Queer Campus Coalition

The mission of the Queer Campus Coalition is to support LGBTQ students pursuing post-secondary education. By communicating, growing, and advocating together, we can make institutional changes that lead to better and safer worlds for all students.

The Queer Campus Coalition is the only program of its kind in the state. It was started in 2017 after Iowa Safe Schools identified a gap in services for LGBTQ students and their student-run organizations in post-secondary institutions.

Please contact us to make suggestions, express concerns, offer resources, or meet with us to talk about how our work can be more collaborative with your group!

Need help reforming or creating your Queer Student Organization? Check out the Queer Student Organization Guide!

The QCC

The Queer Campus Coalition (QCC) is a program made up of and led by students in collaboration with Iowa Safe Schools! The QCC is continuously building a dynamic program to empower students to make change in all aspects of the queer college experience. Whether students are experiencing large scale administrative problems or having interpersonal issues in their organizations, the QCC brings together their collective experiences to problem-solve and create real solutions.

Leadership

The goal of this coalition is to further identify gaps in resources that are available to college students and work to obtain those resources as a united front. Members advocate for the needs their college has identified so that these student leaders can understand more broadly the state of queer student organizations and gain perspective on problems on other campuses. The QCC sets annual objectives for its members, which allows for more focused goals to bolster their organizations as well as their won advocacy skills. The QCC has a primary commitment to following the guidance and demands of students, and is centered on the belief that students are the experts of their own experience and know best what they need to thrive.

This intercollegiate organization also provides the important opportunity of allowing students to build another network made up of fellow student leaders. Fostering these relationships broadens the opportunities that are available to students after college through publicly identifying coalition members as leaders in the community. Intercollegiate college organizations are rare, but are especially important in strengthening the positions of multicultural organizations. Being in tune to what other colleges are doing strengthens the positions of student organizations and the asks they make of their respective colleges.

Getting Involved

Students, advisors, and administrators are invited to connect with us through email, phone, or social media. Be sure to follow @iowasafeschools for announcements on upcoming events and opportunities!

The QCC Resource Toolkit is developed by the Queer Campus Coalition to meet the identified needs of our communities and groups. We invite students and educators to download and share whatever they find useful. This toolkit is a living collection of resources that we frequently review for content. If there is a topic you’d like to know more about, or would find it helpful to have a step-by-step guide to navigating any difficult process, please send us an email and we will work to make it happen!

Queer Student Organization Guide

Download this poster to hang up at your campus and make sure people register for the Queer College Conference!!

Check out our newest video about ways to virtually engage your QSO!

The Campus Coalition Board is led by LGBTQ college students in Iowa who are driven to coordinate statewide projects advocating for better resources, learning environments, and campuses.

The Board meets one Saturday each month through the academic year, October through April. Meeting attendance is required.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply here!

Applicants must be students under the age of 24 years old and currently enrolled at a post-secondary educational institution in Iowa.

Application Form

Please get in touch with the Queer Campus Coordinator, with any questions! His email is luke@iowasafeschools.org

Events

Virtual Queer College Conference and Career Expo

This year’s Queer College Conference and Career Expo will be hosted virtually! With the major adjustments that our schools have had to make over the past year, there have been less extracurricular events and education which is why this conference is such an important feature of our programming. Our conference features 9 workshop sessions with live speakers, two keynote speakers, and our career expo will feature a myriad of professionals from all walks of life looking to recruit and network with students. This is an excellent opportunity for juniors and seniors who are starting to figure out life after college as well as a great time for freshman and sophomores to get to hangout and interact with their peers.

Queer Coffee Hangout

This event is an opportunity for students from colleges all over Iowa to get together and enjoy each other’s company. As the QCC was getting started, one need that was brought up a lot was the need to connect with other colleges. The best way to get people to connect is over food and drinks, so this event was created to start to build relationships between colleges beyond meetings.

The Queer College Conference returns in 2020!

November 6th and 7th, 2020

Be a part of the greatest Queer College Conference of year, now virtual! The Queer College Conference is the only conference of its kind dedicated to addressing the barriers and adverse conditions facing LGBTQ college students and their faculty/staff advocates. Attendees will work together through expert-facilitated workshops and peer-led conversations to build the tools and community necessary for sustainable change and impact! Workshop tracks for both students and faculty/staff/community service providers ensure every attendee has the opportunity to build a network of their peers.