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  • Climate Survey 2021

    Connect, Share Knowledge, and Succeed Within the LGBTQ+ and Ally Legal Community.

    Vanderbilt University Law School

    March 16, 2021

    Question 1 provided each school with a field to confirm or update their nondiscrimination statement.
     
    2. Does your law school intentionally seek out LGBTQ+ prospective students?
    Yes
    a. If ‘yes,’ how and where are your efforts directed?

    Vanderbilt Law School seeks to enroll a student body that is broadly diverse in multiple dimensions, including LGBTQ+ students. Our efforts are reflected in our commitment to diversity as an essential component of our educational goals; our commitment to diversity in the admission process; and recruiting strategies that promote student diversity.

    Both Vanderbilt Law School and Vanderbilt University view learning within a diverse student body as an essential component of our educational and co-curricular goals. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Life at Vanderbilt University* is a cultural center and a place of affirmation for individuals of all identities, and a resource for information and support about gender and sexuality. The Law School Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council’s goal is to create and foster an academic environment where every student feels comfortable and welcome, and to serve as a voice for the minority community at VLS. The VLS student organization OUTLaw utilizes the collective resources of its members to develop the role of the LGBTQQIAA attorney within the greater legal structure and influence meaningful change by promoting a more informed awareness of the needs of the LGBTQQIAA community. OUTLaw has a representative on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council referenced above.

    We are committed to diversity in the admission process, and we believe that full-file review is central to the objective of assembling talented students with a broad mix of backgrounds, perspectives and goals that promotes a vibrant and beneficial educational environment. To that end, we explicitly welcome open-ended Diversity Statements that describe any aspect of the applicant’s background or experience that the applicant would like to provide for consideration.

    Our student recruiting strategies promote diversity. The Vanderbilt Law Ambassadors is a student organization that is dedicated to the recruitment of future students and its volunteer membership fully reflects the diversity of the VLS student body. The Ambassadors’ involvement with our on-campus Admitted Students Programs and their direct personal outreach to admitted students are key components of enrolling a diverse student body each admission cycle. The Law School Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council hosts a Diversity Program during each on-campus Admitted Students Program. These students-only events foster open dialogue about diversity and inclusion between current students and admitted applicants.

    * https://www.vanderbilt.edu/lgbtqi

    3. 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
    4. Does your school offer students the option to self-identify (also known as "Self-ID") as LGBTQ+ in admissions applications or post-enrollment forms?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please describe your student Self-ID process:

    Our students have the option to self-identify as LGBTQ+ on our application for admission.

    b. If 'yes,' how many students are currently enrolled at your law school in total?:
    562
    c. If 'yes,' how many self-identified LGBTQ+ students are currently enrolled at your law school, in total?:
    Vanderbilt Law School does not track this information. However, the OUTLaw student organization’s current membership is 65. Some students in this group are allies and do not identify as LGBTQ+. There are also some faculty or staff that are on the roster. There may be students who identify as LGBTQ+ who are not registered members of OUTLaw.
    5. Does your law school offer transgender and nonbinary students who have not legally changed their names the ability to have their name-in-use reflected on their admission applications or post enrollment forms?:
    Yes
    6. Does your law school provide any annual scholarships specifically for LGBTQ+ students?
    No
    7. Does your law school actively seek to employ diverse staff/faculty/administrators, including openly LGBTQ+ individuals?:
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please detail how and where diversity recruitment efforts are directed:

    Vanderbilt University includes gender identity and gender expression in its Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy (under “Equal Opportunity”) against discrimination. Due diligence is required in candidate screening, testing tools, interview questions, etc. which includes review and approval of hiring tools by HR, EEOC, Affirmative Action and Disability Office, and any other related centralized university compliance office. Vanderbilt University’s Non-Discrimination Policy reads as follows:

    “Vanderbilt University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or genetic information in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their gender expression consistent with the University’s nondiscrimination policy.”

    8. Does your law school conduct a "Self-ID" program which allows staff/faculty/administrators to voluntarily and (if they desire) confidentially identify their gender identity and sexual orientation?:
    Yes
    a. If you answered 'yes' or 'unsure,' please describe your school's process for collecting this data

    Yes. Individuals may voluntarily self-identify using either an available form or by updating their own employment record with any personal information the employee wishes to submit. Employees are able to make updates at will.

