UCSC Selected as "Best of the Best"
Among 100 Best Campuses For LGBT Students

The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students Released August 1

August 1, 2006--University of California, Santa Cruz was recognized as one of the 20 Best Campuses for LGBT students and is included in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the first comprehensive campus guide to highlight the 100 most LGBT-friendly campuses in the United State. UCSC's positive environment, programs and services and LGBT student coalitions were cause for the distinction.

The Best of the Best Top 20 college campuses rise above expectations as pioneering Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) leaders in higher education. Not only do these campuses rank among the highest Gay Point Average but they also boast the most outstanding accomplishments for LGBT progressiveness across the U.S.
"We are extremely honored that our campus was selected and recognized as a 'best of the best' LGBT-friendly campus," said Deb Abbott, director of UCSC's Lionel Cantú GLBTI Resource Center. "Our resource center staff, student leaders, campus staff and faculty, as well as dedicated alumni have worked hard to create a positive environment for all of our students. This distinction emphasizes the importance of providing necessary support to meet all students' needs-including LGBT students."

The book, released August 1, 2006, profiles 100 colleges and universities from across the country that offer resources and create a positive living and learning environment for LGBT students. Campus PrideNet, the leading national organization for LGBT and ally student leaders, with support from a team of expert LGBT professionals from the national Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education, developed the criteria and a questionnaire for nominations to gather feedback from current LGBT students, faculty and staff regarding personal experiences and opinions about their campus.

After receiving nominations from 680 campuses and conducting more than 5,500 online interviews, 100 campuses were selected for the book based on institutional policies, commitment and support, academic life, housing, student life, counseling and health services, campus safety, and recruitment and retention efforts. The list of 100 is broken down in multiple indexes such as region, state, type of institution and size. Individual campus profiles include information on size, tuition, admission application deadlines, LGBT-affirmative policies, events, LGBT student groups and resources, housing for LGBT students and more.
For more information or to order a copy of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, visit www.campuspride.net.



THE ADVOCATE COLLEGE GUIDE FOR LGBT STUDENTS
Best of the Best Top 20 Campuses


The Best of the Best Top 20 college campuses rise above expectations as pioneering Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) leaders in higher education. Not only do the following campuses rank among the highest Gay Point Average but they also boast the most outstanding accomplishments for LGBT progressiveness across the U.S. Each campus was chosen to represent a diverse selection of demographics such as type of institution, locale and size.

Campuses were selected based on results from more than 5,500 online interviews with LGBT students, faculty and staff from campuses from across the country. The interview strategy, criteria and questionnaire were developed in collaboration with the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education. Campuses were ranked based on results from answers to eight different factors for LGBT-inclusive policies, programs and practices.

In alphabetical order:
American University
Duke University
Indiana University
Oberlin College
Ohio State University
New York University
Princeton University
Pennsylvania State University
Stanford University
Tufts University
University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Puget Sound
University of Southern California