UW-Eau Claire again on Campus Pride's 'Best of the Best' colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students list

Campus Pride’s annual “Best of the Best” list recognizes colleges and universities in the U.S. that create a safe, welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff.

It’s satisfying to consistently see UW-Eau Claire ranked among top colleges and universities in the country for LGBTQIA+ students, says Kallie Friede, interim director of the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center at UW-Eau Claire.

“While the infrastructure for queer students has been led from the GSRC, we have collaborators and allies across campus,” Friede says. “The GSRC is thriving on campus because of the institutional commitment to critical conversations about equity, diversity and inclusion for all students.”

It’s an honor to have UWEC recognized as an inclusive campus for its LGBTQ+ community, says Olga Diaz, vice chancellor for equity, diversity, inclusion and student affairs.

“Decades of groundbreaking work that started with student leaders has shaped the campus culture to embrace and celebrate our LGBTQ+ students and employees,” Diaz says. “I am proud of the leaders who do this work with purpose and passion. They make a positive impact well beyond our campus.”

This year, UW-Eau Claire is one of just 40 four-year campuses from across the country to receive five out of five stars in the Campus Pride Index, a national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices.

Campus Pride scored UW-Eau Claire at a perfect five stars for LGBTQ inclusion in the categories of:

• Sexual orientation.
• Gender identity/expression.
• Student support and institutional commitment.
• Student life.
• Housing and residential life.
• Campus safety.

Friede says she is looking forward to continuing the work already being done on campus, while also expanding and changing services to meet the needs of current and future students. The goal, she says, is to “prioritize and celebrate queerness in all of its forms at UW-Eau Claire.”

Campus Pride’s 2022 Best of the Best Colleges & Universities is online.

The Campus Pride Index full listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities is available online.

For more information about the rankings or UW-Eau Claire’s LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices, contact Kallie Friede, interim director of the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center, at friedeka@uwec.edu or 715-836-2693.