Minutes 4-27-02
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April 27, 2002 Minutes

UC San Diego

10:00 a.m.

Berkeley: Robert Anderson, Billy Curtis, Jonathan Winters
Davis: Brent Alsaker, Nathan Thomas
Irvine: Kathy Eiler, Michael Houston, Pat Walsh
Riverside: Sean Arayasirikul, Erik Ruggels, Gary Patton, Jason Chao, Toby Bartels,
Natalie Newton, Nancy Jean Tubbs
San Diego: Shaun Travers, Sarah Archibald, Barbara Estrada, Kimberly Merino,
Joe Mora, Lisa Tully, Sean LaPerruque, Erica Lo
San Francisco: Shane Snowdon
Santa Barbara: Gary Reinecke
UCOP: Emily Nalven
Santa Cruz, LA, Merced, LLBL, LLNL: Absent/not represented

Meeting convened at approximately 10:02AM

Welcome & Introductions
Current Chair Shane Snowdon will serve her second year-the seat will not be contested.
Vice Chair Imada not present - Vice Chair post will be open for election.
Student chair position will be open-first election for this post.
24 attendees; many new students. New focus on student issues.
Approval of Previous Minutes
No further revisions of 2/02 General Assembly / final version of SCOM minutes. Approved.

Future SCOM Meetings
Fall 2002, UCSF October 19 (same weekend as Q-grad conference?)
Winter 2003, UCR (at conference) Feb 21-23
Spring 2003-UCB (possibly at UCD?) April is best for 2003.

Benefit Issues (Retirement, AB 25, FMLA, Transgender health)

Retirement

Co-chair Snowdon summarized situation w/pension benefits.

New situation after year of AB 25, dog mauling & Sept. 11-New consciousness on issue

4/26 mtg with Judy Boyette-Bob Anderson & Shane Snowdon

Proposal will come forward to May UCLA Regents' meeting- There will not be any retroactivity proposed. (orig. thought they could include back to January)

May be an approach to President allowing this (or claims by current annuitants).

Regents' Meeting on May 15-16 --

15th: State of retirement fund; surplus is lower than previously, due to the decline in the stock market; however, the surplus remains large, and the cost of providing DP pension benefits is small in comparison.

16th: public comment period and proposal/vote. Speakers + support contingent in audience.

UCOP may bring 3 separate proposals-same-sex only; opposite sex; individuals w /single coverage (i.e., allow them to designate a beneficiary for a 'survivorship' benefit.)

UCOP feels the votes are there on same-sex proposal. We may need to do our own 'poll' to verify this assessment. Will coordinate through Chair Snowdon.

Chair Snowdon will coordinate 2d Mailing to all Regents-follow up to our January packet.

Call for new letters to go out - UCOP, Regents, bcc: to Snowdon by May 7.

Will circulate summary of suggested arguments to make in letters, statements.

UCLA also hosting LGBT corp. leaders on same week. They will attend Regents' meeting.

Questions: Does AB 25 have direct legal effect? Potential for claims; change of AB 25 affects public opinion and makes it difficult for case law to be different.

Documentation Required? Proposal delegates this to UCOP.

Question about operations budget "surplus" shortfall vs. retirement?

Operations distinct from retirement fund (UCRS & CalPERS) which remain well funded.

CAP benefit - retirement incentive may be offered during budgetary shortfall. (As in '90's)

Sick Leave - AB 25 applies; still not defined in UC.

Advisory promised within a month sent to HR depts. Within month to change website.

Concerned expressed that all campuses conform and properly implement.

FMLA - UCOP directive will be implemented regarding this; care for partner and for child of DP. Leave will apply generally ; no longer discretionary.

State income tax-Imputed Tax still applies to Federal taxes.

Upon furnishing state DP registration, state tax can be waived on payroll notice. Corrected W-2's issued even if payroll stub doesn't reflect it properly.

Some guidance still needed on all campuses implementing uniformly, and deciding what proofs are needed.

Transsexual health- Currently still excluded under all health plans carried by UC. This is a common exclusion of many employer health insurance plans.

UC policy contracts renewed every 2 years; responses due in June. Proposals evaluated.

We've supplied data from City of SF on the real costs of such a change.

Will cost alone be the basis of a UCOP decision? How political will it be?

Costs are poised to go up anyway; how do we avoid being made a scapegoat for increase?

