This program is for alumni relations professionals who work in student philanthropy, young alumni, LGBTQIA+ social groups, and general engagement. If you work within advancement services, this program will also be beneficial.  

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern

Who Is Your LGBTQIA+ Alumni Community? 

What language do you use to describe your alumni depending on how they identify themselves? What pronouns are you familiar with? Which ones do you have questions about? What does the data look like for the LGBTQIA+ community on college campuses today? You will learn the answers to these questions in this opening segment of the program; helping us all better understand the concepts people struggle with the most. 

Gender Identity, Expression, and Creating a Welcoming Environment 

Going beyond the strategies that have been developed for your cis and binary alumni population is required for greater inclusivity in your engagement. Understanding the challenge of many institutions, you will learn what it looks like to create a welcoming environment for your LGBTQIA+ alumni community through communication and programming examples, covering topics from pronoun options in RSVP forms to campaigns to remove dead names from diplomas. 

Promising Practices for LGBTQIA+ Engagement and Advocacy 

Most institutions have developed innovative strategies and techniques to engage and advocate for their LGBTQIA+ alumni community. However, many continue to struggle in this area due to institutional leadership and/or history. You will learn some best practices that you can take back to your institution to implement, and explore the types of resistance faced when programming for this population and how to mitigate or work through it.