HR News

Open Enrollment, the annual period when University employees make their benefit choices for the coming year, begins Monday, Oct. 29, and continues through Friday, Nov. 9. This is the only time of year when individuals may elect or change their coverage for many benefits, unless they experience a qualifying life event.

The first of several information sessions will be held on Friday, Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m. in Heroy Auditorium in the Heroy Geology Laboratory. For additional information sessions, office hours, benefit newsletters and other details, visit the dedicated Open Enrollment website.

Open Enrollment will be conducted online through MySlice beginning Oct. 29. Computer kiosks are available during normal business hours inside the Office of Human Resources in the Skytop Office Building to provide additional computer access for online enrollment. For other locations, review the ITS website.

Additionally, Human Resources will host the annual Benefits Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. Attendees can take advantage of free flu shots, stress reduction techniques and healthy living information. They can also learn more about the many services and resources available to employees and retirees. Complimentary parking is available in Booth Garage and University Avenue Garage, with shuttle service. For directions, visit parking.syr.edu/category/lot-directions.

Questions about Open Enrollment, benefits, the enrollment process or the Benefits Fair may be directed to the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042.

Open Enrollment, the annual period when University employees make their benefit choices for the coming year, begins Monday, Oct. 29, and continues through Friday, Nov. 9. This is the only time of year when participants may elect or change coverage for many benefits, unless they experience a qualifying life event.

In an Oct. 17 email to benefits eligible faculty and staff, Andrew R. Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, shared information and updates about the University benefits package for 2019. Some important highlights include the following:

• For the second year in a row, employee per-paycheck contributions for the medical plan will remain the same.
• There will be no increases to existing deductibles, copays or coinsurance for SUBlue, SUOrange or SUPro.
• There will be reduced copays for outpatient treatment related to mental health and substance use in SUBlue and SUOrange.
• Biofeedback services will be offered as a new benefit under the medical plan when deemed medically necessary by a prescribing physician.
• There will be an expansion of the Dependent Care Subsidy, including a greater subsidy amount, an expansion of the age range of eligible dependents and an increase in the annual household income threshold used to determine faculty and staff eligibility. The application deadline for 2019 participation in the program is Dec. 7.
• A new two-year commitment cycle for the University’s dental and vision plans will start Jan. 1, 2019.
• Dental rates, set by Delta Dental, will increase for the first time in five years. However, the University will increase its annual dental subsidy of dental coverage from $100 to $110.
• Vision rates will decrease by 4 percent, and the contact lens allowance will increase by $20 when using a VSP network provider.
• Employee contributions for supplemental life insurance will decrease by 15 percent, and during this open enrollment only, employees may increase their supplemental life insurance coverage by one level (or elect the lowest increment if not currently participating), capped at $250,000, without requiring a statement of health.
• Employee contributions for dependent life, supplemental AD&D, and voluntary long-term disability insurance will have no rate increases or plan design changes.

Beginning on Monday, Oct. 22, all of the relevant information—including plan and rate details, dates for information sessions and office hours, and answers to frequently asked questions—will be posted online at openenrollment.syr.edu.

Employees who have any immediate questions about Syracuse University benefits can contact the HR Service Center by phone at 315.443.4042 or by email at hrservice@syr.edu.

Syracuse University Health Services and the Office of Human Resources, in collaboration with the Onondaga County Health Department, will continue their partnership to offer free flu vaccines to the Syracuse University community. This year, Health Services will be immunizing with the quadrivalent flu vaccine to protect against four strains of influenza viruses versus the trivalent flu vaccine given in past years.

There are several upcoming opportunities for students, faculty and staff to get the flu vaccine on campus; mark your calendars for this important step in preventing the flu this season.

For faculty and staff:

• Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Flanagan Gymnasium
• Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 621 Skytop Rd., conference room 1051
• Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Employee Benefits Fair, Goldstein Auditorium, inside Schine Student Center
• Thursday, Nov. 8, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Newhouse 1, Miron Special Events Room 303

For students:

• Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Flanagan Gymnasium
• Students will receive email notification about additional clinics that will be set up at Health Services as well as various residence halls around campus.
• Flu vaccinations are also available to students at the pharmacy at Health Services on a walk-in basis.

