Our History
In Spring 2017, UND became the first institution of higher education in North Dakota to create an LGBTQ+ Resource Center and hire a full-time staff member dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.
Our Story
The Pride Center exists after decades of student advocacy work by the LGBTQ+ student organization known today as the Queer and Trans Alliance. The student organization started in 1982 as the UND Gay Community, the first LGBTQ+ college student organization in the state. In Spring 2017, the Pride Center opened in the former UND Memorial Union, room 219.
Chris Schlarb was hired as the Program Manager for the Pride Center with the working title as director, and was the first full-time staff member of the Pride Center. In Fall 2017, Dr. Jeff Maliskey stepped into an interim role then full-time as the Senior Program Coordinator for Cross-Cultural Programming and LGBTQ+ Initiatives in January 2018. The Pride Center was moved under Student Involvement and Parent Programs and during this time, the Center offered annual programs and events such as Coming Out Week, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Lavender Graduation, and LGBTQ+ Ally Training.
In 2019, the Pride Center was temporarily re-located to Wilkerson Commons during the construction of the new Memorial Union. At this time, the Pride Center was also moved under Student Diversity & Inclusion and was led by Dr. Jeff Maliskey who then became the Assistant Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion/LGBTQ+ Initiatives.
By August 2021, the Pride Center had moved into the newly constructed Memorial Union on the second floor in room 204 wit Dr. Jeff Maliskey located in the adjacent room with Student Diversity & Inclusion. One year later in August 2022, Dr. Jeff Maliskey was hired as the inaugural Director of the Pride Center and an office was constructed in the Pride Center for the director to reduce barriers to access and provide support resources for students witin the Center.
Achivements and Milestones
Below are a list of LGBTQIA2S+ history highlights at the University of North Dakota:
- 1982: The UND Gay Community forms at UND as the first LGBTQ+ student organization in North Dakota
- 2012: The first Lavender Graduation was held on campus
- 2017: The Pride Center opens
- 2017: The first collegiate National Gay Pilots Association chapter is formed at UND
- 2018: The North Dakota Board of Higher Education Chosen Name Policy is implemented
- 2018: Hosted the 3rd Annual Great Plains Affirming Campus Conference
- 2021: Hosted the first Pride Week on campus in June
- 2022: Dr. Jeff Maliskey is hired as the inaugural director of the Pride Center
- 2023: Hosted the first-ever LGBTQ+ Day-long Institute in the state and Upper-Midwest region.