Minutes 5-13-00
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May 13, 2000 Minutes

UC Santa Barbara

University Center - Mission Room

ATTENDING

UC Berkeley
Jonathan Winters, jjwintrs@uclink4.berkeley.edu

UC Davis
Michael Colby, mdcolby@ucdavis.edu
Angela Loudermilk, toriandme@yahoo.com
Franklin Lyons, fhlyons@ucdavis.edu
Allison Subasic, afsubasic@ucdavis.edu

UC Irvine
Chris Browning, cmbrowni@uci.edu
Pat Walsh, plwalsh@uci.edu

UC Los Angeles
Steven Leider, sleider@ucla.edu

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

UC San Diego
Sarah Archibald, sarchibald@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
Daniel Okamura, vanillaspice@hotmail.com
Peter C. Russell, Russell-P@sa.ucsb.edu
Mary Watts, uwattm00@umail.ucsb.edu

UC Santa Cruz
Deb Abbott, dabbott@cats.ucsc.edu
Stuart Rosenstein, stuart@cats.ucsc.edu
Joe Sampson, jsampson@cats.ucsc.edu
Chad Sanger, cpsanger@cats.ucsc.edu

UCOP
Emily Nalven, emily.nalven@ucop.edu

GUEST
Sue Rankin, Penn State University, sxr2@psu.edu

ABSENT
Robert Anderson, anderson@econ.berkeley.edu
Al Aubin, aaubin@saonet.ucla.edu
Patti Clarkson, plclarkson@aol.com
Mark Costella, Costella2@LLNL.GOV
Billy Curtis, lgbt_ofc@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Kathy Eiler, Keiler@uci.edu
Laura Engelken, engelken@cats.ucsc.edu
Debi Fidler, fidler@haas.berkeley.edu
Alan Hwang, akhwang@ucdavis.edu
Nancy Loevinger, nloevinger@ucsd.edu
Blinker Punsalan-Wood, blinkerspice@yahoo.com
Ronni Sanlo, sanlo@ucla.edu

MEETING CONVENED

SCOM Co-Chair Chad Sanger convened the meeting at 10:20 a.m. Introductions were made. Sanger extended special thanks to Debbie Bazarsky and UC Santa Barbara for hosting the Steering Committee meeting.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RETIREMENT SYSTEM (UCRS) AND DOMESTIC PARTNER PENSION BENEFITS (C. Sanger, J. Winters)

A. Extension/expansion of Pension Benefits for domestic partners of University employees went before the UCRS Advisory Board in May 2000. The item was prepared by UCOP Benefits on behalf of the Academic Senate Committee on Faculty Welfare. It is expected that the item will return to the Board for Action in June 2000.

B. Jonathan Winters and Bob Anderson form UCB have prepared a one page handout that explains pension discrepancies that exist for employees with spouses versus employees with domestic partners. The information is available on the UCLGBTA web site. http://www2.ucsc.edu/uclgbta/index.html

C. John White reported that AVP Judith Boyette from UCOP HR and Benefits spoke before the UC Academic Business Officers Group this past April. In her remarks, she stated that a series of Benefits reforms would be submitted to The Regents for Action during Fall 2000 - most likely November 2000.

D. Winters suggested that same sex couples complete the State DP registry to strengthen the justification for legislative or policy changes. Winters also advocated that the state registry document should be considered sufficient equivalent proof for University programs that require marriage certificates for opposite sex couples.

E. Chad Sanger suggested that when the time is appropriate, that a post card campaign could be launched at each campus to educate The Regents. He volunteered to post information in PDF format on the UCLGBTA web site as needed. Winters volunteered to draft language for the post card campaign.

F. A suggestion was made to contact the UC Student Association to form an alliance.

HOUSING (S. Archibald)

Archibald provides a brief overview of the issue. She referenced a decision by The Regents to separate housing from health benefits and their requirement that any policy change be submitted to The Regents for consideration. As a result, draft policies that included DPs in housing at most campuses in 1994 and 1996 have not been implemented. Archibald attempted to pursue the issue with UCSD administration including the Office of the Chancellor and the Housing Office. She was told that UCOP instructed Housing Directors not to change policies at this time.

