In addition to the Safe Space Training Program, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a number of customized training opportunities for faculty and departments at Kenyon. Potential training sessions and workshops include some of the following topics: incorporating queer topics into your curriculum, learning how to best support your transgender students, and more.
If you’re a faculty or staff member in need of fundamental resources to better support our campus’ LGBTQ+ community, please refer to the LGBTQ 101: Tips and Terminology page. You can also reach out to Timothy Bussey, associate director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion via email or phone.
If you’re already comfortable with the fundamental terminology associated with the LGBTQ+ community, please feel free to explore the variety of resources available on this page.
As individuals, we make-up multiplicities of identities that encompass who we are and how we see and understand the world around us. Race, ethnicity, religion, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, ability, etc. are just some intersectionalities that comprise as holistic parts of integral aspect to the development of students in academic, social, personal and emotional settings.
As faculty, it is essential to be aware of one’s own implicit and explicit biases that come from embedded cultural assumptions and values as well as how those behaviors may be manifested personally and in an institutionalized nature:
Avoid Roll Calls. Avoid calling out names or going through a roster call for the first day of class. Although all class rosters now have chosen names and pronouns on them, allowing students to introduce themselves and creating an optional opportunity to include their pronouns is the most inclusive way to begin your semester. You can also create a “get-to-know” activity or card to learn information about students.
Be Aware of Your Language. Inclusive language is so important in ensuring that safe and inclusive spaces are developed inside and outside of the classroom setting. When students advise you of their names and pronouns, respect their identity by using them. Avoiding assumptions and use gender neutral pronouns such as they/them/theirs to address students whose pronouns you are unsure of.
Model Inclusive Behavior. As the instructor, you will set the tone for your class. Modeling inclusive behavior, such as offering your pronouns at the start of class and being open to critique/correction when a mistake is made, will help to encourage your students to actively contribute to the class. Remember that your students will look to you to set an inclusive tone for the semester.
Increase Visibility. Avoid heteronormative and cisnormative practices of gendering individuals, groups or actions. For example: instead of asking if individuals have a girlfriend of boyfriend, try asking if they have a significant other. Include culturally relevant and, most importantly, culturally responsive pedagogy. You may also wish to bring LGBTQ+ content into your course curriculum or in-class discussions.
Promote Understanding. To support LGBTQ+ students, you should also first learn about the community. Take advantage of Kenyon Pride: Safe Space Ally Training Program, on-campus workshops, online webinars, and other opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ individuals and diverse communities.
Brainstorm Solutions. Aid in brainstorming solutions with students about academic, social, personal and career success, rather than only offering immediate solutions. The ODEI has an extensive list of resources on our webpage to help you support your LGBTQ+ students with a variety of their needs.
Facilitate and Support. Sanford’s Psychosocial Development Model notes to "Challenge and Support." The world is a challenging environment for LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly for students that also have additional multiple marginalized identities. Instead of overprotecting them, we can show them the tools to cope with the world around them, find the support structures and develop greater foundations within themselves.
Advocate. Challenge heteronormative, cisnormative, homophobic and transphobic practices that you notice within the academy and the classroom. Even when diversity is not seemingly present in the room, act as an ambassador to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion is not forgotten.
Equitable Treatment. Being treated equally is not enough to create safe, inclusive spaces. Equity is essential in making LGBTQ+ students feel like their campuses and their faculty interactions are meaningful, transformational, and high-quality connections. Equity allows for the needs of the individual to be met by taking into consideration that everyone, even within a similar population, is unique.
Ask Questions. The ODEI is a great resource to learn about resources that can support student success in and out of the classroom settings, and we encourage questions about best practices for supporting an inclusive campus community. When a question arises, please feel free to ask how we can support you in fostering inclusion and equity across campus.
Know Your Resources. Kenyon College has a great source of information for LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff. Please explore the resources on this webpage and throughout the ODEI website, so that you can have these tools readily available.
Get Involved on Campus. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion--in collaboration with several LGBTQ+ organizations like Unity House, QDubs, QMS, Gender Group, oSTEM, and others--plans various events throughout the year. Please be sure to check our event page and the campus-wide listservs for more information.
Adapted from Moorhead, C. (2005). “Advising lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in higher education. Retrieved from the NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources website.
