From Chilly Climate to Warm Reception: Experiences and Good Practices for Supporting LGBTQ Students in STEM

• Main Author: Brinkworth, Carolyn S
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2016
• Subjects: LGBT; Inclusion; Equity; STEM; Diversity; Disability and Equity in Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education Administration; Other Education; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/97; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1104&context=cgu_etd

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning students (LGBTQ) face unique challenges during their university or college careers, and while society has generally become more accepting of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) over the past decade, students still often face chilly or outright hostile campus climates, as well as institutional and departmental policies and practices that create barriers to their learning and feeling of belonging in their classrooms and on their campuses. Research suggests that these issues are particularly pervasive in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and there is some evidence to suggest that LGBTQ individuals are underrepresented in these fields, at least in the STEM federal agency workforce (Cech, 2015). In this work, I review the research pertaining to LGBTQ university and community college students in STEM fields, including departmental and campus climate, departmental and institutional policies, and student outcomes. I investigate the evidence for policy and intervention options, and synthesize the recommendations from the literature that can help to support SGM students in classrooms, departments, and institutions of higher education.