Guidelines and Suggestions for the Recruitment and Hiring of LGBT Faculty, Staff, and Student Employees

Developed by The President’s Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (PCLGBTI)

• Guidelines/Suggestions for the Recruitment and Hiring of LGBT Faculty, Staff, and Students
• Safe Space Cards
• Resource Fliers

• Maryland State Law – Be cognizant of and comply with Maryland law prohibiting discrimination against candidates based on sexual orientation during the recruiting, interviewing, and/or hiring process.
• UM Human Relations Code – Additionally, the University of Maryland’s Human Relations Code prohibits discrimination based on “sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.”
• Ensure that non-discrimination statements on employment postings explicitly list “sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression” as protected classes.

• Do not presume all candidates are heterosexual. Be conscious of terms that assume heterosexuality (i.e. use “partner” or “significant other” instead of “spouse,” remembering that it is illegal to ask any candidate whether he/she is married).
• Be cognizant of “social conversation” when escorting a candidate from one interview session to the next and/or during meals; candidates are always interviewing whether or not it is a formal interview session.

Refer to and use the list of sexual orientation organizations/media outlets provided in the Equity Officer’s Search Committee Charge Manual when posting employment opportunities.

• Any printed document discussing diversity should contain a reference to the positive climate for LGBT persons to the same extent that the printed document references any other type of diversity.
• If the document visually depicts the campus community, it should include a pictorial representation indicating a positive climate for LGBT students.
• Include photos or illustrations of common LGBT symbols, such as a rainbow flag, an upside-down pink triangle, the double female and/or double male signs.
• Include photos from the Campus’ annual Lavender Graduation ceremony. Photos can be downloaded from the Office of LGBT Equity website (click on the “Lavender Graduation” link).
• Include photos of same-sex couples.

• When sending University of Maryland information packets to candidates, include materials pertaining to the campus’s LGBT culture/climate, in addition to that of other minority groups (e.g. disabled persons, women, and ethnic minorities).
• Candidates should also be made aware of the Certificate Program in LGBT studies, and the range and variety of LGBT related courses and groups on campus.
• Departments and other units with websites should be encouraged to include a link either to the Diversity website or the homepage for the Office of LGBT Equity.

All personnel should be encouraged to post the Safe Space card or a comparable visual cue that LGBT persons are safe being themselves in that office.

Reference general employment benefits (including daycare, insurance, etc.) to all applicants regardless of knowledge of candidates’ sexual orientation, clarifying limits as to domestic partner benefits (i.e. “Currently there are no domestic partner benefits for University System of Maryland employees, though this campus is very supportive of extending such benefits and members of our community are working hard to change this inequity.”).

Provide an opportunity for self-identified LGBT candidates (and/or LGBT allies) to meet with campus members of the LGBT community, if the candidate so chooses.

All recruiting trips and new-student and new-employee orientation sessions should include clear references to the LGBT community and provide referral information for LGBT resources on campus.

Guideline Memorandum

Memo from Vicky Foxworth, Chair, President's Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (PCLGBTI) discussing the purpose of and recommendations for the use of the guidelines

Download and print for the use of your Office, Unit, Department:

Guidelines/Suggestions for the Recruitment and Hiring of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Faculty, Staff, and Student Employees (PDF)