USU employees asked to attend diversity training
The Pride Alliance at Utah State University successfully petitioned for the removal of dividers set up between the Cashiers Office and the club’s displays of homosexual history and films Tuesday in the Taggart Student Center.
The Cashiers Office will be required to take what the Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office calls “diversity training” at the request of the Pride Alliance.
The employees at the Cashiers Office said they were not allowed to comment but referred all questions to Clint Moffitt, controller at USU.
“I don’t think there was a malicious intent,” Moffitt said. “We’ve made a mistake. We’ve apologized for it. We’re going to receive the training and go on from there.”
Sue Guenter-Schlesinger, director of the Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office, said the training will consist of many subjects, “including the issue of sexual orientation, but we will tailor it to their needs.”
Guenter-Schlesinger said the program is designed to help people appreciate differences by asking participants to discuss how stereotypes and prejudices are developed, among other topics.
The goal is to help people at least be tolerant if they can’t appreciate different views, she said.
“My job is to be impartial and make sure all sides are protected,” Guenter-Schlesinger said. “Communication is the key. People need to start talking to each other.”
The Pride Alliance was surprised to see the dividers, said Pride Alliance Supervisor Courtney Moser.
“Tuesday morning I was putting up some more stuff [in the TSC] and there were these other dividers on the other side of the room and I thought, ‘That’s odd,'” Moser said.
When he learned that the dividers were possibly meant to be discriminatory, he complained, he said.
“We were offended by this. It sent an overwhelming message to gay students,” Moser said.
Assistant Vice President of Student Life and Director of the Taggart Student Center Gary Chambers said he learned of the situation Wednesday morning.
“I immediately asked that [the dividers] be removed,” Chambers said. “We go to great lengths to make sure all students feel accepted. We don’t endorse anything that is discriminatory.”
Chambers said the clubs at USU are part of the quality of life.
“I think it’s wonderful to see students belong to the affiliations of their choice,” Chambers said.
“I think it’s over,” Moser said. “The Cashiers Office has given its apologies. People have their beliefs and they’re entitled to those beliefs.” Guenter-Schlesinger said, “Sometimes people unintentionally discriminate, but that doesn’t make the damage any less.”