By Kolby R. LaMarche

Earlier last month, the University of Vermont (UVM) announced a plan to reorganize its support services for diverse student groups. 

The Prism Center, also previously known as the LGBTQIA Center, will merge with the Women and Gender Equity (WAGE) Center and a newly created Men and Masculinities Program to form the “Prism Intercultural Center.” The Prism Center will be renamed “Prism at UVM”. 

The restructuring has prompted a petition, which launched on July 1, urging UVM to maintain the Prism Center as an independent entity. Signed by over 100 individuals, including faculty like Val Rohy, Professor of English, Troy Headwick, State Representative (P) and Assistant Director, Center for Student Conduct. The petition has been signed by about 10 students, the remaining names being staff, faculty, or alumni. 

Since the late 1990s, the Prism Center has supported lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other students with diverse gender and sexual identities, according to the university. Its mission focuses on fostering a campus where these students can thrive. The petition, also signed by Associate Professor of Anthropology Teresa Mares and Senior Lecturer in Social Work Cassie Gillespie, argues that merging the Prism Center into a broader intercultural framework could obscure its purpose, “The merger walks back 25+ years of progress during which LGBTQ+ staff, faculty, and alumni,” the group said. 

The new structure places three distinct programs—Prism, WAGE, and Men and Masculinities—under one umbrella, blending their missions into one. Letter signers have questioned how a single center can adequately address the specific needs of specific LGBTQ+ students alongside those related to women’s issues or masculinity, which differ significantly in scope and approach.

The group argues that framing gender and sexuality as “cultures” could confuse new or prospective students seeking clear, targeted support. In a national climate where LGBTQ+ rights face challenges, petitioners like Associate Professor of Sociology Nikki Khanna worry that this change might signal a retreat from UVM’s reputation as a welcoming institution, potentially impacting recruitment and retention of students seeking inclusive environments. 

“UVM has earned a national reputation for welcoming and supporting LGBTQ+ students…Yet this change sends the message that we don’t want them,” the letter read.

The petition demands that UVM keep the Prism Center independent, with its own director, and conduct a national search for new leadership to ensure its focus remains unambiguous. 

It also calls for UVM to reaffirm its commitment to visibly supporting queer, trans, and nonbinary students, rather than integrating their services into a less specific framework. 

In a statement Rev. Dr. James D. Ross II (pictured right), director of UVM’s Interfaith Center, said the “Prism at UVM…will continue to operate with its full staffing and programming” adding, “this shift allows us to maintain and enhance our offerings to students even in a time when resources are becoming more limited.”