Here is an excerpt from a report by the California Postsecondary Education Commission.
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Access and equity for all college students have always been high priorities of the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The Commission has conducted research, gathered data, and made recommendations to expand opportunities and improve outcomes for all students in the state’s postsecondary systems. Recently, the Commission turned a spotlight on two groups whose challenges may not be as visible as race/ethnicity, poverty, or language, but whose success on campus is affected by equity issues.
These groups are students with disabilities and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students. The Commission formed the “Access and Equity for All Students Advisory Committee” to explore the issues of these separate and distinct groups.
There are very little data available to identify specific issues of LGBT students and to assess how their access to college and their ability to succeed contrasts with non-LGBT students of similar backgrounds.
About 5% of the 62,000 University of California students who completed the 2008 UC Undergraduate Experience Survey self-identified as LGBT. Four out of five said they belong on campus and would still choose to enroll “knowing what they know now” about being at UC, but they also report slightly lower levels of satisfaction and belonging than non-LBGT students.
According to the FBI, California accounts for 1,400 incidents of reported hate crime. This is 18% of the national total even though the population of California is only about 14% of the nation. 263 incidents, or 19%, were based on sexual orientation. This was higher than any other types of hate crimes reported.
Panel discussion – 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 9
770 L Street, Suite 1160, Sacramento, California
listen live at www.cpec.ca.gov
The California Postsecondary Education Commission has invited knowledgeable students and service providers for a panel discussion.
- Lance Chih, Folsom Lake Community College student, board member of Respect Sacramento.
- Steve Hansen, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law student, Lambda Students Association treasurer, Health Law Association vice president, former legislative director for Equality California.
- Wiggsy Sivertsen, San José State University professor of sociology and former director of counseling services. Founding member of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee which is focused on LGBT civil rights.
- Shane Snowdon, UC San Francisco LGBT Resources Director, recipient of UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Exceptional University Service, former director of the Women’s Center at UC Santa Cruz.
- Mark Yanez, UC Davis student and LGBT Resource Center intern.
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