Orlando – The UCF Student Body Senate voted 34-1-0 at its Feb. 27 meeting to terminate Pride Coalition as a Student Government Association (SGA) agency. The LGBT programming agency will be restructured as a committee under the Multicultural Student Center (MSC).
The details of the reorganization are still being worked out, but it is likely that a new multicultural affairs department will also be created within UCF’s Student Development & Enrollment Services (SDES) division to oversee MSC and the proposed Pride Coalition committee.
Pride Coalition Student Director Nicholas Simons presented two options to the Senate—the first to keep Pride Coalition as an agency and the second to absorb Pride Coalition into the MSC and the proposed SDES department.
Simons told the Senate that Pride Coalition’s Executive Board recommended that the organization retain its agency status. He said students had raised concerns about the loss of agency status reducing LGBT students’ ability to advocate for themselves and remain visible within the SGA.
Even with the disbanding of Pride Coalition, the proposed reorganization appears to have support from leadership in SGA, Pride Coalition and the Multicultural Student Center as the best way forward for diversity and inclusion outreach to students at UCF.
“I do see this being more of an opportunity than a hindrance. It does provide more structure and more support for the students programming-wise,” said Edwanna Andrews, Assistant Director for Student Leadership Development. “The university is going to have to put some support behind goal No. 4 of being inclusive and diverse…funding a director and operating budget.”
One of UCF President John C. Hitt’s goals for the university is to become more inclusive and diverse.
The Senate vote to terminate Pride Coalition comes after months of debate over the future of the organization. UCF SGA’s Activity & Service Fee Budget Committee voted last November to defund Pride Coalition and SGA Leadership filed a grievance to dissolve its agency status on Jan. 6.
“I think that the important thing to stress, there’s so many people involved in this process and there were enough concerns with the current structure for it to be zero funded that there is going to be a very conscious effort to find those funds over the next few weeks. Some of the costs will be covered as we merge the two agencies into one,” said SGA Comptroller and A&SF Budget Committee Chair Jason Wojkiewicz.
The Pride Coalition Facebook page posted a status update announcing the restructuring and confirming their commitment to inclusive , diverse programming.
“We appreciate our supporters throughout this process, especially those who have attended meetings, given input, and have let their voices be heard. SGA heard you and your concerns. You have all inspired us to continue to push out programming and we will continue to serve you and your needs, regardless of the structure we go under,” the post reads.
Over the next few weeks, the SGA leadership will work with Pride Coalition and MSC to restructure and reallocate funds so that the MSC is prepared to operate in the next fiscal year.
The Senate still has to approve the A&SF budget which they typically do before the end of the spring term, usually in March or April, as the next budget year begins in July.
