LGBTQIA+ University Caucus

Name	Pronouns	Role	College / Department / Office	Position	Term
Meg Panichelli	She/Her	Co-Chairperson, Faculty	Undergraduate Social Work	Assistant Professor	2023-2025
Beth Shearn	She/Her	Co-Chairperson, Staff	Academic & Enterprise Systems	Academic Systems Training Manager	2022-2024

We also recognize the members of the LGBTQIA+ University Caucus that do not wish to be publicly recognized on the website. Their contributions to the efforts of the Caucus do not go unacknowledged and we are grateful for their support.

Name	Pronouns	College / Department / Office	Position
Tina Alessandria	She/Her	Counselor Education	Professor
Jen Bacon	She/Her	College of Arts and Humanities	Dean
Dave Barry	He/Him	Early and Middle Grades Education	Assistant Professor
Jason Bartles	He/Him	Language and Cultures	Associate Professor
Nicole Bobbert	She/Her	Accounts Payable	Accounts Payable Manager
Jenna Bossert	They/She	University Libraries	Special Collections Technician
Sam Brooks	They/Them	Women's and Gender Studies	Adjunct Professor
Pier Cicerelle	She/Her	Graduate Social Work	Assistant Professor
Melissa Cichowicz	She/Her	Chemistry	Professor
Michele Cooper	She/Her	Counseling and Psychological Services	Instructor/Counselor
Jeremiah Daudert	He/They	Project Work Force	Construction Foreman
Karen Dickinson	She/Her	Counselor Education	Professor
Kelly Fisher	She/Her	Business and Public Management	Associate Professor
Beth Foster	She/Her	Secondary Education and K-12 Health and Physical Education	Associate Professor
Meredith Foster	She/Her	University Libraries	Technology Generalist
Michelle Gherardi	She/Her	Public Policy and Administration	Adjunct Professor
Elizabeth Grillo	She/Her	Communication Sciences and Disorders	Professor
Rebecca Grisillo	She/Her	College of Sciences and Mathematics	Assistant Dean/Budget Manager
Meg Hazel	She/Her	Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	Assistant Director/Equal Opportunity and Title IX Investigator
Jackie Hodes	She/Her	Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration	Professor
Meg Hoffer-Collins	They/Them	Counseling and Psychological Services	Instructor/Psychologist
Sarah Hyson	She/Her	English	Instructor
Dean Johnson	He/Him	Philosophy	Professor
Kim Johnson	She/Her	Mathematics	Associate Professor
Katrina Kelly	She/Her	Financial Aid	Assistant Director
Clayton Kolb	He/Him	Sykes Union and Student Activities	Director
Tom Kwiatkowski	He/Him	Chemistry	Assistant Professor
Liam Lair	He/Him	Women’s and Gender Studies	Associate Professor
Peter Loedel	He/Him	Political Science	Professor
Barrett McGee	He/Him	Sykes Union and Student Activities	Associate Director of Student Activities
Ryan Monaghan	He/Him	Literacy	Adjunct Professor
Kelsey Organ	She/Her	College of Education and Social Work, Clinical Experiences and Candidate Services	Associate Director of Candidate Services
Jackie Owens	She/Her	Nursing	Assistant Professor
Nicholas Provenzale	He/Him	Keyboard and Vocal	Assistant Professor
Brie Radis	She/Her	Undergraduate Social Work	Assistant Professor
Chrissy Riccardo	She/Her	Nutrition	Assistant Professor
Leigh Robinson	He/Him	College of Education and Social Work, Assessment Office	Assistant Director of Data Administration
Megan Schoettler	She/Her	English	Assistant Professor
Lesley Siegel	She/Her	Special Education	Associate Professor
Nick Snyder	He/Him	The Graduate School	Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions
Carolyn Sorisio	She/They	English	Professor
Justin Sprague	He/Him	Women’s and Gender Studies	Assistant Professor
Frank Stern	He/Him	Registrar	Student Success Coordinator
Kate Stewart	She/Her	Art and Design	Associate Professor
Jordan Stokes	He/Him	Music Theory, History, and Composition	Assistant Professor
Julie Tennille	She/Her	Graduate Social Work	Associate Professor
Amanda Thomas	She/Her	Student Affairs	Executive Director for Assessment and Planning
David Thomas	He/Him	Educational Accessibility	Director/Assistant Professor
Jason Vanfosson	He/Him	English	Assistant Professor
Jules Walls	They/Them	College of Arts and Humanities	Assistant to the Associate Dean
Reva Zimmerman	She/Her	Communication Sciences and Disorders	Associate Professor

WCU new and current faculty and staff are welcome to attend any meeting. Please email the Caucus' Co-Chairpersons for meeting location details. The meeting dates for the LGBTQIA+ University Caucus for the spring 2024 semester are as follows:

Day of the Week	Date	Time	Format
Tuesday	April 16	10:00 AM to 11:00 AM	Online
Thursday	May 2	11:00 AM to 12:00 PM	Online

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE LGBTQIA+ UNIVERSITY CAUCUS

Section I. Name

1. The name of this committee shall be the LGBTQIA+ University Caucus (hereafter referred to as “the Caucus”).

Section II. Mission

1. The mission of the LGBTQIA+ University Caucus is to promote the equity, empowerment, and success of LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff by fostering a safe campus environment; developing, suggesting, and supporting inclusive policies and curriculum; supporting LGBTQIA+ recruitment and retention initiatives; and promoting social and educational opportunities to meaningfully engage with the University community.

