The SLU Human Resource Office Newsletter s1

January 2008 Volume 1

The Southeastern Human Resources Office Newsletter

HUMAN RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTS

COMPREHENSIVE HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES

Contents  Benefits News  Training News  TRSL Workshop Schedule 2008  PeopleSoft 9 HR/Payroll Training  TRSL Launches Multimedia Presentations  New Employee Orientation  LASERS Prep Seminar Schedule  PPR Training for Supervisors  Salary Deferral Limitations  Mind Leaders On-Line Training Programs  Student Verifications  Training Database  Annual Enrollment for Health Insurance  CPTP on Campus Spring Benefits Fair  Worker’s Compensation Procedures  Recruiting News  Retired Members Eligible for Medicare “B”  Search Procedures Update  Requests for Fee Waivers  Online Applications Coming Soon

B E N E F I T S

TRSL Workshop Schedule 2008

The 2008 Retirement Education schedule is posted on the TRSL website at www.trsl.org. Please submit a completed workshop registration form before attending any workshop, or register by phone for an individual counseling session. The types of workshops available and descriptions are listed below:

All-day workshops are six hours long. Members within five years of retirement or DROP eligibility are invited, but all are welcome. Speakers address topics including financial planning, estate planning, Social Security, and a complete overview of TRSL benefits.

Mid-career workshops are three hours long and are for members 45 years old or younger. Topics are limited to long-term financial planning and TRSL benefits.

DROP participants' workshops are two hours long. The workshops are open to members who have already joined DROP, or who are working after completing DROP. Topics include retiring after DROP, continuing to work after DROP, and withdrawing from the DROP account after retirement.

TRSL & SSA sessions are two-and-one-half hours long and are for all members. A representative from the Social Security Administration discusses Social Security issues, and a TRSL representative discusses general TRSL topics.

1 Retirement 101 is a workshop that covers the final steps needed to retire or enter DROP, such as filling out applications and other forms, documents needed to finalize your retirement or DROP, things that may delay retirement or DROP processing, and other information needed to prepare you for retirement.

Group counseling sessions are two hours long for members within three years of retirement. For those registered, an estimate of benefits is prepared in advance and distributed at the session. An overview of TRSL benefits is covered, followed by a detailed explanation of the estimate of benefits. There will be time for both group and individual questions and answers.

Individual counseling is offered by telephone on certain Saturdays for members within two years of retirement. Sessions are limited to 30 minutes per person, and only a limited number of appointments are available on each date. A TRSL counselor will call the member at home on the appointed date to answer the member’s retirement questions. Current DROP participants are not eligible for these sessions. These sessions must be scheduled by speaking directly to the contact person indicated in advance of the appointment date. Appointments are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. E-mail requests for appointments will not be accepted.

TRSL Launches Multimedia Presentations TRSL has announced that their online multimedia presentation, TRSL Now Showing, is available for viewing on their website, www.trsl.org.

You’ll find links to the presentation in four convenient locations on their site: the homepage, the Quick Links section (on the homepage), and on the left-side menus of the General Information and Active Member sections.

The presentation contains three segments, all targeted to active members in different stages of their careers, and provides important information about TRSL membership and retirement planning.

The presentation is geared toward new TRSL members, mid-career members, and members nearing retirement. Each segment is tailored to highlight basic information individuals in each of these career stages should know about TRSL membership.

You can click on the clip of your choice and navigate through a series of narrated slides. It’s informative and easy.

LASERS PREP SEMINAR - 2008 Schedule Southeastern Louisiana University will host the LASERS PREP Seminar on the following dates for 2008: April 18th, June 18th and September 11. All of the seminars will be held in Room 139 of the University Center beginning at 8:00 am. Employees are reminded to apply in advance and that supervisory approval is required. These seminars are conducted by LASERS staff and address topics such as eligibility requirements for retirement and benefits, Purchase of Service Credit, Survivor and Disability Benefits, Initial Benefit Option (IBO), Leave Credit and the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP). PREP seminars also include information on Social Security, La Deferred Compensation Plan and the Office of Group Benefits.

To register, members can visit the LASERS web-site and complete an on-line registration form. The link is: http://www.lasers.state.la.us/

SALARY DEFERRAL LIMITATIONS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2008 The IRS has announced there will be no change to the Salary Deferral Limitations for Calendar Year 2008.

(403B Accounts) Basic Limit: $15,500.00 Age 50+: 5,000.00 Total: $20,500.00

*15 Year Catch Up: 3,000.00 Total Allowed: $23,500.00

2 *The 15 Year Catch Up cannot exceed $3,000 per year or exceed cumulatively $15,000 over the lifetime of the 403B participant. NOTE: Employees who request the total allowable amount sheltered must provide a Maximum Exclusion Allowance Calculation from the 403B agent/company.