    9. How many faculty (not staff/administrators) are employed by your law school in total?
    139
    10. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ faculty are employed by your law school in total?
    We respectfully decline answering questions 10 and 12 in order to protect the privacy of our faculty and staff.
    11. How many staff/administrators (not faculty) are employed by your law school in total?
    49
    12. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ staff/administrators are employed by your law school in total?
    We respectfully decline answering questions 10 and 12 in order to protect the privacy of our faculty and staff.
    13. Does your law school provide employee benefits such as health insurance, family medical leave, parental leave, and nontraditional family planning like assisted reproduction and/or adoptive benefits?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' are those employee benefits available on equal terms to employees in same-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships as they are to employees in different-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships?
    Yes
    b. If you answered 'yes' to #13, are those employee benefit plans inclusive of the specific needs of LGBTQ+ employees (i.e., are assisted reproductive benefits offered without the need for extended traditional attempts at pregnancy, are care techniques such as mammograms, prostate exams, hysterectomies, etc. available to employees of all genders, are parental leave policies equal for people of all genders, etc.)?
    Yes
    c. If you answered 'yes' to #13a AND/OR if you answered 'yes' or 'unsure' to #13b, please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    • Benefits Eligibility

    • FMLA & TMLA Leave

    • Parental Leave

    • Adoption Assistance

    • Recruitment, Hiring and Onboarding

    • Equal Opportunity

    There is also a VU Medical Center Program (VUMC) in LGBTQ health available. VUMC has been recognized as a leader in LGBT healthcare equality by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). VUMC is one of only four hospitals in Tennessee with such a distinction. The Program for LGBTQ Health within the Office for Diversity in Medical education provides training at the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and numerous departments in relation to LGBTQ medical concerns. The program also coordinates the Trans Buddy Program and referrals to LGBTQ competent providers, as well as VUMC’s Transgender Health Clinic.

    And, additionally, per Aetna’s Benefit Plans, Gender- specific preventive care benefits include eligible health services regardless of the sex you were assigned at birth, your gender identity, or your recorded gender.

    14. Does your law school offer transition-related health benefits including hormone therapy, gender counseling, gender-affirming surgeries, etc. to transgender/nonbinary employees and employees who are undergoing gender transition?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes' or ‘unsure,’ please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    Covered expenses under health plan provided by Aetna include charges in connection with a medically necessary Gender Reassignment Surgery as long you or a covered dependent have obtained precertification from Aetna. Vanderbilt has also opted into Navitus’ (pharmacy prescription plan) requirements and benefits regarding hormone therapy, subject to requirements outlined by Navitus.

    15. Does your law school offer a student benefit plan including health insurance with nontraditional family planning like assisted reproduction and/or adoptive benefits, and/or any additional benefits such as access to campus facilities?
    Yes
    a. If yes, are those student benefits available on equal terms to students in same-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships as they are to students in different- sex marital/domestic partnership relationships?
    Yes
    b. If you answered yes to #15, are those student benefit plans inclusive of the specific needs of LGBTQ+ students (i.e., are assisted reproductive benefits offered without the need for extended traditional attempts at pregnancy, are care techniques such as mammograms, prostate exams, hysterectomies, etc. available to students of all genders, etc.)?
    Yes
    c. If you answered yes to #15a AND/OR if you answered yes or unsure to #15b, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

    Student spousal insurance and benefit coverage options are identical for same-sex and different-sex couples. Insurance is not available to domestic partners (same-sex or different-sex). Additionally, certain spousal privileges (not including health insurance) are extended to same-sex domestic partners of international students whose countries prohibit same-sex marriage. Additional information can also be found on the student health insurance website.

    16. Does your school offer the same transition-related healthcare benefits to students and their partners/spouses who are transgender/nonbinary or undergoing gender transition?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    Vanderbilt’s Student Health Insurance Health Policy covers transition-related expenses, and some related services (such as hormone therapy) are administered in-house at the Student Health Center. Certain medical procedures require a demonstration of medical necessity, but the Student Health Center actively works with students to provide documentation supporting these claims. This same insurance policy is available to all student spouses who opt-in. Vanderbilt’s Student Health Insurance Policy is not available to domestic partners (same-sex or different-sex).

    17. Do all students at your law school have access to on-campus health, counseling and therapy services either through the law school or the larger University?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' are your school's on-campus health care providers trained to ensure they can provide culturally and clinically competent care to LGBTQ+ patients, particularly transgender and nonbinary patients?
    Yes
    b. If you answered 'yes' or 'unsure' to #17a, please provide the basis for your answer (i.e., counseling center language, etc.):

    All law students have access to a robust set of student support resources managed by our Office of Student Care Coordination. OSCC referrals include a holistic and customized support plan for each individual student, which often include counseling through the University Counseling Center. Additionally, the University Counseling Center provides drop-in satellite counseling services across campus (available to all students) and walk-in triage counseling at the UCC. The Law School regularly provides drop-in counseling hours inside the building as part of the satellite services. In addition to this, a Project Safe, the campus resources for students impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and more, has weekly drop-in counseling at the law school.

    Students can contact the Program for LGBTQ Health at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center for general health concerns or assistance navigating VUMC. The Program coordinates a Trans Buddy program and makes referrals for LGBTQ-competent providers and the VUMC Transgender Health Clinic. The Office of LGBTQI Life also serves as an excellent resource for locating supportive communities and services throughout Vanderbilt/Nashville area.

