The University of Missouri System Board of Curators unanimously passed a proposal to extend employee benefits to eligible adult dependents who meet certain criteria. This extension now means that same-sex partners may be eligible for these benefits, which include health, vision, and dental insurance. John Fougere is the chief spokesperson for the UM system. He said the decision will help the system attract a talented faculty and staff.
“If you look around the country the university of Missouri System by adopting this policy had joined the ranks of Colorado State, Indiana University, Rutgers, the University of Nebraska just to name a few,” Fougere said. “It’s extremely important for us to remain competitive in our recruitment of high quality staff.”
In 2012, the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla became the last member of the University of Missouri system to recommend extending benefits to same-sex partners. After receiving proposals from all four campuses, the Board of Curators began looking at the proposal. The benefit changes are scheduled to take effect in 2014.