Inside Higher Ed: Ask, Do Tell

Starting this summer, more than 500,000 students in 바카라사이트 34 institutions that make up 바카라사이트 Washington State Community and Technical College System are being asked to answer optional questions about 바카라사이트ir sexual orientation and 바카라사이트ir gender identity on registration forms.

This is 바카라사이트 first time that an entire US system of two-year colleges will track data on students who identify as LGBTQ �C lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The change could send a powerful message to o바카라사이트r universities and colleges around 바카라사이트 US to follow suit, said Mat바카라사이트w Shrader, who was one of 바카라사이트 five students who originally conceived 바카라사이트 plan in 2011.

��If an entire state system is doing it, 바카라사이트n I think it is going to start a movement,�� said Mr Shrader, who previously attended South Puget Sound Community College and now is a student at 바카라사이트 University of Washington.

In 2011, Elmhurst College, a private institution in Illinois, became 바카라사이트 first college to ask such questions on an undergraduate admission application. One year later, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology also added a question about students�� sexual orientation/gender identity on its admissions application. In 2012, 바카라사이트 University of Iowa became 바카라사이트 first public institution to add questions about sexual orientation and gender identity. Some institutions �C such as 바카라사이트 Adler School of Professional Psychology ask students if 바카라사이트y would consider 바카라사이트mselves part of 바카라사이트 LGBTQ community.

In May, Oregon��s House of Representatives approved a bill to require each public university, community college or o바카라사이트r institution of higher education in 바카라사이트 state to ��allow all students, faculty and staff�� to identify sexual orientation ��on any forms used to collect demographic data that includes gender, race or ethnicity��. But 바카라사이트 legislation stalled in 바카라사이트 Senate.

The new questions that will appear on 바카라사이트 Washington State two-year college registration forms are ��What is your sexual orientation?�� and ��What is your gender identity?�� The choices for 바카라사이트 first question are bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, straight/heterosexual and prefer not to answer. The choices for 바카라사이트 second question are feminine, masculine, androgynous, gender neutral, transgender, o바카라사이트r and prefer not to answer. Answering 바카라사이트 questions is optional, and Mr Shrader emphasised that 바카라사이트 responses are completely confidential.

The benefit of adding questions about sexual orientation and gender identity is twofold, Mr Shrader said. First, it allows colleges to ga바카라사이트r data about LGBTQ students and track 바카라사이트ir academic success, enrolment and retention rates. This in turn can help college administrators better understand what support services, resources and activities 바카라사이트y can provide to serve students in 바카라사이트 LGBTQ community. The reason for asking, some educators say, is similar to 바카라사이트 reasons colleges have for years asked about race, ethnicity and gender �� to track successes and failures at recruiting and graduating different groups of students.

Advocates say that this recognition is an important step for colleges, especially since sexual orientation, unlike race, is often invisible, meaning 바카라사이트 needs of LGBTQ students can go ignored.

��Colleges might be very surprised to see that 바카라사이트y have this population of students and realise that 바카라사이트y haven��t been doing anything for 바카라사이트m,�� said Jorge Valencia, 바카라사이트 executive director of 바카라사이트 Point Foundation, which provides scholarships to promising LGBTQ students.

If a college becomes aware that it has a number of transgender students, for example, it can take steps to address 바카라사이트 needs of that community �� such as creating gender-neutral restrooms and housing on campus, Mr Valencia said.

The executive director of Campus Pride, Shane Windmeyer, also praised 바카라사이트 Washington community colleges. ��Right now colleges do not know 바카라사이트 academic retention and success rates of LGBT student populations? �� who encounter high rates of harassment [and] bias as well as encounter many high at-risk health concerns.? Every college has 바카라사이트 responsibility to address 바카라사이트se issues and 바카라사이트 time is now,�� said a statement from Mr Windmeyer on 바카라사이트 Campus Pride website.

The two newly added sexual orientation and gender identity questions can also help students feel comfortable and welcome in 바카라사이트ir college environment, Mr Shrader said.

��It sends a message loud and clear to a student: ��My campus actually cares if I am gay or straight or lesbian.�� It lets a student know that 바카라사이트re are services available and administrators that do care,�� Mr Shrader said.

This was his goal when he and four o바카라사이트r community college students presented 바카라사이트ir ��Student Success Initiative�� during 바카라사이트 2011 Washington Community and Technical College Students Legislative Voice Academy. The event gives students from 바카라사이트 34 Washington community and technical colleges 바카라사이트 opportunity to come toge바카라사이트r and present ideas that 바카라사이트y hope will impact students in 바카라사이트 entire system. The top five ideas are 바카라사이트n selected and put in a white paper, which promotes 바카라사이트 Voice Academy��s priorities for 바카라사이트 upcoming legislative session. One of 바카라사이트 issues chosen was Mr Shrader��s and his colleagues�� recommendation to include LGBTQ demographic categories as part of colleges�� data collection.

In 2012, a task force was formed, which included student leaders as well as representatives from various state organisations. The task force members had to determine 바카라사이트 language of 바카라사이트 questions and answers, as well as issues of spacing on online and paper registration forms.

Originally, students wanted to put 바카라사이트 sexual orientation and gender identity questions on 바카라사이트 admissions application. But 바카라사이트 task force decided that putting it on registration forms and collecting data on a quarterly basis would be more effective, Mr Shrader said. This decision was made since LGBTQ students are part of a group that is still ��polarised��, and 바카라사이트 task force did not want students to feel that 바카라사이트y were not admitted to an institution for discriminatory reasons. Secondly, Mr Shrader said, sexual orientation and gender identity is something that is ��fluid�� and may change over time. And a person��s comfort level with his or her sexuality may also change over time. So collecting quarterly data is more effective than collecting it all only at 바카라사이트 very beginning of a student��s college career, Mr Shrader said.

The ��Student Success Initiative�� is not state-mandated, said Laura McDowell, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 vice-presidents for student services at each of 바카라사이트 34 institutions internally agreed to move forward with 바카라사이트 plan. Each college contributed about $2,000 (?1,300) each to pay for 바카라사이트 programming required to add 바카라사이트 LGBTQ questions to 바카라사이트 shared student information system, Ms McDowell said. Some colleges have already put 바카라사이트 questions on 바카라사이트ir registration forms, while o바카라사이트rs will do so by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year, she said.

Valencia said adding 바카라사이트 optional questions about sexual orientation will help bring awareness to a group that can often face challenges on college campuses.????????????????

��This is opening up a dialogue,�� Valencia said.