Unclear how much employee costs will go up. Pitting employees concerned about their out-of-pocket costs & overall benefit costs.

Unanswered Question: Intersex health issues also have coverage apply?

UCLGBTA 14th Annual Conference--@ UC Riverside (February 21-23, 2003)

  • Presentation on 13th Annual Conference @ UC Berkeley - Billy
  • Still wrapping up the details (budget, general evaluations) and recovering from effort. Beginning of June target for completion date.
  • Attendance over 600 people. Cost-approx. $40,000; didn't broach much of corporate world.
  • UCB had a great Conference Committee that worked well together- Staff made an important commitment to the work; critical to have inner-circle of staff & other close allies on committee.
  • Production of this conference puts incredible pressure on Center director, in addition to regular duties.
  • Concerns on housing; ended up not being too much of a crunch; high cost of accommodations.
  • Tried reaching out to faculty/research associates;
  • Pleased w/diversity of programs/presentations. First on-line program submissions.
    contract for online registration; billing notation 'code' for credit-card bills sent to home/Mom& Dad.
  • Unique situation of separate student-organization (QRC/QA) ú some negative impact on this organization with drawing resources/people to conference.
  • Vital to keep purpose of conference in focus. Write down the 'why' of relevance each year. Brings us all together from different campuses; major speakers/presentations that individual campuses may not be able to bring/afford.
  • Highlights the individual campus; promote local folks/gain political capital.
  • Need to give support-consultation with other campus leaders was vital
  • Work on $$--need to expand our base; pursue these locally & systemwide in grants.
  • Even seed money ($1000) can be a help.
  • Flipside-important value to having gone through the experience. Student development: leadership skills; budget/fundraising; event planning. Political training & diplomacy skills.
  • Building of political 'capital' with Student Life and other campus administrators
  • Entertained questions on committee composition-One big committee at first and met through summer, broke into individual tasks by fall semester.
  • Biggest budget line item was FOOD.
  • Developed database to manage Volunteers list. No committee wrap-ups, but general summations by committee members.
  • Program-combination of invited speakers and call for programs; 60 submissions for 50 slots.
  • Presentation on UC Riverside conference-Nancy jean
  • Biggest issue is visibility; 10th anniversary of LGBT center
  • Student committee has not yet been composed; waiting until new Fall semester.
  • Trying to farm out parts of cost of events.
  • Cultural Events paying for show; Margaret Cho performance downtown during conference.
  • Housing; still have low-cost former Holiday Inn/Residence Hall spaces available to open;
    host housing also.
  • General Assembly may happen at middle of the day; around lunch/caucusing.
  • Arts focus: Faculty/staff may want to present their work.

Other comments on Conference experience:

  • Need to pass on summary of experience to new campus.
  • Informational resources, but games/fun too.
  • Workshops in different size rooms. Difficult to assess; conflicts of important sessions.
  • Outdoor venues in addition to classrooms/indoor facilities.
  • Open Mic session. Karaoke. Market Day-open-air market/local merchants/craftspeople.
  • Nightlife in Riverside? 7 clubs in Riverside & coffeehouse and under 21y.o.
  • Still looking into online registration; difficulty of collecting money.
  • UCSD (2004)-committing to conference earlier gave them more publicity/ability to think through what the campus wants to do & how they'll do it.
  • Thought of where to hold it in 2005; Nor Cal conference a likely candidate.(UCSC; UCD??)

Student Issues (Part I) *

Ongoing projects:

Surveys: Snafu over UC Berkeley/UCOP organized survey emailed to 50,000 students at all campuses (password-protected; based on profiles of students from original student registration).

Questions not made relevant to LGBT experience (cite Joe Sampson's comments/emails of 4-26). Other student attendees also received survey invitations.

Housing: UC Berkeley situation: last campus yet to implement DP eligibility.

Lunch

During Lunch there were student & staff/faculty caucuses held separately.

Written campus reports (UCR, UCOP) were distributed.

