Four benefit plans receive enhancements

By Andy Clendennen

Effective July 1, the University is enhancing four benefit plans that will impact faculty and nonunion staff members.

Enhancements are being made in the areas of employee undergraduate tuition; dependent-child undergraduate tuition; long-term disability insurance; and the University health contribution.

Employee Informational Meetings The Office of Human Resources will hold employee informational meetings during the week of April 22 to help faculty and staff better understand these important benefit-plan enhancements and the upcoming health-benefit changes. Hilltop Campus April 22 • Alumni House living room, 8:30-10 a.m. • Simon Hall, Room 110, 10:30-noon; • Brown Hall, Room 100, 3-4:30 p.m. April 25 • Simon Hall, Room 103, 8:30-10 a.m. • Simon Hall, Room 104, 3:30-5 p.m. Medical Campus April 22 • Cori Auditorium, 12:30-2 p.m. April 24 • Cori Auditorium, 8-9:30 a.m. • Wohl Auditorium, 3-4:30 p.m. April 25 • Cori Auditorium, 10:30-noon • West Pavilion Auditorium, 1-2:30 p.m. April 26 • Cori Auditorium, 8-9:30 a.m. • Wohl Auditorium, 10-11:30 a.m. • Wohl Auditorium, noon-1:30 p.m. • Cori Auditorium, 2-3:30 p.m. West Campus April 24 • Library Conference Room A/B, 10-11:30 a.m. • Library Conference Room A/B, 12:30-2 p.m.

"The enhancements are the result of the University's periodic review of the philosophy and competitiveness of the benefit program and to respond to specific employee requests," said Tom Lauman, director of benefits in human resources. "Our benefit plans are very comprehensive. Still, we know that they will not meet the needs of all of our faculty and staff members, so it is important for us to take into consideration their requests as we compare our benefits to other employers."

One of the enhancements will be in employee undergraduate tuition. Full-time faculty and staff who take undergraduate evening or day courses will be reimbursed for 100 percent of tuition charges. Currently, the reimbursement is 50 percent.

The change will be effective coincident with the first semester after July 1, and up to seven hours per semester may be reimbursed.

For those regular full-time faculty and staff who take graduate courses, the tuition remission benefit remains at 50 percent.

Another area getting a new look is the dependent-child undergraduate tuition plan. Currently just available to full-time faculty and staff members, this benefit will now be extended to part-time faculty and staff.

To be eligible, employees must accrue current continuous years of equivalent full-time service as required by the plan. Each year of service that is not full-time requires continuous part-time work at a minimum of 50 percent of the required full-time workload for faculty members, or a minimum of 20 hours per week for staff members.

Part-time faculty and staff will also see improvements in their long-term disability insurance. Currently just available to full-time faculty and staff, as of July 1 part-time faculty and staff who have completed one full year of service will receive long-term disability insurance.

Part-time faculty and staff who become eligible on July 1, 2002, will be automatically added to the plan. Completion of enrollment forms is not required.

The final aspect of benefits that will be enhanced is the University health contribution. As of July 1, regular part-time faculty and staff will no longer have to complete one year of service to be eligible for the University health contribution.

For part-time employees currently in their one-year waiting period, the University health contribution will be made starting July 1.

Lauman said the improvements have a multi-tiered benefit to all.

"These enhancements react to, and provide for, the changing family unit or career," Lauman said. "More and more, we are seeing a family's decision to have one breadwinner work part-time or an individual seeking a part-time employment career. We needed to improve our benefit package to attract the best of this growing number of part-timers.

"This more-complete benefit program, with not only a contribution for health insurance and retirement, but long-term disability insurance and dependent-child tuition, will help the University recruit and retain quality part-time faculty and staff."

Announcements will be sent to campus boxes during the week of April 15.