As part of the University’s ongoing LGBTQ Initiative, the working groups on resources and education presented their final reports and recommendations to University President John DeGioia last week. A full-time, fully-funded Resource Center remains the primary recommendation from the Working Group on Resources.
Initial reaction to the recommendations has been positive. Bill McCoy, the University’s LGBTQ Community Resources Coordinator, believes that the current LGBTQ Initiative is a positive development in relations between the administration and the LGBTQ community.
“I believe this is the first time that the University has engaged in a public, positive discourse about our LGBTQ population,” he said. “I do believe that the recommendations will close that gap amongst national best practices and make us a leader of Catholic and Jesuit affiliated institutions.”
According to Sandra Calvert, a professor of psychology and a member of the working group dealing with LGBTQ resources, the group envisioned that the new Resource Center would work to accomplish two goals: meeting the needs of the LGBTQ community and educating the rest of the campus about LGBTQ issues.
“The mission of the center is broadly about social justice, about educating the campus and working for a more inclusive environment,” Calvert said, adding that she hopes the new center will begin a dialogue on campus, lead to better understanding and reflect Georgetown’s Jesuit ideals.
The proposal for a full-time LGBTQ resource center was reached after the group carefully studied similar programs at other universities.
The administration plans to implement the working groups’ recommendations immediately, and intends to have many of the proposals fully operational by the next academic year.
University officials and committee members hope that the recommendations, when implemented, will create a more receptive environment for LGBTQ students and improve relations between LGBTQ students and the University.
“Hopefully, this will reduce misunderstandings between students, and will help them realize that they’re more alike than different,” Calvert said.
The Working Groups on Reporting, Resources and Education have been working since last semester, when a hate crime on campus and criticism of the administration’s handling of the incident prompted this effort to reach out to the LGBTQ community.
