Perceptions of Marginality and Mattering of LGBTQIA Students at Community Colleges

• In Event: 34.084 - Queering Access, Inclusion, and Equity in Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract
This study explores the marginality and mattering experiences of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, inter-sex, asexual (LGBTQIA) students at community colleges. Preliminary results suggest LGBTQIA students experience both a sense of marginality and mattering based on their interaction with the various social contexts within a community college. Results also suggest the establishment of a Queer Student Union and positive faculty engagement increases LGBTQIA students’ sense of mattering, thus allowing them to persist and achieve their academic goals.

Authors

• James Mark Pousson, Saint Louis University

• Carolyn O'Laughlin, Saint Louis University

• Boyd Copeland