Conference Supports LGBT Students

8/4/2011 3:52 PM

By Dave Dulberg

Published August 2, 2011:

For the first time in the U.S. Department of Education's history, the Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention held a conference that focused on improving the social climate for LGBT students at universities across the country.

Vincent Vigil, director of the USC LGBT Resource Center, presented a talk on "Strengthening Admissions Protocols to Support LGBT Students and Their Families" to the more than 80 participants who attended the skill-building training institute, which took place July 13-14 in St. Paul, Minn.

"Our university is ranked as one of the best LGBT-friendly universities, so it already has that status around the country," Vigil said. "With that distinction comes a lot of responsibility for USC. With the help of student affairs and the admissions department, we've created a specific recruitment brochure called the LGBT College Experience Guide, which is available both online and in print for prospective students."