Officials at Western Kentucky University have approved a measure to recognize domestic partners of faculty and staff and offer them health insurance starting in 2011.

WKU's director of human resources announced the policy change to staff and faculty on Friday, according to the Courier-Journal. The policy will include both same-sex and opposite-sex unmarried partners.

WKU is the fourth public university in the state to offer health benefits to its employees' domestic partners, following the University of Louisville, the University of Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky University. Some private colleges, such as Berea and Centre, also offer those benefits.