A low rating from the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index prompted the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Academic Senate to create a task force devoted to improving the campus experience of LGBTQ students.
The LGBTQ Campus Climate Committee will be a president’s advisory committee and Academic Senate consultation committee. “It is responsible for providing leadership in increasing diversity and student success by creating a campus climate that is welcoming to students, faculty and staff who are part of the LGBTQ community at SRJC,” said Toni Eaton, Academic Senate interim administrative assistant.
The national survey rated SRJC as a two out of five. The rating stated, “The campus lacks commitment and institutional support for LGBT.”
SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong said he wanted to see more “fives” at the Oct. 1 meeting where the issue was first discussed.
One particular criticism was the Santa Rosa campus’ lack of gender-neutral bathrooms for sex-transitioning students. The only bathroom that qualifies is a single occupancy bathroom on the Petaluma campus.
SRJC counselor Rhonda Findling said, “We will have at least three gender-neutral bathrooms by the end of this semester.”
The Academic Senate approved the new task force Oct. 15. As a president’s advisory committee, it has more status, along with Dr. Chong’s backing, said senate president Robin Fautley.
The survey index also noted that SRJC currently has no LGBT-specific courses in its curriculum and lacks outreach programs for LGBT high school students coming to SRJC.
Jaime Moreno, United Sexualities and Genders president and possible student representative to the new task force, said, “Having forums for LGBT and allies would benefit everyone.”
Findling said, “We have no curriculum, no events, no awareness [of LGBT issues], but we could have these things if we put forth the effort.”
The Senate also addressed the risk involved with class roster names given to professors at the beginning of each semester. Many sex-transitioning students, unable to change their legal names due to the tedious process, have been unintentionally outed when instructors called their non-preferred names in class.
The Academic Senate approved a solution Oct. 15 to allow students to change their roster names to their preferred names through their online cubbies.
Some raised concerns that students may use the program inappropriately to assign themselves lewd names. However, Senate Secretary Laura Aspinall countered that protection of transgendered students would be worth any potential trouble.