Queer Students of Color �Sense of Inclusion in Community Colleges

Dr. Niraj Anil Wagh, Ed.D. (he/him)

Chair: Dr. Cliff Haynes (he/him)

Co-Chair: Dr. Lindsay Lynch (she/her)

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University of Florida

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Introduction

Research Questions

• How do queer students of color describe their sense of inclusion in a community college?
• How do queer students of color describe their in-class experiences in a community college?
• How do queer students of color describe their out-of-class experiences in a community college?

Data Collection

Summary of Participants

Table 1. Summary of Participants.

Summary of Participants

Table 1. Continued.

Summary of Participants

Table 1. Continued.

Summary of Participants

Table 1. Continued.

Findings

• 5 Themes:
• Visibility
• Affirmation of Identity
• Importance of Curriculum
• Safe Spaces
• Isolation and Discrimination

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Visibility

• Categories:
• Having pride flags and/or supporting signage on campus
• Having faculty display their ally certification
• Having peers, faculty, staff, and administrators who looked like and/or identified as queer and/or of color

“Having a community of people who are the same race as me would help and not feel as alone or isolated or othered by people who are White.” - Ava

Affirmation of Identity

• Categories:
• Use of gender pronouns and preferred names
• School personnel publicly showing support by standing up for their queer students of color
• Having gender-neutral bathrooms on campus

“…I would avoid public restrooms at all costs. If I had to, I would hold it. I would not go. I would find alternatives…I work at Starbucks. All of their restrooms are gender-neutral. I would wait till I got out of school, and I would go to a nearby Starbucks...” - Matias

Importance of Curriculum

• Categories:
• Exclusion of racial/ethnic and queer identities
• Restriction of inclusive assignments
• Positive curricular experiences

“I don't know what it means to be straight. I don't know what it means to be White, but I can give my opinion more if it was more diverse.” - Remy

Safe Spaces

• Categories:
• Having registered student organizations such as LGBTQ+ organizations among others
• Having specific areas on campus where queer students of color could be themselves

“I am in the GSA Club, but that’s because I feel safe there...I feel so comfortable, and so at home when I’m talking to people that can understand me…I don’t have to make them understand or make them understand how I’m feeling. They just accept me…” - Matias

Isolation and Discrimination

• Categories:
• Being enrolled in a predominantly White community college
• Being othered by peers and school personnel
• Experiencing stereotype threat
• Enduring discriminatory experiences from being in a queer registered student organization

“…people assume that you might be less intelligent because you do not sound like them. Thankfully every single time, I have had the opportunity to prove them wrong. I am just as capable as everyone is.” - Alejandro

Implications for Practice

How can we apply these findings to our practice?

Implications for Practice: �Faculty & Deans

• Introductory assignments/activities
• Gender pronouns and preferred names
• Standing up for QSOC
• Professional development
• Ally certification
• Cultural competencies
• Placing certificate placards on campus

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Implications for Practice: �Faculty & Deans

• Placement of pride flags/BLM/affirming signs
• Office doors or in the classroom
• Diversify curriculum
• Integrating relatable content to QSOC
• Advocation for new courses that incorporate diverse topics
• Chicana/x Studies, History of African Americans, Queer History

Implications for Practice: Student Development Staff

• Registered student organizations
• Gay-Straight Alliance and multi-cultural organizations
• Gay-Straight Alliance funding
• Events that are inclusive for all races/ethnicities and queer identities

Implications for Practice: Enrollment Management and Information Technology Staff

• Update community college admission applications and class rosters
• Gender pronouns and preferred names

Implications for Practice: Administrators

• Gender-neutral bathrooms
• Creating a task force to examine current campus environment
• Modifying signs of current existing single-stall restrooms

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Implications for Practice: Administrators

• Creation of ally certification professional development (PD) programs
• Tiered reward structure to incentivize PD opportunities

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Implications for Practice: Administrators

• Inclusive hiring practices
• Minimize unconscious bias through standardized rubrics
• Outreaches in the community
• Creating a transitions team to recruit QSOC

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Concluding Remarks

Thank You!

Any questions?