EVANSVILLE— Divisions surfaced Friday afternoon among members of the University of Southern Indiana’s Faculty Senate over whether the body should go on record opposing adoption of a state constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.
Republican leadership of the Indiana General Assembly indicated this week they plan to place the proposed amendment on the November 2014 general election ballot despite gathering opposition from major Hoosier businesses and universities.
USI faculty are among the few at the state’s public universities to remain silent in opposition to House Joint Resolution 6. Faculty at IU, Purdue, Ball State, Butler and DePauw have all gone on record within the past month opposing the amendment.
USI’s faculty senate, which consists of 16 representatives selected by the university’s various colleges and at-large, indicated it will vote Dec. 6 whether to draft a statement opposing the proposed amendment.
Some senators expressed concern Friday that not standing against the amendment could hurt faculty and staff recruitment.
“I think it is in the best interest of the faculty that this amendment not pass and that we make it very clear we’re opposed to it passing,” said senator and assistant philosophy professor Garrett Merriam.
He said USI’s domestic partnership benefits would suffer if the amendment passes, prompting lawsuits against the university.
“Colleges in Indiana are opposing this, and it makes more sense strategically for us to stand with them than to be silent on the issue,” Merriam said.
Merriam said the senate publicly opposing HJR-6 would leave a positive legacy on the university.
“Historically speaking, you can look back and say your institution has a proud history of being on the right side of history,” Merriam said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can say with confidence that this is the direction the country is going in. This is the direction the world is going in, and I don’t really think USI wants to be showing moral cowardice at a time like this.”
Brandon Field, senator and engineering assistant professor, said, though, taking a stand could be a bad move and also not make much of a difference.
“I think from a strategic point of view, it’s a bad idea to make a statement on a topic of this sort as an institution,” Field said. “I think it gives fuel to the sense that somehow all of the institutions of higher learning are hard-left, bleeding, blue liberals to the people who are already viewing the world as a good guy vs. bad guy mentality.”
Senate Vice Chair Jason Fertig said he wouldn’t support the senate taking a stand against the amendment, but he would support adopting a nondiscrimination statement.
“I’d be happy to make a motion that the faculty senate is against any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, I’m fine with that, because that’s the real issue here,” Fertig said. “There’s just too much fuel to take this position.”
He said he acknowledges many members of the university community individually joined efforts such as Freedom Indiana, a coalition formed to defeat HJR-6, and should continue to do so.
“I think the best thing we can do is make a general statement and rely on the faculty to individually oppose (HJR-6),” he said.
He expressed concern that the senate taking a stand against HJR-6 could deter religious people and conservatives from the university.
Kristen Lund, spokeswoman for the University of Evansville, said UE does not have a position regarding HJR-6 at this time and declined further comment.