One of UT's core values is to "create an environment that values and fosters diversity," and to help UT live up to that value, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will have an office by semester's end.
Last year, Noah Gillespie, a senior dual majoring in law and social thought and economics, presented a proposal to UT President Lloyd Jacobs and the President's Diversity Council. Back then, Jacobs said it wasn't the right time, according to Anthony Kapp, the project manager for the Office of the Dean of Students.
"The diversity council and those at Student Affairs felt that it's very important that we create this office on campus," Kapp said.
Gillespie said the idea came about after a diversity survey was performed on Main Campus sometime in the year 2005 or 2006.
"We really need something institutional that comes from the university that shows support for LGBT people and can address this large variety of needs," he said.
Interim Dean of Students Michele Martinez agreed and said she sees the importance of such an initiative.
"It's important to serve all of our students and offer programs and services that apply to all students, no matter what their orientation and also to be a place that could help educate other students," she said. "This initiative is going to move this university forward in terms of diversity and its commitment to student-centeredness, because we should be committed to all of our students."
Kapp will be splitting his time between the ODS and setting up the LGBT office, located in the Office of Multicultural Student Services in the Student Union Building room 2500.
"I think it's important just that we recognize that this is a significant community here on campus," he said. "They have unique needs just like any other group of underrepresented students."
Kapp said the goal of the office is to promote the visibility and integrity of UT's LGBT community and to increase education and awareness of issues important to the LGBT community and other students who may be questioning or struggling with issues coming out.
Gillespie said some students and faculty provided support and guidance to the proposal. One of them was a former administrator Carol Bresnahan, who is now the provost and executive vice president at The College of New Jersey, he said.
Kapp said he is prepared for the challenges of starting up the LGBT office and UT is ready for that office.
"The most important thing is we want students to really feel comfortable on campus being themselves, no matter who they are, whether they are gay or lesbian," he said. "Every student on campus needs to feel comfortable here. We want this to be home away from home, and this initiative is just one way we can reach out to a certain population of students."
Martinez quoted part of a UT core value, which is to "create an environment that values and fosters diversity; earn the trust and commitment of colleagues and the communities served."
"I think this office is the start to living that core value of our mission statement," she said.
"I think it's while we're in the midst of a challenging budget time, and it's definitely a strong statement for UT to be creating an LGBT initiative," Kapp said.
Gillespie said he was surprised to see his proposal go through, especially given the budget cuts at the university and state level.
"I'm surprised that something is being done and the administration wants something to not just happen, but something meaningful to happen and certainly hope, even though this is only a part-time position right now, when funding comes, we'll get a full-time staff person with everything else," he said.
Kapp said the office is still in an early stage.
"Right now, we're going to build the initiatives, start doing some programming, work with students, develop an advisory board for the LGBT initiative and go from there," he said. "Hopefully, within the semester, a pretty sound initiative will be in place, and from there, hopefully, it'll be permanent."
Martinez also expressed hope this initiative, along with the Safe Places Program and others, will exist after the students who helped with the startup graduate. The Safe Places Program was created to address concerns of the "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, two-spirited, same gender loving and ally community," according to its application form.
"Institutes across the nation have these offices, have full-time employees and offer services and also educate the rest of the students about a different sexual orientation," Martinez said. Among those institutions are New York University, Indiana University Bloomington, the University of North Carolina and the University of Michigan.
"I think the main thing is to really have a place to have a very visible kind of center that everyone can see, everyone can know it exists, and, in that sense, it serves as a sign that UT really does mean what it says, that it is tolerant of LGBT individuals and values LGBT people," Gillespie said.
Be the first to comment on this article!