“Ally” what is it?

2/7/08

By Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor

Although there are numerous signs saying Ally on different professor’s doors, the purpose of these signs is unclear.

Ally is a service put in place by the Gay, Straight Alliance in an effort to give students a chance to talk to a professor about any issues they have. Although any student can stop in to talk to a professor with an Ally sign on their door, the service is intended for gay or lesbian students.

“Students said it was very helpful to see on the doors,” said Patricia Shine, professor of Human Services and an advisor to the GSA. Professors are part of the Ally service on a volunteer basis. Students should assume the professor is open and able to help, said Shine.

Any faculty member who has an Ally sign on their door is, “open to students speaking to us not as a counselor but as someone who could give them the help they need,” said Shine.

When Ally was first proposed during a faculty meeting there was “openness and interest,” said Shine. Unfortunately, the only way for new faculty to find out about Ally is through word of mouth. Most of the faculty members who are part of the Ally service have been around for a while.