The Columbia College Office of Student Affairs has hired Courtney Arnold as the new coordinator in the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Concerns.
Earlier this summer, long-time Columbia professor Victoria Shannon was fired from the post, causing protest letters from students, faculty, and supporters in the Chicago GLBT academic and activist community.
Arnold, who started teaching at Columbia during the 2002 academic year, heard about the 25-hour-per-week position through a colleague in the English department and thought she had something to contribute. ‘I really want to connect with the students and to emphasize the diversity within the GLBT community—including more visibility and support for our transgender students,’ she said. ‘I see my role as part mentor, part social director and part administrator—with a 100% focus on the students.’
She is developing several program ideas including ‘Coming Out in Every Color’ for National Coming Out Day and ‘Out in the Arts Chicago,’ a series of talks by GLBT visual and performing artists. Arnold is also planning to partner with Columbia’s other multicultural offices (African American Student Affairs, Latino Student Affairs and Asian / Asian-American Student Affairs) on collaborative programming.
TPAN to Present Gay Mens’ Health Summit
Test Positive Aware Network will present Man Alive, a health summit for gay men, Oct. 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk. Man Alive is free of charge, but participants must pre-register. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Man Alive will feature key note addresses by Dr. Stephen Fallon, author and life coach, and Frank Oldham, New York City AIDS Czar, formerly of the Chicago Department of Public Health Division of HIV/AIDS.
Call Jeffrey Allen at (773) 989-9400.