The ODEI recognizes the importance of having a clear statement of expectations for all students in the classroom. Below, we have provided suggested statements that can be added to your existing syllabi.
These statements help to set a shared expectation of civility and respect for transgender and gender diverse students, while also contributing to a positive classroom culture. You’ll also find that we have a full, condensed, and simple statement, and we hope that you’ll consider using the version that best meets your needs.
Adapted from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Equity Center at the University of Maryland. Retrieved from their good practices website.
Statement on Names and Pronouns:
As noted by the Office for Civil Rights, “Kenyon College embraces human diversity and is committed to diversity, equal employment opportunity and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law."
One way that we show our commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity is by using the name and pronouns that each of us go by. Many people might use a name that is different from their current legal name. In all areas of campus, we refer to people by the names, in addition to the pronouns, that they use for themselves. In the classroom, students are invited to share their names and the pronouns that they use, and it should be expected that members of our campus community use the names and pronouns that were shared. Students are also encouraged to use gender-neutral language, if they aren’t sure of someone’s pronouns.
For more information on Kenyon’s commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, please refer to the Office for Civil Rights and/or the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Statement Names and Pronouns:
As noted by the Office for Civil Rights, Kenyon College is committed to diversity, inclusion, equity and non-discrimination. Many people might use a name that is different from their current legal name. In all areas of campus, we refer to people by the names, in addition to the pronouns, that they use for themselves. Students are invited to share their names and the pronouns that they use. Students are also encouraged to use gender-neutral language, if they aren’t sure of someone’s pronouns.
For more information on Kenyon’s commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, please refer to the Office for Civil Rights and/or the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Statement Names and Pronouns:
In this class, we will respect people’s self-disclosed names and pronouns. Students are encouraged to use gender-neutral language, if they aren’t sure of someone’s pronouns.
For more information on Kenyon’s commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, please refer to the Office for Civil Rights and/or the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The ODEI is able to provide a number of unique training opportunities for departments with various levels of knowledge about support and inclusion for LGBTQ+ students. In addition to hosting open workshops for the campus community, interested faculty and staff may also request trainings on any number of various topics related to LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion.
If your department is interested in scheduling a training or simply discussing possible options to fit your individualized needs, please reach out to Timothy Bussey, associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, at bussey1@kenyon.edu.
Below, you can explore a number of online webinars and training resources that can help you better support LGBTQ+ students. If you’re looking for more advanced resources, please reach out to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to schedule a training for either you or your department.
This nationwide consortium occasionally hosts free webinars related to intersectional topics and issues in higher education, and faculty may find these useful for a number of things related to classroom climate, research, instructional design, and more.
The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) offers a number of free, research webinars on supporting LGBTQ+ students. While their research webinars focus on LGBTQ+ issues in K-12 education, many aspects of this content can help faculty better understand the challenges currently facing queer and transgender students, prior to their arrival on campus.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) offers a number of free webinars on LGBTQ+ topics, ranging from the workplace to education. Additionally, some of these webinars are more general in nature, and they can provide a number of benefits to faculty interested in better supporting their LGBTQ+ students.
The Indian Health Service (IHS), which is the federal health program for indigenous Americans, offers free webinars on LGBTQ and two-spirit topics. These seminars may be helpful for faculty seeking to better support LGBTQ+ indigenous students, and they may also be useful for faculty teaching courses on intersectional topics related to health and wellbeing.
The Fenway Institute’s National LGBT Health Education Center offers a number of free webinars focused on LGBTQ+ health topics. These materials may be useful for faculty in a number of disciplines related to health outcomes and well-being. These webinars can also assist faculty with better understanding physical and mental health challenges that may affect some LGBTQ+ students.
Out & Equal: Workplace Advocates offer a number of free webinars aimed at topics related to LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace. While these materials are aimed at workplace climate and policies, these webinars may be useful for faculty in a number of disciplines related to the workplace and social issues. These webinars can also assist faculty with better understanding challenges that may affect some LGBTQ+ students after graduation.
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project offers a number of free webinars on diversity-related topics, and many of these are also related to the LGBTQ+ community. While their webinars focus on supporting students in K-12 settings, many aspects of this content can help faculty consider how to continue such conversations in the college classroom.