LGBTIQ+ Community

The Deakin LGBTIQ+ Community celebrates the diversity of our members. We acknowledge LGBTIQ+ significant days and hold events that increase the visibility and engagement of our community. This includes sponsorship of LGBTIQ+ activities outside Deakin.

As a member of the LGBTIQ+ Community, you will receive regular email communications and will have the opportunity to be involved in activities including:

• celebrations such as Pride March, International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHOBIT) and Wear it Purple
• planning Community activities
• informal meetings and gatherings.

LGBTIQ+ Community Operation Team

The LGBTIQ+ Community operation team is appointed by Diversity and Inclusion to ensure the functioning of the Community. The operation team is responsible for designing, organising and delivering engaging activities to increase the participation and visibility of the community. The operation team has specific roles that sit under the responsibility of the Diversity and Inclusion Executive Director. These roles are outlined in the position descriptions and are ongoing positions.

The LGBTIQ+ Community operations team reports to the Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Mel Martinelli, as well as the members of the network.

LGBTIQ+ Community operations team structure:

• Senior Diversity and Inclusion Project Adviser: Ramon Martinez-Mendoza
• LGBTIQ+ Community Officer: Lian Low
• Diversity and Inclusion Officer: Felicity Thyer
• Senior Diversity and Inclusion Adviser:  Peter Osborne
• Senior Consultant, Office of the Executive Director of Human Resouces: Clare Dowling
• Director, Strategy Enablement & Performance: John Bolton

Succession plan:

1. The role of the Senior Diversity and Inclusion Project Adviser, LGBTIQ+ Community Officer, Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Senior Diversity and Inclusion Adviser sit under the responsibility of the Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion. These roles are outlined in the position descriptions and are on ongoing positions.
2. Ongoing recruitment of new community members is undertaken through increasing the visibility of the network in particular at Open Days, induction and training sessions, celebration of significant days and Deakin sponsorship and support of external LGBTIQ+ community activities.

Events and engagement

Days and events celebrated during the year include:

• International Transgender Day of Visibility
• Pride Week
• IDAHOBIT
• International Non-Binary Day
• Wear it Purple day
• Pride March

LGBTIQ+ Community members are staff and students who align themselves with, and advocate on behalf of, staff and students of diverse sexes, sexuality and gender. The Community can be joined by any staff member or student. There is no commitment; you can be as involved as you like. You will receive occasional emails from the LGBTIQ+ Community, notifying you of news and events.

If you would like to become involved, please email lgbtiq@deakin.edu.au

Deakin staff can access eight hours of paid volunteering leave through DeakinPeople in any not for profit organisation. Please consider some of the following LGBTIQ+ organisations to be part of:

• Minus 18+
• Geelong Rainbow Inc
• Thorne Harbour Health – Former Victorian Aids Council
• Out For Australia
• LGBTIQ+ Community Operation team appointments: The LGBTIQ+ Community operation team is appointed by Diversity and Inclusion to ensure the functioning of the Community. The operation team is responsible for designing organising and delivering engaging activities to increase the participation of the community and visibility. The operation team has specific roles that sit under the responsibility of the Diversity and Inclusion Unit. These roles are outlined in the position descriptions and are on ongoing positions.

The LGBTIQ+ Community operations team reports to the Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Mel Martinelli, as well as the members of the network.

If you are a staff member and would like Deakin to include an LGBTIQ+ not-for-profit organisation for volunteering send an email to staff-volunteer@deakin.edu.au asking for the 1806 volunteering template and forward it to the non-for profit organisation.

Purpose

The LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee aims to address the opportunities and challenges in higher education for staff and students from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex and Queer/Questioning (LGBTIQ+) community so they can succeed at Deakin and feel welcome, safe and supported in their workplace or throughout their University experience.

The LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee provides advice and makes recommendations to the Director, Diversity and Inclusion.

Functions

The LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee will:

1. engage a diversity of perspectives and knowledge regarding current and proposed legislation, policy, procedures, research, plans, projects and processes to ensure Deakin’s commitment to the LGBTIQ+ inclusion of staff and students across all areas of University practice.
2. provide advice to shape and develop appropriate actions in the implementation of the LGBTIQ+ Plan
3. identify issues of concern to LGBTIQ+ staff and students for enhancement or improvement
4. support the monitoring of quality and standards of Deakin LGBTIQ+ initiatives to achieve staff and student inclusion, participation and representation.

