The Admissions Office intentionally seeks out LGBTQ+ prospective students by attending diversity focused recruiting events and sending targeted emails to LGBTQ+ candidates. The Admissions staff also attends diversity training focused on recruiting and supporting LGBTQ+ students.
The Law School’s admissions application has a section titled “Optional Demographic Information”. In this section applicants may answer “yes” or “no” to the question “Do you identify as LGBTQ+?” This section and question was added to the application in 2021. Prior to 2021, there was not a student self-id process on the application.
Widener University has a strategic commitment to building an inclusive community whose diversity enriches the lives of all members. We recruit through an online tool called PageUp and all jobs that are approved automatically post to the following: Indeed.com, Diversityjobs.com, and Higheredjobs.com. Widener University also recruits from a variety of diverse niche sites specific to the academic or research area of expertise. In addition, Widener University was the recipient of the INSIGHT into Diversity, Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2018.
Widener University’s employment record form offers new employees the opportunity to voluntarily self-identify gender. Information related to sexual orientation is not gathered.
Widener University does not offer a student health insurance plan for law students.
Widener University does not offer a student health insurance plan for law students or their partners or spouses.
The law school contracts with a private counseling provider to offer services to students. This provider is experienced with LGBT issues but also refers students to other community counseling resources where they think more specialized knowledge is needed. Additionally, the law school has added the LGBT Center of Central PA to its health and wellness referral form to provide students with information about this respected community resource that offers support groups and educational programs.
Signage is posted next to communal restrooms that informs of the location of all gender restrooms. The specific signage says: “An all gender restroom is available in. . .” The single stall all gender restrooms are located in both of our law school buildings and there are (5) available. Signage on the gender-neutral restrooms was transitioned from the use of the male/female icon to just the word “Restroom.” Restrooms are identified on campus maps.
Sexuality, Gender and the Law Seminar is an approved course in our catalog. However, it does not run as frequently as we would like due to limited teaching resources. This course was last offered in fall 2019. Because it was last offered 2.5 years ago, we did not satisfy the timeframe provided above that allows us to indicate that we have a course of this nature.
All student organization activities are funded under the umbrella of the Student Bar Association. OUTlaw, like all student organizations, requests and receives funding for their programming through the Student Bar Association budget allocation process.
Funds have been allocated to support interested students’ attendance at the National LGBT Conference and Career Fair. This opportunity is available to LGBTQ+ students and/or allies with priority given to members of OUTlaw’s leadership.
The law school, through the University’s Title IX and Equity Office, offers trainings on Title IX, anti-racism and other anti-bias issues. In addition, there is mandatory anti-bias training required for all faculty and staff members who serve on hiring committees. This is a new policy that was implemented in the last year.
Yes, mandatory for all students
The University’s student database does not populate the rosters with personal pronouns. However, many professors have started to eliminate the use of gender-specific honorifics in the classroom.
Members of our faculty, staff, and administration who wish to participate in the Safe Space Ally training program are encouraged to do so. Widener University has launched a new and improved Safe Space training program which consists of an online training module as well as a hands-on workshop. At present, over 20% of our faculty, staff, and administrators are safe space “certified” and we expect this number to increase given the flexibility of the online module.
We also offer mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion programming to students either through the orientation process or as part of professional development requirements. Additionally, in 2021 (32) of our students participated in an 8-week Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate program offered through the Corley Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
The law school’s Statement of Nondiscrimination was updated to include color and gender expression.
https://www.widener.edu/sites/default/files/2021-12/EOHN-Policy-Dec-2021.pdf