By Jon Spike
The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison has always claimed to be a forward-thinking, progressive school often responsible for shaping new beliefs on the national level. However, within the dialogue of same-sex marriage, UW-Madison has looked almost unrecognizable in its inaction regarding domestic partner benefits. University officials mandate forward thinking in UW-Madison's strategic plan, claiming, as progress is made, conditions evolve and the environment around us changes - we need to refresh and update our strategic priorities."" Still, campus employees are denied domestic partner benefits, despite other universities and groups taking initiative in this area of great concern.
Despite its claim to be such a progressive university, UW-Madison is currently the only Big Ten school that does not provide domestic partner benefits for its employees. Ohio State University, for example, enacted policies to establish same-sex domestic partner benefits in 2005 - and it wasn't even the first public school in Ohio to take such actions. University of Miami-Ohio passed the same policies a year earlier after Ohio Gov. Bob Taft made a heavy push for same-sex domestic partner benefits at all Ohio universities. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has supported domestic partner benefits since he took office, but the university has yet to make any tangible progress on the issue.
UW-Madison must also take a lesson from the Dane County Board and its recent actions. In September, the Dane County Board passed legislation requiring all companies under contract with the county to offer domestic partner benefits. This action only strengthens the board's earlier decision to give all Dane County workers and their domestic partners benefits equivalent to those of married couples. UW-Madison should take a page out of the county's progressive and evolving attitude and respect the changing political culture of not only the state of Wisconsin, but the nation as a whole.
However, the Teachers Assistant Association gives the forum for domestic partner benefits a fighting chance, especially in the current political climate of both the university and the nation. The TAA is still currently negotiating their contracts through the 2007-2009 period, and if domestic partner benefits are written into the contract, other university employees' contracts would likely have to follow suit to preserve equity.
With new chancellor Carolyn ""Biddy"" Martin, the first openly homosexual chancellor in UW-Madison history, the time is right for domestic partner benefits to receive the administrative push they need. Also, with a handful of other openly gay representatives in the Madison area, such as Tammy Baldwin, Eli Judge and Mark Pocan, the city of Madison clearly supports the lifestyle, and it's time for the city's university to follow suit. Failing to offer domestic partner benefits proves extremely close-minded to a city that willingly fosters the lifestyle.
As long as UW-Madison continues to deny domestic partner benefits to its employees, the university will be at a clear disadvantage in competitively hiring the professors, faculty and employees it desires. UW-Madison has also learned the fiscal lesson of domestic partner benefits the hard way - the university has lost millions of dollars in external grants due to professors leaving to go to universities that honor same-sex partnerships, as well as benefits for those partners.
Furthermore, if UW-Madison wants to maintain public notoriety as a top-flight university, partner benefits are a must. Kiplineger's finance ratings recently placed UW as the best Big Ten school for total value in consideration of finances and quality of education. However, the key to a quality education falls in the hands of quality instructors. As the Board of Regents will meet to discuss ways to attract talented, younger faculty in an aging UW system, they must consider the importance of offering partner benefits to attact young faculty regardless of their sexual orientation.
The argument is clear, UW-Madison is - depending on the comparison - anywhere from five to 14 years behind its Big Ten peers on this issue. To maintain our status as a ""public ivy,"" offering the TAA, and ultimately UW-Madison faculty domestic partner benefits is an absolute must. Failure to do so only serves as a blemish on the university's record.
Jon Spike is a junior majoring in secondary education in English. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
