How to Initiate a Safe Z one P rogram on Your C ampus

How to Initiate a Safe Zone Program on Your Campus

Joanne RusnakTori Torres

Misty Moler

Questions for you all

• What is your position on campus?• What is your idea of a “Safe Zone”?• How do you think this could be helpful on

your campus?• What do you hope to get from this training?

Goals for Today

• To explain what a Safe Zone program is• Give you ideas of how to initiate your own• Demonstrate activity that we use during our

training (which you are welcome to use!)

What is a Safe Zone Program?

• A way to VISIBLY identify members of the campus community who are supportive of LGBTQ students

• A way for campus members to let LGBTQ students know that they are safe and supportive

• A way to support and retain LGBTQ students at your institutions

What is a Safe Zone Program cont.

• Safe Zone programs can be found all over the U.S. at various institutions

• It is a “borrowed program” and the key is to make it work for your institution

• We modeled ours after UNCC’s

Why have a Safe Zone Program?

• Unlike other marginalized populations, it is harder to identify individuals who are supportive

• Discrimination exists on our campuses• Approximately 25 percent of lesbian, gay and

bisexual students and university employees have been harassed due to their sexual orientation

http://www.nohomophobes.com

Getting Buy-In

• Find someone who is supportive and somewhere to ‘house’ the program.

• Know your facts- send out a survey to assess climate on campus if numbers are needed

• Bottom-up approach was our strategy• VERY low-cost program- besides cost of decals the only

other thing necessary is time• Ours is through Student Services, but could also be

done through counseling, student life, diversity centers etc.

Obstacles

• Discrimination – Tends to be ‘covert’ vs. ‘overt’– With a bottom up approach- program less likely to

be questioned or stalled– Important to have someone with clout to defend

the program if necessary

Our Timeline

• June 2012- Letter from a student• August 2012- Training with Campus Pride• Sept 2012-December 2012- Wrote manual,

developed training and designed/ordered decal

• January 2013- 1st Training• Now have 50 Ally’s on our campuses!

What does a Safe Zone Program Need?

• Goals• Purpose• Symbol• Manual• Training

All of these can be as in depth as needed dependent upon what the goals are at your institution

Goals/Purpose

• Levels of Safe Zone’s:– Do you want no training/orientation and just make

brochures and stickers available to all who wish to participate?

– Do you want one training/orientation session that educates Ally’s?

– Do you want on-going training for your Ally’s?

Our Goals

• To create, develop, and train faculty, staff and students who can serve as Safe Zone Allies.

• To support LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and visitors at Rowan Cabarrus Community College.

• To educate the campus community on LGBTQ issues and concerns

Our Purpose

• Create a safe environment for LGBTQ students at RCCC

• Educate faculty, students, and staff of LGBTQ issues and concerns

• To retain LGBTQ students at RCCC• To refer students to appropriate resources• To offer visible support to LGBTQ students

Our Symbol

• Want to make sure it’s connected to the LGBTQ community

• Make it your own• One of the most

important parts of having a Safe Zone!

Developing a Manual and Training

• Lots of info out there• Want to consider what the needs are of your

institution• Things to consider:– How in-depth do you want the training to be?– What do you want your program to look like?– Where will you ‘house’ this initiative?

Goals of RCCC Training

• Raise awareness of LGBTQ issues and concerns• Become familiar with terms• To help Allies understand how homophobia

and heterosexism impacts everyone• To help identify resources in the community• To define role as an Ally• Training runs about 3 hours, once a semester

Our Manual

• Terminology• Information about homophobia and

heterosexism• Statistics and current events• Role of Safe Zone members• Guide of how to be an Ally• Referral Resources• Ally Agreement Form

Ally Agreement Form• Publicly support all students/faculty/staff regardless of their

sexual orientation or gender identity. • Display my Safe Zone symbol in a visible location to let campus

members know that I am an Ally. • Refer students to appropriate resources if the issues presented

are outside of my scope of practice. • Speak out against homophobia when I encounter it on campus. • Explore my own prejudices and not impose them on any

member of the campus community. • Not try to change or convert anyone because of their sexual

orientation/gender identity.

Star Exercise

Questions

Contact Info

Joanne RusnakJoanne.rusnak@rccc.edu704-216-3613