Members of the Academic Council approved a proposed amendment to MSU's anti-discrimination policy at the first Academic Council meeting of the school year Tuesday.
Provost and Interim President Lou Anna Simon also discussed the challenges facing a land-grant university in the 21st century.
The proposal, which would add gender identity to the harassment section of the policy, now heads to MSU President M. Peter McPherson for approval, before going to the MSU Board of Trustees, the highest governing body of the university, for the final decision.
The amendment, which originally added gender identity to both the discrimination and harassment sections, was initially approved by the council when it was submitted last spring.
But McPherson said he wanted the matter studied and discussed further before he would approve it. The amendment was revised to include gender identity under harassment only, and the Academic Council approved the new proposal.
Karen Chou, chairwoman of the Committee on Gender Identity, said McPherson's concerns were legitimate.
"The questions raised by the president in no way indicate that he's opposed in principle to the proposed amendment," Chou said. "There may, in fact, be better ways to deal with the amendment than what we originally proposed."
Chou said the decision shows the majority of the members of the Academic Council support the revised amendment.
"It's a step forward towards the goal that all people should be protected from harassment," Chou said.
But the issue of gender identity wasn't the only one discussed at the meeting. Simon addressed challenges MSU faces this year and in years to come because of the economic problems.
Because of the harsh economy, she said, MSU and other universities face the challenge of maintaining the quality and accessibility of education.
"We see a growing pattern of public disinvestment in higher education," Simon said. "We need to communicate our values to the public.
"We must not just be reactive, we also must be part of the solution."
Simon said a 10-percent reduction in state funding is a large hurdle for MSU.
Despite the challenges, Simon offered suggestions on how to deal with budget problems and maintain the level of education MSU is known for.
"We need to acknowledge differences between universities in terms of needs and strengths, rather than competing with one another for a piece of the pie," Simon said.
But MSU's outlook isn't bleak, Simon said, despite the $37 million budget shortfall.
MSU's average annual increase in tuition is 4.6 percent - lower than the 6.4-percent average for Michigan four-year public universities.
"Regardless of the conditions that students face when they get here, they deserve the best education possible, which requires managing money well and all the small things that make a difference," Simon said.
