When Matthew Stewart applied to AU he wanted to know more about the university than just what was said on the tour. He utilized AU’s Spectrum program through the GLBTA Resource Center to gain an insider’s perspective on what it is like to be an LGBT student on campus.
Now Stewart, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the student coordinator of the Spectrum program, which gives AU applicants a chance to talk to current LGBT students.
Spectrum allows prospective students to stay for an overnight visit or tour with a current LGBT student, according to Matthew Bruno, AU’s GLBTA Resource Center program coordinator.
“It lets students know what the GLBTA climate is at AU and what resources to look for, not just at AU but also at other universities,” Bruno said.
The University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth University are two of only a few other colleges that provide outreach specifically to gay applicants, according to Inside Higher ED, a Web site about higher education. While prospective students are not asked to identify their sexual orientation, UPenn looks for admitted applicants that indicate gay issues are important to them either in their essay or in the groups they joined in high school.
Applicants to AU are also not directly asked to identify their sexual orientation but can choose to disclose this information through their application or by contacting an admissions representative, according to Kristen Schlicker, acting associate director of Admissions.
The prospective students are then matched with a Spectrum adviser. These advisers are current AU students who have undergone special training, which includes learning specific LGBT terminology and knowledge about LGBT issues.
“I felt like the mere existence of an outreach program specifically for queer students was a huge deal and set AU apart from any of the other universities I was looking at,” Stewart said.
Stewart looked for similar programs at other universities but was unsuccessful in finding any. The positive experience he had with the program when applying made him want to coordinate the program now. He wanted to give other prospective queer students the ability to feel comfortable when visiting campus or just looking for information.
“Being able to just see other queer students, speak with them about their experiences and even visit them on campus, meant a lot to me and gave me insight that non-queer students would not have been able to convey,” Stewart said.
AU also reaches out to admitted students through programs such as the university college and the honors program, Schlicker said. She also said that AU offers online chats and will also invite prospective students to visit campus on an overnight program or a freshman day open-house program.
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