During summer 2024, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) team led by Lauren Feldman (she/they), Assistant Director for Gender Equity and Sexuality, in collaboration with key stakeholders and campus partners worked to update Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)’s Campus Pride Index profile. WPI received a score of four out of five stars.
Campus Pride is a nonprofit organization that works to build safer college campuses for LGBTQIAP+ students, faculty, and staff. This organization, founded in 2001, exists “to develop, support and give “voice and action” in building future LGBTQ and ally student leaders” (campuspride.org).
“I am excited both to see the great work that has been done already on campus to support our LGBTQIAP+ students and to see the areas of focus we can work on. Now is the time for us to use this tool to continue adjusting our systems to be even more supportive, inclusive, and safe.”
-Lauren Feldman (she/they), Assistant Director for Gender Equity and Sexuality
Through Campus Pride, comes the Campus Pride Index (CPI). The CPI was created in 2007 and acts as a benchmarking tool for colleges across the United States to determine their areas of strength and areas for growth when it comes to supporting LGBTQIAP+ students, faculty, and staff on their campus. The results of this assessment are posted to the Campus Pride website and provide an educational resource for prospective students, families, and employees to view various aspects of inclusion and safety on campuses across the country.
In the most up to date assessment, WPI received a score of 4 out of 5 stars. This is an improvement from WPI’s previous score of 3.5 out of 5 stars. WPI ranked highly with 5 stars each, in Student Life, Housing & Residence Life, and Counseling & Health, providing students with a variety of opportunities to build community and identify resources for support, including student organizations, all gender housing opportunities, and student health insurance plans which support gender-affirming care and counseling options.
“The Campus Pride Index is one of many metrics ODIME intends to utilize to build on the ongoing strategic work being completed to support LGBTQIAP+ students inside and outside of the classroom. We are committed to partnering with students, faculty, staff, campus leaders, and alums to continue actualizing and sustaining programs and services allowing the university to live up to [and exceed] this rating. Our sincere hope is for all LGBTQIAP+ students and employees to feel a true sense of community and campus pride at WPI. We are just getting started.”
-Arnold Lane, Jr. (he/him), Director of Multicultural Education and Community Engagement
Campus Pride Index Rating, 4 out of 5 Stars
A huge thank you to all campus offices, departments, and administrators who helped to update WPI’s profile. With the information from the Campus Pride Index, ODIME and the larger campus community are committed to creating and sustaining a stronger campus community.
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.