For the first time, the University of Cincinnati is recognizing domestic partners, regardless of sex, in some of its benefits policies. The change took effect Jan. 1. University employees may now buy life, personal accident and/or long-term care insurance for a domestic partner, and may use sick leave because of the illness, injury or death of a domestic partner or the partner's children.

Personal leave may be requested because of a domestic partner's needs, and employees may take child-rearing leave related to needs of a partner's children.

The faculty union has been seeking recognition of domestic partners in the university's benefits policies for at least 15 years. Health insurance and tuition remission are among future goals.

UC broke ground last fall on a quadrangle to honor Herman Schneider, the founder of cooperative education at the university in 1906. The open space formerly known as Baldwin Quad will be renamed Herman Schneider Quad and will feature two plaza areas, new trees and decorative lighting. When complete this spring, the east-end plaza (directly in front of Baldwin Hall) will feature a bust of Schneider as well as granite slabs inscribed with the names of individuals who have furthered co-op's global spread.

The west-end plaza (illustrated below) will include a sundial, inscribed granite from the 50th anniversary of co-op and a large concrete bench, also left behind after the 1956 celebration. These decades-old pieces were moved from Baldwin Quad into storage in 2001 because of ongoing construction.

UC was the first school to require its students to alternate time spent in the classroom with paid, professional work so they could gain valuable real-world experience. So began what is now known worldwide (in 43 countries) as cooperative education.

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