February 13, 2000 Minutes

UC Davis

ATTENDING

UC Berkeley
debi fidler, fidler@haas.berkeley.edu
Jonathan Winters, jjwintrs@uclink4.berkeley.edu

UC Davis
Michael Colby, mdcolby@ucdavis.edu
Alan Hwang, akhwang@ucdavis.edu
Angela Loudermilk, toriandme@yahoo.com
Franklin Lyons, fhlyons@ucdavis.edu
Veriatius Prasad, trax@ucdavis.edu
Allison Subasic, afsubasic@ucdavis.edu
Mindy Young-Spint, myoungspint@ucdavis.edu

UC Irvine
Chris Browning, cmbrowni@uci.edu
Kathy Eiler, Keiler@uci.edu
Patti Clarkson, plclarkson@aol.com
Pat Walsh, plwalsh@uci.edu

UC Los Angeles
Al Aubin, aaubin@saonet.ucla.edu
Charles Harless, charless@ucla.edu
Kim Ho, kvho@ucla.edu
Stevin Leider, sleider@ucla.edu
Ronni Sanlo, sanlo@ucla.edu
Tammy Tsui, tsui@ucla.edu

UC Riverside
Nancy Tubbs, nancy.tubbs@ucr.edu

UC San Diego
Sarah Archibald, sarchibald@ucsd.edu
Nancy Loevinger, nloevinger@ucsd.edu
Beverly McCreary, rainbow@ucsd.edu
John O. White, jwhite@ucsd.edu

UC San Francisco
Shane Snowden, ssnowden@genderequity.ucsf.edu

UC Santa Barbara
Debbie Barzarsky, bazarsky-d@sa.ucsb.edu
Peter C. Russell, Russell-P@sa.ucsb.edu

UC Santa Cruz
Todd Bowser, tbowser@cats.ucsc.edu
Laura Engelken, engelken@cats.ucsc.edu
Joe Sampson, jsampson@cats.ucsc.edu
Chad Sanger, cpsanger@cats.ucsc.edu

UCOP
Emily Nalven, emily.nalven@ucop.edu

UC Student Association
Blinker Punsalan-Wood, blinkerspice@yahoo.com

ABSENT:
Deb Abbott, dabbott@cats.ucsc.edu
Robert Anderson, anderson@econ.berkeley.edu
Mark Costella, Costella2@LLNL.GOV
Billy Curtis, lgbt_ofc@uclink4.berkeley.edu

1. Welcome.

Special Thanks to UC Davis. Introductions were made. A special thank you was given to UC Davis for hosting the 11th Annual UCLGBTA Conference, General Assembly, and SCOM

2. Spring Steering Committee Meeting.

The Spring SCOM will take place Saturday, May 13, 2000 in UC Santa Barbara, with UC LGBT Center Directors meeting to precede it on Friday, May 12, 2000 also in Santa Barbara.

3. Fall Steering Committee Meeting.

UCOP was selected as the site for the Fall Steering Committee meeting to take place Friday - Saturday, October 27-28, 2000.

4. 2001 UCLGBTA 12th Annual Conference and General Assembly

Will take place at UC Santa Barbara, during the President's Day three-day weekend (February 2001).

5. 2002 UCLGBTA 13th Annual Conference and General Assembly

Tentatively scheduled to take place at UC Berkeley over the President's Day three-day weekend (February 2002).

6. Domestic Partner Benefits Discussion

A. Retirement Benefits (J. Winters)

Jonathan Winters distributed a draft letter to UCOP regarding various unresolved issues involving extension of benefits to domestic partners of University employees. He also distributed a one page simplified handout describing inequities regarding retirement benefits. He stated that the UC Academic Council has already passed a resolution requesting that UCOP pursue such benefits. A question was raised whether the UCRS Board would need to be lobbied. Ronni Sanlo and Al Aubin from UCLA have already met with their UCRS representatives who seemed open to discussing the issue.

ACTION: Chad Sanger from UCSC volunteered to send contact information for UCRB Board members to each campus via SCOM representatives.

ACTION: The UCLGBTA Co-Chairs were asked to send a letter to UCRS asking for support of retirement benefits for DPs of University employees.

ACTION: At the campus level, each SCOM member is asked to contact the nearest UCRS Board Member(s) to support extension of benefits.

B. Health Benefits (beyond Medical, Vision and Dental)

It was recommended that discussion with UCOP also include a request for DP benefits related to: 1) Accidental Death or Dismemberment; 2) Life Insurance; and 3) Legal Plan participation.

C. Housing

A representative from each campus briefly reviewed its Housing Policy with respect to domestic partners. Efforts are ongoing at San Diego to implement a revised Housing Policy that will include DPs. The policies at Davis and Santa Cruz are broad enough to include DPs. Irvine via exceptions has been able to provide some housing for DPs. It was recommended that each campus look at the UCSC Housing Policy distributed previously as a possible model.

ACTION: Sarah Archibald from San Diego volunteered to investigate the location of the next UC Systemwide Housing Directors meeting and to develop a draft letter from UCLGBTA to the Housing Directors asking for inclusion of DPs for housing. Sarah will also try to develop a status list/sample policy from each campus as a resource. Please send Sarah Archibald information if you can.

D. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The experience at each campus so far, is direction from Human Resources that UCOP Systemwide approval is required to specifically include FMLA benefits to DPs of University employees. The topic of FMLA is included in the list of items that will be identified in a letter from UCLGBTA to President Atkinson, and it includes a request to meet with him.

