Student Group Demands LDA Benefits at St. Norbert College
Suzan Odabasi
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Features
"A community can be judged by the amount of equality it provides," said Max Klos '12 at the "Value our Families" info session, held in the Campus Center Lounge in late April. At this session, members of a special topics Sociology course informed the campus community about the actions other colleges and universities have taken to provide equalizing benefits for both married couples and legally domiciled families. Besides Klos, presenters included Danica Joosten '12, Ryan Pavlik'09, and Andre Korenak'11. The group of students also spoke about possible ways to implement benefits for legally domiciled families here at SNC.
Since the term "legally domiciled" encompasses domestic partnerships as well as relatives who are not child-dependents, the issue does not limit itself to same-sex couples, as Joosten pointed out. Given this background, 430 colleges and universities in the United States offer full-coverage (health, dental, etc.) of all legally domiciled dependents. 40 percent offer health benefits to same-sex partners, 30 percent to opposite-sex partners, and 45 percent to children of same-sex partnerships. In addition, according to Pavlik, former president of the LGBTQ-organization Rainbow Alliance, several leading Catholic institutions offer legally domiciled adult/domestic partner benefits. The first Catholic school to provide benefits was Loyola Marymount in California, but the most publicized school is Georgetown, where LDA benefits have been provided since January of 2006. Other schools that offer benefits include De Paul University and Loyola University of Chicago.
In their presentation, the students argued for domestic partnership benefits at St. Norbert. Pavlik stated that such benefits "offer a strengthening commitment to community." In terms of the families affected by such benefits, he said, "We know these are diverse family structures, so we're going to support those structures and support what makes employees successful." Klos then pointed out an official statement of St. Norbert College that states that the college does not discriminate based on the Equal Rights Act, but "cherishes its right and duty to seek and retain employees who will make a positive contribution to its religious character." Klos then critiqued the college's current policy, saying that "attacking relationships doesn't really mesh with the Catholic Intellectual Tradition," which seeks to be inclusive, diverse, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Klos called the college to "evaluate from a humanitarian perspective rather than a doctrinal perspective."
Since the term "legally domiciled" encompasses domestic partnerships as well as relatives who are not child-dependents, the issue does not limit itself to same-sex couples, as Joosten pointed out. Given this background, 430 colleges and universities in the United States offer full-coverage (health, dental, etc.) of all legally domiciled dependents. 40 percent offer health benefits to same-sex partners, 30 percent to opposite-sex partners, and 45 percent to children of same-sex partnerships. In addition, according to Pavlik, former president of the LGBTQ-organization Rainbow Alliance, several leading Catholic institutions offer legally domiciled adult/domestic partner benefits. The first Catholic school to provide benefits was Loyola Marymount in California, but the most publicized school is Georgetown, where LDA benefits have been provided since January of 2006. Other schools that offer benefits include De Paul University and Loyola University of Chicago.
In their presentation, the students argued for domestic partnership benefits at St. Norbert. Pavlik stated that such benefits "offer a strengthening commitment to community." In terms of the families affected by such benefits, he said, "We know these are diverse family structures, so we're going to support those structures and support what makes employees successful." Klos then pointed out an official statement of St. Norbert College that states that the college does not discriminate based on the Equal Rights Act, but "cherishes its right and duty to seek and retain employees who will make a positive contribution to its religious character." Klos then critiqued the college's current policy, saying that "attacking relationships doesn't really mesh with the Catholic Intellectual Tradition," which seeks to be inclusive, diverse, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Klos called the college to "evaluate from a humanitarian perspective rather than a doctrinal perspective."
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