By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman
quote: "This connection between people working with GLBT students will strengthen our ability to serve them effectively."
– Milt Ford, Grand Valley University's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender faculty liaison
DETROIT – Offices at Michigan's higher educational institutions supporting the LGBT community have formed their first coalition.
The Michigan Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Centers, conceived and facilitated by Triangle Foundation, will provides a means of organized communication and strategizing between theseÊoffices. Offices will be able to share resources and ideasÊon addressing the needs of LGBT students, faculty and staffÊon their campus. The consortium also allows offices to be betterÊinformed of important issues and to respond with a unified message.
"This is really helpful for the offices to be able to share resources, have an efficient way to communicate with each other to share ideas and to collaborate on important issues that impact each of the colleges and universities," said Greg Varnum, youth initiatives coordinator for Triangle.
The eight founding members of the consortium are: Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, Oakland University,ÊUniversity of Michigan,ÊUniversity of Michigan, Flint, and Western Michigan University. All parties met at Triangle's Detroit office earlier this year and agreed that the creation of such a consortium was essential to advancing LGBT issues on Michigan's college campuses. The initial responseÊon the structure and plan for the Consortium has been tremendously positive.
"I am very pleased to see Triangle Foundation take the lead in helping unify and organize LGBT college professionals in Michigan" said Chad Grandy, Triangle Foundation trustee and chair of Triangle's youth committee. "This coalition helps bring cohesion and power to the voices for LGBT equality at Michigan colleges."
"This connection between people working with GLBT students will strengthen our ability to serve them effectively," said Milt Ford, Grand Valley's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender faculty liaison.
"I am thrilled that a coalition for Michigan Higher Ed offices has formed," said DorisÊDirks,ÊCoordinator of the Office of LBGT Student Services at Western Michigan University. "It is helpful to know that there is a support network statewide and that we will be able to share knowledge and resources to advance the rights of LGBT students, faculty and staff on our campuses. Those of us in Michigan are exceptionally lucky to have the Triangle Foundation working with and for us."
Varnum said that Triangle will be taking an active role in the consortium, including coordinating meetings and disseminating information to consortium members. The new organization will operate out of Triangle's youth initiatives project.
The consortium is currently strategizing on responses to the lawsuit against Michigan State University, better inclusion ofÊtransgender non-discrimination policies, cooperatively planning events between campuses and other collaborative efforts. Expansion of the group is planned as more universities and colleges add LGBT offices to their campuses.
For more information on the Michigan Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Centers, contact Greg Varnum at (313) 537-3323, ext. 108.
