A coalition of five of the largest minority rights advocacy groups at the University is seeking special status under the Office of the Dean of Students.
The coalition consists of representatives from the Asian Student Union, Black Student Alliance, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Union, Latino Student Union and the National Organization of Women.
In seeking special status under the Office of the Dean of Students, the current coalition members hope to formalize the group to ensure that it remains active in future years.
"We envision [the coalition] as being a fairly autonomous group, separate from the administration but supported by it," ASU President Ryan McCarthy said.
Formalizing the coalition also would improve commitment and recognition from the five member organizations, which currently is lacking, according to the proposal for special status.
Gaining recognition from the Office of the Dean of Students would "be a means of making the name more recognizable," NOW President Kate Hendricks said.
The five groups have worked together informally under various titles for several years, sponsoring panel discussions and gathering to jointly endorse candidates for student elections.
The coalition sponsored a forum Oct. 23 entitled "Not Just a Victim's Game: Exploring Race, Gender and Sexuality."
McCarthy and former LSU President Greg Staff, who is active in the coalition, recently met with Asst. Dean of Students Ajay Nair to discuss the details of the proposal.
"We're very interested in creating a dialogue between these groups," Nair said. "Our office is interested in working closely with them to make this happen."
Among the goals of the coalition is the recruitment of underrepresented students to the University, the hiring of more minority and female faculty and administrators and the further development of ethnic studies.
The coalition also seeks to bridge the gap between the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of African-American Affairs, said McCarthy.
The coalition has existed on and off in the past, depending on the organizational powers of the five member organizations.
"This is the strongest amount of cooperation between these communities since I've been here," Staff said.
Though the five member organizations do not always agree on subjects such as which candidate to endorse for Student Council elections, they have agreed to mutually support the consensus of the group.
"We've committed ourselves to endorse as a coalition," McCarthy said.
LGBTU President Matt Pecori said cooperation between the five member organizations has been positive.
"We all have specific topics that we're most educated about," Pecori said. But "we're all fighting for the same overall goals."
Representatives from the coalition are scheduled to meet with Dean of Students Penny Rue today to discuss their request.
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