BURLINGTON — On the eve of Vermont Pride Week (September 2-10), ̽̽ has been named one of the top colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students by Campus Pride, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ students and allies at colleges and universities nationwide.
Campus Pride’s 2023 includes four-year public and private colleges and universities from around the country. ̽̽ is among three institutions in New England, and 30 nationwide, to achieve 5-out-of-5 stars and the highest percentage scores on the Campus Pride Index (CPI), a national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs, and practices on college and university campuses.
“Making our campus safe and inclusive is among the most important work we do at this university,” ̽̽ Provost Patty Prelock said. “As our community prepares to celebrate Pride Week, this distinction affirms that many individuals and resources dedicated to this work – including our Prism Center that serves the diverse queer and trans communities on campus – are succeeding in ensuring our success and excellence includes all.”
To earn a five-star ranking, campuses receive a percentage score from 90 to 100 based on their reporting of LGBTQ-friendly features. ̽̽ received the maximum score possible in five categories including campus safety, academic life and institutional commitment.
“It is an honor to again be among the best colleges for queer and trans students,” said Kate Jerman, director of the Prism Center. “Now more than ever, we take this commitment seriously as our recent efforts to implement the use of lived names and pronouns in all campus systems and for all members of our community demonstrates. We will continue working to improve because trans and queer students deserve nothing less from ̽̽.”
The complete Campus Pride 2023 Best of the Best list can be found below and online at .
Vermont celebrates Pride Week beginning on Sept. 2 and culminating with the annual Pride Parade and Festival in downtown Burlington starting at noon on Sunday, Sept. 10. Offerings can be found on the Prism Center’s calendar of LGBTQ+ events at ̽̽, and opportunities throughout the state can be found on the .