By Kelsey Thomas |
The Board of Regents voted today to add sexual orientation to UP's Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy, according to an email sent by President Fr. Bill Beauchamp to University of Portland students, faculty and staff this afternoon.
Last spring, students staged a demonstration over the absence of sexual orientation and gender identity in the policy, and ASUP Senate passed resolution 13-06, which recommended adding sexual orientation and gender identity to UP’s Nondiscrimination Policy.
The Board of Regents discussed the policy at their meeting last May, but had to wait until the next meeting to implement changes. The Board of Regents did not include gender identity in the new policy.
Beauchamp's email was as follows:
"Today was the first meeting of the Board of Regents for the 2013-14 academic year. Among the many topics discussed by the regents and officers was the University’s legal nondiscrimination statement. As a Statute of the University of Portland, the Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy may be changed or amended only if the proposed changes or amendments are presented and discussed at the previous meeting. After reviewing proposed changes at their May meeting, the Board of Regents today voted to change the Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy to read as follows:
'The University of Portland does not discriminate in its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs, or employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, or sexual orientation. The University expressly reserves its rights and obligations to maintain its commitment to its Catholic identity and the doctrines of the Catholic Church.'
The designated coordination point for University compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and for ADA is the Executive Vice President, in coordination with the University Health Center, Human Resources, and the Office for University Events"
