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Climate Survey 2019

Albany Law School

Albany Law School

February 1, 2019

1. Does your law school intentionally seek out LGBTQ+ prospective students?
Yes
a. If so, how and where are your efforts directed?

Prospective students who self-identify are sometimes sent targeted communications with relevant information and/or programming opportunities.  They may also be paired with faculty or current students who are also members of the LGBTQ+ community for outreach.

2. Does your law school's welcome packet for admitted students include mention of identity group support for LGBTQ+ students, as well as for students of color or other minorities?
Yes

We include a list of all student organizations.

3. Does your school offer students the option to self-identify as LGBTQ+ in admissions applications or post-enrollment forms?
Yes
4. Does your law school offer transgender students who have not legally changed their names the ability to have their name of choice on admission applications or post enrollment forms?
Yes
5. Does your law school provide any annual scholarships specifically for LGBTQ+ students?
No

Not for incoming students.  All of our admission scholarships are merit-based.  Some scholarships are available for returning students.

6. Does your law school provide funding, including travel support, for LGBTQ+ students to participate in LGBTQ+-focused learning and career services opportunities?
No
a. If so, please provide details and examples of when and how those opportunities have been utilized.
7. Does your law school actively seek to employ diverse staff/faculty/administrators, including visible, out LGBTQ+ individuals?
Yes
a. If so, please detail how and where recruitment efforts are directed

Through local affinity bar organizations as well as traditional sources for faculty (e.g. AALS).

8. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ faculty your law school employs (if any)
3
Gay
3
9. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ staff/administrators?
3
Lesbian
1
Gay
1
Transgender
1
10. Does your law school provide benefits such as health insurance, family medical leave, parental leave, and nontraditional family planning such as in vitro fertilization and/or adoptive benefits on equal terms to same-sex couples who are married or in registered domestic partnerships as are provided to different-sex married or registered domestic partner couples?
Yes
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

We have offered both same sex and opposite sex domestic partner benefits for about 20 years.  Our family medical leave and parental leave benefits are provided to both same sex and opposite sex couples as well.

11. Does your law school offer the aforementioned health benefits to students and their same-sex spouses/partners?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here
12. Does your law school offer transition-related health benefits to transgender and/or transitioning employees?
Yes
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

Our health plans include sex/gender reassignment surgery as a treatment option for extreme cases of gender dysphoria.

13. Does your school offer the same transition-related healthcare benefits to students and their partners/spouses?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here (or you may email a copy of your policy to rishell@lgbtbar.org):
14. Do all students at your law school have access to counseling and/or therapy services either through the law school or the larger University?
Yes
15. Does your law school provide at least bi-annual mandatory diversity and inclusion training that incorporates robust LGBTQ+ curriculum, for all staff/faculty/administrators?
Yes
16. Does your law school provide a gender-inclusive restroom in any and/or all law school buildings?
Yes
a. How is that restroom identified (i.e., what does the signage say, is it identified on building maps, is there a gender-inclusive restroom policy that applies to all restrooms and where is that statement published, etc.)?

Signage says gender neutral restroom.  We are working on adding to the building maps.  There is no policy associated with the restroom.

17. Does your law school have one or more annual LGBTQ+ course offerings (e.g., LGBT Law and Policy, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Gender and the Law (taught with trans-inclusive and focused materials), etc.)?
Yes
a. If so, please list course names

Gender and the Law

18. Does your law school have an active, visible LGBTQ+ law student group that is supported by the institution?
Yes
19. Does your law school have a hate/bias incident policy that students are required to follow?
Yes
a. If so, does that process specifically identify sexual orientation, gender identity, or both as protected categories?

Yes.  The policy covers gender, gender identity, gender expression,  and sexual orientation.

b. is there a clear hate bias/incident reporting process for students/faculty/staff to utilize if necessary?
Yes
20. Please describe all additional ways, not identified through your responses, that your law school works to be safe, inclusive, and welcoming to LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and administrators:

We are intentional in our efforts to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for all.  We have a full-time decanal-level position dedicated to these efforts.