Organizers look for higher turnout at sexuality focus groups
By NOREEN GILLESPIE
News Writer
Turnout has been low for a series of focus groups designed to discuss issues of sexuality on campus, according to Linda Timm, vice president for student affairs.
Approximately 375 students received invitations by mail to participate in one of 25 focus groups. Divided into groups of 15 people each, the scheduled sessions began Monday and will run through May 3.
Only four of 90 students scheduled to attend have shown up for the focus groups as of Wednesday.
"We're hoping that is an anomaly," Timm said. "…I have received some emails back from students that said thank you for [the] invitation, and that they plan to attend."
Students who did attend the focus groups Tuesday discussed a variety of issues, including addressing sexual assault at first-year orientation, violence against women, women's health, the manner in which National Coming Out Day was handled on campus and "The Vagina Monologues."
Senior Julia Malczynski, who attended Tuesday's focus group, said that the presence of an administrator at the focus groups may make some students uneasy to discuss their viewpoints on sexuality issues — and could deter some students from attending.
"I think it's great [Timm] was there," Malczynski said. "She didn't really talk at all, and just wrote down and tape recorded what we said. I have no problem saying what I think, but if you were a first-year student, you may be afraid to say something."
Malczynski said she felt the administrators did want to listen to what the students had to say, but she was skeptical of what they would do with the opinions gathered.
"It seemed like they are open," Malczynski said. "But [the administration] can say one thing and do another."
Timm, who observed but did not participate in the discussion, and external facilitator Holly Farmer were pleased with the dialogue Tuesday.
"The dialogue was very open and seemed very honest," Farmer said. "The students had very positive things to say about how campus was handling these issues."
The focus groups, part of an effort by college administrators to scientifically gauge the scope of opinion on issues of sexuality on campus, were created from a random list of students generated by institutional research.
"Many on campus have tried to identify the issues that may be of importance to students, but to date, no one has really asked a broad cross section of students what they think is important about these topics," Timm wrote in an all-campus e-mail March 26.
The groups' formation comes at the heels of three months of heated campus debate over an administrative decision not to permit "The Vagina Monologues," a play that discusses women's sexuality, to be performed on campus. While students will have the opportunity to discuss their feelings about the "Monologues'" place on campus, Timm is careful to point out that the forums are not specifically for "Monologues" discussion.
"This is not a rehash of `The Vagina Monologues,'" Timm said. "For me, the issues talked about called attention for the need to do more inclusive programming."
While some students say the decision to form the focus groups was catalyzed by the "Monologues" debate on campus, it is one that needs to happen regardless of the context, Malczynski said.
"This may have been prompted by `The Vagina Monologues,' but this is something many students say should have happened long ago," Malczynski said. "It is something that is long overdue."
At the conclusion of the focus groups, Timm will compile the ideas discussed in the focus groups and bring them to a committee who will formulate programming ideas based on the themes emerging from the focus group discussions. That is not assurance, however, that should the majority of students in the groups express positive sentiments in regard to the "Monologues" that the administration would reverse its stance.
"If it's one of the things students feel is necessary, we'll discuss [The Monologues,]" Timm said. "But I don't want to make any predictions about anything."
Students who have not received an invitation to participate in the focus groups may sign up for five voluntary groups in Haggar College Center. If students are unable to attend the scheduled times, Timm encourages students to contact her directly.
"We've only heard from one small group of students [about issues of sexuality]," Timm said. "There are a lot of students out there who have said they're not comfortable speaking up about how they feel. This is an opportunity to reconnect with students and give those who haven't had a chance to speak a voice."
All News Stories for Thursday, April 5, 2001
