UGA requests benefits for non-married partners

ATHENS - The University of Georgia wants to extend benefits to non-married domestic partners. <br> <br> With no discussion and very few naysayers, UGA&#39;s University Council passed a resolution Thursday formally requesting that the state Board of Regents include ``sexual orientation&#39;&#39; in its non-discrimination policy. <br> <br> UGA also wants the board to allow domestic partners the same as married couples for systemwide benefits. <br> <br> The resolution does not specify whether ``domestic partnership couples&#39;&#39; includes homosexual and heterosexual couples. <br> <br> President Michael Adams now has the power to decide whether to pass the resolution on to University System Chancellor Tom Meredith for consideration of the regents. <br> <br> According to a survey conducted by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources -- a non-profit organization with 1,750 member colleges and universities -- 37.2 percent of public and private universities offer domestic partnership benefits.