Lesbian and gay students at the U have another reason to have pride.
The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students has placed the U among the top 100 campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
The U was chosen from among 680 campuses that included Cornell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Colorado in Boulder, Northwestern and Princeton.
Top campuses were selected based on student life, recruitment and retention effort, commitment and policies.
Charles Milne, coordinator of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, said the ranking shows the work that was contributed throughout more than 35 years of the program’s history.
“We are very proud to be recognized for what our center does,” he said. “We not only help support LGBT students at the U, but we have also made a distinct effort to expand our services to the intermountain area.”
Milne also credits the distinct programs offered to U students by the LGBT Center because it is the only university in Utah to have a center for LGBT students.
“Roughly, we have about 10 different programs that LGBT and other students can be part of,” Milne said. “Programs like World Aid Day, coming out support groups and our online peer support networks have proven to be very successful.”
He estimates between that 3,000 and 4,000 students participate in pride events. A projected 800 are part of the center’s e-mail list, which can be found at www.sa.utah.edu/lgbtforms/forms/EmailList.html.
Paul Michael Maxfield, who has worked with Milne as an assistant during pride programs, said efforts to recognize LBGT students at the U are working.
“It’s great to see that our programs have achieved visibility,” said Maxfield, an English masters student. “It’s nice to know that students have a supportive, hip environment you can go to.”
Maxfield, however, would like to see more LGBT programs at the U.
Efforts for those potential actions are taking place as the LGBT Center moves from its former location in Union room 319 to a much bigger spot in room 409.
The new locale, which will be finished in about two weeks, will feature more office space and a new student computer center.