    18. Does your law school provide single-stall and/or multi-stall restrooms available to people of all genders (i.e., gender-neutral restrooms) in each law school building so that transgender/nonbinary people have a safe restroom space?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please describe how those all-gender restroom(s) is/are identified (i.e., what does the signage say, is it identified on building maps and online resources), the number of all-gender restroom stalls available in each law school building, and whether these are accessible for people with disabilities in each building or floor

    Vanderbilt University maintains and publishes an “All Gender Bathrooms” listing, which includes the building, floor, room number, as well as ADA accessibility indication. The Law School has a dedicated gender-inclusive restroom that is ADA accessible. It is identified with signage labeled, “All Gender Restroom”.

    19. If your law school is maintaining gender-segregated (i.e., "Women's Restroom" and "Men's Restroom") restroom stalls, does it have a policy applicable to those facilities which ensures that transgender/nonbinary students/staff/administrators/faculty, as well as anyone who does not meet gender stereotypes, have access to facilities that match their gender identity?
    Yes
    a. If "yes," please provide the language of your school's restroom use policy and details on where this policy may be found by the law school community:

    Students/staff/administrators/faculty can use the facilities that match their gender identity or the gender-neutral restroom.

    20. Does your law school have one or more annual LGBTQ+ specific course offerings (e.g., LGBTQ+ Law and Policy, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Gender and the Law (focused on trans-inclusive materials), etc.)?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please list course names:

    Sex Discrimination. 

    The law school also offers numerous courses throughout the curriculum that address law topics relevant to issues that LGBTQ+ people may face, such as discrimination, equal opportunity, government regulation, human rights, family law, health law and others. In concert with the course curriculum, the George Barrett Social Justice Program promotes an atmosphere in which issues of equality, access and service are openly and regularly explored by faculty and students inside and outside the classroom.

    Independent studies allow students to develop and complete their own projects under faculty supervision, and students may choose and design externships for academic credit that are tailored to their individual goals and interests. In addition, law students in their second or third year may transfer up to six graduate course credits from other Vanderbilt graduate/professional schools or ABA-accredited law schools toward their J.D. degree program if approved by the assistant dean for academic life.

    21. Does your law school have an active LGBTQ+ law student group that is supported by the administration?
    Yes
    22. Does your law school provide funding, including travel support, for LGBTQ+ students to participate in LGBTQ+-focused learning and/or career services opportunities?
    Yes
    a. If yes please provide details and examples of when and how those opportunities have been utilized in the past three years:

    The Career Services Office annually participates in and pays entry fees for the Lavender Law Job Fair. As with all students, if interviews are scheduled, the school will pay up to $400 toward travel and lodging expenses. All students are encouraged to participate in minority job fairs if appropriate, and entry fees are paid for those, including LGBTQ students. Each year students take advantage of this school support.

    23. Does your law school have a hate/bias incident policy that faculty, staff/administrators, and students are required to follow?
    Yes
    a. If yes to #23, does that process specifically identify sexual orientation AND/OR gender identity/expression as protected categories?
    Yes, both
    b. If yes to #23, does the policy set out a clear hate bias/incident reporting process for faculty, staff/administrators, and students to utilize if necessary?
    Yes
    24. Does your law school provide mandatory anti-sexual harassment training that explicitly covers same-sex harassment and harassment of transgender/nonbinary people, for all staff/faculty/administrators, at least every three years?
    No
    25. Does your law school provide diversity and inclusion training that incorporates robust LGBTQ+ curriculum as well as anti-racism curriculum, at least every three years? NOTE: Please check all that apply.
    Yes, optional for all faculty/staff/administrators
    Yes, mandatory for all students
    26. Please describe all additional ways, not identified through your earlier responses, in which your law school works to be safe, inclusive, and welcoming for its LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and administrators:

    In the wake of the nationwide protests for racial justice and equity in summer 2020, Vanderbilt Law School carried out a top-to-bottom review of its institutional practices and culture to ensure that these could maximally reflect our values of anti-racism, non-discrimination, equity and inclusion. A link to the VLS Steering Committee Report into Racial Inequities and Injustice 2020 can be found here. This Report describes the study, its findings and recommendations.

    Following this Report, the School created a new position, the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Community. This role requires the holder (a member of the faculty) to serve as a locus for guiding efforts at addressing the recommendations in the Report, as well as to liaise with students, faculty and staff to promote a culture of fullest belonging within the School for all. Critical to this focus is ensuring that our LGBTQ+ students feel completely supported and have access to the resources they need to make the most of their time at Law School. For example, recent initiatives have included the creation of an alumni-student mentorship network for underrepresented students that seeks to connect minority 2L and 3L students with a dedicated alumni mentor for the duration of their time at the School. This program is designed to match mentors and mentees with shared backgrounds and interests in the hope that mentors can provide guidance, advice and support for students as they navigate the challenges of law school and life beyond. In addition to the information described in this questionnaire, this position creates a source of coordination for our efforts to support LGBTQ+ students as well as institutional accountability in this regard.

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    Survey 2021

    • Albany Law School
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