Equality VCU Minutes Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Attendees: Kaylin Tingle, Kelly Chroninger, Edie McRee Bowles, Amy Miller, Lisa Webb, Alexandra Hoffman, Donna Coghill, Brie Dubinsky - Edie McRee Bowles, New Director for Grant Development introduced by Lisa - Kaylin and Donna went to the LGBT Alumni meeting. There are 11 active members registered and ready to start; they now have a number that allows them to be official. There will be a meeting in January to draft goals and objectives and submit paperwork. The group is taking suggestions for names: OutVCU, GALA. If Equality VCU members have other suggestions for names or goals, please email Donna. - Equality VCU will be convening again in January, date to be determined--Lisa will email 2015-2016 meeting dates to the list serv. - Lisa highlighted the release of the nondiscrimination statement being released. She recognized the work done by Kaylin and Donna in support of that statement. The Co-Chairs are planning to meet with Dr. Mitchell regarding updating forms and how to operationalize the policy. - Lavender Graduation: Dr. Carol Shall will be a guest speaker. - Campus Climate Index: Group to meet on Friday and to email Co-Chairs to set up time to meet, review Index responses, and determine next steps moving forward. - WordPress Site: This will be a place to keep and publish minutes, list the roster for Equality VCU, post updates and news items, pages for our internal ceremonies and past award recipients. Kaylin suggested creating a public Facebook page, which would allow us to maintain the closed group while allowing for wider/unrestricted sharing with the University at large. Alexandra volunteered to assist Kelly with social media. - Co-Chair Vacancy: Faith is getting ready to end her term as Co-Chair, and they have announced an opening. Equality VCU members agreed that there is benefit in maintaining the current structure of three Co-Chairs, and will be looking to fill the new Co-Chair position to begin July/August 2015. - Virginia Tech is initiating inclusive housing and it is our goal to use the new year to open up a similar initiative here at VCU. - Kaylin: LGBT Healthy Relationship Skills Class every semester moving forward. The dates will be sent to the list-serv: one in January and February (6 week class) and one in March and April. She thinks a two facilitator model works well and if anyone is interested she would welcome volunteers. Focus groups on violence (perceptions) and campus climate. She'd like to get a broad sense of the climate of violence on campus and will be sending out surveys and conducting focus groups on campus. There will also be a survey going out more broadly regarding dating/intimate partner violence. Kevin leading campus climate effort on MCV and Lisa will be connecting Kevin and Kaylin to see where there are overlaps and how their efforts could be connected. - Reminder about Alex's Campus Safety Group, which should be included in next email sharing meeting minutes.