The Office of the Dean of Students has recently created the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Advocacy Committee to assess how the University addresses GLBT students' needs.
Various isolated programs already exist to support GLBT concerns on campus, such as the Student Government committee, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Allies Affairs Agency and the Safe Space program. However, no centralized program or organization has been established to serve as a resource center for GLBT issues and concerns.
Annemarie Seifert, chair of the new GLBT Advocacy Committee, had a closed meeting Tuesday with several GLBT students to determine the climate on campus toward GLBT students based on the students' experiences.
Seifert said the GLBT students did not reach a general consensus of the atmosphere on campus toward students with a same-sex orientation. The students did agree that a GLBT centralized center administered through DOS could answer their unmet needs.
"These [concerns] are all separate things," Seifert said. "We need to reach out to GLBT students as much as we can."
The meeting was the first of several to determine the situation on campus.
Meetings with students will continue throughout the summer and into the school year, although no timeline to conclude research has been set.
The advocacy committee has also started a benchmarking project to study the types of services and resources offered to GLBT students at peer institutions such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Teresa Graham Brett, the dean of students, came to the University from the University of Michigan, which has a GLBT campus agency. She said it is her office's prerogative to address the needs of all students.
"The UT campus needs to be inclusive of multiple identities of students, and it is important to address needs of race, gender and all the different identities students bring," Graham Brett said. "What we need to do is to address these multiple needs for students to be successful here."
The Dean of Students Office has not had an official outlet for GLBT students until now, although DOS has dealt with individual cases on an ad hoc basis according to the issue at stake, said Sherri Sanders, associate dean of students.
"It depends on what the need or the issue was as to who would handle it," Sanders said.
As the dean responsible for situations of sexual misconduct, Sanders said a GLBT student who had been sexually harassed should consult her. However, a GLBT student should consult someone in the Campus and Community Involvement Office if the student wanted to establish a GLBT student organization.
Biology junior Christian Vaca, last year's chair of the Student Government GLBT Allies Affairs Agency, attended the closed meeting Tuesday.
Vaca said although his SG committee organizes the annual Pride Week and the National Day of Silence, the need still remains for the formation of a GLBT student center on campus.
"It would help enlighten the atmosphere and educate people on GLBT issues, like coming-out issues and living environment issues, like if you are living with a roommate who might be of a different sexual orientation," Vaca said.
Matt Clack, an advertising senior who is a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, said while he does not agree with homosexuality, improved programs for GLBT students could significantly help them.
"As a Christian I don't believe in homosexuality. It's a sin. That doesn't mean you cannot be a Christian if you are homosexual," Clack said. "Everybody sins, but we can't pass judgment. Everybody needs guidance. Opening a new place or arena for [GLBT students] to go would be a lot better for them."
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