While the Faculty Senate mulls over the issue of whether to add a sexual orientation clause to the University's non-discrimination policy, one University administrator created a new committee to study the campus climate for lesbians and gay men.

Formed by Vice President and Vice Provost Robert Dunham, the committee will investigate problems facing the University's gay community, evaluate existing services and suggest possible actions to alleviate any problems it finds, said William Tierney, the committee's chairman and associate professor of education at the Center for the Study of Higher Education.

The nine committee members, including students, faculty and administrators, were appointed in December. The group is comparing the University's atmosphere for lesbians and gay men to other schools' climates and will study the sexual orientation clause and its possible impact on ROTC programs, Tierney said.

The findings will be submitted to Dunham by March, Tierney said.

Tierney emphasized that the group's primary focus is to gauge the local community's attitudes toward homosexuality and to investigate incidents of harassment and services available for gay men and lesbians.

Yet many of the group's members agree that even with the new committee, the climate for lesbians and gay men is not likely to improve unless the University adopts a sexual orientation clause.

"Frankly, I don't care if we win (the sexual orientation clause's adoption) with one vote by the Faculty Senate but it's essential that this be passed," Tierney said. "Our efforts cannot succeed if there is not basic protection for people. "

"A sexual orientation clause is almost like the most elementary thing to have," agreed Estela Bensimon, a committee member and an assistant professor at the Center for the Study of Higher Education. "There's no reason why Penn State should not have this."

Theresa Sumner, committee member and political co-director of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance said, "We only want this put in for our protection."

The Faculty Senate has been discussing the clause and University President Joab Thomas' proposed clause since November and will hold an open forum for registered University groups to speak about the issue Feb. 7.

Thomas' proposal blankets all groups and was offered as an alternative to specifically prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

More than 100 colleges and universities across the country have sexual orientation clauses, including all of Pennsylvania's 19 state and state-related institutions except Penn State, Bensimon said.