Jeff Kenney Oral History Interview, 2015

Partial Transcript: Tell me a little bit about yourself, um, it could include things like how long you've been in Corvallis, and at OSU, what identities are relevant to you, and anything else that's important or salient to you.

Segment Synopsis: Jeff briefly describes his background, his key identities, and why he initially came to Oregon State.

Keywords: Coordinator of LGBTQ Outreach and Services; Corvallis; Nebraska; South Carolina; queer

Partial Transcript: Talk about your involvement in the LGBTQ community--at OSU and in Corvallis. Um, this could include things like how did you get here--which [inaudible] you've kind of already covered--what positions you've held--again, um, you kinda did that--and then any roles or projects that are significant to you.

Segment Synopsis: Jeff outlines his past experience working with LGBTQ and other marginalized communities, with a focus on university involvement. He spends much of this time sharing his respect and awe for the kind of student involvement he witnessed working on OSU's campus.

Keywords: OSU Pride Center; anti-racism; critical race; diversity education; interracial dialogue; queer outreach; student affairs; student involvement

Partial Transcript: Can you describe the position of Director of LGBTQ Outreach and Services?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff describes the role of LGBTQ Outreach and Services at Oregon State, differentiating between the "on paper" description of the job, and the actual experience of working in this position.

Keywords: LGBTQ students; OSU Pride Center; allyship; bystander intervention; identity development; mentorship; programming; student affairs; student involvement; student services

Partial Transcript: What are the goals of the office of LGBTQ Outreach and Services? How do these goals compare with the resources, such as time and money, that were allocated to the office?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff explains how the university succeeds in supporting the Office of LGBTQ Outreach and Services, but also details where the resources are falling short.

Keywords: student support; tokenism; university resources

Partial Transcript: Can you describe the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of a complex constituency, and how would you describe the constituency you were trying to serve?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff describes the challenges of serving a complex and diverse constituency, and considers the ways in which LGBTQ outreach and services has worked to center anti-racism and anti-classicism. He also details how/why OSU could be doing this more effectively.

Keywords: anti-racism; diversity; student affairs; student outreach; student resources; student services

Partial Transcript: Can you talk about the experience of being an institutional liaison while supporting student activism and advocacy?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff describes the challenges of trying to remain impartial but supportive in his role as director, and paints a picture of how holding this position could get "messy" at times.

Keywords: counseling; mentorship; social justice; student activists

Partial Transcript: What are your experiences in navigating the tension between your personal ideologies and the expectations of your job?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff describes his struggle with having to enforce university policies that were created from a place of fear and were thus at odds with his own beliefs and ethics. He gives some poignant examples to support his stance on the matter.

Keywords: anti-racism; enforcing policy; politics; student agency; transphobia; university policy

Subjects: Jeff describes

Partial Transcript: Describe some of the transformations in tensions in the national discourse on LGBTQ rights, such as marriage equality, trans activism, invisibility, and racial equality since you arrived at Oregon State University.

Segment Synopsis: Jeff describes the impact of greater LGBTQ-related national discourse, including the challenges of working with new "allies." He especially describes trying to redirect allies' energy to address the real needs of local LGBTQ communities, rather than shallowly supporting the most visible national issues.

Keywords: allies; allyship; marriage equality; national trends; policy and legislation; trans visibility

Partial Transcript: How has the Diversity and Cultural Engagement Office--formally Intercultural Student Services and Diversity Development--transformed since you arrived at Oregon State University, or how is it continuing to transform?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff discusses the movement for OSU's cultural resource centers to act as a consortium, rather than as completely separate entities. He sees this as a key transformation that began after he started his work at OSU, and is a continual process. Jeff says this transformation is key, because it better addresses the needs of a very complex student body.

Keywords: CRC; coalitions; collaboration; community; cultural resource centers; intersectional; leadership; organizational structure; policy

Partial Transcript: What has not changed at OSU since your time here or since the Pride Center was created?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff explains how the passion and dedication among students at OSU has remained constant over the years, and serves as an inspiration to him.

Keywords: OSU Pride Center; student activism; student involvement

Partial Transcript: Can you talk about your experiences with collaboration in the Office of Diversity and Cultural Engagement and the cultural resource centers?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff reflects on the collaborative spaces he has been a part of or witnessed at OSU.

Keywords: LGBTQ awareness; community; student employees

Partial Transcript: Can you share your thoughts on the vision of supporting marginalized students such as, um, women, low-income students, LGBTQ students, students of color... queer and trans students of color at Oregon State University in the coming years?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff weighs his desire for better practices of recruitment, selection, and retention of faculty and staff with the need for more resources. He explains how critical it is to have more faculty and staff from marginalized backgrounds and identities, as marginalized students are seeking this kind of mentorship and support.

Keywords: DPD; Nana Osei-Kofi; advising; community; curriculum; difference power and discrimination; faculty and staff; mentorship; organizational structure; recruitment; resources; retention

Partial Transcript: Um, and then this final question is what are your thoughts and experiences on being a person and the feelings associated with doing this type of work?

Segment Synopsis: Jeff sums up the emotional challenges of his position, and how he has attempted to mediate those challenges.

Keywords: colleagues; community; support