(457 Deferral Limits) Basic Limit: $15,500.00 Age 50+: 5,000.00 Total: $20,500.00

**Catch Up: $15,500.00 Total Allowed: $31,000.00 **The special Catch Up is available for employees participating in an eligible 457 deferred compensation plan who have elected the special catch up available in the three years prior to the year of normal retirement age. NOTE: This limit is not available if the participant is currently using age 50+ catch up limit. Special forms must be completed with the 457 plan prior to starting this catch up limit.

ANNUAL ENROLLMENT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AND SPRING BENEFITS FAIR APRIL 14, 2008 Southeastern Human Resources Office will host The Spring Employee Benefits Fair on April 14, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the University Center, in conjunction with Annual Enrollment for Health Insurance. All employees are encouraged to attend the Benefits Fair to learn about the new and current benefit plans. Refreshments will be served and vendors will be available to answer benefits questions and to give individual consultations. Changes to your health insurance plan may be made during the month of April to be effective July 1, 2008. For additional information, questions or comments regarding this article please contact Nicole Dunnington, Nanette Cheri or Sue Jones in the Human Resources Office at 5451, 2057 or 5655.

Worker's Compensation Procedures to follow for all Employee Accidents/Incidents If the employee has an accident/incident while at work, please complete the Employee Accident/Incident Report form (Form No. 118). This report is used whether the employee seeks medical treatment or not. Also, please have the employee complete the Medical Authorization form. If the employee needs medical treatment, please call the Human Resources Office at 549-5451 to report the accident/incident and obtain authorization.

Once the Employee Accident/Incident Report Form (Form No. 118) has been completed by the employee and his/her supervisor, the employee's supervisor needs to complete the ORM-Loss Prevention Form regarding the accident/incident. The ORM-Loss Prevention Form must be completed for every employee accident/incident that occurs, regardless if the employee received medical treatment. Once the Accident/Incident Report Form and ORM- Loss Prevention Form have been completed, please forward the forms with attachments to the Human Resources Office, SLU 10799 or North Campus NCHR (room 106) as soon as possible.

Once the employee has received medical treatment, the Employee Accident/Incident Report, Medical Authorization Form, and any discharge instructions, etc. are forwarded to the Human Resources Office, SLU 10799.

If you have any questions concerning the above procedures, please contact the Human Resources Office at 549- 5451 or log on to: http://www.selu.edu/admin/hr/benefits/workers_compensation/index.html

Retired Members Who Are Eligible For Medicare Part B On July 1, 2005 the Office of Group Benefits Plan adopted a rule that stated that retired members who are eligible for Medicare must take Part B. If they do not take Part B, OGB will not pay their Part B claims. Retirees should contact the Social Security Administration to enroll in Part B Medicare when they become eligible for Medicare.

More information regarding enrolling in Medicare Part B if you are actively employed can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) link on the Medicare web-site. www.medicare.gov 3 Requests For Fee Waivers Authorization To Take University Classes One of the great privileges of being an employee at Southeastern Louisiana University is the ability to take University courses with the financial assistance of the Employee Fee Waiver, which pays a large majority of tuition after a full time employee has been employed for two consecutive years. To further this assistance, the University Approved Training Course Program allows an employee to take a class during the workday without being responsible for making up the work time. The approved classes are considered part of the Employee Training Program and are prepared based on EEO classifications. Only one class may be taken during normal working hours whether or not the class is on the approved list and must be approved by the Budget Unit/Department Head prior to registration in the class. The employee must meet catalog requirements for any class in which he/she wants to enroll.

Classes are grouped into the following EEO categories. Please click on your appropriate EEO Classification for a list of University Approved Training Classes.

 Clerical/Office

 Food Service

 Grounds Crew

 Paraprofessional

 Professional

 Security

 Skilled Crafts

 Service/Maintenance

 Technical

All requests for Authorization to Take University Classes and Fee Waivers for qualified employees will need to be approved by the Budget Unit/Department Head and submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than the last day of late registration for each semester. This will also be the deadline for submitting Employee Dependent Fee Waiver requests.

Employee Fee Waiver/Authorization This form is to be completed by ALL faculty and staff taking university classes, whether employed part-time or full-time . The request must include ALL classes you will be taking, whether or not they involve your work schedule or an employee fee waiver.

