The University Senate yesterday postponed action on a proposal that would extend partial domestic-partner benefits to graduate teaching assistants. Last year, the university granted faculty and staff access to benefits that allowed them to designate one person from their household – a spouse, a domestic partner or an adult child – to receive access to campus-based benefits.
The benefits would include use of the health center, libraries, counseling center, campus recreation center, Center for Young Children and university golf course. Full benefits – which include access to the state health care plan – cannot be extended to domestic partners without action from the Board of Regents and state leaders. “It’s important to do what we can for people in same-sex partnerships,” said Laura Moore, president of the Graduate Student Government. “Right now someone in a heterosexual marriage can extend benefits to their spouse, but if someone is in a same sex partnership they can’t. We want full equality.”
The proposal, which will likely come before the university’s most powerful policy-making body again in February, met some sticking points during the meeting yesterday. Yet Senate Chair William Montgomery said he expects the proposal to pass with little opposition next time.
The proposal would probably take effect in January 2009, said Montgomery.
Senators questioned yesterday whether only including graduate teaching assistants in the proposal would be unfair to the rest of the university’s graduate students who also contribute to the university community.
“There’s concern that graduate students who have gotten a fellowship and are saving the university money would be unable to have access to benefits that they would have if they were graduate assistants,” said Moore.
Some senators also called for clarification of the difference between romantic partners versus roommates to ensure students wouldn’t abuse the privileges.
“I know it’s a sensitive topic,” said Elise Miller-Hooks, a professor in the engineering department, at the Senate meeting. “Graduate students can live with each other for years without a relationship.”
Graduate students were previously left out because of concerns that receiving those benefits would cause them to be considered university employees. The policy would not have significant financial effects because the state would pay for the extra benefits, said Montgomery.
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