Earlham College earns 4-star rating on national Campus Pride Index

Earlham College has received a four-star rating on the Campus Pride Index, the premier national benchmarking tool for creating safer and more inclusive campus communities.

Nearly 450 institutions of higher education are scored on the index, based on a one- to five-star rating system. Earlham ranks in the top half of Indiana colleges and universities included on the index.

“Our ranking on the Campus Pride Index underscores our strong commitment to our LGBTQ community members and serves as a resource for how we can raise the bar to become a better version of the institution we aspire to be,” said Gariot Louima, Earlham’s associate vice president of strategic and diversity initiatives.

Earlham receives high marks on the index for LGBTQ policy inclusion, academic life, housing and residence life, and campus safety, Louima notes.

“We have opportunity to earn a full, five-star ranking by implementing initiatives that are already outlined in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan,” he said.

An extension of this plan, launched last year, is hiring new personnel in Human Resources and Student Life with a specific focus on DEI work, bringing greater support to students and employees from underrepresented backgrounds.

Earlier this year, the Office of Human Resources announced the expansion of its employee benefits program to include transgender healthcare, which includes counseling and hormone therapy. A new policy from Earlham’s Title IX office and the Department of Athletics was also finalized to reaffirm to support for transgender students’ access to and participation in intercollegiate athletics.

“Earlham Athletics appreciates recognition from the Campus Pride Index for those things we are contributing to the inclusivity of the Earlham campus,” Director of Athletics Adam Hutchinson said. “Our recent work to craft a policy supportive of transgender student-athletes is part of our ongoing effort to establish expectations, practices, and opportunities for the inclusion of all Earlham community members.”

Earlham’s Office of Events is also preparing to open a dedicated space in Runyan Center in fall 2022 in support of LGBTQ-centered programs and events. Supported by a major gift from Kate and Miguel Wolbert, the new space will maintain an open, safe, and inclusive space honoring gender and sexual diversity on campus. Kate Wolbert is a graduate from the Class of 1999.

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