From: gklein@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Gary Klein, bear at heart)
Newsgroups: soc.motss
Subject: Re: Need help and ideas on starting a student support group
Date: 15 Sep 92 19:57:31 EST
Organization: Carlson Library, Univ of Toledo

In article <BuE7u2.9pB@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, mwoods@eagle (Mark Woods) writes:
> Hey out yonder!
> 
> I am posting this hoping that some of y'all can help me with some ideas and
> strategies that you have used and that have worked in starting and
> maintaining a GLB college student support group.
     
     Two years ago when we got the GLB group up & running here at Univ of
Toledo, it started out with just 2 people who checked out what the rules were
on campus for getting a room to meet in, and the pricing schedule for running
an ad in the student newspaper.

     Tim & I kicked in the money from our own wallets for the ad, wrote up a
flyer to put up around campus (we used 100 flyers for this campus of 24,000
students, trying to put a minimum of 2 flyers per building + extras in the
dorms).  Also sent out copies of the flyer to the directors of the campus
newspaper, student counseling, housing administration, Greek life coordinator,
campus security, public relations, and various arms of the V.P. for Student
Administration/Student Activities.

     We also wrote a LETTER TO THE EDITOR of the campus paper, that got 
published the same week that the ads appeared.  

     Having the support & backing of the local GAY COMMUNITY GROUP helped, in
that they are used to answering the Gay Hotline phone number, and often get
asked questions about "Is there some sort of gay student group at XYZ campus?"

     This time, they were able to give a response, "YES there is a gay
organization on the UT campus, and their next meeting is on..."

     Except for assistance from a few gay folks who had access to photocopiers,
and those who posted the flyers around campus, we did not really canvas people
in advance since Tim & I are both Faculty, and did not know more than a handful
of gay students!

     We drew 15 people to our first meeting, in addition to the 2 employees of
the University's Affirmative Action Office, who attended to make sure that
things went smoothly at our first meeting.

     More signage & more ads for our second meeting, (two weeks later), where
we also drew 15 people.  Our third meeting pulled in over 30 people, pushing
the people out into the hallway!

     For our 4th meeting, we were able to secure a large auditorium, where we
usually drew 20-30 people.  Once you lock up a very definite schedule (day of
week, time, and place) you WILL pull in more people.

     Now we meet in one of the 4 coveted meeting rooms in the Student Union
Building, with 25-45 people at each weekly meeting!  We were only 6 months old
when we applied for formal recognition & our own office.

     This year, we now have a full office all to ourselves, our own phone, and
a budget just like every other student group on the UT campus!

     GO FOR IT!
-- 
                                               "Librarian, Leather bound"
Gary Klein,   Business Librarian,  (Univ of Toledo)           * * * * 
PO Box 12650                  Toledo OH  43606-0250            *   *   
(w): 419-537-2629      fac2813@uoft01                            *   
(h): 419-243-2740      fac2813@uoft01.utoledo.edu         B4 t+ w- g s+ k