In the wake of widespread controversy regarding the inclusion of LGBT students in a Shadow Day created to recruit high school minority students, the University of Wisconsin administration has clarified its fiscal support for the endeavor.

The Student of Color/LGBT Shadow Day, the result of three years of work by the Associated Students of Madison’s Diversity Committee, reached a roadblock when university officials expressed concern about including a non-targeted minority group. Funding for the program remained uncertain until Paul Barrows, UW’s vice chancellor for student affairs, asserted the university’s support of the program, which will now take place in the spring.

According to Barrows, the university never denied funding for the program; conversely, ASM members said they were told they would not receive the requested $6,000 for the program as long as LGBT students were included.

Barrows maintained that ASM presented the university with an ultimatum.

“The students basically made the call that if all groups couldn’t be included, they wouldn’t have [the Shadow Day] at all,” Barrow said. “My attitude was: I’m sorry it’s an all-or-nothing proposition, but maybe we can work something out.”

ASM vice chair Emily McWilliams and ASM Diversity Committee chair Jennifer Epps said they were informed the funding would not be provided, however. McWilliams claimed the administration presented ASM with an ultimatum to remove LGBT students from the event or lose the funding.

Although Barrows said funding will be provided for the event as planned by ASM, including LGBT students, McWilliams said the university already made a negative statement.

“The damage has already been done; the message has been sent,” McWilliams said.

Administrators and students agreed the incident highlights a larger issue concerning recruitment practices — specifically, whether or not LGBT students are considered part of a minority group.

Chancellor John Wiley asserted that this uncertainty makes a clear decision about recruitment difficult.

“I have no idea — and neither do you — if we have under-representation or over-representation … on campus of groups of different sexual orientation,” Wiley said. “Unlike minority groups, there is no way that we would or could target applicants based on something we cannot rate.”

Since LGBT students do not constitute part of Wisconsin’s targeted minority group, Barrows said, the issue should be approached with caution.

“It’s important to recruit all kinds of students to the university. Whether we need to target LGBT students is new ground for us,” he said.

Many students said they felt the minority status of LGBT students should be self-evident.

“They’ve historically been underrepresented in our university, especially as far as faculty and staff who are openly ‘out,'” Epps said.

UW sophomore Barb Meier, who said many of her close friends are part of the LGBT community, expressed surprise at the university’s stance.

“My biggest problem is that LGBT students aren’t seen as a minority because they obviously are one on this campus,” Meier said. “In fact, they’re discriminated against more than a lot of minorities.”

Despite lacking formal recognition as a minority, McWilliams said, the reality of an LGBT student’s college experience is still problematic and often difficult. Shadow Day, she added, was meant to address that truth.

“We wanted to show that even though LGBT students aren’t covered under a statute, they still need a little extra help acclimating to college,” McWilliams said.

Several ASM members and university students said the incident raises concerns about the atmosphere the university provides for its LGBT population.

“We’re disheartened and upset that [the university] cancelled the event in the first place,” said ASM chair Bryan Gadow. “It didn’t create a welcoming atmosphere for the students who were going to visit.”

Although campus-climate concerns generally center on students of color, Epps said the situations faced by LGBT students are comparable.

“The barriers are the same … the isolation they feel on campus, the constant questioning of their identity,” Epps said. “People interested in promoting diversity have to be involved in both populations.”

LGBT Campus Center director Krista Johnson said the university’s reputation as liberal may attract LGBT students, but “it doesn’t mean being an LGBT student here is any easier.”

“There are still LGBT students who face harassment every day,” Johnson said.

Perhaps the purpose of Shadow Day, Johnson suggested, is more about atmosphere than active recruitment. The event would give prospective LGBT students more information about the resources available to them on campus and a chance to coalition with groups before even arriving.

Meier agreed that Shadow Day could help make the university seem like a more comfortable place for LGBT students.

“Students could realize that once they get here, there are places on campus for them where they can be who they really are and not pretend to be straight,” Meier said.

Barrows said the university was willing to make the effort to explore the issue further.

“My attitude is: Let’s work with the students and the school districts to make it work,” he said.