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IU finally extends dental coverage to Student Academic Appointees (SAAs)!
More news coming soon. We will post updates on our Blog, as more information becomes available!
Link to IU News Room Story
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.
About Us
The Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) is an independent group that organizes and represents Indiana University's graduate students to advocate for themselves as employees. GEO is currently working in cooperation with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), a union that represents IU's support staff, and we may affiliate officially with them in the future
GEO is an independent body comprised solely of graduate employees. The GPSO is organized under the auspices of the university administration and represents us primarily in our role as students. While GPSO is a student government, GEO hopes to be a union of and for graduate employees. GEO works in cooperation with GPSO (several GEO members serve as GPSO representatives), and we believe that both institutions are vital for IU's graduate student body.
GEO is open to all graduate employees in all disciplines, including international students. In addition, we welcome graduate students who are not currently serving as employees who may serve as employees in coming years.
Please contact geo@indiana.edu for information about meetings, events, or membership.