According to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, there may be nearly 1 million LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) students and more than 160,000 faculty and staff members at universities and colleges across the nation. With society quickly becoming more accepting, those numbers will trend higher as more students, faculty members, and staff members voluntarily reveal they are LGBT.
This presentation should educate the higher education community in the proper way to navigate issues regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students and staff members. With more and more students entering college identifying with the LGBT community, colleges and universities must adapt effectively to support their needs. With these and other changing student demographics, it is essential that institutions of higher education proactively evaluate policies to ensure that they are meeting the needs of all students.
Session Highlights:
Review the implications of the 2/22/2017 “Dear Colleague” letter related to “sex-segregated facilities”
Analyze the climate of the LGBT college population as it relates to sexual assault.
Examine LGBT campus acceptance starts with staff.
Gain an insight into the academic implications of an LGBT-friendly campus.
Discuss Best Practices in way of campus examples to create and maintain an LGBT friendly environment
Why You Should Attend:
Access to education is the basic tenet of why people in this country attend colleges and universities. Too many times in this country's history students from different backgrounds have been denied access to educational institutions. The LGBT community is not unlike other groups from the past and the access we hold is in danger of being restricted so it is essential that institutions of higher education proactively evaluate policies to ensure that they are meeting the needs of all students.
Who Should Attend:
College and University faculty
College and University Advisors
College Diversity Officers
Inclusion Officers
LGBT Organizations
LGBT Group Counselors
Counselors and all higher education personnel involved with outreach, recruitment, and student life functions
Kent Seaver
Kent Seaver has 18 years of experience in the fields of student services and learning resources. While at North Lake College in Irving,TX, he has expanded his work to include multiple student cohorts, including Title IX initiatives. He is presently the Director of Planning and Development and was previously the Director of Learning Resources. He served as Title IX Coordinator from 2014-2016. In that role, Kent created the first comprehensive Title IX intake and response program in the Dallas County District. Kent has earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctorate in Law from Texas Wesleyan University.