PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Urge University of Missouri to include domestic partners under employee benefits
  1. Signatures
    766 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. University of Missouri Board of Curators (+ 8 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (Don M. Downing)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (David G. Wasinger)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (Doug Russell)
      • Student Representative to the Board of Curators (Laura Confer)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (Warren K. Erdman)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (David R. Bradley)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (John M. Carnahan III)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (Judith G. Haggard)
      • University of Missouri Board of Curators (Wayne Goode)
  2. Created By
    Michael Jones
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

In mid-April, the University of Missouri Board of Curators will debate whether to offer university employees domestic partner benefits -- a move that would allow LGBT employees to add their same-sex partner to their employee benefits. Already, Faculty Council resolutions have been passed supporting this measure, and students have also been vocal about their support for adding domestic partner benefits. 

Yet it will be up to the University of Missouri Board of Curators to approve the measure. Currently, the University of Missouri system is one of just a few Association of American University institutions that does not offer domestic partner benefits to its employees -- putting it in a category that certainly hurts the University's reputation, particularly when it comes to recruiting the best and brightest faculty (who might happen to be LGBT), and in sending a message to all students, staff and faculty that the university values the dignity of all people on campus, regardless of who they love.

Let's encourage the University of Missouri Board of Curators to do the right thing, and offer domestic partner benefits to its employees. 

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Please recognize domestic partner benefits within the University if Missouri system

Dear University of Missouri Board of Curators,

It's come to my attention that you will be considering a move in mid-April that would allow the University of Missouri (UM) system to extend domestic partner benefits to all UM employees. I write you today to urge you to adopt this measure, and allow UM to compete with some of the best and brightest schools that already offer such benefits to their employees.

Currently, the UM system is one of only a handful of Association of American University institutions that do not offer domestic partner benefits to its employees. This actually hurts the UM reputation. It tells faculty and staff who may have same-sex partners that their families aren't welcome or recognized on campus, and it sends a message to students that the UM system fails to recognize a diverse and broad definition of family.

I urge you to follow the advice of numerous student groups -- as well as official faculty council resolutions -- that call on the UM system to extend benefits to the domestic partners of its employees. It's the right thing to do in order to show that UM values all of its staff, faculty and students, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Many thanks for your time.

[Your name]

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