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Hoping to establish a timeline for a review of the Food and Drug Administration’s blood donation policies, SJSU President Don Kassing met with agency officials in Washington D.C. last week and left “a little disappointed, a little frustrated,” Vice President Larry Carr said. No timeline was established.
Carr, who was also at the meeting, said FDA officials emphasized that the agency was a mechanism of regulation, not research, and that current medical science justifies its protocols.
“They believe it is not their responsibility to go look for new science or technology,” Carr said. “They’ll let the science change the policy when the science is ready. They leave that up to the private market.”
An FDA policy in effect since 1983 defers for life any male who has had sexual contact with another male “even once” since 1977. According to the FDA, the policy works to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus and hepatitis B, and is based on multi-tiered risk assessment models.
Kassing suspended the organization of blood drives on campus property Jan. 29 stating that the policy was in violation of the university’s nondiscrimination code.
“Kassing doesn’t have any reason coming out of that meeting to change the position that San Jose State has and we will continue to have this suspension,” Carr said. “The FDA’s policy, whether backed by science or not, is in conflict with our nondiscrimination policy.”
- Michael Rizzo, Spartan Daily Project Manager
Related Stories:
Feb. 25, 2008: Kassing requests FDA to meet about blood drives
Feb. 18, 2008: Board slams FDA policy
Feb. 14, 2008: Campus Voices: Do you agree with SJSU’s ban on blood drives?
Feb. 13, 2008: University stands alone in blood policy
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU’s blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Jan. 29 Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President’s office
Feb. 21 Letter from President Kassing
Former SJSU photojournalism professor Joe Swan, 78, died Sunday.
Swan taught in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications from 1963 to 1991.
Within the last year, Swan had both legs amputated and was on dialysis, a process of filtration used when the kidneys stop working, because of complications from diabetes.
He stopped dialysis over one month ago.
Click here to read a profile of Swan from the Feb 20. Spartan Daily.
A March 4 article titled “Dispute over UPD incident” reported on an altercation between part-time dance lecturer Heather Cooper and Sgt. John Laws. Laws arrested Cooper on Feb. 19 for “resisting and delaying a police officer,” as she, according to Laws, attempted to approach a tow truck driver who was to impound her unregistered vehicle.Cooper, though, said she was actually walking to her car to get her child car seats.The altercation resulted with Cooper on the ground and two different accounts of the incident.A subsequent grievance has been filed with faculty affairs, said Johnathan Karpf, a faculty rights committee member. The grievance seeks compensation for Cooper’s medical expenses and attorney fees.The Spartan Daily is currently active in following the original article with accompanying developments in the situation.The grievance, which pertains to an SJSU personnel matter, may prove difficult to detail because of personnel confidentiality.As of now, Sgt. Laws is still an active-duty officer with the UPD. There have been no criminal or civil charges filed against him.The Spartan Daily will follow this matter closely as it involves the reputations of two State employees.
SJSU President Don Kassing released a statement today affirming his decision to ban blood drives on campus.
“Please be assured I remain steadfast in my belief that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s lifetime blood donor deferral affecting gay men violates our non-discrimination policy. Our policy is much more than a regulation. It is an expression of values we all share, most notably our core belief that people must be treated as individuals, free of prejudice.”
SJSU’s blood drive ban has become a national issue, with critics raising concerns about the risk to blood supplies needed by area hospitals.
Kassing responds by saying that students and staff are still able to donate blood in other places.
“Like many of you, I am very concerned that our position will reduce the amount of blood available to people in need. I ask that you be guided by your personal responsibilities to family and community and by your own values in deciding whether to give blood off-campus while SJSU awaits the FDA’s response.”
Click here to read Kassing’s full statement.
Related Stories:
Feb. 18, 2008: Board slams FDA policy
Feb. 14, 2008: Campus Voices: Do you agree with SJSU’s ban on blood drives?
Feb. 13, 2008: University stands alone in blood policy
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU’s blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President’s office
The Spartan softball team wrapped up the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas Sunday where they lost both games in a double header.
SJSU dropped game one 8-0 to CSU Northridge and was defeated 5-4 by the University of Oregon in game two.
The first portion of the five-game weekend trip fared much better for the Spartans as they came away with victories against Seton Hall and Brigham Young University. They could not get past the University of Texas, El Paso, losing a tight game 4-3.
The SJSU men’s basketball team treated the fans on Alumni Day to a 71-61 win over Louisiana Tech University Saturday at the Event Center.
The 10-point victory snapped the Spartan’s three-game losing streak and brought their record to 11-13, two games under .500.
Center C.J. Webster led the Spartans with 7 points on 6-9 shooting.
Forward Chris Oaks scored 14, while DaShawn Wright and Jamon Hill contributed 12 2points apiece.
The Spartans return to action tonight t the Event Center against Utah State.
In a last second attempt to tie the game, two last second shots by Christine Martin and Alisha Hicks failed to go in.
San Jose State traded baskets with the Utah State Aggies for much of the game, losing a close game 61-60 in the final seconds of the game.
Even though the Spartans opened the second half with the first four points, the Aggies would follow with an 11-3 run over the next few minutes to take the lead. The Spartans came back to tie the game at 57 with less than two minutes left in the game.
Emily Nichols got several good looks from 3-point range, making all of her shots from behind the arc, finishing with 15 points to lead the Spartans. The team combined for eight steals.
By John Hornberg, Spartan Daily Staff Writer
Check theSpartanDaily.com this evening for a video of a press conference with SJSU President Don Kassing.
Update: Click here to watch the video.
Monday, February 11 is the last day to add classes. Visit my.sjsu.edu to make sure your schedule is right before the deadline passes.
Stories:
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU’s blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President’s office
Latest news updates from the Spartan Daily.
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