Creating Your Vision

What is your vision for the campus and/or community?

Our vision is to create a more inclusive and diverse campus and minimize the risks of discrimination and hate crimes. We want to implement a program for diversity and ally education on campus. This program will require that administrators, staff, professors and students receive a wide array of education relating to diversity and LGBT issues. This program will have workbooks and resources available to any individual on campus. We will have a team of speakers that will educate in forums and workshops campuswide.

Assessing Your Campus and Community

What campus/community problem does your blueprint address? What structures, practices and policies institutionalize the problem?

As of right now, the anti-discrimination policy at Northern Arizona University (NAU) does not include gender identity and expression. NAU's lone LGBT organization, with which we are involved, has limited funding and limited possibilities. There are no unisex restrooms or living and learning communities for LGBT students. The administration's reaction to recent hate crimes has been limited and there are no classes related to these issues. There are only two classes required for diversity education for all incoming freshmen.

What communities will you work with?

• Campus community
• Local community
• Statewide community

Setting Goals and Deliverables

• Goal 1: Get Project D.A.T.E. approved by the university.
• We met with the President's assistant on Feburary 21, 2008 to present the program.
• We met with the Director of Student Programs on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
• We are creating a list of individuals who will be on the team, and have a petition that is being signed campuswide to show support.
• We are doing the research to get resources for information packets.
• Goal 2: Build an organized team with complete scheduling program.
• Chris and I are going to a conference for transgender issues in April.
• We have a board of 15 memebers that is already helping.
• We have a recruitment packet almost complete with application.
• We are sending e-mails to listservs to find individuals who want to be involved.
• Goal 3: Have Project D.A.T.E. be well-recognized on campus.
• Have members of our team call all colleges on campus to schedule in-class workshops.
• Contact other groups to present the program to them.
• Advertisement, flyers and speaker forum in April.
• Distribute interest cards campuswide to allow students to give us feedback.

What is your primary approach? Education and awarness... then promoting more allies for progressive change.

Why did you choose this approach?

Many students from diverse backgrounds feel alone and segregated. They feel there are no places they can go to find recognition in a peer group. Most executive board members of PRISM have been victims of hate crimes and I and my roommate have already had to move due to ignorance of the student body. There are no coalitions that have a strong enough foundation or voice on campus to be able to get the attention of students or the administration.

Did you have secondary approaches? What are they?

Yes. If the program can't be approved to be a funded program on its own, then PRISM will operate it and do it within the confines of the organization where approval is not needed. Then we will ask schools to come and educate anyway... like we are already doing. This will show the university that we are serious. We already went to the front page of the student newspaper to show how serious we are.

What will your tactics and activities be?

First, we gave interviews to the newspaper. We have been holding awareness events since last August. We already do panels and Chris is speaking in a forum in April. We are getting more training at a conference in April. We already have 15 people on board to implement the program. We already have the approval of David Camatcho, who set us up with a meeting next week with our targets; he will attend to support us.

Connecting Back to Vision

How does your strategy contribute to your vision for your campus and/or your community?

The strategies outlined in our blueprint will educate the campus on diversity issues and will create a safe space for students to find peers within their groups. The newsletter will address state- and nationwide current affairs and give contact info for all diversity groups on campus.

Resources and skills you will need

What skills do you need for this approach?

Bridging the gap of communication between the administration and the student body. Schedule management. We already have many of the necessary skills to have the program implemented and it seems to be moving along smoothly as of now.