By Nastacia Voisin|
After sparking debate and a student-run protest last spring, the Nondiscrimination Policy – which still excludes sexual orientation and gender identity – is currently under review.
The policy’s lack of inclusion led some students to establish Redefine Purple Pride, a group that advocates for a more inclusive Nondiscrimination Policy.
After the protest and widespread support for the policy’s change through an online petition, which received more than 1,000 signatures, President Fr. Bill Beauchamp appointed an Ad Hoc Presidential Advisory Committees on Inclusion (PACI).
The PACI gathered community feedback through confidential listening sessions, private letters and anonymous survey results. Over the summer PACI submitted a comprehensive report to the President along with specific recommendations.
Laurie Kelley, interim vice president for University Relations, says these recommendations will be presented to the Board of Regents when they meet later this month.
According to ASUP President Quinten Chadwick, the Regents discussed the policy when they met last May, and can vote to change it in this session if they choose.
“After consultation with the Board of Regents I will respond to each of these recommendations and share those responses with all of you,” Beauchamp said Aug. 27 in his address at the Faculty and Staff Convocation. “The Board, of course, must provide final approval of any action that is taken."
Chadwick and ASUP Vice President Elvia Gaona will attend certain sessions of the Regents’ meeting on Sep. 26.
Regardless of the Regents’ decision, Chadwick and Gaona intend to remain steadfast to their platform of “one campus, one community,” and work to make UP a more inclusive place.
“We want to make sure that this is a priority to the administration,” Quinten said. “We don’t want to see it lose momentum.”
ASUP continues to stand behind Resolutions 13-06 and 13-10, which advocate for the Nondiscrimination Policy to include gender identity and sexual orientation, and for an Office of Inclusion to address issues of diversity and inclusion on campus.
As ASUP and the administration take steps to respond to inclusion concerns, Redefine Purple Pride continues to monitor the review process.
Sophomore Matthew Gadbois, a Redefine Purple Pride member, says despite the summer hiatus, the Redefine movement hasn’t forgotten its purpose.
“We’re going to try to keep things open so we can keep pushing forward,” he said. “Right now that’s through awareness and education.”
While there hasn’t been an official regrouping, Gadbois is confident that Redefine Purple Pride will swiftly reunite if students feel the administration isn’t taking action.
“People are still thinking about what we accomplished last spring,” he said. “There’s a lot of interest – if we needed to we could turn that into excitement.”
