Regent members make decision, add sexual orientation to policy
Emily Wuchner
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
Friday wasn't the first time Anthony Jones had a front-row/center seat at a Board of Regents meeting.
In the September board meeting, Jones, senior from Union City, Tenn., sat at the witness table during the public participation session and urged the Regents to consider adding the words "sexual orientation" to the University nondiscrimination policy.
Friday, he nervously awaited the Regents' final decision on whether the wording would be included. The Regents approved the wording in a 7-3-1 vote. Regents Bill Adams, Vickie Travis and Marilyn Buchanon voted against the addition of sexual orientation, while Peg Hays abstained.
An ad hoc committee, formed earlier this school year of four Regents, met Feb. 19 to discuss and plan changes to the bylaws and sections I and II of the Board of Regents policy manual. The board policies had not been updated in about 20 years. Becky Watts, deputy to the President, presented the changes at the meeting.
"It was such a mystery how the vote was going," Jones said. "It kept me on pins and needles the whole time."
Jones is the secretary for Murray State Alliance, a student organization to support and promote the specific needs and interests of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and straight students, faculty, staff and community allies. He said a group of students began working on the proposal about three years ago. Jones began spearheading the project last spring.
He said the policy is about treating people fairly and also making sure faculty and staff feel more comfortable in the University environment.
"I think that it is very important for our faculty and staff who are providing us an education to feel more comfortable in their working environment," Jones said. "Students will feel less of a potential for mistreatment from faculty and their peers with this policy in place."
During the public participation session at the beginning of Friday's meeting, Teresa Ray, nontraditional student from Farmington, Ky., and Terry Strieter, interim chair of the history department, spoke in favor while Richard Nelson spoke against the change.
In the September board meeting, Jones, senior from Union City, Tenn., sat at the witness table during the public participation session and urged the Regents to consider adding the words "sexual orientation" to the University nondiscrimination policy.
Friday, he nervously awaited the Regents' final decision on whether the wording would be included. The Regents approved the wording in a 7-3-1 vote. Regents Bill Adams, Vickie Travis and Marilyn Buchanon voted against the addition of sexual orientation, while Peg Hays abstained.
An ad hoc committee, formed earlier this school year of four Regents, met Feb. 19 to discuss and plan changes to the bylaws and sections I and II of the Board of Regents policy manual. The board policies had not been updated in about 20 years. Becky Watts, deputy to the President, presented the changes at the meeting.
"It was such a mystery how the vote was going," Jones said. "It kept me on pins and needles the whole time."
Jones is the secretary for Murray State Alliance, a student organization to support and promote the specific needs and interests of homosexual, bisexual, transgender and straight students, faculty, staff and community allies. He said a group of students began working on the proposal about three years ago. Jones began spearheading the project last spring.
He said the policy is about treating people fairly and also making sure faculty and staff feel more comfortable in the University environment.
"I think that it is very important for our faculty and staff who are providing us an education to feel more comfortable in their working environment," Jones said. "Students will feel less of a potential for mistreatment from faculty and their peers with this policy in place."
During the public participation session at the beginning of Friday's meeting, Teresa Ray, nontraditional student from Farmington, Ky., and Terry Strieter, interim chair of the history department, spoke in favor while Richard Nelson spoke against the change.
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