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Montclair State Named to Campus Pride Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges List

Montclair State is on Campus Pride’s list of the “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly campuses across the nation

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Feature image for Montclair State Named to Campus Pride Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges List

For the first time, Montclair State University has been named to the Campus Pride Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities list.

Compiled by Campus Pride, the nation’s leading educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities, the Top 25 list recognizes the “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly higher education institutions in the nation.

Receiving five out of five possible stars in the organization’s Campus Pride Index, Montclair State joins institutions such as Williams College, Princeton, Cornell and Penn State on the elite list, which highlights the most LGBTQ-inclusive colleges and universities in regards to policy, program and practice in higher education.

The accolade is welcome recognition of the efforts that the University and the LGBTQ Center have put into enhancing LGBTQ programs and services.

"The LGBTQ Center at Montclair State University is dedicated to improving the services and support of LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff, and we have worked diligently with our campus partners to create an environment inclusive and supportive of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression," says LGBTQ Center Program Coordinator Brian Edwards. "We celebrate this incredible moment and recognition of our work thus far. It’s a great day to be a Red Hawk!"

Edwards notes that while the University did receive five out of five stars, there is still more that can be done to enhance the support and services for the LGBTQ population at Montclair State. He and the LGBTQ Center are currently working with campus administrators on the development of preferred name options in University-wide systems; accessible, simple processes for students to change their gender identity on University records and documents; and options for students to self-identify their gender identity and sexual orientation on admissions applications.

According to Campus Pride, the Campus Pride Index is based in research on policy, program and practice conducted for and by LGBTQ experts in the field of higher education. In order to be named to the Top 25, an institution has to score the highest percentages in the LGBTQ-friendly benchmarks in all areas.

Learn more and view the full list at campuspride.org/2015-top-25.