North Carolina LGBTQ+ Higher Ed Drive In

The North Carolina LGBTQ+ Higher Ed Drive-In seeks to bring together higher education professionals who directly work with LGBTQIA communities in higher education. This includes but is not limited to LGBTQ+ center staff, advisors to LGBTQ student organizations, identity center practitioners who support LGBTQ+ communities as part of their role, or allies who have supported or will support LGBTQ+ communities in their role.

In 2023, we extended an invitation to our colleagues in the surrounding states of Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. For our 2025 drive-in, we will continue to invite our colleagues in the surrounding states of North Carolina.

The drive-in is guided by three goals:

1. To connect with other professionals across North Carolina and share strategies and best practices for supporting queer and trans students and engaging them in programs and initiatives on our campus
2. To share innovative programming ideas, success, and challenges that we face on our campuses
3. To discuss strategies to resist anti-LGBTQ+ laws being written and passed in North Carolina (and beyond!)

The drive-in will take place on Friday, July 18th from 10 am to 4 pm with an optional evening social on Thursday, July 17th from 5pm to 7pm.

RSVP by July 11th to secure your spot.

JB Duke Hotel 

On-campus 

Address: 203 Science Dr, Durham, NC

Phone Number: 919-660-6400

Website

($250 a night on average)

The Washington Duke Inn

On-campus

Address: 3001 Cameron Blvd, Durham, NC 

Phone Number: 919--490-0999

Website

($350 a night on average) 

The Lodge at Duke Medical Center

Adjacent to Campus

Address: 2306 Elba Street, Durham, NC

Phone: 919-286-3111

Website

($125 a night on average)

Millennium Hotel Durham 

1.1 miles from campus

Address: 2800 Campus Walk Ave, Durham, NC

Phone: 919-383-8575

Website

($60 a night on average)

Hilton Garden Inn Durham/University Medical Center

2.1 miles from campus with shuttle service

Address: 2102 W Main St, Durham, NC

Phone: 919-286-0774

Website

($240 a night on average)

Registration - RSVP by 7/11

The drive-in will take place on Friday, July 18th from 10 am to 4 pm with an optional evening social on Thursday, July 17th from 5pm to 7pm.

RSVP by July 11th to secure your spot.

Drive-In Schedule

Thursday, July 17th

Evening Social

Location: Will be shared with those who register via email 

5:00pm-7:00pm

Dinner and Appetizers provided.

BYOB. 

Friday, July 18th

For full location information, check your email

9:30am-10:00am: Check-in and Light Breakfast

10:00 am-10:15 am: Welcome from Duke Administration

10:15am-11:15am: Campus Introductions

11:15am-11:30am: Self-Care Break

11:30am-12:30pm: Session 1: TBD

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Lunch

 1:30-2:30: Choose you Afternoon Adventure

• Tour of Duke's Identity and Cultural Centers
• Chapel Climb and Tour of Duke Chapel 
• Duke Gardens Tour 
• Others TBD

2:30pm-3:30pm:  Session 2: TBD

3:30pm-4:00pm: Closing 

Parking Information

All attendees received their parking pass to their email they registered with. If you did not receive it, a parking pass will be available for check in.

Attendees are permitted to parking in the following lot: Bryan Center Parking Garage, 125 Science Drive, Durham NC 27708

Note: Do not park in the outside lot adjacent to the garage. It is metered parking and you will risk being ticketed and/or towed. Keep you ticket with you. You will need it when you exit the garage.

From East:

Via I-40 West: Merge onto 147 North via Exit 279B toward Durham/Downtown. From 147 North take the 15-501 South Exit toward Chapel Hill. Take exit 108A-Morreene Road. Turn LEFT onto Morreene. Continue through two lights. (Morreene Road becomes Towerview Drive at the second light--Erwin Road). Take the second LEFT onto Science Drive. The Bryan Center parking lot and garage will on your RIGHT.

From North:

Via I-85 South: Exit onto 15-501 South toward Chapel Hill. Take the Morreene Rd exit via Exit 108A off of 15-501 South and turn LEFT onto Morreene Road. Continue through two lights. (Morreene Road becomes Towerview Drive at the second light--Erwin Road). Take the second LEFT onto Science Drive. The Bryan Center parking lot and garage will on your RIGHT.

From South:

Via US. 15-501 North. From the US-15/501 Bypass North take the Morreene Road Exit 108A. Turn RIGHT onto Morreene Road. Continue through two lights. (Morreene Road becomes Towerview Drive at the second light--Erwin Road). Take the second LEFT onto Science Drive. The Bryan Center parking lot and garage will on your RIGHT.

From West:

Via I-85 North: Exit onto Durham Freeway (NC 147 South). Take 147 to 15-501 South toward Chapel Hill. Take exit 108A-Morreene Road. Turn LEFT onto Morreene Road. Continue through two lights. (Morreene Road becomes Towerview Drive at the second light--Erwin Road). Take the second LEFT onto Science Drive. The Bryan Center parking lot and garage will on your RIGHT.

Started in 2018 by Angel Collie (Duke University) and Kayla Lisenby-Denson (Wake Forest University), the inaugural drive-in was hosted at Duke University.

ECU and Mark Rasdorf hosted the 2019 drive-in, as the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center recently moved into its new home, making it the largest center of its kind in the UNC System. We returned in person in 2022 when Elliott Kimball hosted at UNC-Greensboro.

In 2023, Jonathan Gonzales convened us at Warren Wilson College. This helped us realize the goal of the drive-in to make it a statewide conference which moves around the state, allowing more people to participate. The 2023 drive-in marked the first year where colleagues from nearby states (Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina) were invited and the invited guests of the conference was expanded to include any higher education professional (staff, faculty, etc.) who worked with LGBTQ+ communities. For 2024, Elon Universities Gender and LGBTQIA Center celebrated the Drive-In's 10 year anniversary most memorable for shifting the format of sessions from breakout groups to a more communal meeting style. 

Now, in it's 11th year, it returns to It's inaugural location at Duke University welcoming colleagues from across the state of North Carolina and once again from our neighboring states.

2025 Host

The 2025 Host for the North Carolina LGBTQ+ Higher Education Drive-In is the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity at Duke University. Since 1994, The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, (originally the Center for LGBT Life), has worked to create an inclusive campus climate for students, staff, faculty, and alumnx with marginalized sexual orientations,  romantic orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions through education, advocacy, support, mentoring, academic engagement, and providing space. Visit this timeline on the History of LGBTQIA+ Life at Duke to learn more about our rich history of activism and holding space at Duke University.