LGBT Support & Institutional Commitment LGBT Academic Life LGBT Student Life LGBT Housing LGBT Campus Safety LGBT Counseling & Health LGBT Recruitment and Retention Efforts

Questions are weighted based on their significance to the overall campus climate as determined by a team of LGBT experts in higher education. The purpose of this overall score is for campuses to measure their progress and learn key areas to improve their campus climate for the future. The score also allows for benchmarking among campuses as well as a better understanding on how a campus can become more LGBT-friendly.

Scoring Overall Campus Climate and Individual Factors are reported on a [0.0] – [5.0] scale. Aggregates are reported in both percentage and ‘star’ formats

RankingInstitutionIndex [Aggregate]Index [Stars] 1UC Berkeley5.0 2UC Los Angeles5.0 3U of Virginia3.5 4U of Michigan – Ann Arbor5.0 5U of NC – Chapel Hill3.5

RankingInstitutionIndex [Aggregate]Index [Stars] 6College of William & MaryN/R 7Georgia TechN/R 7UC San Diego4.5 9UC Davis3.5 9UC Santa Barbara5.0

RankingInstitutionIndex [Aggregate]Index [Stars] 11UC Irvine4.0 11U of Washington5.0 13U of Texas - Austin4.0 13U of Wisconsin Madison4.5 15Penn StateN/R

RankingInstitutionIndex [Aggregate]Index [Stars] 15U of Illinois - Urbana3.5 17U of Florida3.0 17Ohio State3.5 17Purdue UN/R 18U of GeorgiaN/R

MeanMedianMode

StateInstitutionIndex [Aggregate]Index [Stars] SCU of South Carolina3.0 GAEmory University5.0 FLU of North Florida3.0 NCNorth Carolina State U4.5 NCAppalachian State U3.0

Overall Campus Climate Score 35% Sexual Orientation Score 41% Gender Identity/Expression Score 17% LGBT Policy Inclusion 34% LGBT Support & Institutional Commitment 56% LGBT Academic Life 12% LGBT Student Life 32% LGBT Housing & Residence Life 40% LGBT Campus Safety 16% LGBT Counseling & Health 90% LGBT Recruitment & Retention Efforts 0%

‘This is about needing more than just a safe space,’ * * ‘How about a Liberating Space.’

‘I am not interested in my community just surviving,’* *‘I want us to be thriving.’

‘I want my life to be awesome,’* *‘Now.’

The impressive reports on LGBTQ climate for the Top 20 Public Institutions is the result of a deeper more comprehensive commitment to multiculturalism and justice, less a focused commitment to LGBTQ needs.

Knowing that so many ‘Higher Ranked’ institutions provide far more comprehensive care for their queer students, we can not expect to attract the ‘Best & Brightest’ Queer students to Clemson University.

Given that Queer students represent 5% - 11% of our Student Body, it is arguable that Queer students have not been considered a critical population in the development of our strategies to achieve 95% student retention.

Our Queer Students are not among the most satisfied, successful and engaged students at Clemson University, nor the Country.

Comments or Concerns?

*Thank You.