FACULTY REJECTS PROPOSAL

The Faculty Senate at Southeast Missouri State University narrowly rejected a proposal to include homosexual "orientation" in the university's anti-discrimination policy.

The proposal offered by Faculty Senate Chairman Allen Gathman was defeated by a vote of 10 to 11.

The measure was debated at length last week, but there was little comment this time around.

"Haven't we wasted enough time on this?" senator Terry Sutton said in urging a quick vote Wednesday.

Student Senate and leaders of student organizations, including the Gay and Lesbian Student Association, have called for including homosexual orientation in the university's anti-discrimination policy.

The university's affirmative action committee, an advisory body to the administration, is currently studying the issue, but has yet to take a stand. Any final decision rests with the university administration.

The measure offered Wednesday by Gathman included some changes suggested at last week's senate meeting. The bill would have added "heterosexual or homosexual orientation" to the anti-discrimination policy.

It also included an exemption for all contract programs with government agencies.

Some faculty members had expressed concern that including "homosexual orientation" in the university policy would aid those who might want to abolish ROTC units on the Southeast campus. The U.S. military has a longstanding policy against homosexuality in any form.

But other faculty members had argued that the issue amounted to a moral one and that the senate should take a stand against prejudice.

"I think it is time to take action and it is an appropriate thing to do," Gathman told senators prior to the vote Wednesday.

Faculty senator David McElreath, who chairs the university's affirmative action committee, said prior to the vote that the committee would continue to look at the issue regardless of any senate action.

Faculty senator Al Robertson was one of those who voted against the measure.

He said after the vote that he was concerned such a provision could lead to elimination of the two ROTC units. He said the inclusion of an "exemption" statement did nothing to alleviate his concerns.

Robertson said some faculty members also oppose adding any provision on sexual orientation to the university policy. "They just don't think it needs to be in there."

In other action, the senate approved a resolution supporting the existing fee-discount policy for employees and their spouses who take college courses at Southeast.

University officials have been considering raising the fees charged to employees and their spouses as a budgetary move.

Faculty senators said an increase in the $3-per-credit-hour fee would result in an added financial burden, particularly for Southeast's clerical and technical staff.

Senators said they feel the fee discount is an important employee benefit.