Welcome

8:00 AM PT

9:00 AM MT

10:00 AM CT

11:00 AM ET

“We Were Advocates” Panel

8:15 AM PT

9:15 AM MT

10:15 AM CT

11:15 AM ET

For many Queer and Trans (QT) resource professionals, our entry into this work is through a lens of advocacy. It is also true that the history of this profession is a legacy of activism. Yet, today many struggle to to negotiate the tension between administrative priorities and best meeting the needs of our communities. This panel discussion features QT resource professionals at varying levels (and in differing contexts) discussing the current trends, challenges, and successes in the field and actionable strategies to sustain QT lives and spaces on campus.

Break

9:30 AM PT

10:30 AM MT

11:30 AM CT

12:30 PM ET

Regional Breakouts

9:45 AM PT

10:45 AM MT

11:45 AM CT

12:45 PM ET

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A recurring theme of many of the conversations had within the field is the need for spaces for the people doing this work to connect. People supporting LGBTQ+ resource work on and off campus are often isolated, misunderstood, and expected to operate without much support or guidance. This time is dedicated to bringing us all together by region to discuss pressing topics and build relationships with professionals in other institutions and organizations.

Extended Break

10:45 AM PT

11:45 AM MT

12:45 PM CT

1:45 PM ET

Workshop Session Block

11:30 AM PT

12:30 PM MT

1:30 PM CT

2:30 PM ET

Attendees of the Virtual Drive-In will have the opportunity to pick between multiple workshops facilitated by Consortium members on various topics relating to the theme of the Drive-In. Information on the workshops will be released as it is confirmed.

Attendees of the Virtual Drive-In will have the opportunity to pick between multiple workshops facilitated by Consortium members on various topics relating to the theme of the Drive-In. Information on the workshops will be released as it is confirmed.

Break

12:30 PM PT

1:30 PM MT

2:30 PM CT

3:30 PM ET

Member Needs Assessment Report

12:45 PM PT

1:45 PM MT

2:45 PM CT

3:45 PM ET

In 2022, the Consortium of Higher Education launched a member needs assessment to identify trends for QT resource practitioners, deepen the understanding of member experiences, and to capture the state of the field. Join the Consortium as we celebrate the release of the report and explore the study. We will share the findings and discuss the experiences of Consortium members.

Jesse Beal, MA // Director, Community & Advocacy 

Roman Christiaens, MEd // Director, Internal Relations 

Andrew Herridge, PhD // Coordinator, Regional Representatives 

Nicole Newsome, MA // Coordinator, Marketing & Communications 

Kristopher Oliveira, PhD // Director, Membership Engagement

Break

1:35 PM PT

2:35 PM MT

3:35 PM CT

4:35 PM ET

Awards Ceremony

1:50 PM PT

2:50 PM MT

3:50 PM CT

4:50 PM ET

Each year, the Consortium presents awards in three categories. These awards recognize the people and achievements in the field of higher education LGBTQ+ student support. Nominations are submitted by members of the Consortium and others who want to ensure that the work we do does not go unnoticed, as it often does. Join us in celebrating the nominees and winners of these awards as examples of some of the amazing work being done by our colleagues and friends.

Annual Business Meeting

2:10 PM PT

3:10 PM MT

4:10 PM CT

5:10 PM ET

We close out the Virtual Drive-In with our Annual Business Meeting, where we discuss the state of the organization, our current projects, and engage with members to understand what needs to be prioritized to best serve our mission. Non-members are welcome to attend to learn more about the inner workings of the Consortium and what you could gain from membership.

Drive-In Ends

3:00 PM PT

4:00 PM MT

5:00 PM CT

6:00 PM ET

Desire, Refusal, World-Making, and Underworlding: Transfeminist Praxis in Higher Education

Roman Christiaens (they/she) University of Arizona, Center for the Study of Higher Education, Doctoral Candidate

Transfeminism as a critical theory is widely underutilized within diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in higher education. As a way to reimagine critical approaches to gender education in cocurricular spaces, this session invites DEI educators and professionals to conceptualize a transfeminist praxis informed by transfemmes and transwomen of color. In the session, participants will learn about key aspects of transfeminism and imagine how they can explore and implement a transfeminist praxis in their roles and on their college campuses.

This session is best for: Scholar-practitioners who facilitate educational opportunities (such as SafeZone trainings) on their college campus.

Friendraising & Fundraising Fundamentals

Kip Sorgen (he/him) Georgia Southern University, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership

If you don’t have much experience with it, fundraising can be uncomfortable.  This session will help make the idea of asking for money less cringe.  Participants will learn about fundraising basics like annual funds, major gifts, faculty-staff gifts, campaigns, endowments, prospect research, donor cultivation, and stewardship.  Drawing from their personal experiences, participants will engage in discussions about fundraising skills, effective practices, and what makes them uncomfortable.  The goal of this session is for participants to become more familiar with fundraising principles and to generate ideas for incorporating them into their work.

This session is best for: Everyone interested in fundraising, but may be most beneficial for center directors looking to engage in it.

Supervising Advocates: Tensions and New Possibilities

Jesse Beal (they/them) University of Michigan Spectrum Center, Director

Tristan Morton (ze/zir) University of Michigan Spectrum Center, Associate Director

For many QT resource practitioners, our entry into this work is through activism and our personal experiences with anti-LGBTQIA2S+ oppression. However, many of us struggle to negotiate our activist roots with our roles as administrators. One area this shows up is within our supervisory relationships. In this session we will explore the experience of (1) being a supervisor of advocates, and (2) being supervised as an advocate. We will reflect on strategies to critically queer supervision and practice identity conscious supervision. We will discuss ways that balance a desire for professional growth and development with a commitment to resist historically problematic practices.

This session is best for: Everyone supervising or being supervised as an advocate. Content warnings for workplace trauma, supervision issues.

Promising Policies & Practices for Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Students

Sarah Simi Cohen, PhD (they/them) Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals

Des Velázquez (he/him) UC Santa Cruz Cantú Queer Center, Program Coordinator

To better address the needs of trans and nonbinary college students, the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals organized a team to update its Promising Policies and Practices for Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Students. Based on research findings and professional experiences, these guidelines are designed to assist colleges and universities in providing services to trans and nonbinary students. Members of the team will discuss the document and provide attendees with the means to use the guidelines on their campuses.

This session is best for: Everyone

Before They Arrive: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students During Their College Search

Genny Beemyn, Ph.D. (they/them) Director, UMass Amherst Stonewall Center

Robert Powers, M.A. (he/him) Founder, Campus Q

Brad Ward, M.A. (she/her) College and Career Counselor, Saratoga HS (Saratoga, CA)

LGBTQ+ high school and community college students navigating the college search are trying to find great-fit colleges that check all their boxes -- whatever those boxes are. They don't always know how to engage with colleges' LGBTQ+ resource centers in the process, and they don't always know what they want or need from a college in terms of LGBTQ+ support services. Beyond this, students' specific circumstances inform their search. Some students have barriers like unsupportive parents. Some have specific faith backgrounds. Some students' intersectional identities inform the college search in a complicated way. Before students arrive to a college campus, what are they searching for, how can resource professionals engage with them, and how can resource professionals support them?

This session is best for: All campus resource professionals and independent LGBTQ+ student support professionals interested in better understanding how they can support students before they get to campus