Home   |   This Semester   |   Archive   |   Subscribe   |   Business   |   Staff   |   Policy Friday, October 6, 1995 Sexual orientation mum in non-discrimination policy By By Joshua Bopp and Christa Loffelman, Staff Writers When Lori Sudderth applied for a sociology position here six years ago, one of the first things she did was research Albion's equal-opportunity policy. She almost didn't accept the job - she wasn't protected from discrimination. Sudderth, now assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, is a lesbian. The non-discrimination policy in the Albion College Faculty Handbook protects many groups' rights, but sexual orientation isn't mentioned. Technically, any gay, lesbian or bisexual college community member can be expelled or dismissed. But David Kammer, professor and chair of physics, said the policy doesn't reflect the faculty's beliefs. He chaired the Faculty Steering Committee in 1989-90. At that time, FSC proposed a non-discrimination policy which included sexual orientation. After committee approval, it was taken to the faculty. On Jan. 10, 1990, the faculty approved it by a 72-3 vote. The Albion College Board of Trustees, the college's ultimate policy-approving body, rejected it. According to Donald Omahan, vice president and dean of student affairs, it was a legal decision. "The attorneys advised the trustees that the college could be exposing itself to legal action if it included more clauses than what's protected under law." Kammer worked on the statement closely with the trustees, but "[the trustees] felt that including it in the college statement would project an image of Albion that we don't want at this time." The faculty ultimately approved the trustees-mandated policy wording, but only under protest. Now, all faculty handbooks include a letter that reads,"The faculty ... firmly indicates its continued opposition to the unwillingness of the board to state explicitly Albion College's commitment not to discriminate on the basis of sexual preference." Things are slightly different in the student handbook, which is written for the broader campus community. It has two separate policies. The one on the inside front cover, The Albion College Statement of Non-Discrimination, supports those groups protected by law. The second policy is the Albion College Diversity Statement, on p. 61. It says the college will not tolerate any form of discrimination. The President's Advisory Committee on Multicultural Affairs designed the diversity statement, and the trustees approved it in 1992. It too included sexual orientation in its first draft, according to Leonard Berkey, professor and chair of anthropology and sociology, and former PACMA chair. He said PACMA knew the trustees wouldn't approve it. But PACMA added it anyway. "We put it in, wrote it and sent it to the president's cabinet. They said Ôno'. We could either not have a handbook and dig our heels in, or we could have a handbook and do something else about it - so we caved." Omahan said the three different statements are slightly inconsistent, but the diversity statement proves "that we oppose any violation of any individual's civil rights." But the diversity statement isn't strong enough protection for some. "Since there is no legal guarantee that being an Ôout' lesbian will not be held against me, I have to consider the possibility that it will," Sudderth said. Although the faculty hasn't discussed the policy since 1992,"it's probably very appropriate for us to re-examine the issue again," Omahan said. NYNEX, which Acting President Ferguson recently retired as CEO from, includes sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy. It is one of only two trustee-chaired companies to do so. Home   |   This Semester   |   Archive   |   Subscribe   |   Business   |   Staff   |   Policy

House, Senate backing off of severe financial aid cuts
By Matt Berres,
Staff Writer

What's the difference between $9 per month and the average student loan? According to some polticians, not much.

In the fervor to balance the federal budget, the U.S. Congress is shooting to cut federal spending - higher education is the perfect target.

For several weeks now both the US House of Representatives and the Senate have been negotiating the 1996 federal budget.Their common goal is achieving a balanced budget. Their common problem is deciding where to cut. One major aim is student aid.

On Sept. 26, committees in both sections of Congress approved cutbacks on federal financial aid. Both bills are moderate - compared to initial Republican designs.

Support for cutting or keeping student aid basically divides down party lines. Democrats promote federal spending, while the Republican majority favors cuts and privatization of programs.

Lynn Rivers (D) represents Michigan's 13th District (Ann Arbor and Washtenaw). Her key legislative aid, Gayle Boesky, told The Pleiad that she is "not in favor of cutting financial aid in any way shape or form - education is too important."

David Camp (R), represents Michigan's 4th district (Midland). He too supports education, according to Kirk Everrett, key legislative aid. In a prepared statement to The Pleiad, Everrett indicated that Camp recognizes a "huge roll for the federal government to play in the education of America's youth. But two key questions need answers: Who is the best service provider? Is it financially beneficial for students, parents and taxpayers?"

Camp's answer to the first question is private institutions. Everett said Camp wants to end federal direct loans and switch to federally guaranteed loans through intermediary lending agencies. "We want to get the federal government out of the loan business. It is not equipped to deliver loans adequately - private service should be better."

Camp has moderated his earlier stand. According to the April 28 Pleiad, Camp then said the interest subsidy on student loans was only the cost of "about a Big Gulp a day."

He now supports the interest grace period for undergraduate student loans - just not for graduate students.

He's not the only one retreating from talk-tough positions. Republicans in general have backed down from early proposals to gut educational spending.

According to a Sept. 1 press release from The Alliance to Save Student Aid, the House originally suggested: cutting $10.5 billion from the Stafford Loan program; eliminating in-school interest exemptions on student loans, the State Student Incentive Grant, and direct loan progams; taking 280,000 students off of Pell Grants; and holding spending for other student aid programs at 1995 levels.

According to an Economical Education Opportunities Committee press release, the House package replaces the direct federal loan program with federal guaranteed loans and changes the fees charged to lending institutions. It also ends the interest subsidy on student loans during the 6-month post-graduation grace period and increases the PLUS program's interest rates.

