Thriving on Campus : Promoting the Inclusion, Academic Development, and Wellbeing of Diverse 2SLGBTQ+ University and College Students

This book addresses crucial gaps in understanding campus climate and academic and wellbeing outcomes for diverse 2SLGBTQ+ students. It also provides examples of campus-based initiatives to foster students’ belonging and flourishing, highlighting the experiences of often-overlooked subgroups.

Dedicated to fostering thriving among 2SLGBTQ+ students on college and university campuses, this comprehensive collection brings together pioneering research, rich theoretical discussions, and practice-informed insights aimed at enhancing inclusion, academic development, and wellbeing for 2SLGBTQ+ students. This book addresses crucial gaps in understanding campus climate and academic and wellbeing outcomes for diverse 2SLGBTQ+ students. It also provides examples of campus-based initiatives to foster students’ belonging and flourishing. It highlights the experiences of often-overlooked subgroups, including asexual and nonbinary students, and those with multiple marginalized identities, such as students of color and disabled students. Alongside exploring experiences of exclusion, the book emphasizes students’ strengths and resilience, offering insights for developing socially responsive institutional policies and programs. Uniquely, to inform meaningful change on campuses, the book presents illustrations of campus-based 2SLGBTQ+ initiatives, with several focusing on students often excluded from dominant “LGBT” narratives and student services. Chapters cover a range of topics including mental health and wellbeing support, academic engagement, community building, advocacy, and institutional change efforts. Thriving On Campus amplifies diverse voices and experiences and showcases innovative practices, offering essential guidance to create inclusive, supportive environments for all 2SLGBTQ+ students in higher education. The chapters in this book were originally published in 2024 as a special issue of the Journal of LGBT Youth. Later in 2024 the journal’s name changed to the International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies.