May 9, 1998 Minutes

UC San Diego

Present:
Deb Abbott, UCSC
De Acker, UCSB
Robert Anderson, UCB
Sarah Archibald (Co-Chair), UCSD
Rich Beatty, UCSF
Todd J. Bowser, UCSC
Chris Browning, UCI
Mathew Dos Santos, UCI
debi fidler, UCB
Ronni Sanlo, UCLA
Allison Subasic, UCD
Pat Walsh, UCI
John O. White, UCSD
Jonathan Winters (Co-Chair), UCB

Thank you to Sarah Archibald, John White, and the UCSD Chancellor's Advisory Committee on LGBT Issues for hosting this Steering Committee meeting.

1. Minutes from the Winter Steering Committee meeting at UC Santa Cruz
were approved.

2. Domestic Partner Benefits Update

A. Domestic Partner Health Benefits

Most campuses reported that their Human Resource Departments had made presentations to department HR contacts regarding Special Enrollment during May 1998 for domestic partner benefits. This included the Berkeley Labs.

Campus HR Departments were entertaining questions and providing answers for specific circumstances on an individual basis. Committee members noted that there remain significant tax liabilities related to DP benefits for same-sex partners.

It was recommended that the UCLGBTA Steering Committee forward questions and scenarios to UCOP Benefits for clarification in order that the answers could be posted on the UCOP Benefits web page and generally known. There could be changes and there should be additional clarification regarding DP benefits by the time open enrollment occurs in November 1998.

Health insurance for undergraduate and graduate students varies greatly from campus to campus. It seems that if students organized. they might beable to take advantage of group insurance rates to lower premiums.

Premiums for faculty and staff are lower than available premiums for students. It was recommended that UCSA take on this issue. A quick survey of members indicated the following:

Berkeley: Mandatory health insurance for undergraduates and graduates
Davis: student health insurance is not mandatory
Irvine: mandatory graduate health insurance
Los Angeles: graduates may enroll in a health insurance plan
Santa Barbara: mandatory graduate health insurance
San Diego: no health insurance plans for students
Santa Cruz: not mandatory

UCOP: is concerned about 60% uninsured rate for students systemwide

B. Housing

A question arose regarding the ability of employees living in University Housing not eligible for DP health benefits, because co-habitation could not be proven. It was acknowledged that (DP) housing for students and faculty is a recruitment/retention issue. Apparently, two post docs decided not to accept appointments at UCLA due to lack of same-sex housing benefits. Each campus is encouraged to document such cases for UCOP.

Updates should be shared at each UCLGBT Steering Committee meeting. Steering Committee members were encouraged to make allies or establish liaison to campus HR departments.

Each campus is asked to remind its campus administration that Housing DP benefits remain an important issue.

C. Retirement

It was acknowledged that the issue of retirement benefits for domestic partners is not likely to be resolved in the next 12-18 months. It is felt that The Regents would oppose this proposal. A democratic Governor will probably be necessary before the proposal can be pursued. It is expected that the Faculty Welfare Committee of the Academic Senate will re-issue its support for DP retirement benefits when the timing is appropriate. It was suggested that this strategy could be coordinated with UCLGBTA.

D. MOTION PASSED

A motion was passed authorizing the UCLGBTA Co-Chairs to a communication to UCOP asking for its support of DP housing and retirement benefits. Discretion was given to the Co-Chairs regarding how best to coordinate/implement the motion.

3. Report from UC Santa Cruz Exposed! Conference. (Todd Bowser)

There was no serious fall-out from the 60 Minutes show that reported on LGBT curriculum at college campuses. However, there was one complaint from UC Berkeley students that confidentiality was perhaps violated. UC Santa Cruz expressed their concerns to 60 Minutes that coverage for the Exposed conference was not even handed. It was recommended that campuses consider public relations issues and that they understand will the sources of funding for future UCLGBT annual conferences. Bowser reported that the UCSC Exposed Conference cost was about $17,000. A surplus of about $3,500 remains. Members recommended that unspent funds be used to support University LGBT efforts. Bowser presented a planning manual to the UCLA represented for the next conference.

