No increase in benefits at Missouri
Published Oct. 16, 2007
A survey conducted by a human resources association found that an increasing percentage of colleges and universities are recognizing domestic partnerships for the allocation of benefits. But MU is not a part of this growing trend.
The survey, conducted annually by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources found that this year, 40 percent of the schools surveyed provided benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships - up from 38 percent in 2006 - and 30 percent made benefits available for opposite-sex domestic arrangements.
CUPA-HR conducted the survey between May and July 2007, and focused on both health and retirement benefits for employees and retirees. The report was based on health benefits data provided by 420 higher-education institutions and data on retirement benefits collected from 133 institutions. MU was not involved with the survey.
UM system spokesman Scott Charton said although inquiries about the issue of providing benefits for domestic partnership have been submitted to university administration in the past, no organizations or concerned parties have come before the UM system's Board of Curators to address the issue.
Charton said the university is not yet taking any steps to institute changes that would include domestic partnerships in its benefits packages.
John Faughn, coordinator of MU's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center, said the issue of providing benefits for domestic partnerships is something the organization has noticed, but that it has not taken an active position on it since he became involved with the organization less than two years ago.
Faughn said he finds it disappointing that MU has not taken steps to expand its benefits and hopes that current policies can change.
"You're basically not recognizing someone's relationship as the same as someone else's," Faughn said.
Sociology professor Wayne Brekhus said that a change in MU's benefits policy to include domestic partnerships is possible over time, but the political atmosphere in the current state legislature and the Board of Curators would not be conducive to successfully instituting such a change now.
"I think it will require more progressive legislation," Brekhus said.
Although increasing numbers of colleges and universities have recently begun to offer benefits for domestic partnerships, it is not a new occurrence.
The University of Iowa began to provide benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships in 1992. UI Benefits and Payroll Director Richard Saunders said the expansion of benefits was initiated by concern from various parties about the high cost of medical treatment for HIV and AIDS in 1992. Saunders said at that time, those were diseases widely believed to be most threatening to the gay community.
Saunders said the university's plan to expand its benefits was well received by state and university government, as well as the "fairly conservative" populace of Iowa. He said the practice of including domestic partnerships in benefits packages by colleges and universities was fairly uncommon at the time.
"We had developed a policy from scratch," Saunders said. "It's worked well, and we're happy we did it."
Saunders said the university's benefit policies have since expanded to include opposite-sex domestic partnerships, and are available to faculty, staff and students.
In 2003, Iowa became one of thirteen states that provide domestic partner benefits to state employees.