LGBTQ Center seeks new location

Work Study students Meshell Sturgis, a senior English major, and Tim Armstrong, a senior business major, work at the LGBTQ Center in SASB North Suite. Meshell has worked at the center since last year, and recently made safe zone placards. Tim has worked at the center since his first year, and is a safe zone facilitator who leads trainings and he is a head coordinator for Ally Week.

The LGBTQ Center aims to be accessible to all students — but some believe the distant location of its office on South Campus makes it harder to connect with students.

Terri Phoenix, director of the center, said the organization is hoping to move to a new space on North Campus, which will allow the center to better serve the needs of students because of its closer proximity.

Phoenix said students are less likely to come in and use the resources and counseling the center offers.

“It takes 15 minutes to walk down here and 15 to walk back, so you only have 15 (between classes) — people don’t want to do that,” Phoenix said.

Phoenix said that the location, far from central campus, is a major deterrent for students who would otherwise be utilizing the space.

And not only does the location limit the center’s effectiveness, but also the facility itself, Phoenix said.

Because the office is located next to the University registrar’s office, access to the floor is restricted after 5 p.m.

Junior Kevin Claybren, who has a job at the center through work-study, said the early closing time restricts the events the group can hold.

Claybren said that fewer people are likely to come in to talk about issues because of these barriers.

“If a student wants to just come in for a serious conversation, or even just drop in, they really have to plan it out,” he said

Students can use their PID numbers to access the office after hours, but Phoenix said that is problematic because it takes away the option of anonymity.

“You’re asking someone with a marginalized identity to say, ‘Hey, here I am,’” Phoenix said.

The center was located in the Steele Building before moving to South Campus in 2007.

Phoenix said that the previous location was a comfortable area where students were much more likely to use the center’s resources.

Bettina Shuford, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, said that moving locations would be difficult because all the spaces on North Campus are currently occupied.

“Someone else would have to move out, which would cause a domino effect because they would have to find another space for that group,” she said.

Phoenix said that the center is currently voicing its concerns to the administration, as it is still in the planning stages of the move.

Shuford said that there is no timeline for a request to move locations, but it would have to go through a committee for relocations first.

“The longer that we are down there, the more negative effects we will face,” Claybren said.

Phoenix acknowledged that space on North Campus is hard to come by, but that will not discourage their efforts.

“I’m not expecting something overnight but I will keep raising this issue,” Phoenix said.

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