A resolution to bring gender identity to MSU's anti-discrimination policy will once again come before the Executive Committee of Academic Council on Tuesday.
"We spent a lot of hours in this committee," said Jon Sticklen, gender identity committee member and professor of engineering. Sticklen said he hopes the council will vote in favor of the proposal, but has doesn't know what kind of reaction to expect.
"I would find it very unlikely that they wouldn't," he said.
The report began more than a year ago when ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, brought the idea for the university's anti-discrimination policy to specifically mention gender identity.
After hours of discussion, it was decided the clause would be more useful as a footnote.
MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon said the issues surrounding a clause that would recognize transgendered individuals as a group to be protected from discrimination is a sensitive topic with many people, but applauded efforts in favor of the measure.
"The provisions here are not something that are generally accepted," she said. "That makes the students want to push harder."
If the Academic Council's executive committee approves the report, it will go before the full Academic Council.
MSU's Academic Council is a policy-making group of administrators, faculty and students who make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The trustees will ultimately decide whether the clause will become reality or not.
The report, developed by a special committee on the subject, has been under review by five smaller groups since November.
The five committees reviewing the report represent administration, faculty, graduate student and undergraduate groups.
"Many heads are better than one ad-hoc committee," Sticklen said.
Jacqueline Wright, nursing professor and gender identity committee member, said her biggest concern is that some of the committees won't have conclusions.
"I hope we have all the reports in from all the committees so we can take action," she said. "I'm hoping it's acceptable because I believe in it."
Although the Council of Graduate Students has not yet come to a decision on the report, the University Committee on Faculty Affairs has.
"The committee is endorsing the recommendation of the report," said Susan Melnick, chairperson of the personnel subcommittee in the University Committee on Faculty Affairs. "It's not about anything but being fair and equitable to everyone."