PLEASE NOTE: If the class is not on the Approved Training Class List for the respective employee's job class category, and class time falls during the employee’s normal workday, the employee must advise their immediate supervisor and timekeeper of how they will make up missed work time to include the appropriate amount of travel time. Employees may not use leave to take a class and may only use 15 minutes of a 45-minute meal break to make up class time. (Meal breaks must be at least 30 minutes. Employees taking classes that are not on their respective Approved Training Class List must document time out for class by utilizing the TimeCentre System (i.e. Classified employees must clock in and out and Unclassified employees must complete the appropriate exceptions logs).

Click here to find Employee Fee Waiver/Authorization to Take University Classes Form

4 Dependent Fee Waiver In order to obtain a Dependent Fee Waiver, employees must submit the "Dependent Fee Waiver Form for a Full- Time Employee" to the Human Resources Office each semester. Spouses and children of Faculty and Staff members currently employed full-time and who have completed five (5) years of full-time employment with the University as of the last day of late registration for the semester of enrollment, may use the fee waiver for undergraduate instruction only. The dependent for which fees have been requested must be either a spouse or child and eligible as a dependent for tax purposes during that calendar year. A copy of the tax return must be submitted at the request of the University. If the employee fails to claim the dependent as an eligible dependent for tax purposes, the employee will have to reimburse the University for the amount of the fee waiver. Click here to find Dependent Fee Waiver Form

If you have any questions regarding Fee Waivers or Authorization to Take Classes, please contact Nannette Cheri at [email protected] or 549-2057. Please send the completed forms to the Human Resources Office, SLU 10799.

T R A I N I N G N E W S

People Soft 9.0 End Users Training The Human Resources Office is offering an overview of the People Soft 9.0 software which will be implemented campus-wide in late March. Topics addressed in this program which is designed for end users will include Navigating in People Soft 9.0, Self-Service Features and the User Productivity Module. Two sessions of the training will be offered on Friday, March 14th in Room 139 of the University Center. One session will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and a second session will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. To enroll in one of these sessions, please contact Jan Ortego in the Training Section at [email protected] or phone extension 5850 or 5771.

New Employee Orientation The next orientation for new classified and unclassified employees will be held on Thursday, March 13 th in Room 139 of the University Center. Attendance is mandatory for classified employees and unclassified employees are expected to attend. For more information on the program, please contact Jan Ortego at [email protected] or at phone extension 5850.

PPR Training For Supervisors There will be training programs during the months of February, March and April for supervisors who are required to conduct Performance Planning and Reviews (PPRs) on classified employees. All programs will be held in the Human Resources Office Conference Room. Program dates and times are as follows: February 21 st, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.; March 26th, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.; and April 24th, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. To register for this program please email Jan Ortego at [email protected] or phone extension 5850. Pre-registration and supervisory approval are necessary for this class.

Mind Leaders On-Line Training Programs The State Division of Administration, through its CPTP program, offers a state of the art, e-learning program for state employees called “Mind Leaders”. This is a computer-based source of interactive courses available over the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The three categories of courses offered online are Computer Skills Courses, Professional Development Courses and Business Skills Videos. In order to access these classes, employees will need an enrollment key that they can obtain by contacting Sharon Sparacello via email at [email protected] . Graduate assistants and student workers are not eligible to use these courses. IF YOUR SUPERVISOR MANDATES THIS TRAINING, IT WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETED DURING WORK HOURS. IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS TRAINING AFTER WORK HOURS, IT WILL BE CONSIDERED VOLUNTARY AND WILL NOT BE COMPENSATED.

5 For more information about these classes, please check out the following website: http://www.selu.edu/admin/hr/training/computer_based_train/index.html

Training Database In an effort to maintain accurate employee professional development and training records, faculty and staff are asked to inform the Training Section of any conference, seminar or other training attended. A training questionnaire can be found on the Human Resources website at: http://www.selu.edu/admin/hr/documents/trainingquestionaire.pdf

Once the form is completed, it may be emailed to Jan Ortego at [email protected] or faxed to the Human Resources Office at 549-2308. Additionally, if the training resulted in a license or certification, a copy of that document should be faxed to 549-2308 or sent via campus mail to SLU 10799. If there are any questions, please email Jan Ortego or call at extension 5771. Comprehensive Public Training Programs Scheduled on Campus The Comprehensive Public Training Program (CPTP), a section of the Louisiana Division of Administration, is offering free professional development programs on campus. The Human Resources office is pleased to be able to sponsor these programs. By hosting these programs, which are normally offered in Baton Rouge, we hope to make them more available to all staff. Advance registration is required for these programs and space is limited. Please check our website for additional programs which may be added. For more information, please contact Jan Ortego at [email protected] or at extension 5771. Following is a schedule of programs, criteria for participating (as established by CPTP), and a short description of each program:

