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		"But, what about my partner?…" Addressing domestic partnership in the Residence Life profession By Doug Geiger Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Illinois Institute of Technology As we enter another professional recruiting season, it’s a good idea to be reflective about how we will address the needs of our professional live-in staff. As we also continue our efforts to assemble a diverse professional staff, we must consider the unique needs of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual professionals. For many of us who are open about our sexual orientation, required live-in positions can pose unique challenges as we make decisions about our professional futures. I went to ACPA recently to recruit for our anticipated Assistant Director of Residence Life vacancy. I had posted the position (in the pre-conference listings) and had described the position as a "live-in" position (since going to the conference, we have changed the position from "live-in" to "live-on"). As I began interviews, I was pleasantly surprised to discover many candidates who openly asked about domestic partnership policies. During one of the interviews, a candidate was very open about her domestic partner (and her need to have her partner live with her in a required live-in position). She also informed me of an ACPA-sponsored document (the 2001 Live-In Professional Report) which listed such live-in conditions and employment benefits as: salary, MA required or not, meal plan, professional development funds available, and domestic partners allowed to reside with employee). I was happy to report that Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) had a domestic partnership policy (as an institution) and that we allowed professional live-in staff to have a domestic partner live with them (in their on-campus residence). Our conversation made me realize that we (as a Housing/Residence Life profession) have come a long way since my post-MA job search days (Spring, 1989). As a gay professional, it was very refreshing to see GLB candidates be so open and honest about their personal needs. As a profession, we talk about personal wellness and development of the whole person. We also talk about our commitment to diversity. By addressing both of these needs (for our live-in staff), we truly move our profession toward a standard of true inclusion and diversity. As employers, we need to look at two greater issues whcn considering domestic partnership benefits: the policies of the institution and the policies of the Housing/Residence Life department. Institutional policy regarding domestic partnership may vary as much as the different types of higher education institutions that exist in the United States; however, it is imperative to know the greater policy of the institution; after all, as a department, we are merely a part of the greater university. At IIT, after several staff members asked about a domestic partnership policy, our Office of Human Resources developed and implemented a policy (within 3 months). HR presented a policy which, I believe, represents most of the "basics" I have seen at other institutions, in summary: Benefits - eligible faculty and staff may enroll same-sex domestic partners in university benefit programs. To enroll, one must complete a Certification of Domestic Partnership (and desire and eligible coverage forms) to HR within 30 days of the date of employment or of benefit eligibility. Proof of Eligibility also includes couples that: share a residence for more than 6 months, are not married to anyone, are not related by blood, are both 18 years of age, are each other’s sole domestic partner and are mutually responsible for each other’s welfare. Such university benefits include: insured benefits, tuition benefits, and use of university facilities. Additionally, some universities have also applied domestic partnership to include any couple (regardless of sexual orientation) that is not legally married; however, one can argue that heterosexual couples always have the right to marry (and therefore automatically make themselves available for such benefits). Then, there is the issue that really matters to potential professional (live-in required) staff members - the Department of Housing/Residence Life policy on live-in professional staff. If we require Housing and Residence Life professionals to live in, we must consider that some of our staff will be gay/lesbian or bisexual and that significant others will be an issue. From this point, there seem to be two camps—those institutions that allow domestic partners to live with their partners (in campus housing) and those that do not. For those that do allow, I would also recommend the following: Examine your institutional policies (regarding domestic partnership) and how it applies to possible benefits, use of university facilities, etc. If there is any program (which allows spouses of live-in staff to formally meet or interact), make sure to extend this same invitation to same-sex spouses Familiarize yourself with campus and community resources (that can help the spouse have a good transition to your campus community). For Those that DO NOT allow live-in partners, I would recommend a plan which has been successfully adopted by the Department of Residence Life at The Ohio State University: Consider offering the staff member the option to live off campus (with their partner) with certain restrictions (regarding proximity to campus, duty rotations, etc.) Consider "re-phrasing" your current policy, to allow a staff member to have "one adult person" live with them (in their campus housing accommodations). Such a policy keeps the issue vague and general. If none of the above options are feasible, make sure that you are honest and direct about your expectations of your professional live-in staff. GLB staff need to make important, informed choices (like anyone else) when considering taking a professional position. Such choices also need to involve their spouses/partners in the decision-making process. About the Author Doug Geiger is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at Illinois Institute of Technology (in Chicago). He received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and his M.A. from Michigan State University. He worked at Ohio State University before moving to his position at Illinois Tech. He is also the incoming Chair of the GLBT Issues Committee of ACUHO-I.