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K-State Today

June 27, 2017

A welcoming place: K-State on list of 50 best colleges for inclusiveness

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

Kansas State University has earned another recognition for being among the nation's most inclusive universities.

College Choice, an online publication that provides free resources to help students in their college search, includes K-State on its list of the 50 best colleges for LGBTQ students. At No. 45, K-State is the only university from Kansas and one of just four schools from the Great Plains to be ranked. Only one other university from the Big 12 Conference — University of Texas, Austin — made the list.

For its rankings, College Choice looked for schools that protect their LGBTQ students through policy inclusion, that offer a number of resources and services for LGBTQ students, and that intentionally promote LGBTQ perspectives in their curriculum.

In selecting K-State, College Choice called the university "a safe haven among the plains, and an affordable one to boot." The university garnered praise for its nondiscrimination statement that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity, and for providing training to faculty, staff and administrators on inclusivity. University events and celebrations especially for LGBTQ students, Sexuality and Gender Alliance Progressive Dinner, and World AIDS Day events, also were cited by the online publication of the university's inclusivity efforts.

Other recent honors and recognitions for K-State's inclusiveness include a 4.5 star ranking from Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students. K-State, for the third straight year in 2016, received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, award, for its commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Data from the schools' websites, the Campus Pride Index, U.S. News & World Report and the National Center for Education Statistics helped form the listing of best LGBTQ schools.

The LGBT Resource Center at K-State works with many campus partners to evaluate progress toward inclusivity of sexuality and gender identity. Evaluation of current policies and procedures is always evolving and the many partners work to meet expectations of students, faculty, and staff that ensure their respect and safety. These partnerships have been integral in making K-State an open and affirming campus to all students. For more information about the LGBT Resource Center please visit k-state.edu/lgbt.