Council endorses same-sex benefits

University Council voted unanimously yesterday to endorse a plan calling for same-sex partners of University employees to receive the same benefits as partners of the opposite sex. The report, an endorsement of the University's Task Force on Benefits for Domestic Partners, states the belief that financial and medical benefits given to married opposite-sex couples should be given to same-sex domestic partners. A short debate over the report ensued when Undergraduate Assembly representative Dan Schorr suggested that committed, unmarried opposite-sex couples who are living together are excluded by the Task Force's Report. Task Force member and Religious Studies Chairperson Ann Matter said that under Pennsylvania common law, such couples are regarded as married and are already given the benefits by the University. In other business, University Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting recommendations of the Student Task Force on Academic Integrity. The resolution, presented by Task Force member Michael Treisman, a College senior, urges University faculty, undergraduate deans, the provost and undergraduate students to "not only adhere to highest standards of truth and honesty but also uphold the principle and spirit of the [University] Code [of Academic Integrity]." In other business, Council unanimously passed a resolution stating that "service on a University Committee should be considered an integral part of the responsibility of all employees." This resolution expands the responsibility to serve on such committees from just faculty to include all staff as well.

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