SUBJECT:

Domestic Partner Benefits and Services

Last October I issued to department heads and administrative
officers a statement about campus-determined or "soft" domestic
partner benefits and services. In the context of the recent
decision by the UC Regents to authorize the extension of health
care benefits to same-sex domestic partners of UC employees, I am
circulating my earlier statement to the entire campus to make
clear that UCSD already offers domestic partners the same
campus-determined services and benefits that it offers legal
spouses.

"In response to concerns expressed during the past two years by
several campus organizations, I want to confirm UCSD's commitment
to support all members of the community who work, live, study and
teach on our campus, regardless of sexual orientation, marital or
family status. One concrete way of meeting this commitment is to
extend to domestic partners all campus-determined benefits and
services now offered to legal spouses of UCSD employees and v students.

"A review of UCSD practices has shown that many benefits and
services offered to employees' and students' spouses are already
offered to domestic partners as well. It would, however, be
beneficial to formalize a standard policy. For this reason, I am
asking those campus units that offer benefits or services to legal
spouses to review their policies and revise them where necessary to
ensure that they offer the same benefits or services to domestic
partners (both same- and opposite-sex). Documentation of domestic
partner status should be required only in situations where the same
request would be made of legal spouses."

Later this month the Office of the President will issue a fact
sheet about eligibility and procedures for obtaining health
benefits for long-term domestic partners or dependent relatives.

If you have questions regarding the implementation of this policy,
please contact Associate Chancellor Susan Kirkpatrick at extension
46864 or by e-mail at skirkpatrick@ucsd.edu.

Robert C. Dynes Chancellor