YSU officials to look at offering benefits

The committee also discussed the university's travel policy.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Youngstown State University board of trustees committee asked school officials to determine the cost of offering fringe benefits to domestic partners -- including those of the same sex -- of college employees.
The internal affairs committee unanimously voted Thursday to have YSU administrators determine the cost and impact of providing a variety of benefits -- including health, retirement and tuition discounts -- to domestic partners, both same- and opposite-sex, of school employees.
The committee wants the report given to the board of trustees on or before its Dec. 15 meeting.
Atty. John Pogue, the internal affairs committee chairman, said he believes the board is receptive to including domestic partner benefits.
Among the state's colleges, Cleveland State University and Ohio University offer full benefits to domestic partners, while The Ohio State University and Miami University offer health benefits to domestic partners, said Ron Cole, YSU spokesman.
Proposed changes
The internal affairs committee also reviewed proposed changes to the university's travel, business-related expenses and cellular telephone policies Thursday.
The changes were developed by a committee of university employees and officials. The policies were last updated in 1994, Cole said. The committee asked for a few revisions, and will take another look at the policies in December, Cole said.
Most of the changes are relatively minor, and this proposed revision would make the policies more uniform, Pogue said. For example, there is a set per diem meal allowance when traveling out of town based on the size of the city, he said.
The policy changes have nothing to do with questions raised earlier this year about YSU President David Sweet's travel and job-related entertainment expenses, Pogue and Cole said.
Sweet named a committee more than a year ago to update these policies, several months before The Jambar, a student-run newspaper, ran articles questioning his expenses, Pogue and Cole said.
skolnick@vindy.com