According to Marquette administrators, the university is still in the process of establishing a Gender Resource Center on campus, with the center itself set to open around the 2012 fall semester.

It is evident our campus needs some representation to tackle gender-related issues, especially after the much-publicized cases of the university retracting its deanship offer to Jodi O’Brien in spring 2010 and the sexual assault allegations against student-athletes made earlier this year.

To fill this void, the center is slated to be a resource for LGBT students on campus — or those wishing to better understand LGBT issues. It is also intended to provide resources for victims of sexual violence and address issues surrounding sexual violence, a measure coming in the aftermath of aforementioned sexual assault allegations.

But what will that mean for us, realistically?

The administration says the center will offer “a combination of education, advocacy and social programming that gives support for students and faculty,” according to a Tribune article published earlier this week. The center’s goal is to create a community and establish professionals in residence.

Creating such a community for LGBT students on campus is a positive but lofty goal, which the university seems to be struggling to achieve.

While the center and programs are not up-and-running yet, it is not an issue the university should be putting on hold.

It has already taken months to establish the center and similarly promised programs. We don’t want to see similar delays moving forward.

The GRC was recommended to the university by Ronni Sanlo, a consultant specializing in LGBT issues in education, in a report complied at the administration’s request. Sanlo finished her report in Oct. 2010, but the GRC won’t be available until at least fall 2012.

Sanlo also recommended an “Ally Program” between LGBT students and other students and faculty trained to deal with related LGBT issues. Information about if the program is currently running or still in progress in unclear, and it has not been well-advertised on campus after mention of plans in spring 2011.

We should be pursuing efforts such as the Ally Program and promoting other resources available to both LGBT students and allies and those affected by sexual violence, whether there is a physical office to house such resources or not.

The university is promising much in reaching out to the LGBT community, but we have seen few results and instead have found more questions. For instance, while it is reassuring to know professionals in residence are being considered for inclusion in a proposed GRC, we question exactly what role such persons may have, especially considering the reasoning for rescinding Jodi O’Brien’s offer of deanship.

O’Brien’s offer was rescinded due to concerns about her scholarly writings and research. We are concerned that any professionals in residence handling LGBT issues may come under similar scrutiny if their scholarly work also deals with LGBT issues on similar topics.

There are many on campus still concerned with how the university handled the Jodi O’Brien case, and the damage incurred from that has not been fully undone. As a community, we cannot wipe our memories clean that easily. Efforts such as Salno’s report, the GRC and the Ally Program are clear progressive initiatives in the wake of the controversy, but we expect the university to keep such promises.

We will hold the university accountable regardless of what stage of the process we are at, from conception plans to searching for a director to an opening ceremony and beyond. We cannot forget the plight of those who would benefit from the center and its resources.

It’s up to the administration and those working on such initiatives to make students aware of the resources that are available and will be available, from programming to professionals in residence to counseling and access to health resources.

As a student body, we need to be aware of the initiatives in motion and make sure such promises are met. We are also responsible for taking advantage of resources presented to us, now and in the future when the center opens.

In order for initiatives such as the Gender Resource Center to be a success, we must have cooperation and commitment from all sides — the administration, the LGBT community and others on campus. This isn’t something we can push to the wayside in hopes it will go away. This is an effort we must commend, embrace and continue.