Iris House
Belonging Initiatives That Endure
Higher Education | Strategic Planning | Executive Relationship Building | Systems Change
CHALLENGE
To address LGBTQIA+ belonging at an elite liberal arts college while navigating complex systems and competing stakeholder views
APPROACH
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Fostered relationships with senior leadership, including the Office of the President and Residential Life
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Crafted new campus policies for residential life and LGBTQIA+ students
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Cultivated campus support through teach-ins, faculty brown bag lunches, facilitated discussion spaces, and cultural activities
RESULTS
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After a year of strategic work, Iris House was approved
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Iris House has been operating for almost twenty years, housing more than 120 LGBTQIA+ students and allies, and continues to hold events and foster a sense of safety and belonging for all students
Pictured Above: Iris House, Union College
REFLECTION
This project taught me the importance of trust-building when it comes to creating large-scale change in a campus environment. I learned how to hold multiple perspectives at once while maintaining focus on the goal of LGBTQIA+ belonging. I learned the best projects work when interdisciplinary teams collaborate across difference. And I learned the power of creating institutions that outlast any one individual or project lead.
Most importantly, I learned the value of community-based work. Rather than lead this project through individual authority, I instead invited those from across the political spectrum to engage in the process on their own terms. My job was to hold space for difficult conversations, sit with discomfort, and find openings within systems to find common ground. By showing up to events and meetings with openness, curiosity, and patience, I was able to keep momentum for this project for a year without sacrificing the needs of marginalized students.