About the QRC

Programs:  You can find out more about the QRC's specific programs and what we do at our QRC Programs page. (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/qrc-programs)

Vision: 

The Queer Resource Center’s vision is to facilitate a campus environment such that Portland State University is the higher education destination of choice for students, staff, and faculty along the sexuality and gender spectrum.

Mission:

The Queer Resource Center provides students along the sexuality and gender spectrum with the support they need to persist to graduation. We build conscious coalitions among sexuality and gender related organizations within Portland State University and the surrounding community to strengthen support structures across communities and identities. We identify and address gaps in campus services for students, staff and faculty along the sexuality and gender spectra. To make mentorship opportunities possible between the Queer PSU staff and faculty and PSU students, the Queer Resource Center provides advocacy to students, faculty and staff in the pursuit of accessing full institutional benefits. We hold each other accountable to reflect the multiple and intersecting identities of LGBTQQIAAP communities in our staff, programs, and volunteers. We make the needs of students, staff and faculty along sexuality and gender spectra are a campus-wide priority as we provide the awareness, knowledge, and skills within campus departments.

Values:

• Academic Success: To provide students along the sexuality and gender spectrum with the support they need to persist to graduation.
  • We do this by providing academic support  (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/queer-academic-support-spotlight-queer-student-...) to  Queer Students and their Allies and celebrating their academic achievements. (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/lavender-graduation)

• Retention: To support students, faculty and staff in the pursuit of accessing full institutional benefits and by providing a homebase to Queer students on campus
  • We do this via advocacy and by providing a homebase to students (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/volunteers-interns) on campus.

• Access: To identify and address gaps in campus services for students, staff and faculty along the sexuality and gender spectrum
  • We do this by providing advocacy (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/advocacy-support) to students, staff, and faculty and by creating and influencing institutional policy. (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/SAGE)

• Social Justice: To increase the awareness, knowledge, and skills within campus services and campus representatives such that the needs of students, staff and faculty along sexuality and gender spectra are a campus-wide priority
  • We do this by providing trainings and panels (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/qrc-trainings) to campus resources and student organizations.

• Diversity: To represent and reflect the multiple and intersecting identities of LGBTQQIAAP communities in QRC staff, programs, and volunteers
  • We do this by providing specific programming and resources to Queer Students of Color,(http://www.pdx.edu/queer/queer-students-of-color-resources) Trans Students,(http://www.pdx.edu/queer/trans-resources) Queer Student Athletes,(http://www.pdx.edu/queer/athletics-sexual-orientation-gender-idenity-res...)  and Queer Student Veterans. (http://www.pdx.edu/queer/military-resources)

• Conscious Coalition: To build conscious coalitions among sexuality and gender related organizations within Portland State University and the surrounding community to strengthen support structure across communities and identities
  • We do this by partnering with campus organizations. http://www.pdx.edu/queer/qrc-campus-partners

History:

The Queer Resource Center began (QRC) as an LGBT student organization under various names and iterations (Queers and Allies, PSU LGBT Rountable) By the the 2003-2004 school year, student leadership experienced several critical incidents, exposing the need for the QRC to expand its focus from a gathering place to a campus resource and referral agency. Students identified staff and faculty allies, hosted open forums, and convened stakeholders to prepare a budget request.

The Portland State University Student Finance Committee granted the Queer Resource Center staff and programming budget in 2005. One graduate student and 2 student staff members staffed the center. Together they founded a speaker series, targeted trainings, a lending library, and a volunteer program. In addition to this growth, the staff experienced academic distress and interpersonal challenges leading to a significant staff turnover. As result, the 2006 QRC student staff convened their advisory board to define staff roles and expectations, further refine high-profile events, and open the doors of a physical Queer Resource Center space in Smith Memorial Student Union.

Gaining visiability led to PSU students accessing the QRC with increasingly complexy needs around advocacy, advising and crisis intervention. In 2007, student staff, volunteers and their advisory board implemented a plan to transition from a student group to a department within student affairs with a full-time professional staff person trained to manage finances, support student staff, provide continuity and institutional memory, and grow the center as new needs arise. The Queer Resource Center hired their first full-time professional staff in 2010. Today the center exists as a resource and referral center, the home of Portland State Queer event traditions, specialized student coordinators, and as colleague in the Dean of Student Life’s portfolio.