Money raised by the University of Georgia Foundation will not be used to pay for domestic partner benefits at the university.
The foundation announced Monday that its executive committee met last week to consider taking responsibility for funding, insuring, accounting for, and administering a health care program for domestic partner benefits. However, they decided this was not consistent with the foundation’s mission.
President Michael Adams, who is stepping down Sunday, previously asked Chancellor Hank Huckaby if the university could develop and fully fund such a plan. Adams said no state money would be used.
Huckaby suggested UGA work with its foundation to offer the benefits. To comply with current law and policy, Huckaby said the program would need to be “privately funded, privately insured, privately accounted for and privately administered.”
But the foundation noted it is not fully private because it is supported by state employees whose benefits are administered by UGA.
The university has long discussed extending more benefits to domestic partners of UGA employees. The University Council in September called on Adams to make it happen. The council is made up of faculty, administrators, students and staff who advise Adams on academics and other policy matters.