Section III. Membership and Membership Responsibilities

1. The Caucus membership is open to any full-time or part-time faculty or staff member who formally requests to join the Caucus.
   1. The membership of the Caucus shall not be restricted to members of a certain identity (see section III.1.b. for examples).
   2. Membership of the Caucus shall strive to represent the diverse array of identities represented at WCU including but not limited to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, romantic orientation, gender identity, gender expression, socio-economic class, ability, religion, rank (title and position), age, and nationality.
2. Membership on the Caucus is not term limited.
3. All members of the Caucus are expected to do the following:
   1. Attend the general body Caucus meetings that take place throughout the year and events that are either sponsored by the Caucus or support the LGBTQIA+ community.
   2. Communicate with the co-chairpersons when unable to attend meetings and/or events.
   3. Bring constituency concerns to the Caucus’s attention.
   4. Suggest agenda items at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting by contacting the co-chairpersons.
   5. Take information back to their respective constituencies.
4. Members of the Caucus remain in good standing for a given academic year if they have:
   1. Regularly attend at least two of the general body Caucus meetings that take place throughout the year and at least one event that is either sponsored by the Caucus or supports the LGBTQIA+ community.
   2. Attendance will be taken by the co-chairpersons at each meeting. Members should communicate with the co-chairpersons when unable to attend meetings.
      1. Members may collaborate on planning events even if they are unable to be present for the event itself.
   3. A Caucus member who ceases to be in good standing will be removed from formal membership in the Caucus for the following academic year unless the member has demonstrated meaningful involvement (Section IV 1.b.) in the work of the Caucus as judged by the Caucus co-chairs in office during the given academic year. A faculty or staff member dropped from formal membership on the Caucus may formally request to rejoin the Caucus, and may regain good standing status by satisfying the requirements specified in the preceding article.
5. Co-Chairpersons of the Caucus
   1. One faculty member and one staff member, preferably who have served on the Caucus in good standing for at least one year previous to the current year, are eligible to serve as co-chairperson of the Caucus.
      1. Although general membership of the Caucus is not limited to any individuals of a certain identity, at least one co-chairperson should identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community at any given time.
   2. The term of co-chairpersons of the Caucus is two years, beginning with their election at the end of the spring semester and ending with the election of the next co-chairperson at the end of the spring semester two years later.
      1. At the conclusion of a co-chairperson’s term, the next co-chairperson is selected by a vote of the Caucus present at the last meeting of the Caucus during the spring semester. If a Caucus member wishes to participate in the vote but cannot attend the meeting, they should send an email vote to the person in charge of the vote.
      2. The next Caucus co-chairperson shall be determined by majority vote for a single candidate. If no majority is found after a first vote, members will rank all candidates in order of preference and the candidate with the lowest score shall be the determined the winner.
   3. The Caucus shall have two chairpersons serving at any given time.
   4. Terms of co-chairpersons shall be staggered so that at any given time at least one of the co-chairpersons has served in that role for at least one year.
   5. Co-chairpersons are eligible for re-election for subsequent terms.
   6. The co-chairpersons shall be responsible for sending all communications regarding upcoming meeting/events and shall include Zoom information so that members can attend and contribute virtually.
   7. Sub-administrative support will be the responsibility of the co-chairpersons or an elected secretary position, should the Caucus determine it is necessary.
   8. The leadership is to provide consistency and coordination, not more voice – all members are equal in their voices.
6. Liaisons to the Caucus
   1. The following persons are accorded liaison responsibilities:
      1. The President or one representative from the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA),
      2. The Director or one representative of the Center for Trans & Queer Advocacy professional staff (CTQA),
      3. The Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer or one representative from the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional staff (ODEI), and
      4. One representative from the Faculty Senate.
   2. Liaisons may attend all general body Caucus meetings and shall hold power to vote in elections and on Caucus decisions.
   3. Liaisons shall serve one term, lasting a full academic year (Fall to Spring), and may continue to serve in that role at the discretion of the liaison’s department.
   4. Liaisons shall be expected to:
      1. Meet with the co-chairpersons and all liaisons twice a year (once in early Fall and once in late Spring) to set goals for the year and to review progress made.

Section IV. Procedures

1. Caucus Meetings
   1. The Caucus shall hold two meetings a semester at rotating meeting times/dates in order to accommodate the schedules of membership as best as possible. Although members are encouraged to attend in person, members are welcome to attend virtually through the Zoom links provided by the co- chairpersons.
   2. In the case where a Caucus member in good standing is unavoidably prevented from attending meetings for a majority of the academic year, the Caucus member has the responsibility to consult with the Caucus co- chairpersons and with the relevant working group leads to ascertain how they will contribute to the work of the Caucus.
2. The Caucus works in partnership with the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to develop and address budgetary needs and interests meant to support employee engagement, retention, and special projects. The Caucus co-chairpersons will compose a written budget (by November or in line with fiscal budget planning schedules) and will meet annually with the Chief Diversity Officer to finalize the budget request for the next academic year. If more funding is needed during the current year, the Caucus chair(s) will send a written proposal to the Chief Diversity Officer to determine if additional funding is available.