4. 1999 UCLGBTA Annual Conference at UCLA February 5-7, 1999 at Sunset Village.

The conference title will be "Something Queer is Bruin" Information will be prepared and advertised. Affordable housing is a concern and plans are underway to try to provide some accommodation on campus. Conference offerings will include: student organization and leadership skills; Queer Studies from and administrative point of view, and faculty/staff issues. A dance on the Saturday night of the conference weekend is planned. Lambda Alumni will have a role in the conference. The student leaders roundtable will have a presence.

5. Campus LGBT Resource Centers and Proposals

A. San Diego is in the process of resubmitting its proposal for an LGBT Resource Center to the UCSD Chancellor's Office. A committee that includes staff, students, and faculty is currently developing the proposal and seeking endorsements. The groups is busily preparing job cards, budgets, and space requirements. UCLGBTA SC endorsed the recommendation to establish a LGBT Resource Center at UCSD and signed a letter to UCSD Chancellor Dynes.

There was some discussion regarding job titles, funding and administrative organization of the other UC LGBT resource Centers. Assistant Dean of Students SAO IV was one recommendation. Allison Subasic offered to follow-up on the UCLGBTA SC survey of LGBT Center resources.

B. Santa Barbara is trying to follow-up on its 1993 Eucalyptus Committee recommendation to establish a LGBT Resource Center on campus. Currently, the campus does not provide space for LGBT services, programs, and organizations. Student support is high but competition for resources is high. The campus is looking a several options including renovation and new construction for combined student support programs. An interim solution might be inclusion of LGBT services at the existing Women's Center. The campus is working to support a peer queer internship program and speakers bureau. The Academic Senate may be asked for support.

C. Davis: The Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs is controlling the process to establish an LGBT Resource Center and to hire a Director. A number of important staffing issues remain unresolved. The process is taking longer than originally scheduled.

D. An LGBT Coordinator has just been hired at UC San Francisco and the position is based in the Women's Center. It is unclear if the position is part-time or full time.

E. Irvine reports that is making significant progress regarding establishment of its community advisory board (to the LGBT Resource Center). A resource development committee is working to raise funs and improve community outreach. There are plans to work on establishment of an endowment for the Resource Center. The Resource Center continues to use student interns to work on such projects as: web-site management, speakers bureau, student leadership opportunities, desk-top publications, volunteer opportunities, and programming.

F. Santa Cruz reports that the Director position is not funded full time yet, but that a proposal for additional funding is planned. The LGBT Resource Center does not have staffing/budgeting parity with other Centers on the campus.

G. UCLA reports that is working on a three year strategic plan for the LGBT Resource Center, The Center currently offers internships for undergraduate and graduate students, plus field placements.

6. UCSA/UCLGBTA Issues and Future Plans

A. The next Steering Committee Meeting will take place October 3, 1998 at Berkeley.

B. Significant efforts were made to hold this meeting with the UC Student Association (UCSA). UCSA changed the location of its May 1998 meeting twice. Therefore, a joint meeting was not possible. It is hoped that coordination can improve.

It was agreed that the UCLGBTA SC should send a letter to UCSA asking for appointment of official liaison(s) to UCLGBTA and a contact at each campus. Winters agreed to contact the UCSA office in Oakland.

C. An ad hoc committee to make recommendations regarding funding/organization of UCLGBT was formed to include: Bob Anderson, Rich Beatty, Ron Kos, and Jonathan Winters.

D. The ad hoc group to review the UCLGBTA Constitution and bylaws (Sanlo, Winters, White) agreed to meet briefly after this Steering Committee Meeting. Winters distributed a draft revised Constitution to the sub-group for review and comment.

E. The role of UC LGBT Resource Directors and the UCLGBTA Steering Committee was discussed. It was agreed that Directors meeting jointly is productive and participation on the SC is helpful. It was recommended that combination of meetings at one location be coordinated to reduce travel expenses.
 
7. The Steering Committee plans to send a certificate of recognition to Robert Gentry, UC Irvine for his many years of membership and support of the UCLGBTA. A retirement party for him is August 1999 is planned by UC Irvine.

Minutes Recorded by:
John O. White, UCSD