Meeting notes: OUTReach meeting, Wednesday, October 19th, 12-1

 

UPCOMING:

  • Meeting on domestic partner benefits: October 24th, 8:45am, Swede-Johnson 202A.
  • Next OUTReach lunch:  November 16, 2005, 12 to 1 pm, FCS patio

 

 

1.      Fall Welcome Event (Sep 16th), Wingspan dinner (Sep 24th) recap

 

About 40 attended the Fall Welcome; a group of 6 attended the Wingspan dinner.

Plans are in the works for a spring social – stay tuned.

 

2.      LGBT Advisory Board update

 

The Board is having monthly meetings; at the last meeting President Likins agreed to oppose the “Protect Marriage Arizona” amendment.

 

3.      DPB subcommittee update

 

·        Another letter is being sent to President Likins encouraging another feasibility study of UA (or university system) becoming independent from the state for the purposes of health care.

·        Discussion that we could / should look at examples from other institutions on the financial impact of domestic partner benefits; several suggestions for follow-up.

·        Discussion of “something happening” at ASU with regard to health and tuition benefits for domestic partners; Joan is hot on the trail.

 

4.      Presidential Search forums:  update and strategy

 

·        Poor general turn-out at the forums for the Presidential search. Joan attended the faculty session on Monday; XXXX attended the session for classified staff on Tuesday, where the issue of domestic partner benefits came up 4 times (!), and Regent Boyce asked how much it would cost (which, all things considered, is a good sign as it means that he is paying attention). Joan to follow-up with Boyce with info on costs of DPB.

·        Next step: individual follow-up with Presidential search committee members. Stephen will coordinate.

 

5.      Possibility of working to coordinate UA, ASU, and NAU campus LGBT advocacy – and the inclusion of all institutions of higher ed in Arizona. What would that take? Whom do we know? Should we seek funding (for example) to bring a “coordinating committee” together?

 

Held for future meeting

 

6.      OUTReach survey

 

No report; held for future meeting

 

7.      Statistics on numbers of LGBT students and staff

 

Joan points out that all other “minority” or constituent groups on campus can talk about their numbers and representation; we cannot. We discussed the idea of being able to gather data on LGBT people on campus – what would we gain? What are the risks? Would people even bother to identify themselves? We discussed the possibility of inclusion of sexual orientation/identity identifiers on standard campus form (HR forms, etc). Joan is pulling together a small group to consider this – contact Joan to join the group.

 

8.      Financial report

 

No formal update; the fall welcome was good, somewhat costly, and we aren’t broke.

 

9.      New Idea: Lunch with Regents

 

Joan pointed out the model of the Faculty Women’s Group – annual lunch with Regents. Suggested that a collection of LGBT campus groups could convene and invite Regents to lunch. She will pursue the idea further.

 

 

 

Next Steps:

  • Joan to follow up with ASU about benefits; to get info to Regent Boyce regarding the cost of DPB on other campuses
  • Stephen to coordinate individual contacts with Presidential search committee members
  • Joan to coordinate meetings regarding data on LGBT people on campus
  • Joan to further consider idea of lunch with the Regents