Rules of Operation

1. The Advisory Committee will meet four times a year.
2. An acknowledgement of country shall be included as a standing procedural item for all meetings.
3. Any item on the agenda may be taken out of order with the permission of the meeting.
4. At each meeting the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee members will be requested to declare any potential conflict of interest in respect of any item on the agenda.
5. All members or nominees are expected to attend meetings. If a member is unable to attend then an apology should be advised to the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee Secretary.
6. The Secretary is responsible for:
   1. Developing the agenda for each Committee meeting in conjunction with the Co-Chairs of the Committee, including calling for agenda items
   2. Reviewing the minutes
   3. Distributing minutes to committee members as soon as practicable after each meeting.
7. A Diversity and Inclusion staff member will act as the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer is responsible for:

• Scheduling meetings
• Finalising and distributing the agenda
• Taking minutes
• Following up actions.

Succession plan:

1. If one of the members of the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee can no longer serve the two year period, the Committee will call for nominations to fill this role
2. The duration of the LGBTIQ+ Project Teams is 2 years. If the Team Leader or Deputy Team Leader can no longer serve the two year period the Committee will call for applications to fill the role
3. The call for new applications will be extended to all Working Group members and LGBTIQ+ Community Network members
4. The panel selection for members of the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee consists of: Diversity and Inclusion Director, LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee Chair and Co-Chair and  Senior Diversity and Inclusion Project Adviser
5. The panel selection for members of the LGBTIQ+ Project Teams consists of LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee Chair and Co-Chair and Senior Diversity and Inclusion Project Adviser

Reporting

The LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee reports to the Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Mel Martinelli, who in turn reports to the Executive, Chief Operating Officer Kean Selway. The Committee receives support from Diversity and Inclusion in terms of organisation and LGBTIQ+ Action Plan updates.

The Advisory Committee also reports annually to the LGBTIQ+ Working Group members and to the Deakin LGBTIQ+ Community Network and seeks input in the reports and recommendations that it prepares.

The Advisory Committee will be supported by two Diversity and Inclusion staff:
- Senior Project Adviser, Diversity and Inclusion who is responsible for implementing the LGBTIQ+ Plan and will provide update reports to the committee (Ramon Martinez-Mendoza)
- Executive Officer who will provide secretariat support to the Advisory Committee (Felicity Thyer)

Co-Chair: Mr Jimmy Buck, Chief Advancement Officer

Co-Chair: Vanessa Agar, DUSA Queer Officer

Deputy Chair: Dr Amie O’Shea, Research Fellow, Faculty of Health

Secretary: Andrew Brown, Research Fellow, Faculty of Health

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adviser: Tom Molyneux

Disability Adviser: Amie O'Shea

Cultural Diversity Adviser: Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

International Student Engagement Adviser: Vacant

Deakin Health Services Adviser: Kim-Jane Turudia

Warrnambool campus representative: Cassandra Prigg

Gender and Sexuality Studies Adviser: Daniel Marshall

Pride in Sport Adviser: Andrew Crowley

Ordinary Staff members: Brandy Cochrane, Tamara Browne and Joshua Badge

Ordinary Student members: Kye Cole and Lee Nathan Taube

• The structure of the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee will be determined by the Director, Diversity and Inclusion, including the overall size of the Committee and the categories of membership.
• The Director, Diversity and Inclusion will nominate a student and a staff member as Co-Chairs, with the DUSA Queer Officer normally taking on the role of the student Co-Chair.
• Members of the LGBTIQ+ Working Group and the LGBTIQ+ Community Network will be invited to nominate for membership of the Advisory Committee.
• The LGBTIQ+ Advisory committee won’t exceed 16 members. There are 11 nominated positions and up to five ordinary committee members.
• Nominations will be considered by a panel consisting of the Director, Diversity and Inclusion, the Senior Diversity and Inclusion Project Adviser and the student and staff Co-Chairs in order to fill all categories of membership. If any categories remain unfilled, nominations may be made by the panel.
• If a member of the LGBTIQ+ Advisory Committee can no longer serve the two year period, the Committee will call for nominations to fill this role for the remainder of the two year term.
• The committee may call on non-committee members with expertise in a particular area to attend a meeting if required.
• The Director, Diversity and Inclusion will review the structure, operation and size of the committee every two years.
• While members are appointed to the Advisory Committee for a period of two years, the Director will consider re-appointment of some members to ensure continuity.