CU Boulder considering asking prospective students to list sexual orientation on application

BOULDER, Colo. – Prospective students applying to attend the University of Colorado Boulder might soon be asked to disclose their sexual orientation.

University officials say the idea is to get a better sense of how many LGBTQ students are on campus, which can be important for determining the right kinds of services to offer.

A student’s answer wouldn’t affect their chances of getting into the school and officials said answering the question would be entirely voluntary.

CU Boulder wouldn’t be the first university in the country to ask such a question during admissions, but it would be among the first in Colorado.

It's a policy that Mardi Moore of the advocacy group Out Boulder supports.

"How do you know if your outreach is working for support if you don't know how many folks are on campus?" Moore said. "By asking this question, it really sets up for the university to walk it's talk in being an inclusive campus."

It’s not clear when the university might start asking applicants for their sexual orientation. At this point, officials say they’re in the “discussion” phase and don’t have a timeline for when they’ll make a decision.