11/14/2006 Departmental Meeting Report

Dear Faculty, students, and staff: For your information I report that at the Departmental meeting on 11/14/2006, the faculty approved the following statement: The faculty of the Department of Chemistry would like to express our disappointment in the passage of the constitutional amendment banning recognition of civil unions and same-sex marriages in the state of Wisconsin. A significant number of students, faculty, and staff in our department are directly affected by the outcome of this vote, and we feel it is necessary to reaffirm our support for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members of our community. The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to the establishment of a climate that is supportive of all department members. We respect the diversity of our student body, and we recognize that discrimination in any form weakens our community as a whole. All of us deserve to work in an environment in which we are treated with dignity and respect, and despite the outcome of the referendum, the Department remains staunchly committed to this ultimate goal. The Diversity Committee will also bring forth a general statement regarding climate/discrimination/diversity to our next Department meeting. If approved, such a statement would become part of the Departmental Structure, Policies, and Procedures document (which is accessible at any time on our website). James L. Skinner