E. Mortgage Origination Program (MOP).

The issue is similar for the MOP available to faculty and executive program staff. DPs are not included as part of the loan program at this time.

F. Campus built Faculty or Staff Housing.

Again, DPs are not identified for inclusion in this program where it is available, pointing out inequity.

ACTION: Include all of the above items in future discussions with UCOP and President Atkinson. 

7. Hate Crimes Program Updates.

The development of Hate Crime/Incident reporting and programs varies by campus. Most campuses do include some information or procedures for students as part of Judicial Affairs. Other than Campus Police, there are few programs that include faculty and staff. It was recommended that an effective approach to creating these program may include:

• Use of the University Non-Discrimination Policy or local Principles of Community.
• UCSB has identified a Hate Crime Office and works with the City of Santa Barbara.
• UCSC is beginning to develop a program that will track and monitor crimes and incidents.
• The UCSA has identified prevention of hate crimes as one of its priorities.
• At Irvine, the Campus Police Department will provide information upon request. It was recommended that the campuses try to adopt similar criteria for definitions and reporting. It may be possible or desirable to approach the campus Sexual Harassment Prevention Officer to assist.
• Climate surveys are another effective tool to indicate the extent of problems or inadequacies.
• Awareness Week in another opportunity for advocates discussing prevention of hate crimes/incidents.
• UCSC has developed a grievance board that includes students, staff and faculty.
• An ombudsman is available at some UC campuses.

8. SCOM Input.

The Sunday portion of the Steering Committee meeting included a very large turn out from the membership at large. This was in part, a response to remarks made the day before during a keynote presentation. With comments from many people, members of the SCOM recommitted themselves to making the committee accessible with attention paid to diversifying the committee. Existing members indicated that they would try to generate additional interest at their home campus.

ACTION: The Steering Committee will use its Web Site, list serve and available electronic formats to communicate more information more often with the general membership.

A suggestion was made to increase and improve UCLGBTA marketing efforts including development of a brochure.

Nancy Tubbs from UCR suggested that student leadership funds be sought to send students to the Annual Conference or otherwise participate. Economic barriers were identified as a major deterrent for students. Identification of funding sources was recommended including the possibility of seeking grant funding. It was pointed out the mission and purpose of the University is important to support and include when seeking funds (internal or external).

ACTION: Ronni Sanlo (UCLA) and Pat Walsh (UCI) agreed to explore the feasibility of seeking Foundation support for student participation.

Other suggestions included:
1. Seeking UCOP staff training funds
2. Contacting campus and UCOP Equal Opportunity/Staff Affirmative Action offices for support.
3. Approach UCOP and request that it provide student funding as part of recruitment and retention programs.
4. Consider the establishment of a student scholarship program.
5. Prepare a summary of the various ways that students have gotten support in the past.
6. Approach the Associated Students as each campus for support.
7. Use the UCLGBTA Web Site as an information-clearing house.
8. Ask campus administration for discretionary funds.
9. Relate funding requests to UCOP initiatives for improvement of

It was stated that funding is needed at multiple levels.
1. Travel funds
2. Seed money for each Annual Conference
3. SCOM operating funds

Presently, the funding and support varies campus to campus and many SCOM members pay for a portion or all of their own travel expenses.

ACTION: The SCOM formed an ad hoc Finance Committee to include: Emily Nalven (UCOP), Debbie Barzarsky (UCSB), Nancy Stubbs (UCR); Ronni Sanlo (UCLA), Al Aubin (UCLA), Beverly McCreary (UCSD), and Shane Snowden (UCSF). The group agreed to provide an update at the next SCOM.

10. Student Financial Aid (Debi Fidler)

Debi Fider presented a plethora of materials useful to students seeking LGBT financial aid scholarships. Brochures and a supplement with the most recent assistance information were given to each campus plus interested students.

11. Gender, Gender Identity, Gender Expression

Chad Sanger from UCSC initiated some pre-discussion with Human Resources regarding inclusion of gender identity in the University Non-Discrimination policy. There was interest from the Blinker of the UC Student Association to collaborate on this project. It was suggested that a discussion of hate crimes and incidents would be a useful introduction to the justifications for inclusion of gender identify as part of the non-discrimination policy when speaking to UCOP managers. The subject of hate crimes did surface during a meeting between UCSA and President Atkinson this past quarter.

ACTION: John White (UCSD) agreed to research and summarize existing non-discrimination statements from municipalities and other Universities and to share the information with an ad hoc committee to include:
John White (UCSD)
Sarah Archibald (UCSD)
Chad Sanger (UCSC)
Debbie Barzarsky (UCSB)
Blinker Punsalan-Wood (UCSA)

12. Intersex Inclusion

Very briefly intersex was described as individual who are born with both X and Y traits - individuals whose hormones, chromosomes and genitalia differ.

ACTION: Debbie Barzarsky and Laura Engelken (UCSC) volunteered to share educational materials that may be useful for presentations to campus advisory committees. It was agreed that each campus should begin education efforts on this topic and consider intersex representation in UCLGBTA membership and projects.

13. Suggestions for Santa Barbara Annual Conference and General Assembly

A. Include time for a student leader caucus.
B. Include dedicated time (with no other programming scheduled during the time used for UCLGBTA Steering Committee meetings) and provide information on the history of UCLGBTA.
C. Seek grant funding for a UCLGBTA history project

John O. White
Jwhite@ucsd.edu
UCLGBTA Secretary