LGBT Issues Committee: Approved Campus LGBT Reccomendations

As has been explained before, The LGBT Issues Committee is in charge of creating recommendations for the university. We don't have actual decision making power, just the ability to advise the campus' governing body. Throughout this year we drafted a report that builds on a recurring 3-year report that the committee has been doing for a while. I am very proud of the report we've drafted; It represents everything we have the advisory ability to change for the better. While the full report will be published online by the committee after it is presented to the university's governing bodies, I will post the executive summary for the purposes of this blog. Please check back for the link to the actual document when it is published by the university for more details.

Executive Summary of LGBT Issues Committee Recommendations, presented 4-08:

1. We recommend that the Vice Provost for Campus Climate and Diversity assume campus-wide oversight of LGBT Issues and report annually in December to this committee on the initiatives undertaken and results achieved campus-wide in this arena.
2. We recommend that the College of Letters and Sciences provide the following new support for the LGBT Studies Certificate Program:
1. A 100% budgeted faculty line in LGBT Studies with a tenure home in any appropriate are
   
2. A 15% increase in funding for the undergraduate advisor position in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies in recognition of that position’s responsibilities for advising LGBT Studies Certificate students.
3. We recommend that the College of Letters and Sciences Office of Student Academic Affairs work with the LGBT Studies faculty to solicit increased First-Year Interest Group opportunities dealing with LGBT themes.
   
4. We recommend that University Housing create a residential learning community focused on LGBT themes for undergraduates at all levels on the UW-Madison campus.
   
5. We recommend that the campus secure and stabilize the operations of the LGBT Campus Center by:
   
1. Providing adequate office space both for staff functioning and for private student consultation and discussion;
   
2. Funding the academic staff positions of the Center through 101 monies.
6. We recommend that the LGBT Campus Center (supported by additional campus resources), undertake the following initiatives, in coordination with the Dean of Students Office and the Office of the Vice Provost of Campus Climate and Diversity:
   
1. Develop and supply a comprehensive LGBT brochure (services, academics, etc.) for distribution as part of the orientation program for new students;
2. In partnership with relevant offices, provide a targeted LGBT student orientation program for incoming freshman, transfer and graduate students;
3. In partnership with relevant offices, develop and provide a “senior year experience” program focusing on preparation for job and/or graduate/professional school exploration;
4. Continue to develop the “Opening Doors” mentorship program pairing students and faculty/staff.
   
7. We recommend that the Admissions Office give greater attention to the recruitment of LGBT students by:
   
1. Improving accessibility to LGBT information on its website;
2. Attending national LGBT recruitment fairs;
   
3. Working with the LGBT Campus Center to create a recruiting pamphlet on LGBT life at UW.
8. We recommend that the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff work closely with the Vice Provost for Campus Climate and Diversity and with the LGBT Campus Center to insure the inclusion of LGBT faculty and staff in the campus’s various recruitment efforts and to provide programs and services important to LGBT faculty and staff retention, to include:
   
1. Continued aggressive leadership in working with the state legislature to achieve domestic partner benefits for LGBT and other unmarried campus faculty and staff;
2. The creation and funding of an LGBT faculty/staff mentoring program parallel to the existing mentoring program for female faculty.

To give credit where credit is due, the people involved in the report in alphabetical order are:

• Daña Alder
• Thomas Armbrecht
• Lori Berquam
• Jeanne Boydston (chair)
• Julie D’Acci
• Justin Hagar
• Elliott Rezny
• Eric Trekell (ex-officio)
• Christina Treviño-Murphy (student alternate)
• Mariamne Whatley
• Tehshik Yoon

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, erezny [at] wisc [dot] edu .