Notice Given: 03/10/2017
Current Status: Approved 03/15/2017
Motion Type: Resolution
Sponsor: Alison Gash (Political Science)
Motion
Section I
1.1 WHEREAS the University of Oregon affirms that our core values include “equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe, and respectful community.”
1.2 WHEREAS the Senate and our academic community and peers across the country are concerned about the recent increase in hate crimes and inflammatory language around the United States, including at the University of Oregon.
1.3 WHEREAS there have been repeated examples of threats against women, LGBTQAI-identified individuals, specific ethnic and religious groups, and immigrants during and after a divisive presidential election.
1.4 WHEREAS President Schill’s Nov. 15th message to the campus community maintains that “we condemn any threat or effort to intimidate anyone at the university. We are a community of scholars. Efforts to divide us based upon the color of our skin, our nationality, our immigration status, our abilities, our diversity of thought, our gender, or our sexual orientation must be called out and stopped.”
1.5 WHEREAS, the Departments of Justice and Education issued a “Dear Colleague” letter on May 13th, 2016 requiring that “a school must not treat a transgender student differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.”
1.6 WHEREAS, the letter defines gender identity as “an individual’s internal sense of gender. A person’s gender identity may be different from or the same as the person’s sex assigned at birth.”
1.7 WHEREAS, ORS 659.850, similarly, prohibits gender identity discrimination in the state’s educational settings.
1.8 WHEREAS, on February 23rd President Trump issued new guidance on Title IX rescinding the May 13th language regarding transgender students.
1.9 WHEREAS, on February 28th the University of Oregon’s Title IX Coordinator posted language on Around the O re-affirming the university’s policy to continue to honor their commitments to transgender safety, equality and dignity:
“Federal change in transgender protections will not affect UO”
Section II
2.1 THEREFORE, the Senate of the University of Oregon, affirms the rights of transgender students to seek the benefits of a University of Oregon education with safety and dignity; and
2.2 THEREFORE, the Senate of the University of Oregon affirms the rights of transgender students to enjoy all the benefits, privileges and protections offered to any University of Oregon student or faculty member; and
2.3 THEREFORE, the Senate of the University of Oregon REQUESTS that President Michael Schill issue an email to all campus members publicly re-affirming the University’s commitment to transgender student safety, equality and dignity.