Support for Susannah Bartlow!

On Monday, May 18th, Dr. Susannah Bartlow was fired as Director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at Marquette University. She was fired suddenly and swiftly, without input from the GSRC Advisory Committee, after pouring her heart and soul into bringing excellent programming to Marquette over the last three years. She was fired seemingly for doing her job: providing a safe space for students to express themselves and engage in thoughtful dialogue (more information below).

When she was fired, Susannah was not offered any severance. She was paid only through her last day of work on May 18th, and was not expecting, at that moment in her professional life, to face the job market. Additionally, when she was terminated on May 18th, Susannah had already missed the 2015-2016 hiring cycle for positions in higher education. She continues to contribute to her community by accepting a temporary position at Pathfinders in Milwaukee, which pays a modest hourly income, but it is going to be hard to make ends meet and cover some of the basics, including health insurance. Her friends, colleagues and well-wishers ask that you consider donating to a fund to support Susannah as she transitions into a new (permanent) professional role. We want to give her the time to find the right placement for herself. Please consider donating; even a small amount helps. Funds will be used to cover her living expenses, health insurance, and any legal fees associated with an unemployment claim. Susannah has also pledged to donate any funds above our goal to Pathfinders and plans to blog about what's going on in her life, especially related to job searches, work at Pathfinders, and writing projects on a weekly Wednesday blog called Work in Progress .

Please join us in helping Susannah maintain her financial independence and stability. Gifts of any amount will be greatly appreciated and will mean so much to Susannah during this difficult time. Thank you for your support!


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Background:

According to her termination letter, Susannah was let go purely over her role in supporting a student-led project to paint a mural depicting a subject of their choice at the GSRC. The mural and its subject have been written about by several newspapers and Susannah herself:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/05/19/after-outcry-marquette-university-removes-assata-shakur-campus-mural/

http://susannahbartlow.com/

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/marquettes-removal-of-mural-featuring-assata-shakur-creates-buzz-b99504249z1-304485731.html

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/marquette-faculty-criticize-action-on-assata-shakur-mural-b99508152z1-305182641.html

If you know Susannah personally, you know that she is a committed educator and mentor who engages with the world with great passion, empathy and delight. At the time of her firing, she had spent the last 3 years of her career developing programming for Marquette and its community, including establishing a Safe Zone Program, and being an active member of the university team that developed curriculum for and oversaw the First Year Sexual Assault Risk Reduction Program. In three years, she taught courses for the Women and Gender Studies Program, and supported four faculty fellows in their research on topics ranging from African-American women's health to sexual assault intervention and sexual health. 

Susannah built the GSRC into a place students were comfortable to spend time, and where they could participate in programs that addressed critically important topics, such as religion and sexuality, and sexual assault on college campuses. She advocated vigorously for students who sought out her assistance, particularly LGBTQ students in need of support, as well as sexual assault victims who required her sensitivity and clarity. She oversaw student research, directed her staff, and trained faculty and staff on Title IX regulations. She co-sponsored a number of workshops and lectures with various departments and student groups and maintained communication with community partners in Milwaukee, bringing a range of programming to Marquette that were unlike programs that the university had seen before. On top of fulfilling all of these duties, she regularly taught the Introduction to Women and Gender Studies, and regularly guest-lectured. In short, she was a true leader who succeeded in bridging between students, faculty, and the Milwaukee community and who became instrumental in making Marquette an inclusive and safe environment for all of its students.