Safe Place Project aims to improve campus climate

For the past two years, the largest number of bias incidents reported to Cornell campus officials have been related to sexual identity or orientation. Since Fall 2001, the Cornell University Gay-Straight Alliance (CUGSA), a student organization under Haven, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Student Support and Outreach unit of the Office of the Dean of Students, has been working in collaboration with the LGBT Resource Center to launch the Safe Place Project, which is aimed at affecting positive change in the campus climate. The project, which is endorsed by the University Diversity Council, was launched officially Wednesday, March 26, via an all-campus e-mail to students, faculty and staff.

The Safe Place Project is a voluntary program through which members of the Cornell community may publicly proclaim their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals and those who may be questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity (LGBTQ individuals) by displaying a Safe Place card in their offices, on their doors, in their residential communities or in their personal space. Displaying a card identifies a participant's space as a supportive environment where issues related to sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity expression can be openly discussed. This card is an acknowledgment of the importance of speaking out against discrimination of this nature. Further participation is possible through wearing a Safe Place pin, which carries similar connotations.

Diversity initiatives of this nature exist on many other college campuses across the nation, including Ithaca College, Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Georgetown, MIT, NYU, Purdue and Iowa State University, where a comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the project. The study by Nancy Evans, published in the Journal of College Student Development in August 2002, noted that projects like this one tend to have a positive impact on the mental and emotional well being of LGBTQ students, faculty and staff. This impact translates into improvements in the academic, social and work environments around campus.

Those wishing to participate in the project can sign up to receive a card and pin on the project Web site: http://www.lgbtrc.cornell.edu/safeplace/. Participants are not asked to act as counselors and, according to the research, most will never be approached. However, in the event that a participant is approached by an individual in need of guidance, the Web site also features a list of resources so that he or she may direct people to the proper organization or service.

The Safe Place Project is sponsored by many units within the university, including the offices of: Student and Academic Services, the Vice Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development, Dean of Students, University Provost, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Campus Life, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean of the Graduate School and Gannett: Cornell University Health Services. CUGSA is part of Haven and is funded in part by the Student Activities Finance Commission.

For more information, contact the project coordinators via e-mail at cugsa@cornell.edu.