“The safe space program is designed to educate our community members about identity, gender and sexuality,” Daymyen Layne, said director of multicultural education and training. “The Safe Space Program includes training for faculty, administrators, staff, and students, programming, as well as passive knowledge education as well.”

The Department of Cultural and Global Engagement and The Safe Space Committee will offer the training in two-hour and four-hour formats.

The goal of this program, in the essence of the university’s Strategic Plan’s Pillar 2 — Inclusive Excellence, is to make our campus a more culturally responsive and inclusive space, Layne said.

Participants will learn how to:

• Explain the difference between sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

• Define terminology used to describe sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

• Identify ways to create an inclusive classroom and campus space for LGBTQ+ students.

• Learn and understand key moments in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.

• Explore ways to support LGBTQ+ people in the coming out process.

Everyone in the university community is welcome to attend the training, which will be scheduled by appointment for departments or groups, or on September 22, October 20 and November 17. Spring dates will also be announced.

“Safe space training is an educational space, not an indoctrination,” Layne said. “It is DCGE’s hope that participants walk away with knowledge that can help them understand themselves and others in more emotionally intelligent ways.”