Press Release

GEO's Four Year Effort Pays Off: IU Extends Dental Coverage to Grad Student Employees

Since 2004, GEO has been fighting for the interests of graduate student employees at Indiana University, and after years of agitating for dental coverage, GEO has won: in an email dated January 22, 2008, Dean of the University Graduate School, James C. Wimbush, announced that IU will extend dental coverage to all Student Academic Appointees (SAAs) beginning the following academic year.

This is momentous news, and GEO's tireless efforts certainly have helped IU's trustees and administrators understand that graduate student employees need affordable health coverage-including dental care. Indeed, GEO's demonstrations at the Sample Gates in 2006, sit-ins in Bryan Hall in 2005 and 2006, and numerous letter-writing campaigns, petitions, and meetings with university officials have played a large role in the acquisition of dental coverage for SAAs.

GEO is immensely proud of its work and is extremely pleased that IU has decided to improve the living conditions of graduate student employees. Like faculty and other campus professionals, SAAs work hard every day to ensure that IU maintains its excellent reputation as a high-caliber research and teaching institution. We hope that IU will continue to provide affordable health coverage for its SAAs and their dependents.