SUNY Fredonia was selected as one of ten campuses to receive a $10,000 grant from the SUNY Office of Diversity and Educational Equity as part of the 2nd Annual Explorations for Diversity and Academic Excellence initiative.
Through the Professional Development Center and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fredonia proposed a “Reaching OUT to SUNY” project that was funded by the initiative. Fredonia's goal is to achieve the holistic integration of Lesbian, Gay, Bi‐Sexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) into the academic culture, thus impacting student and faculty recruitment and retention, along with the curriculum, and the overall campus climate for LGBTQ individuals.
“Reaching OUT to SUNY” was designed with a vision towards sustainability at the individual campus level and, longer-term, with the broader SUNY system in mind. Dr. Virginia Horvath, Vice President of Academic Affairs, will serve as the Project Director.
According to Beez Schell, director of Fredonia's Professional Development Center, increasing the visibility of diverse populations and recognizing the challenges faced by minority students, faculty, and staff are important endeavors for SUNY institutions. "Although diversity should be broadly defined, many believe that the unique needs of LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and administration are often misunderstood or ignored," she said.
The project includes three initiatives: (1) designing and piloting a campus climate survey to assess LGBTQ needs and concerns, (2) creating and hosting an educational webinar series, and (3) organizing and hosting a two‐day LGBTQ conference.
