Resolutions
RESOLUTION FROM THE COUNCIL ON STUDENT AFFAIRS TO ADD DOMESTIC PARTNERS COVERAGE
TO UNIVERSITY HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS
Approved 4 November 2003 Council on Student Affairs
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 2002 poll of OSU students showed that students support the inclusion
of domestic partner coverage and this support has increased over time; and
WHEREAS a recent national survey indicated that 62% of the respondents believe
that employees with same-sex partners should be equally eligible for key workplace
benefits available to spouses of married employees; 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 of their employees increased by 50% in the past
two years; and
WHEREAS 191 colleges and universities around the country offer domestic partner
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, Oberlin, Wright State University;
Big Ten schools such as Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State,
Purdue Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois 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; University of Miami (FL); University
of Colorado; University of Washington; and University System of New Hampshire;
and
WHEREAS 1201 Fortune 500 companies around the country offer domestic partner
benefits including Ohio companies such as Procter & Gamble; Cardinal Health’ Federated
Department Stores; TRW; Nationwide Insurance Enterprise; NCR Corp.; The Limited
Inc.; KeyCorp; The Progressive Corp.; Cummins Engine Co.; and
WHEREAS nearly 4,000 private sector employers around the country offer domestic
partner benefits including Ohio companies such as American Legal Publishing;
Arter &Haden; Columbus/Franklin County Labor Council; Donato’s Pizza;
Edge Information Systems; E. W. Scripps Co.; John F Brown Co.; Jones, Day,
Reavis and Poague; Lexis-Nexis; Life USA; Lion Apparel; The Longaberger Company;
Meyers Pride Value Fund; National Revenue Corp.; Online Computer Library Center
Inc.; Polydyne; PSI Group Inc.; Riverview Center of Orthopedic Rehabilitation;
United Health Care; U.S. Technical Services; University Hospitals of Cleveland
and
WHEREAS national corporations have recently announced domestic partnership
benefits including Aon Corp.; MCI Group; Pepsico; and UPS; and
WHEREAS 10 state governments and 165 local governments and governmental agencies
offer domestic partner benefits; and
WHEREAS The American Medical Association passed a resolution in 2001, Equity
in health Care for Domestic Partnerships,” that calls upon public and
private sector employers to offer domestic partner health care benefits; 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 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 Staff 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 current plan calls for an extension of benefits to sponsored dependents;
and
WHEREAS sponsored dependents include domestic partnership benefits; and
WHEREAS it is important that dependents who are minor children, elderly or
disabled dependants of faculty, staff or students have a need of access to
health insurance; and
WHEREAS the sponsored dependent proposal is of great benefit to the University
community; and
WHEREAS the sponsored dependents proposal will not lead to increased cost
to the University;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Council on Student Affairs 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
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University Senate calls upon the President
and the Executive Vice President and Provost to propose to the Board of Trustees
a plan to extend university health benefits sponsored dependants including
domestic partners; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council on Student Affairs calls for a public
vote by the Board of Trustees on the sponsored dependents proposal that would
extend university health benefits to sponsored dependents, including domestic
partners, of faculty, staff and students at Ohio State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council on Student Affairs calls for the sponsored
dependents proposal to be put into effect no later than 1 July 2004.
|
