Students walk on campus by the Talley Student Union. Photo by Marc Hall

Part of the mission of the NC State GLBT Center is to provide ongoing support for GLBT faculty and staff on campus. To fulfill that mission, the GLBT Center coordinates the GLBT Faculty and Staff Network in order to provide an opportunity for GLBT faculty and staff to connect and form community, to supply informal and formal feedback about campus climate, to support and mentor GLBT students, and to connect with prospective GLBT faculty and staff members.

In order to increase visibility, the GLBT Center partnered with the OIED Communications team over the summer to create a video highlighting some of the GLBT Faculty and Staff Network members. In the video, Network members not only talk about the climate on campus for GLBT faculty and staff but also share their experiences of being GLBT in college, explain how important it is for GLBT students to have visible role models on campus, and give advice to current NC State students.

One of the goals of the GLBT Faculty and Staff Network is to support current GLBT students on campus. Each fall, Network members host a GLBT Holiday Potluck the week before Thanksgiving break. Because some GLBT students go home for the holidays to families who are unsupportive, the Network provides an opportunity for students to share a meal and celebrate with their on-campus family. Network members provide all the food for the event. This year’s GLBT Holiday Potluck will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2015 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Student Health Services, Room 2301.

The Network also holds monthly meetings as well as monthly socials, and the GLBT Center hosts a Network luncheon each semester for current and prospective members. The fall semester luncheon will be held today from 12:00-1:00 p.m. as part of the 2015 GLBT History Month celebration. Current and prospective Network members who would like to attend the luncheon should contact Renee Wells, director of the GLBT Center, for more information.