CPTP CLASSES TO BE OFFERED AT SOUTHEASTERN Spring 2008 (All classes will be held from 8:15 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. in University Center Room 139 unless otherwise noted. Classes limited to certain employee categories are noted in red at the bottom; otherwise, they are open to all employees)

April 28, 2008 Course: DEVELOPING A MOTIVATED WORK GROUP (1 day)

This 1-day class examines motivation and goal setting as components of managing work group performance. Participants will learn how to link goal setting with individual action plans, strategies, objectives, and goals of the agency. Participants will be able to diagnose motivation-related performance problems. Class exercises will enable participants to use practical techniques to improve and maintain motivation. This is a required course in the Certificate for Managing People. This class is open to all levels of management and to those with special permission from their agencies. April 30, 2008 Course: EFFECTIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES (1 day) This 1-day class explores strategies for resolving or managing interpersonal conflict in the workplace. Participants will learn about causes of conflict, the appropriate use of different conflict management styles, and how to apply collaborative, win-win techniques. May 5, 2008 Course: Correcting Performance Problems (1/2 day * 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) This 1/2-day class is designed to provide participants with the necessary skills for addressing recurring or serious performance problems to help an individual get their performance back on track. This class is open to all supervisors and managers, and those with special permission from their agencies. May 6, 2008 Course: DEALING WITH CHANGE (1 day) This 1-day class will help participants implement strategies and techniques to help themselves adapt to various changes in their work situations. Participants will learn how to identify areas of resistance and negative mental models, apply a model for individual transition in order to learn how to manage their reactions to change, apply techniques that will foster creativity and innovation during the change process, and identify ways to be proactive during the implementation of changes.

May 12, 2008 Course: Individual Differences and Diversity in the Workplace (1 day)

6 This 1-day class will look at the value of individual differences and identify obstacles to achieving diversity in the workplace. Participants will learn how to apply basic requirements of employment laws to work situations, compare and contrast different cultures, examine the diversity climate of the work group or organization, plan and implement organizational practices to maximize the advantages of diversity, and create a climate in which all employees' contributions are recognized. This class is designed for first-line supervisors whose jobs fall OUTSIDE of the traditional office environment. Examples of these job categories include, but are not limited to, trades/crafts, maintenance, security, health care, production, transportation, and food service.

May 14- 15, 2008 Course: PROFESSIONALISM & PRODUCTIVITY FOR NON-SUPERVISORS (2 Days) This 2-day class is designed to provide participants with the tools and strategies necessary to enhance their professionalism while also increasing their level of productivity. Elements of professionalism covered include professional behavior, communicating as a professional, managing conflict as a team professional, personal organization and productivity, and personal goal setting. This class is open to non-supervisory employees only. May 20, 2008 Course: PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE (1 Day) This 1-day class provides a foundation to help participants address the basic service needs of their customers. Participants will learn how to assess individual situations to identify potential opportunities for providing service. They will also learn specific strategies to help them meet the needs of customers working within Louisiana state government. Additionally, participants will learn strategies for dealing with difficult, challenging customers. Also, this class will help employees learn methods for utilizing appropriate and available resources within their agencies.

RECRUITING NEWS

Search Procedures Update Recently, changes in the search and hiring process have been made and many forms have been updated on the Human Resources web site. We encourage you to view the updated checklists for hiring. Links to the checklists are provided below. http://www2.selu.edu/documents/policies/full_time_faculty_hiring_cklist.pdf http://www2.selu.edu/documents/policies/full_time_unclassified_hiring_cklist.pdf http://www2.selu.edu/documents/policies/temp_unclassified_hiring_cklist.pdf http://www2.selu.edu/documents/policies/gachecklist.pdf http://www2.selu.edu/documents/policies/part_time_lecturer_hiring_cklist.pdf

The link below will take you to the employment forms menu. Please note that the Southeastern Background Check Authorization Form has been changed. We ask that you please use the updated form when sending to your candidates. http://www.selu.edu/admin/hr/forms/employment_forms.html http://www.selu.edu/admin/hr/documents/preemploymentapp.doc

Should you have any questions related to the search process, please contact Paulette Smith, HR Recruiting Analyst, at extension 5496.

Online Applications Coming Soon! 7 The Human Resources Office is very excited to announce that on January 31, 2008, we began the implementation of an online applicant tracking system with PeopleAdmin, Inc. to streamline and automate our job requisition, employment application, and position management processes. Watch for online applications coming this summer!