At UCSD there has been discussion by Housing that is would no longer require marriage certificates to determine eligibility, but rather would provide housing with priority given to students with children, and that a birth certificate/statement of dependency might be required. Archibald stated that such a requirement is not required for day care at UCSD. UCSD administrators reported to Archibald that UCOP favors the existing Davis Policy, but that UCOP will not advance any information to The Regents at this time.

Shane Snowden form UCSF reported that the UCSF Chancellor has taken a strong public position in favor of opening up housing to students with DPs. UCSD reported that its Chancellor would wait to see how the issue is addressed at other campuses.

At UCI, the Housing Office is unwilling to pursue changing its policy until legal counsel concurs.

ACTION - Archibald said that she would approach UCSD administration with this conflicting information and ask for clarification prior to the May 31, 2000 meeting at UCOP on the topic of DP benefits. A suggestion was made that UCOP be reminded that it is accountable to pursue the issue based on earlier communications with UCLGBTA.

ACTION - Archibald asked each campus to send her their existing housing eligibility policies as well as any draft policies that have been written where student DPs are included. Archibald will take lead on this issue for the UCOP meeting. Contact sarchibald@ucsd.edu, or fax 858-622-5890.

OTHER DP BENEFITS AND ISSUES (All)

It was agreed that the remaining benefits not extended to University employees with DPS should go forward as part of the Agenda for the May 31 UCOP meeting.

  • FMLA
  • Legal Plan
  • Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Mortgage Origination Program (would require Regents Action)

ACCESS TO UCLBGBTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND SCOM/FUNDING

The group did not meet.

ACTION - Nancy Tubbs agreed to initiate an electronic mail discussion on this topic to include the Ad Hoc Finance Committee (E. Nalven, D. Barzarsky, N. Tubbs, R. Sanlo, A. Aubin, B. McCreary, P. Walsh), plus students Mary Watts and Franklin Lyons. A report will be made at the Fall SCOM (October 27-28, 2000 at UCOP - Oakland).

GENDER NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENTS UPDATE (J. White, et. al.)

John White stated that he had initiated an electronic mail discussion with interested SCOM members plus Shirley Bushnell, former UCLA employee and current transgender activist. He summarized the findings:

Gender and/or Gender Identity are included in non-discrimination policies at numerous Universities (Rutgers University, University of Iowa, Southern Oregon University, University of Oregon), the State of Minnesota, and many municipalities (Boulder CO; Berkeley, West Hollywood, Santa Cruz and San Francisco CA; Evanston, IL; Iowa City, Iowa; Cambridge, MA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; New Orleans, LA, Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA). Gender was added to the Hate Crimes law of California in 1999.

White favors developing a letter to UCOP based on letter from UCSC EEO/AA Office to UCSC HR with the following elements:

  • Existing UC Policy
  • Policies at Other Universities and Municipalities
  • Court Decisions and Court Protection
  • Consequences of Discrimination based on Gender, Gender Identify or Gender Expression
  • Pending language for ENDA (federal)
  • Request for a UC Policy Review

ACTION - White will draft letter for UCLGBTA that will be sent to UCOP prior to the May 31, 2000 meeting.

INTERSEX INCLUSION

The SCOM viewed a half-hour video titled "Hermaphrodites Speak" made in 1998 in Northern California by the Intersex Society of North America. See http://www.isna.org. Debbie Bazarsky led a discussion on how best to educate the campus communities and whether the SCOM should recommend inclusion of intersex be included in the mission and title of UCLGBTA. Several books were listed as resources, such as "Fluid Sexual Identity" and writings by author Coloa Pinto. Bazarsky distributed an informational packet on the topic of intersex. Chad Sanger requested an electronic copy so that the information can be posted on the UCLGBTA web site.

ACTION - There was consensus that the SCOM should recommend that the General Membership should vote to include intersex in the Mission and title of the Association at its 2001 Annual Conference and General Assembly to take place in Santa Barbara over President's Day weekend. Each campus should begin an education effort locally. It was stressed that the SCOM should initiate discussion with intersex individuals regarding inclusion, programming, education, civil rights, legal issues, and strategy.

