Welcome On Board!

Welcome to the CC Volunteer Team! We’re so glad to have you. Working with the CC can help you get connected across campus, make friends, and build community. Remember, you’re a CC ambassador when you’re in the office or working events, so we want to make sure you have all the tools you need. See details below and you can always ask any staff for advice.

Stage 1 – Early days

‘Must knows’ - What you need to know by the end of your first day, or first two volunteering sessions. For example:

Tour of the building, where you can put things, where the toilets are, where you can make yourselves something to drink
Breaks, you can take one at any time as long as the office is covered
Always log your hours! https://goo.gl/NAjdkA

Stage 2 – Getting started

‘Should knows’ - What you need to know by the end of the first month, or after four volunteering sessions. For example:

answering phones
giving tours
opening and closing
the basics of our services and programs

Things like policies and procedures may seem more important, but you can focus on them after you have had all your practical questions answered and feel more relaxed.

Stage 3 – Developing the role & yourself

‘Could knows’ - What it might just be nice for you to know. For example:

history of the LGBT CC
hierarchy of LGBT CC in the Division of Student Life
how to use the library
the specific nuances of Gabe, Katherine, Tiffany, and Treese’s positions
more about our campus partners
more in depth knowledge about our services and programs

An induction is never finished

The induction is an ongoing process – It doesn’t stop after the first day, in fact doing everything on the first day would be information overload! You will need to keep yourself regularly updated with changes to policy, team changes and information relating to your role.

Campus Center Guidebook

General Guidelines

You’re a Campus Center ambassador when you’re in the space—help visitors and students enjoy it as much as we do
Be sensitive to names and pronouns (See pronoun chart!)
Be conscientious of what an inclusive space might feel like and how to create it
Be aware that people may come into the center with different identities and those identities may not correlate to what you assume them to be-- straight folks may visit, etc.
Avoid assuming pronouns or identities

Welcoming students to the center:

Greet them, introduce yourself, ask if they’ve been to the Center before and/or if they need help with anything (checking out a book etc.).
Offer to give them a tour of the center
- info. pamphlets at front
- free buttons/pens
- computers/printing
- safer sex supplies
- library and online catalog
Introduce them to other staff members.
Show new students the following resources:
- new student guide
- business cards for staff members
- website (lgbt.wisc.edu)
Also, invite them (but don’t push them) to sign up for the event update mailing list.

Answering the phone:

“Hello, LGBT Campus Center, this is (your name).”
If they are calling for another person in the office:
- Ask for their name and what the call is regarding
- Press the hold button
- Ask if the staff member is available to talk
- Press talk to unhold
To take a message:
- Get the person’s name, who they are calling for, and where they are calling from
- Write down the date and time they called
- Send this information in an email to the person if they are not available at the time of the call
To call a campus number, dial the last 5 numbers of the phone number and press talk.
- e.g. UHS number is 608-265-5600. Dial 5-5600
To call off-campus, dial 9 before dialing the phone number.
- e.g. OutReach number is 608-255-8582. Dial 8-255-8582

Building Space

The mailroom is located in the back of the building across from the conference room. Our mailbox is labeled Rm. 123. The key for the mailroom hangs on a nail above the buttons in the Campus Center.
The kitchen is located near the bathrooms right by the Campus Center. Make sure not to lock the kitchen key in the kitchen.
The conference room can be opened with the LGBT Campus Center key and is located in the back of the Red Gym (first floor). The conference room contains extra office materials, a vacuum, a dolly, fans, and other things that we use less frequently.
We have a storage space in the basement: B105, where we store the Coming Out Day door, space heaters, and other large items. You access the basement through the elevator near the conference room. Ask pro staff for a key.

