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Climate Survey 2019

Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Widener University Commonwealth Law School

January 31, 2019

1. Does your law school intentionally seek out LGBTQ+ prospective students?
No
a. If so, how and where are your efforts directed?
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

Students who are admitted for Fall 2019, will receive a welcome letter from the Assistant Dean of Students that provides information about supportive resources and student organizations such as OUTlaw,  Black Law Students Association, and the Safe Space Ally program. This is a new practice was implemented under the current Assistant Dean of Students who began in this role in January 2019.

3. Does your school offer students the option to self-identify as LGBTQ+ in admissions applications or post-enrollment forms?
No

We do not currently offer this but admissions forms are being amended for the 2020-21 academic year to provide an option to self-identify.

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

While there are no specific internal scholarships, we do maintain a scholarship database and there are external scholarship opportunities available to eligible LGBTQ+ students.

6. Does your law school provide funding, including travel support, for LGBTQ+ students to participate in LGBTQ+-focused learning and career services opportunities?
Yes
a. If so, please provide details and examples of when and how those opportunities have been utilized.

Funds have been allocated to send LGBTQ+ students to the National LGBT Annual Conference & Career Fair.

Widener provides financial support through the Student Bar Association to fund the OUTlaw student organization.

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

Widener University has a strategic commitment to building an inclusive  community whose diversity enriches the lives of all members. We recruit through an only tool called PageUp and all jobs that are approved automatically post to the following:

Indeed.com
Diversityjobs.com
Higheredjobs.com

In addition, Widener University was the recipient of the INSIGHT into Diversity, Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2018.

8. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ faculty your law school employs (if any)
0
9. Please identify, to your knowledge, how many out LGBTQ+ staff/administrators?
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

Policy will be e-mailed to the above address.

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?
No
a. If so, please summarize or reproduce your policy here
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.)?

Restrooms are identified through signage and on campus maps.  The specific verbiage used is:

“An All Gender restroom is available in the 2nd floor faculty
lounge.” and “An All Gender restroom is available in the Administration Building.”

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

LGBTQ+ Legal Issues

18. Does your law school have an active, visible LGBTQ+ law student group that is supported by the institution?
Yes

Widener has an established OUTlaw student organization with a designated faculty/staff advisor and a budget allocation through the Student Bar Association.  The level of activity and visibility varies depending on the make up of the current student body.

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?

It is incorporated by cross-referencing the University policy on Nondiscrimination and is also specifically included in the University’s Bias Protocol.

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:

Faculty and staff members who wish to participate in the Safe Space Ally training program are encouraged to do so.  We promote this program and the participating faculty and staff on our website.