Our Place on Campus: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Services and Programs in Higher Education

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students arrive on campuses every year expecting their voices to be heard, their concerns acknowledged, and their needs met in a welcoming educational environment. The establishment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Centers on campuses has transformed colleges and universities into places where social justice prevails. This book provides guidelines for establishing and operating LGBT centers or program offices on their own campuses. Subjects include: • The history of LGBT centers in higher education • Needs assessments, proposal development, and types of centers • Issues related to documentation of the LGBT campus population • Starting an LGBT center or office on campus • Hiring center directors • Strategic development for successful action planning • The importance of advisory boards for LGBT centers and programs • Selection and implementation of basic services and programs • Visibility, funding, and staffing issues. This book is a collaborative effort among three colleagues who have spent years working to build the profession of the LGBT Campus Resource Center Director. Colleagues from the LGBT Centers around the country provided many of the case studies and authored several of the chapters.