CMU improves rating on 'LGBTQ friendliness' to 4.5 stars out of 5
Central Michigan University has been given a new rating of 4.5 stars out of five on the Campus Pride Index Survey.
It had previously received 2.5 stars when the survey was taken in 2008.
“This puts us right up there with other schools in our conference,” said Shannon Jolliff, director of LGBTQ Services.
Since 2008, several changes were made which improved the score. Joliff was hired as a full-time director to the LGBTQ office in 2008, Residence Life adopted a gender-neutral housing option, and gender identity/gender expression was adopted into the university's non-discrimination policy.
"We are really happy that the new score now accurately reflects the changes we've made on campus since we were first scored," said Justin Gawronski, President of Spectrum, formerly the Gay Straight Alliance on campus.
This rating puts the university on the same level as Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University and Grand Valley State University.
The only university within the state with a higher rating is the University of Michigan — one of 33 schools in the country that Campus Pride awarded five stars.
Michigan State University has not taken the survey.
“I think if we could make a few changes, like do more outreach in high schools, our rating would increase,” Jolliff said.
She said an official gender-neutral housing program would also improve the score, which GVSU recently approved.
There was a proposal for gender-neutral housing written last year to Residence Life but was denied, before being passed on for a decision from the Student Government Association.
“The proposal has been written, the talks have been made, it’s up to the students now,” Jolliff said.
For now, she said she plans to focus more on retention efforts and recruitment of LGBTQ community members.
Kylee Meade, Roseville senior and president of Transcend, an RSO which strives for more transgender education and offers a safe haven where transgender people on campus can come to be themselves, notices the effort on the university’s part.
“I think it’s a great score and I think it’s much more appropriate,” Meade said. “I haven’t received any outward adversity.”
Along with Meade, Illinois junior MyAngela Jenkins said she has not witnessed any hostility on campus toward LGBTQ students either.
“I’m proud of Central,” Jenkins said. “I’m glad this is a college that is open and accepting.”
The survey was created in 2007 and at the time, only had 30 colleges participating. Now it has more than 300 participating.
The survey contains 55 questions regarding the types of services and rights a campus has to offer LGBTQ students. It includes categories of housing, campus safety, support and institutional commitment.
CMU's lowest score came from housing and residence life, which earned three out of five stars. Everything else was fine, Jolliff said.
“At the same time we can’t stop working,” Jolliff said. “There is always progress to be made.”
