In March 2024, the Network hosted its first LGBTQIA2S+ Student Success Symposium in Sacramento, CA. Building on conversations from the symposium and a shared commitment to continue learning how to better support equitable LGBTQIA2S+ student success in the CSU, the Network launched new Communities of Practice (ComPs) in September 2024. These ComPs provide a space to continue learning with a focus on improving basic needs, advocating for gender centers, and creating gender-affirming campuses for LGBTQIA2S+ students across the CSU.

Learn more about how the ComPs came to be with director Larissa Mercado Lopez, Ph.D.

Co-Leads of the 2024 LGBTQIA2S+ Student Success ComPs

Communities of Practice Topics

Advocating for Gender Centers and Neurodivergent Identities: Gender centers that are not attentive to the needs of neurodivergent students miss an opportunity to adequately support students who are at the intersections of LGBTQIA2S+ and neurodivergent identities, representing a significant portion of the LGBTQIA2S+ student population. 

Goal: The objective of this ComP is to develop recommendations for designing gender centers that effectively support neurodivergent students. To ensure that their recommendations are responsive to student experiences, the project will gather insights into the experiences of neurodivergent students on campus, focusing on their interactions with gender centers and their feelings of inclusion in these spaces. Tasks will involve collecting student feedback on what would best support their mental health and academic outcomes, including the idea of creating decompression rooms. The goal is to respond to data that is informed by the lived experiences and voices of neurodivergent students, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in their needs.

Improving Basic Needs and SOGI Data Collection: Inaccurate,  incomplete, or unknown SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) data weakens a campus’ ability to operationalize that data in order to provide appropriate, targeted basic needs services for the whole LGBTQIA2S+ student population.

Goal: The objective of this ComP is to assess which campuses are currently conducting SOGI data collection and make informed recommendations for enhancing equitable strategies on campus. Inspired by Michael Le (Cal Poly Humboldt) and his ongoing work, the focus will be on how to locate and operationalize SOGI data in a way that enhances student success, particularly in addressing basic needs. The project will recommend strategies for operationalizing this data, ensuring it supports the safety and well-being of Queer students while informing basic needs initiatives.

Creating Gender Affirming Campuses: When gender affirming care policies require that students navigate convoluted administrative procedures for changing their names, campuses run the risk of perpetuating systemic barriers that lead to inequitable outcomes. 

Goal: The objective of this ComP is to enhance gender-affirming care by developing a comprehensive resource for campus name change policies. The ComP will identify barriers faced by students during the name change process and examine the equity implications of these obstacles. Key tasks include creating a detailed spreadsheet that outlines each campus’s steps required for name changes; offering campus-specific recommendations; and spotlighting institutions with exemplary and accessible name change policies. Additionally, the project will establish a ranking or tiered system to aid campuses in applying to the Pride Index and provide a toolkit for policy implementation and improvement.

The final product of each ComP may reflect the project as an ongoing effort, incorporating evolving recommendations and insights as we gather data and community perspectives.

Learn more: Read highlights from the LGBTQIA2S+ Student Success Symposium.