Spring Break
University stands alone in blood policy
Other institutions keep quiet about SJSU's decision to suspend donation drives
John Hornberg
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: News
Despite having policies with similar language against discrimination, other local universities thus far have remained silent regarding SJSU President Don Kassing's prohibition of blood drives.
No local university or college has taken similar action to address the Food and Drug Administration's lifetime deferral for gay men from donating blood.
Other universities chose not to comment on Kassing's actions, or their own nondiscrimination policies.
Officials from UC Berkeley and Santa Clara University did not return e-mail questions as well as phone calls, while officials at San Francisco State University and Stanford University also did not return phone calls.
Student publications, though, have reported on blood drive suspension, but have not presented an opinion about it.
Despite the steps taken by SJSU, it was never the president's intention to push his values on other institutions, he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
"President Kassing's intention is to take care of the SJSU campus and community," said Pat Lopes Harris, a representative for the university. "It isn't his intention to create a movement."
Paul Browning, a representative for the California State University system, said it does not have a uniform nondiscrimination policy for its 23 campuses, a fact echoed by SJSU's Associate Vice President of Public Affairs Larry Carr.
"If you look at them, you might find that they are all similar," he said. "But each one is different."
The UC system has a nondiscrimination policy that covers all 10 of its campuses, according to the media relations office at UC Berkeley. Last updated by the UC Board of Regents in 2004, the UC policy covers "admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities."
Discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation is not allowed, among several things, according to the UC's policy.
Kassing said the university did not look at other local institutions' nondiscrimination policies, but that didn't stop him or those researching it from looking for other examples.
"We did try to get some sense of whether or not other colleges and universities had stopped doing blood drives," he said. "The impression we got was that there were some colleges - that tended to be smaller liberal arts colleges in the Midwest - had taken a position on this."
At other places, students and the gay, lesbian, and transgender community raised the issue, Kassing said. The difference between SJSU and other colleges is that protesting did not start the investigation, but rather an employee complaint.
Kassing said he felt that each university should come to its own conclusion regarding the FDA's policy preventing homosexual men from donating blood, hoping that this stand will spur people to discuss the policy.
"I think each entity that considers this has to get there on its own," he said. "What I would hope is that we help create a more serious conversation with the FDA."
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will be discussing the issue of blood drives and the FDA's ban at its legislative committee meeting on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Related Stories:
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU's blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President's office
No local university or college has taken similar action to address the Food and Drug Administration's lifetime deferral for gay men from donating blood.
Other universities chose not to comment on Kassing's actions, or their own nondiscrimination policies.
Officials from UC Berkeley and Santa Clara University did not return e-mail questions as well as phone calls, while officials at San Francisco State University and Stanford University also did not return phone calls.
Student publications, though, have reported on blood drive suspension, but have not presented an opinion about it.
Despite the steps taken by SJSU, it was never the president's intention to push his values on other institutions, he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
"President Kassing's intention is to take care of the SJSU campus and community," said Pat Lopes Harris, a representative for the university. "It isn't his intention to create a movement."
Paul Browning, a representative for the California State University system, said it does not have a uniform nondiscrimination policy for its 23 campuses, a fact echoed by SJSU's Associate Vice President of Public Affairs Larry Carr.
"If you look at them, you might find that they are all similar," he said. "But each one is different."
The UC system has a nondiscrimination policy that covers all 10 of its campuses, according to the media relations office at UC Berkeley. Last updated by the UC Board of Regents in 2004, the UC policy covers "admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities."
Discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation is not allowed, among several things, according to the UC's policy.
Kassing said the university did not look at other local institutions' nondiscrimination policies, but that didn't stop him or those researching it from looking for other examples.
"We did try to get some sense of whether or not other colleges and universities had stopped doing blood drives," he said. "The impression we got was that there were some colleges - that tended to be smaller liberal arts colleges in the Midwest - had taken a position on this."
At other places, students and the gay, lesbian, and transgender community raised the issue, Kassing said. The difference between SJSU and other colleges is that protesting did not start the investigation, but rather an employee complaint.
Kassing said he felt that each university should come to its own conclusion regarding the FDA's policy preventing homosexual men from donating blood, hoping that this stand will spur people to discuss the policy.
"I think each entity that considers this has to get there on its own," he said. "What I would hope is that we help create a more serious conversation with the FDA."
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will be discussing the issue of blood drives and the FDA's ban at its legislative committee meeting on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Related Stories:
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU's blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President's office
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