Only eight people signed up for a new College policy that gives health care benefits to domestic partners of homosexual employees.
The policy, which went into effect this year, gives same-sex domestic partners the same benefits as legally married spouses.
Acting Provost Bruce Pipes said administrators originally pegged the cost of the program at $50,000, but the low participation is costing the College only $9,200, according to Director of Human Resources Roger Brock .
History Professor Annelise Orleck said there are several possible reasons for the low turnout.
"This is a small community where many gay couples are both employed by the College and therefore already have health care," she said. "There are also a number of couples in which one person is employed by Dartmouth and the other is covered by his or her own employer."
Orleck, who is homosexual, signed up to receive the benefits for her partner.
John Crane, a librarian and co-chair for the Coalition for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Concerns said he was not surprised by the College's overestimating the cost of the new policy.
"It's really hard to anticipate how many people will take advantage of this new policy," he said. "There are many intangible factors."
The partners must sign an affidavit stating their domestic situation and commitment to their spouse in order to receive the benefits. The statement consists of an admission that the couple would marry if they legally could.
Orleck said she believes a number of people could be uncomfortable signing the affidavit.
"Dartmouth required notarization somewhat like a 'public ceremony.' There are probably a number of people who don't feel comfortable doing that," she said.
"As Dartmouth continues to hire more gay and lesbian employees, the numbers will go up," she said. "I know that a number of people are enthusiastic about it."
Former College employee Michael Lowenthal '90 said the number of people who have signed up is similar to other schools.
"It's somewhat misleading to say fewer couples than expected have signed up. This is right on target. It just about matches up with other schools," he said.
Lowenthal, who is homosexual, was a member of a task force established by former Provost John Strohbehn that outlined the plan to extend health benefits to homosexual partners of College employees.
Eight out of about 3,000 employees have signed the affidavits for the health care benefits at the College. At the University of Chicago 25 out of 6,400 employees signed up and at Stanford University 28 out of 11,000 signed up.
There were no budget cuts to provide funding for this new benefit program. It was implemented into the budget earlier this year, according to Lowenthal.
There is no College policy for heterosexuals who are living together without being married.
"The issue that remains for me is that the College is only doing this for gay couples. The bottom line is that everybody needs health care," Lowenthal said.
"We are making it clear that we were not having a policy that was discriminatory to heterosexual couples," Pipes said. "We will move the discussions further and look to extend benefits to heterosexual unmarried couples," he said.
Lowenthal said the current policy is a step in the right direction, but the College needs to do more.
"I praise the College for the progress that it has made, yet there are problems," Lowenthal said. "Personally, I don't find that the institution of marriage is something that I want to participate in but my relationship is as committed as anyone else's."