Opening and Closing Procedures:

When you open, make sure that you remember to do the following
- Turn the lights on
- Turn the printer on
- Unlock the kitchen
- Tidy up the space
When you close make sure to:
- Log the current users off of the computers
- Turn off the monitors
- Turn off the printer
- Tidy up and lock the kitchen
- Tidy up the office
- Turn off the lights
- Lock the CC

Blanche de Copier:

The password to our copier is 00000. Enter the number of items you wish to have copied, then press start.
The copier can print double-sided, collate, and staple packets.
To print to the copier, use the “sharp” printer in the dialog from any CC computer

Services and Programs

What we offer:

FREE printing and computer use
FREE safer sex supplies
Discussion Groups (These change semester by semester! Please ask which are currently running!)
- GPS: grad peer support
- Fluid Sexualities
- Crossroads : queer people of color
- Gender Explorers: trans* plus
- Asexualities
- Queer People of Faith
- Queer Sobriety and More
LGBT Mentor Program
- Builds community between student mentors and mentees
Study and hang out space
DVD & book libraries
- Part of the UW library system
- Lots of unique holdings!
Speaker series
Leadership Programs
- Leadership Institute (February)
- QuELP- Queer Emerging Leaders Program (spring semester)

Signature Programs

In addition to an extensive number of one-off speakers, brown bags, and performance events, the CC hosts signature event series every year.

September - Welcome Back Ice Cream Social

The LGBT Campus Center Ice Cream Social intends to welcome new LGBTQ and ally students to the UW Madison campus and, more specifically,the event is a kickstart to relationships between new students and the LGBT Campus Center. The Ice Cream Social is a joyous welcome to campus, and students can expect to have fun while learning more about the vibrant LGBTQ community they can be a part of on campus. Bucky will be at the event welcoming the newest class of Badgers. As the name would suggest, the event will have an ice cream buffet and toppings bar.

October - National LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Month (NCOD)

The LGBTCC host and sponsor events that highlight and celebrate LGBTQ change makers. October is a month-long set of programs through the LGBT Campus Center that highlight and celebrate the spectrum of experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities and their allies.

November - Trans Visibility Month

The LGBTCC hosts and sponsors a month of events to celebrate and recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), which occurs annually on 20 November. TDoR is a day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia,or the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and acts to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community.

December - World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. The LGBTCC host or co sponsor event that bring awareness to the issues faced by LGBTQ folks who are positive. Additionally, we provide resources and materials educating our community about treatment, access to health resources and infection rates.

Spring semester - Queer Emerging Leaders Program (QUELP)

QUELP is a twelve-week program tailored for undergraduate students who are interested in exploring queer identity and developing leadership skills that will help them serve their communities.

February - Leadership Institute (LI)

Leadership Institute is a weekend-long retreat for LGBTQ and allied students to build relationships, find community, and learn how to create a more inclusive environment for queer students on campus. The weekend will form the groundwork for developing leadership skills as well as building on existing skills, specifically in relation to intersecting identities, privilege, and oppression.

April - Out & About Month (O&AM)

Out and About Month is a month-long set of programs through the LGBT Campus Center that highlight and celebrate the spectrum of experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities and their allies. Partnerships across campus with student organizations, schools and colleges, residence life and community partners allow for this month to truly be a campus-wide celebration of identity.

May - Rainbow Graduation

Every year the LGBT Campus Center celebrates the accomplishments of our students and community members. We honor the graduates of each class year and confer Rainbow Leadership Awards, in addition to recognizing recipients of the LGBT Alumni Association Scholarships.

Values & Operating Principles

Mission

The LGBT Campus Center provides education, outreach, advocacy, and resources for UW-Madison student communities and their allies to improve campus climate and their daily intersectional experiences.

Vision

The LGBT Campus Center envisions a University of Wisconsin-Madison that actively addresses oppression in all its forms and affirms, includes, and celebrates people across the spectrum of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, including their intersectional experiences and perspectives.

Intersectionality

We believe in the power of experiences at the intersections of multiple identities and that intersectionality should serve as a lens through which we implement our student-centered programming, outreach across communities, ally with others, and dismantle multiple oppressions.

Social Justice

We actively address oppressions at multiple levels with the understanding that our personal, group, and societal power and privilege shape lived experiences.

Empowerment

We mobilize LGBTQ students’ sense of power and agency toward leadership, growth, and social change.

Celebration

We embrace the joys and complexities of having LGBTQ and ally identities.

Community

We create and maintain inclusive and affirming student-centered spaces in which to live, work, learn, and connect with others.

Collaboration

We build and model sustainable relationships, coalitions, and co-curricular student-centered partnerships that promote growth across communities at UW-Madison.