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Anne Matte

10-13-15
Why Care About the Campus Climate Survey?
Drake University students will remember being emailed to complete a
campus climate survey last year, but not much else after that. However,
since the survey was taken, the data has been compiled and a report has
been published.
To update, the results of the climate survey have been made available
to Drake students and faculty at http://www.drake.edu/climate-assessment/
and the results shown are not encouraging.
According to the report, higher percentages of LGBQ respondents
(29%, n = 50) and Asexual/Other respondents (23%, n = 18) than
Heterosexual respondents (19%, n = 346) indicated that they had
experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile conduct.
Its very worrisome because, just because of someones orientation,
just because theyre one way, doesnt mean they should be taken advantage
of, Dylan Shirey, a Drake sophomore, who identifies himself as gay, said.
Despite the negative reports of the survey, the Drake LGBT+ group
Rainbow Union has plans to improve the campus atmosphere for LGBT+
students and increase the overall campus pride score. The pride score as of
last year was only two out of five possible stars.
We have some policies that were trying to move through
administration right now, specifically related to transgender students, said

President Jordan Mix of the Rainbow Union, who identifies herself as lesbian.
Were hoping to use the results of the climate survey as an entry point.
The policies that Mix mentions would push for gender neutral
bathrooms in buildings that can accommodate them, as well as gender
neutral housing in campus dorms. The situation as it is right now has
transgender students sign up for housing under their gender that was
assigned to them at birth, which is something that can be awkward for the
student and their roommates.
Its really a mixed thing for professors, for the most part, gay faculty
are very welcome, but its within certain bounds, said Womens Studies
Professor Nancy Reincke, a self proclaimed 1970s lesbian. Were
Midwestern, people who are a little more radical on the [LGBT+] scale tend
to report more issues.
Reincke has been teaching at Drake University since 1992, said that
the conditions for openly LGBT+ faculty and staff have improved over the
years.
In my experience, its an environment thats very open to LGBT+,
Piano Professor Nicholas Roth, who identifies as gay, said. I havent felt any
discrimination myself, and in fact, that whole environment has gotten better
since I got here.
While Drakes atmosphere towards LGBT+ students has come a long
way in recent years, there is always room for improvement.

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