The Hilltop Pride advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer fairness in our communities (e.g., workplace, Dallas). Read on to learn how we are advocating for our community and get connected with current initiatives.
For questions about either of these projects, or if you are interested in helping on them, please contact Nate Faust at nfaust@smu.edu.
Facilities Overview: This advocacy project would be working to identify the gender inclusive restrooms we have on campus, which gender inclusive restrooms are labeled appropriately (All Gender, Gender Inclusive, etc. instead of “Family Restroom”), and where are some areas where we can convert spaces to be more gender inclusive. This group will be creating an inventory of spaces and double checking those with what is online on the Interactive Map on the SMU Facilities website. The goal is to create a guide that can be shared on the Hilltop Pride website, WLGBT Center website, and other SMU sites to showcase inclusive resources and facilities on our campus in addition to identifying some gaps that we may have on our campus.
Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention: This project would center SMU’s recruitment, enrollment, and retention of LGBTQIA+ students and how we can make improvements in our strategies to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment. Currently, we have some best practices for LGBTQIA+ students, but they aren’t widely shared or advertised, so this group would work to collect information on programs that we currently offer (Mentorship program, Gender Inclusive Housing application, WGST, Human Rights, Spectrum etc.) and also identify potential new programs and opportunities (admissions materials, scholarships, where we can advertise programs, etc.) to best attract LGBTQIA+ students to SMU, and allow for a more open and transparent campus climate surrounding LGBTQIA+ students. This group would do a lot of work primarily for the student side of recruitment, but many of these strategies could then be put in place for recruitment of staff and faculty as well!
The Hilltop Pride 