Section V. Working Groups

1. Working group membership and working group project leads shall be developed by the membership of the Caucus at the beginning of the academic year when goals are determined.
2. At their inception, working groups shall set appropriate timeframes for their goals and shall maintain communication on their projects with the Caucus co-chairpersons.
3. At the end of the academic year, goals will be reviewed and working groups will be subject to renewal or disbandment.

Section VI. Amendments to “Policies and Procedures of the LGBTQIA+ University Caucus”

1. Amendments to the Policies and Procedures of the Caucus shall require approval by two-thirds (⅔) of the members of the Caucus. The Caucus will only consult with the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion when it involves a major change to the structure of the Caucus.
2. The Policies and Procedures of the Caucus shall be reviewed by the full Caucus at three-year intervals beginning in 2021.

Section VII. Publicly Published

This document will be publicly published on the Caucus’ website.

Section VIII. Dissolution

Upon dissolution, funds in any Caucus account will be returned to the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

These Policies and Procedures were constituted on February 8th, 2021.

LGBTQIA+ UNIVERSITY CAUCUS BYLAWS

Sometimes we have uninvited guests on our campus. We call these groups “uninvited guests” because they do not share the university’s values and because we do not want to give groups like this any more public recognition than necessary. Some of these groups are not here to engage in dialogue or make a genuine effort to affect change. Instead, they create conflict and sow division within our community. We encourage you to avoid engaging with them if you pass by them on the quad, or avoid those areas of campus altogether.

1st Amendment FAQ

Created by Dr. Chris Stangl

Updated October 24, 2019

 

Why are uninvited guests permitted to show up on campus and present whatever message they choose to?

As a public school, a sizable part of the campus is considered a “public forum,” or space “devoted to assembly and debate.”

 

Wait, so these groups can show up pretty much anywhere on campus and do what they do?

Not entirely. There are three levels to public forum doctrine: 1) public forum, 2) limited public forum, and 3) nonpublic forum. While these legal concepts are quite complex, for purposes of the kinds of issues we have been addressing, it is sufficient to note that any open area or sidewalk on campus is likely a public forum. Basically, if a resident of the borough can walk their dog there, it’s probably a public forum, and individuals or groups are permitted to express their own views in such areas.

 

But West Chester has a Values Statement.

We do. However, the Values Statement cannot violate the First Amendment, which means that, when it comes to a public forum, West Chester must observe the principle of viewpoint neutrality. This means that WCU cannot pick and choose what perspectives it permits to be expressed on any topic of debate and which it does not. [In limited circumstances, WCU could restrict expression on all viewpoints on a general area of content, but this is subject to a very stringent test that would be almost impossible to be meet in situations when uninvited guests appear on the quad.]

 

So there are no regulations? Anything goes?

The classic regulations permitted are those of time, place, and manner. However, the middle of the day is clearly a reasonable time for expression and the quad is clearly reasonable place for expression, so that leaves only manner. Regulations on “manner” are permissible, but this does not mean that WCU may prohibit language it views as rude or inflammatory, or prohibit the use of large posters, each of which would likely run afoul of viewpoint neutrality requirements. A reasonable manner restriction means something like prohibition of bullhorns, microphones, speakers, etc.

 

What about “fighting words” though?

Fighting words is a category of speech that is not afforded First Amendment protection. However, the definition of fighting words—words that cause harm by merely being stated or that are tantamount to incitement of a breach of the peace—is very limited and has been defined almost out of existence by subsequent Supreme Court decisions. These decisions have regularly found speech restrictions to violate the First Amendment for reasons of vagueness (a reasonable person couldn’t tell what speech is allowed and what speech isn’t), overbreadth (even if a regulation is permitted in a particular case, it is written in such a way that it may be unconstitutional if applied to a different party and/or it covers substantially more expression than it needs to), or both.

Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy

Sexuality & Gender Alliance

Nondiscrimination Statement

Preferred Name Policy

Faculty Resource Guide Document

Discrimination/Harassment Report Form

William Way LGBT Community Center

City of Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs

LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County

Trans Wellness Conference (Hosted by The Mazzoni Center)

Familia Trans Queer Liberation Movement (TQLM)

FORGE

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

• • Transgender Resources

National Center for Transgender Equality

National LGBTQ Task Force

PFLAG

The Trevor Project

Trans Lifeline

Trans People of Color Coalition

Transgender American Veterans Association

Transgender Law Center

Financial Support & Resources for the LGBTQ+ Community (MoneyGeek)

Guide to LGBTQ+ Adoption (MoneyGeek)

Support for Gender Confirmation (MoneyGeek)