President's Report
May 3, 2002
Please remember that the meetings of the Council of Graduate
Students will be in the Ohio Union, in the Stecker Lounge
(3
Student government leaders met with the Presidential Search Committee to share our thoughts on qualities and qualifications that the Committee should consider as they begin their search. I stressed a commitment to and demonstrated excellence in diversity and academic excellence, a strong record of scholarly accomplishment, and a commitment to students as the principle raison d'etre of the university. The other student leaders shared similar points of view.
At the 9 May meeting of the University Senate, I will be presenting a resolution (see below) in support of domestic partnership benefits. On behalf of CGS, I have drafted this resolution and garnered widespread support among students, faculty, and staff for this position. I will report back to you later this month how the Senate votes.
One of the topics that we will discuss during the "delegate issues and concerns" portion of the meeting is the ideal time for Council meetings. We will also discuss the proposal to eliminate the BRUTUS phone system. Please consider this in advance of the meeting and come prepared to share your thoughts.
The Campus Partners Board will be replacing its graduate/professional student member. The term is for two years. Please consider applying for this important position. As soon as we have additional information (and applications), I will let you know.
Senate Resolution on Domestic Partners
A Resolution Concerning Domestic Partner Health Benefits
Author: J. Briggs Cormier, CGS (cormier.5@osu.edu)
Sponsors:
Council of Graduate Students
Faculty Council
Inter-Professional Council
Undergraduate Student Government
Council on Student Affairs
Diversity Committee
Steering Committee
Council on Diversity
University Staff Advisory Committee
Student Affairs Diversity Council
WHEREAS the University has a non-discrimination policy (Policy No. 1.10) which states "...discrimination against any individual for reasons of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status is specifically prohibited. Accordingly, equal access to employment opportunities, admissions, educational programs, and all other University activities is extended to all persons..."; and
WHEREAS the University's Academic Plan states the University's strong support for "a series of specific goals and initiatives [that] are included in the University's Diversity Action Plan"; and
WHEREAS the OSU Board of Trustees approved the vision and strategies of the University's Academic Plan in December 2000; and
WHEREAS the University's Diversity Action Plan states that "the university is committed to becoming a leader within the higher education community with regard to diversity..."; and
WHEREAS the University's Diversity Action Plan further states that the Executive Vice President and Provost will "propose to the Board of Trustees a plan to extend university health benefits to domestic partners"; and
WHEREAS the March 2001 Buckeye State Poll, conducted by the Center for Survey Research in The Ohio State University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, found that 70% of Franklin County respondents believe that "same-sex domestic partners and their children should also be eligible for health care coverage"; and
WHEREAS the number of U.S. employers, including companies, colleges, universities and state and local governments, offering or planning to offer heath insurance benefits to domestic partners (either same-sex only or both same- and opposite-sex) of their employees increased by 50% in the past two years; and
WHEREAS on 21 December 2001, President George W. Bush signed the fiscal year 2002 District of Columbia appropriations bill that will allow the District of Columbia Government to fund a program that will give domestic partners of city employees access to health benefits; and
WHEREAS 163 colleges and universities around the country offer domestic partner (either same-sex only or both same- and opposite-sex) benefits including all of the Ivy League schools; Ohio schools such as Antioch College, Baldwin-Wallace College, Case Western Reserve, College of Wooster, Denison University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, and Oberlin; Big Ten schools such as Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State, and Minnesota; the University of Chicago; the University of Washington; Johns Hopkins; MIT; the California State University System and the University of California System; the City of New York (CUNY) System and the State of New York (SUNY) system; and
WHEREAS 156 Fortune 500 companies around the country offer domestic partner (either same-sex only or both same- and opposite-sex) benefits including Ohio companies such as Procter & Gamble, Federated Department Stores, TRW, Nationwide Insurance Enterprise, The Limited Inc., KeyCorp, The Progressive Corp., and NCR Corp.; and
WHEREAS nearly 4,000 private sector employers around the country offer domestic partner (either same-sex only or both same- and opposite-sex) benefits including Ohio companies such as American Legal Publishing; Columbus/Franklin County Labor Council; Edge Information Systems; John F Brown Co; Jones, Day, Reavis and Poague; Longaberger Company; Meyers Pride Value Fund; Online Computer Library Center Inc.; PSI Group Inc.; Arter and Haden; Bisys Cinti Regional Center; Donato's Pizza; Life USA; Riverview Center for Orthopedic Rehabilitation; United Health Care; Lion Apparel; National Review Corp.; Polydyne; U.S. Technical Services; Lexis-Nexis; Progressive Insurance; University Hospitals of Cleveland; and The E.W. Scripps Company; and
WHEREAS various studies report that the medical cost increases by less than 2% when domestic partner benefits are offered and health benefits enrollment typically increases by 1-2% when domestic partner benefits are offered; and
WHEREAS on 18 December 2001, the American Medical Association passed the resolution, "Equity in Health Care for Domestic Partnerships," that calls upon public and private sector employers to offer domestic partner health care benefits; and
WHEREAS the provision of both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners benefits will improve the University's position in competitive recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students-a key component of the University's Academic Plan; and
WHEREAS the Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee, the Diversity Committee, and the Council on Student Affairs have for the past several years recommended the extension of both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partner benefits to faculty, staff, and students at The Ohio State University; and
WHEREAS the President, William E. Kirwan, and the Executive Vice President and Provost, Edward J. Ray, have both publicly expressed support for the extension of domestic partner benefits to both same-sex and opposite sex couples within the Ohio State community,
THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that the University Senate supports the inclusion of both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage under The Ohio State University Benefits Services and Health Programs and under the Student Health Insurance Plan; and
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that the University Senate calls upon the Board of Trustees to extend university health benefits to both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners. [an error occurred while processing this directive]