Peter Hoekstra (R), from Michigan's 2nd district (Holland and Grand Haven) and EEOC member, supports the bill. He told The Pleiad, "We have put together a budget package that is very reasonable and will meet the goal of a balanced budget with a minimal impact on the student."

Dale Kildee (D), from Michigan's 9th district (Flint) and EEOC member, sees it differently. He says it's "a decimation of student loan programs in order to pay for a fat tax cut for the very wealthy." He worries that the cuts will "hurt middle-class Americans who are sending their kids to school to better their lives."

The Sept. 26-approved Senate bill is similar to the House's. It has an .85 percent fee for lending agencies, a 20 percent cap on volume of direct federal loans and elimination of loan interest subsidies grace period for new borrowers.

What will these cuts mean to Albion College students? Evan Montague, director of financial aid, said it is "difficult to gauge exactly what effect the cuts will have, but [they] will most likely result in additional loan burdens on students and families."

The initial plan to cut the student loan interest subsidy, for example, would've increased student debt by 20-50 percent. The subsidy allows students to defer loan payments, without interest, until six months after graduation. Cutting it would make students begin paying loan interest while they're still in school.

But according to Everrett, the cost to students under the revamped interest subsidy is only about $9 per month. Montague is still worried. "

It's very scary. These cuts may limit access to educational opportunity to students. We're at a critical mass in higher education - students can't stand for big increases in tuition."

Around 90 percent of Albion students receive financial assistance, and about 60 percent of all students receive need-based aid.

The college gave out $18,392,757 in financial aid for the 1995-96 year. Of this amount, 57 percent came from endowments, scholarships and institutional revenue, 23 percent from the federal government, 8 percent from state government and 12 percent from private sources.

Montague said the college will continue to try to meet student needs, but federal cuts make it difficult.

Both bills go before the full House and Senate, respectively, for approval and then to a joint congressional conference committee later this month.

The committee will iron out the differences in the bills and send them on toPresident Clinton, as part of the federal operating budget for FY 1996.

EPC calls off comm.major cut
By Jason Allgire
Staff Writer

"It's clear that the faculty believes that speech communication as a major is valuable."

So said Bruce Weaver, professor and chair of speech communication and theatre, immediately after a Sept. 28 faculty meeting, where it was announced that the Educational Policy Committee didn't recommend axing the speech communication major.

Instead, the faculty voted 76-14 in favor of an EPC model supporting "eliminations through attrition based on the findings of [Resource Allocation Committee] and our own deliberations."

By approving this model, the faculty rejected an alternative model that called for eliminating the speech communication major.

The major has been a central target for "restructuring." In August, EPC recommended that it be cut..

But now EPC recommends - and the faculty supports - cutting one tenure-track position each in English, music, and physical education during1996-97 and one position each in economics and management and speech communication in 1997-98.

The 1998-99 year will be a "pause to assess." EPC and RAC then will re-evaluate further cuts. Up to three more positions may be cut between 1999-2001.

English, psychology and anthropology and sociology are leading candidates, but mathematics, chemistry, geology and history will also be considered, the memo said.

"President Ferguson indicated that if faculty appeared willing to make changes to core and the freshmen experience, then it may not be necessary to make eight cuts," Weaver said."Faculty fairly soon have to come up with recommendations for the Board of Trustees. EPC ... reached a compromise that the faculty and administration can live with."

Silence breaks: closets open
By Ryan Lewis
Staff Writer

Halfway into Jason Bilaski's freshman year he told his roommate he was gay. Within an hour his roommate had moved out.

"When I came in as a freshman, it was very uncomfortable and non-inclusive," Bilaski, Jackson junior, said of Albion's campus.

"Diversity, as far as Albion was concerned, was racial-based. It wasn't diverse as far as different religions or [homosexuality]."

Break The Silence hosted the second Coming Out Panel Sept. 28 to allow homosexual and bisexual community members to both announce and answer questions about their sexual orientation. Bilaski was one of four students who shared their experiences at the panel.

The first panel, held in 1993, drew a standing-room only crowd. This year's audience filled Norris 101 again.

Lori Sudderth, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, began the personal discussions. "I actually dated men for about four years," she said, "but it was kind of boring."

Sudderth was one of five faculty panel members. She said the relationships she had with men failed to touch her heart. She also said she had not always considered herself a lesbian, but had been attracted to females.

"And then when I was about twenty, I fell in love with my best friend [a female], and that changed my identity for myself," Sudderth said. "She fulfilled something in me that men never had."

Gwen-Alec Jordan, Three Rivers junior, told his parents he was homosexual during his first year at Albion. "I decided that my parents had the right to know I was gay," he said.

Jordan had to deal with the loss of his boyfriend who died from AIDS. He said Trisha Franzen, director of the Anna Howard Shaw Center for Women's Studies and Programs, helped him deal with the pain and loss.

Franzen was also a member the panel. She and her 9-year-old daughter, Emiliana, attended together.

"It's kind of hard having a mom that is lesbian, because, when you tell other people, you don't really want the response," Emiliana Franzen said.

Trisha Franzen said she was able to "come out" with a supportive lesbian and gay community.

"I really give a lot of credit to the others [on the panel] ... it's too lonely if you don't have a community."

Monique Uzelac, Lake Orion senior and co-facilitator of Break The Silence, said she has been bisexual all of her life.

When she arrived at Albion, Uzelac said, she wasn't open about her bisexuality.

She primarily had relationships with men until she became seriously involved with a woman during her off-campus program in Scotland last year.

"[My mother] is slowly beginning to understand that [lesbian relationships] are all right.

"I'm fine with who I am and I am happy," Uzelac said.

Coming Out Week begins Monday. BTS will sponsor different events throughout the week.