June 25, 2004
Dear Colleagues:
This is to inform you that at this morning's Board of Trustees meeting, I announced that Ohio University will offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners, effective July 1, 2004. We are doing this as a matter of fundamental economic fairness. In essence, we have been denying a property right, i.e., health and other family benefits, to same-sex domestic partners, and that is not right.
We will, of course, have rules of eligibility for these benefits, based mostly on financial interdependency. For those who are concerned about the cost, we have studied this matter and based on the experience of the 200+ colleges and universities who offer benefits to domestic partners, we believe the cost will be minimal.
The Ohio University Faculty Senate and Student Senate have both passed resolutions urging the implementation of these benefits, and Miami University is joining us in this action. We will be the first two public universities in Ohio to offer such a package. We believe it is time -- past time, in fact -- and we know it is the right thing to do.
If you would like more information on these benefits and the criteria for qualification, I invite you to visit the Office of Human Resources WWW site at www.uhr.ohiou.edu/benefits/ for additional details.
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