ACTION - Bazarsky volunteered to identify an intersex speaker for the Fall SCOM meeting in Oakland, CA.

CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS - NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROJECT (Sue Rankin, Penn State University)

Sue Rankin from Penn State University distributed a copy of her proposal for a nation wide survey on diversity and for a companion study on LGBT campus climate. The survey is sponsored by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and has received initial funding from the National Gay and Lesbian task Force. All nine UC campuses are encouraged to participate.

The cost is $3,000 per site for the diversity survey and $1 per LGBT respondent for the LGBT climate survey. The surveys may be distributed as pencil ú hard copy or via the Web. The diversity survey must be reflective of the campus population, i.e. must include entire diversity of students, staff, and faculty, all ethnic groups, disabled, and LGBT communities, etc. The LGBT climate survey is meant to reach the entire campus LGBT community, perhaps 10% of the campus population. Institutional Review Boards must be contacted for approval.

The drop-dead date to decide on participation is August 1, 2000 with surveys available for distribution by September 1, 2000. Surveys must be completed and returned no later than December 2000. Results will be tallied with a summary of campus data compared to national sample data. Campuses will not be compared to one another.

ACTION - Each campus should discuss the survey with its administration and begin the search for funding.

PREPARATION FOR 2001 UCLGBTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY (D. Barzarsky, Mary Watts and Daniel Okamara)

The conference theme is "Concept of Community ú Exploring the Queer Continuum". The UCSB group has begun its search for speakers and sponsors. Room scheduling and logistics planning are under way. Outreach to non-UC schools and the general community will occur. There will be special outreach to faculty and students. Accessibility is a consideration and it is hoped that scholarships and low cost housing can be identified. A call for workshops will be issued in the near future. Every campus is asked to submit workshop proposals.

It is hoped that $10,000 for conference start up can be identified. The Davis campus has provided Santa Barbara with information used to plan, budget, and implement the 2000 conference. The Davis budget totaled $13,500.

COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP/SCOM ELECTIONS (C. Sanger, J. Winters)

The term for Jonathan Winters as Co-Chair has expired. The SCOM expressed their thanks and provided him with a card and gift. It was recommended that Laura Englekin from UCSC and Shane Snowden from UCSF give consideration to serving as the next Co-Chair.

PREPARATION FOR PRESIDENT ATKINSON MEETING - MAY 31, 2000 AT UCOP (J. Winters)

Winters reviewed the list of participants and the agenda for the May 31, 2000 UCOP meeting in Oakland. Items include:

A. BENEFITS
1) Pension/Retirement Benefits
2) Accidental Death or Dismemberment
3) Life Insurance
4) Legal Plan participation
5) Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
6) Mortgage Origination Program (MOP)

B. Non-Discrimination based on Gender, Gender Identity

C. Funding for UCLGBTA and its SCOM

Several ideas were suggested regarding presentation of a request to UCOP for funding. Generally, committee members stated that priority should be given to submitting a request for annual conference seed money, perhaps $10,000. Other suggestions included funding requests for:

  • Diversity Climate Assessment Survey
  • LGBT Climate Assessment Survey
  • Travel allowance for SCOM members
  • Travel allowance for students to attend SCOM and Annual Conference
  • Lap-top computer for SCOM Secretary

There was additional discussion regarding whether it is best to ask for an annual operating allocation with general category line items, or to ask for project specific funding. In either case, the annual conference funding was identified as a very high priority.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • LGBT Resource Center Directors will meet Friday, October 27 and the SCOM will meet Saturday, October 28, 2000 at UCOP in Oakland.Those attending must RSVP to Emily Nalven at 510-987-9287 by October 23, 2000.
  • UCLGBTA 2000 Annual Conference - UC Santa Barbara
  • UCLGBTA 2002 Annual Conference - UC Berkeley
  • UCLGBTA 2003 Annual Conference - UC Riverside
  • Spring 2001 Steering Committee Meeting - either UC Berkeley or UC San Francisco

RESOURCE CENTER/OFFICE AND CAMPUS REPORTS

Written reports were distributed.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
John O. White, UCLGBTA Secretary
Jwhite@ucsd.edu