Student Senate called on the Office of the President to examine inequities for LGBT programs at Ohio University in a resolution last night, followed by the first Student Speakout of the quarter.
The LGBT community is a strong
important force on this university said Lee Robbins, Women's Affairs commissioner.
Senators expressed concern in the resolution that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community was not explicitly included in the creation of the Office for Equity and Diversity. The office will comprise the Women's Center, the Office for Institutional Equity and the President's Office for Diversity, said Will Wemer, LGBT Affairs commisioner.
We do not think this is right he said. We want a seat at the table.
Other centers of diversity on campus have higher salaries for directors, smaller chains of command and greater budgets, according to the resolution.
During Student Speakout, a designated time for students to present concerns to Student Senate, one student voiced his frustration and anger over these inequities.
I felt let down by my university
said Charlie Pennix, a senior studying pre-med. I can deal with frustration
but feeling let down is just different.
The budget for the LGBT programs center is $73,532 and the budget for the future Women's Center is $140,000, according to the resolution.
The salary for the assistant director of Campus Life for LGBT Programs is $37,336, which is less than all other diversity program directors' salaries, according to the resolution.
There is no position of director for LGBT because of its position within the Office of Campus Life, Wemer said. Still, he added, there are people who oppose this because it doesn't fit in the office.
Sophomore Joe Evans spoke out on behalf of Open Doors about how important the LGBT community is for diversity. He also expressed the importance of a director for LGBT affairs.
We are not pointing fingers or being accusatory
he said. We just want an examination. We need to know what's going on so we can make recommendations.
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