University Business - August 2007 - (Page 54)

Partner Beneﬁts: A Family Affair Domestic partner beneﬁts are proving to be an employeemagnet for some schools. According to a CUPA-HR 2006 Beneﬁts Survey of 537 institutions of higher education, 25 percent of responding public schools oﬀer same-sex domestic partner health care, while 24 percent oﬀer it to opposite-sex domestic partners. But those numbers nearly double at private IHEs, where 66 percent oﬀer beneﬁts to same-sex domestic partners and 48 percent to opposite-sex domestic partners. The University of Denver has been oﬀering same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partner beneﬁts for 10 years, reports Richard Gartrell, director of HR at the university, which supports approximately 2,350 employees. In order to qualify, employees must sign an aﬃdavit acknowledging their partnership. They must live with each other and have 2. An employee benefits fair is one aspect of Duke U’s annual Financial Fitness Week. Free financial seminars are also offered. With the University of Denver’s Workplace Option program, employees have backup child care in place for when the need arises. some common economic interest, such as a joint bank account, he says. Although the school hasn’t measured the beneﬁt’s return-oninvestment, he says that “anecdotal input from deans, department chairs, and faculty [demonstrates] that partner beneﬁts are essential to our recruitment eﬀorts.” Iowa State University began oﬀering such beneﬁts back in 2000 for similar reasons to its 6,050 employees, says Mike Otis, beneﬁts manager. At ISU both partners must also sign a declaration attesting to their union, be over the age of 18, not be related in any way that would bar marriage, not be married to another person, Where to for child care? An Iowa State U employee with a mildly ill child has an on-campus place to turn for emergency child care. and share signiﬁcant ﬁnancial resources. “Overall, we’re fairly content with the way things are,” he says, adding that although the public institution is under the auspices of a state board of regents, it does have some ﬂexibility related to voluntary beneﬁts and is considering oﬀering a vision services discount program. The University of Florida is in its second year of oﬀering domestic partner beneﬁts. Although just 40 out of its 14,000 employees participate, that number is expected to grow over time, says Kyle Cavanaugh, senior VP for administration. The beneﬁt is part of the school’s standard operating package. It is introduced during new employee orientations and the annual enrollment process and is also addressed in publications and on the school’s website. “There was a lot of concern initially when these plans started to come out that you might see a disproportionate claims experience,” Cavanaugh says. “From my conversations with others who’ve had these plans for years, there’s been no diﬀerential experience in oﬀering these beneﬁts. We’re looking at this from a competitive standpoint. It’s also viewed as the cost of doing business.” Tuition Assistance: Extended Learning Last year, The University of Arizona extended tuition assistance to domestic partners of employees. While employees pay $25 per course, spouses, dependents, and domestic partners pay 25 percent of their tuition costs. “We wanted to be fair,” says Allison Vaillancourt, associate VP of HR. “Our health insurance is provided by the state of Arizona, so we’re barred from providing health insurance to domestic partners. But we have control over our tuition reduction program.” Up to now, only 10 people at UA have taken advantage of the program. It has been promoted through an e-mail letter from the university president to all employees and by the faculty, staﬀ, and grad student group OUTreach, which communicates university information to its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members. Since January, employees at Duke University and the Duke University Health System are being reimbursed for tuition costs at any accredited public or private college or university. They can enroll in universitybusiness.com 3. 54 | August 2007 http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
People Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
On the Hill
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
Facility Focus
Wanted: Foreign Students
Service With a Star
Beneficial Benefits
Addition By Subtraction
Report from EduComm 2007
Report Card
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - August 2007