Student Issues (Part II) *

New projects: retention, financial aid, athletics, queer studies, voting

Presentation by students: Report back from student caucus by Gary Reinecke

Transgender issues:

  • Bridging the gap between Queer students & trans issues.
  • Not feeling part of the community.
  • Queer folks lack knowledge of Trans issues.
  • Outreach to local community Trans orgs on the issues;
  • Cross-campus communication on these issues; imbalance among campuses on programs for trans folks.
  • Not just w/I UC, but external-other colleges (Community colleges). Very few resources available on these campuses.
  • Trans issues exist on many levels-going to where Transfolk access services, not just how it applies within UC.
  • How do non-trans queerfolks have authority to speak on the Trans issues-allies or supporters on their behalf, but not actually affected.
  • Transsexual, transvestite, drag king/queen, Genderqueer, genderfuck, genderbending, intersex
  • 40 city ordinances nationwide on Trans non-discrimination/health; SF was first, and many modeled on that. Some branching out of specific language.
  • Health issues are most common question that transfolk bring to UCR LGBT centers.
  • Trained health providers on each campus.
  • Mental health issues just as much an issue as physical health.
  • Psycho-social health resources are available some places;
  • A big fear in counseling centers is that health professionals they deal with will not accept transitioning person.
  • Burgeoning trans web info is available. www.ucsf.edu/cge/lgbtr
  • Student Health Advisory Committees on each campus.
  • Student insurance committee-need to bring up trans issues to this committee.
  • Also caps on coverage for hormones/HIV medications. Work to do this on each campus.
  • Are people also aware of existing programs they have available?
  • Do plans cover brand-name drugs (HIV, other chronic conditions).
  • Planned parenthood part of STD's, pregnancy, HIV testing other resources.
  • Variation among Health Promotion offices at each campus;
  • May want to develop a checklist of health issues for campuses.
  • State programs for general health of international students/part-time/undocumented.

Queer Students of Color.

  • Queer youth of color conference May 4, 2002 @ UCSD. http://Lgbtro.uscd.edu/genq
    One of two POC/Queer conferences.
  • Bridging the cultural gaps among & within the ethnicity/culture and queer identity
    (losing face; machismo)
  • Dynamics of being the first within their family to attend college in US.
  • How coming out impacts their family.

Scholarship:

Donald Strauss foundation scholarship: $10,000 community based project at a UC campus.

Safe-space programs awards.

Outreach:

Outreaching to all cultural orgs, but also to academic sections (Chicano/A-A studies)

Spiritual communities on campus

Retention/recruitment & Allies/Peer-mentoring program:

Recruitment/retention centers or positions? Appears available, but uneven among campuses. (UCSD; money available//UCR; began project.

Queer development program for general public---mentorship/peer mentorship.

Allies:

  • Finding allies within campus organizations to take LGBTQ message back to their own groups about how to be stronger allies.
  • Campus ethnic orgs reach back to LGBT center for allies training. Tried to use students of that background present for that presentation.
  • Allies attendance/participation in each of the Queers of Color conferences; differences between the rubric of 'colors' of students.
  • Make sure that allies program talk about 'privileges'-to Queers that means hetero-privilege.

Financial Aid:

  • Scholarships-fund for LGBTQ students - status of funds from each campus.
  • Matrix of sources from where funds can be tapped.

Retention committees may be involved - loss of an under-represented student needs to be made present to these officers.

Trans Issues

  • Non-discrimination policy change-6 other universities are now doing this. (U of Iowa, U of Maryland, Rutgers, Boise State)
  • Ways to make the effort-Directly to UCOP & at grassroots.
  • On campuses: activist research on how we made the change on sexual orientation
  • Campus education-needed before & after any non-discrimination statement enacted.
  • Grant for Youth Gender Project; bring them to campuses to meet with important figures & administrators on Trans issues. Systematic approach to bringing issue forward. Work with & through Residential Life; Student affairs; Health administrators.

Officer Nominations & Elections

Call for other nominations for Vice Chair; Nancy Jean only nominee.

Declared vice-chair by acclamation.

Nominations for Student chair(3): Nathan Thomas-UCD; Sean Arayasirikul-UCR:
Gary Reinecke--UCSB

Chair Snowdon & Secretary Winters raised concerns about not losing the enthusiasm & energy of all nominees, even though there was only one seat available. Secretary Winters read section of constitution pertaining to elections.

Each candidate made statements about their qualifications/goals, of up to 5 minutes.

Campuses caucused for approximately 10 minutes prior to voting. Vote was by secret ballot.
Chair Snowdon & Secretary Winters counted ballots, with Rep. Bob Anderson witnessing the count.

Sean Arayasirikul was elected .

New Business

No other new business was raised.

Adjourn

Meeting adjourned approximately 4:10pm