LGBT Concerns Committee Minutes

Meeting Held: February 24, 2006, Room 301, Peabody Hall

Next Meeting: March 31, 2006, 11 am - 1 pm in Peabody 301

Committee Web site: http://www.aa.ufl.edu/committees/lgbtcc.htm

In Attendance: Linda Lamme, chair
Christine [?]
Joyce Dewsbury
Greg Allen
Jonathan Keane
Charles Brown
Kimberly Brown
Tamara Cohen

Guest: Janie Fouke, Provost

At today's meeting we created and shared handouts about the state of LGBT
activities on campus and needs for the future with Provost Fouke. Charles
Brown will distribute the minutes, but the main item on our agenda at the
next meeting (Friday, March 31, from 1-3 in the Counseling Center Conference
Rook) will be to create a prioritized list of actions that should be taken.
We are asking each member of the committee to make a list of priorities from
this list and any other items that you think need attention and bring the
list to our next meeting (Or e-mail lit to me ahead of time sot that I can
bring it). I will cut and paste the list of actions here. Linda Lamme

LGBT Related Needs at the University of Florida

Academic Needs

-- Major in LGBT Studies
-- Faculty in LGBT Studies
-- Library Resources for LGBT Studies
-- Scholarships and Fellowships
-- An endowed professorship for LGBT studies (future goal)

Campus Climate Needs

-- Another campus survey and follow-up actions
-- Support for research on LGBT Issues
-- Gender identity added to the UF anti-discrimination policy
-- Unisex bathrooms across campus
-- Partner benefits to be identical to spousal benefits
-- Complete benefits including ³soft² benefits
-- Unisex bathrooms across campus
-- LGBT Research and Resource Center that will provide:

-- LGBT Library Resources for research and teaching in LGBT Areas
-- Periodical resources (They are damaged at Library)
-- Resources for community and political activism
-- Publicity for the Friends program all across campus
-- Support to faculty and teaching assistants who would like to integrate LGBT content into their courses
-- Training for

-- Administration and Faculty on sensitivity to LGBT issues
-- Selection committees to hire administrators and professors who are not homophobic

-- The Friends Program
-- Trouble shoot for LGBT issues on campus and provide insight for progressive planning
-- Celebrate LGBT news and provide information for alumni and incoming students

-- Fund research in LGBT areas

-- Provide scholarships and assistantships for worthy study and projects
-- Serve as a depository for local and UF LGBT History
-- Include a Museum on LGBT history in Gainesville and UF
-- Show LGBT films on a regular basis
-- Provide Institutes and Community Education on LGBT Topics

Here is a second list to work from when choosing your priorities for the next meeting. This list of goals and long term goals for LGBT Affairs was generated by the attendees at the strategic planning meeting in November with Ronni Sanlo. Some of it may be more relevant and some of it less relevant but I thought I'd send it along. -- Tamara

Goals for LGBT Affairs

Establish Center -- Space -- Funding

Expand resource library

Have a plan for the center

Additional professional staff
Mandatory LGBT training (awareness): Faculty & staff, administrators, student groups

Student leaders

-- Communication with LGBT student groups
-- Provide a safe place
-- Assess needs of LGBTQ students of color
-- Retreat to build community
-- Meeting space for all LGBT student groups
-- Sort out LGBT organization roles.
-- Advocate for campus issues for students including housing, healthcare gender expression in non- discrimination clause, safety
-- Advocate for faculty-staff issues including partner benefits, spousal hires, etc.
-- Collaborate and communicate with alumni and the surrounding Alachua County community
-- Create a forum where research may be conducted
-- Work with financial aid to create a plan to serve emancipated students
-- Expand Friends network and foster ally programs
-- Support further development of the Rainbow Alliance
-- Assess services provided for LGBTQ community and adjust as needed
-- Continually assess climate for LGBTQ on campus
-- Range of educational programs including LGBT history, activism, transgender, bisexuality
-- Collaboration with academic departments including women & gender studies, English, history, etc.
-- Multicultural action committee for student leaders
-- Student-faculty network on LGBT research
-- Support for faculty to include LGBT content in courses
-- Advocate for Housing

Gender neutral housing & bathrooms

Immediate relocation

-- Campus-wide gender neutral bathrooms
-- Continue collaboration with UPD

Anonymous reporting

-- Gender identity inclusion in non-discrimination statement
-- Advisory Board

Big Picture Goals

-- Address long-term campus issues: space, services, programs, research
-- Establish an LGBT library collection
-- Direction for the future of Pride and other student groups
-- Hear more about resources on campus and people who support LGBT issues
-- Examine the intersection of issues including SES, religious, race/ethnicity
-- Resources to combat prejudice and discrimination
-- Ways to better unite the LGBT community
-- Figure out how to best serve students who come to UF after having been out for years as well as those students who are still questioning their sexuality
-- Practical strategies including funding to change climate
-- Clear vision of LGBT issues/affairs on campus
-- Understand role in process and working together
-- Individual goals/vision for involvement
-- Collaboration and coalition
-- Build more member involvement
-- Discuss faculty concerns
-- Tackle the “T”
-- Talk about LGBT communities of color and how to best serve them
-- Have clear steps and vision to move LGBT affairs forward
-- Have a structure for keeping various elements on campus/community people working together on LGBT issues ion contact
-- Discuss the possibility of mandatory training for faculty& staff
-- Discuss how to serve LGBT students in the classroom and address “academic freedom”
-- Cross-cultural collaboration
-- Visible distinct identity
-- Recruit and retain LGBTQ students
-- Fundraising plan
-- Develop plan with timeline
-- Plan for acquisition of books and special collections
-- LGBT annual alumni event

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Minutes prepared by Charles Brown.