2008 Woodie Awards
Faculty, staff react to GLBTQ plea for assistance
Katie Chambers
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
When Jen Dugan ('08) sent an impassioned e-mail to the faculty about the increasing problem of discrimination against GLBTQ students, she hoped she would get a few responses. She did not expect to get a full letter of support to the Drew University community, signed by approximately 200 members of faculty and staff. The letter appears on page 7.
"I never even meant for them to read it to their classes," Dugan said.
But they did. Professor of English Jim Hala was one of many professors who shared Dugan's letter with students. "It was actually quite relevant to discussions in two different classes," Hala said. Not only did the faculty share the letter with students, but they also composed one of their own, addressing the Drew community about the need for tolerance to be taught as a Drew value, and the need for the community to protect one other's human rights.
"It was time to say categorically, it doesn't matter what you believe. That's your business," Professor of Theatre Arts Rosemary McLaughlin said. "When you act on it, it's our business. This is our home and we care about how people feel about being here."
McLaughlin said Professor of History and African-American Studies Lillie Edwards took the lead in writing the letter.
"We decided it would be a straight vote up or vote down, no editing," McLaughlin said. She and other faculty and staff who wrote the letter were afraid it would get stalled if the rest of the community argued over the phrasing.
The letter was presented at the College of Liberal Arts faculty meeting on Friday. Of the approximately 90 faculty members present at the meeting, Professor of History Jonathan Rose was the only one to vote against the letter's publication. "I think that the letter in effect stated that the students who have been accused of this are guilty," Rose said. "It states that these acts of harassment have taken place as if it's an established fact. We don't know that. I think that [when] this letter is published, it will be impossible for those students to get a fair hearing."
"I never even meant for them to read it to their classes," Dugan said.
But they did. Professor of English Jim Hala was one of many professors who shared Dugan's letter with students. "It was actually quite relevant to discussions in two different classes," Hala said. Not only did the faculty share the letter with students, but they also composed one of their own, addressing the Drew community about the need for tolerance to be taught as a Drew value, and the need for the community to protect one other's human rights.
"It was time to say categorically, it doesn't matter what you believe. That's your business," Professor of Theatre Arts Rosemary McLaughlin said. "When you act on it, it's our business. This is our home and we care about how people feel about being here."
McLaughlin said Professor of History and African-American Studies Lillie Edwards took the lead in writing the letter.
"We decided it would be a straight vote up or vote down, no editing," McLaughlin said. She and other faculty and staff who wrote the letter were afraid it would get stalled if the rest of the community argued over the phrasing.
The letter was presented at the College of Liberal Arts faculty meeting on Friday. Of the approximately 90 faculty members present at the meeting, Professor of History Jonathan Rose was the only one to vote against the letter's publication. "I think that the letter in effect stated that the students who have been accused of this are guilty," Rose said. "It states that these acts of harassment have taken place as if it's an established fact. We don't know that. I think that [when] this letter is published, it will be impossible for those students to get a fair hearing."
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