Individuals must present a valid SUID at the clinic to receive the vaccine. Temporary employees may show an alternate picture ID. No appointments are necessary.

In addition to on-campus flu clinics, Syracuse University medical plan participants have alternative options for receiving the flu vaccine, as well as other vaccines.

For general questions about the flu vaccine or if you are a student with questions, please call SU Health Services at 315.443.9005. Faculty and staff with eligibility questions, please contact the University Wellness Initiative at 315.443.5472 or wellness@syr.edu.

These clinics are not open to SUNY ESF students, faculty and staff.

The Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services has named Alyssa Campbell as its new director of equal opportunity and inclusion. Campbell, who served as a labor and employment/higher education attorney with Bond, Schoeneck, & King, started at the University on Aug. 6.

In her new role, Campbell will work collaboratively with University leadership and Human Resources to create and implement strategies to further foster a culture of inclusion. She will provide advice, counseling and conflict resolution services to employees in matters relating to a range of employee relations issues; investigate complaints of discrimination and bias; conduct internal audits of the University’s recruitment and other employment practices; and serve as a liaison with compliance agencies.

Campbell will also pay a strategic role in the development and implementation of the University’s Affirmative Action Plans and Vets 4212 (a federal reporting mandate regarding the hiring of veterans), as well as in the implementation of individual administrative and academic units diversity plans.

“We are pleased to welcome Alyssa to Syracuse University and the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services. She brings tremendous knowledge and experience to the role that is so critical in ensuring fairness and inclusiveness on our campus,” says Sheila Johnson, associate vice president and chief Equal Opportunity and Title IX officer. “Alyssa is another recent addition to our staff that has been developed to work with our partners and employees across campus that will encourage and sustain the University as a welcoming place to work.”

Campbell, who earned a J.D. degree in 2014 from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, counseled private and public sector employers on a variety of labor and employment law claims at Bond, Schoeneck, & King. Her work took her in front of both state and federal courts and various administrative agencies, including the EEOC, New York State Division of Human Rights, PERB, the NLRB and federal and state departments of labor. She also handled cases involving colleges and universities and matters of ADA and 504 compliance accommodations.

“I am so pleased to be working as part of the team with the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services,” Campbell says. “They are doing important work in elevating inclusion and respect across campus and throughout the University’s workforce, and I believe I can help make a difference in furthering their mission.”

Prior to her time at Bond, Schoeneck, & King, Campbell was a legal intern at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C., and at the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. She also served as a judicial intern with the Hon. David N. Hurd, United States District Court, Northern District of New York.

Syracuse University has received notification from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that the University successfully retained its accreditation status. In the notification letter, the commission commended the University for the quality of its self-study process and noted that the next eight-year evaluation visit would take place in 2026-27.

The notification culminates an exhaustively comprehensive two-year-long self-study process that directly involved more than 140 faculty, staff and students and incorporated input from all campus constituencies. The commission’s action to reaffirm accreditation was based on the University’s self-study report, submitted by the reaccreditation steering committee last December, and the findings of a team of representatives from Middle States-accredited peer universities who visited campus last March. During that visit, the team determined whether the information in the self-study report and supporting evidence accurately reflected the reality on the ground.

“We are pleased that Middle States has reaffirmed our accreditation status,” says Provost Michele Wheatly. “This important process is critical to assuring the future success of our university, our faculty, staff and students. This affirmation sends a message to the public that Syracuse University is committed to maintaining the highest standards of excellence and to operating in a way that solidly aligns with its vision and mission. I am grateful to the steering committee and the administrative team that drove this effort, and I thank them for their hard work. They really did an outstanding job.”

Like all Middle States-accredited universities, Syracuse must undergo the full self-study process every eight years and a midpoint peer review every four years in order to retain its accreditation. In addition to serving as a public indicator of quality and accountability, accreditation is required in order for the University to be eligible for any federal funds, including federal financial aid for its students.

In an effort to meet the growing needs of faculty, staff and graduate students, and to continue to attract and retain skilled team members, Syracuse University is expanding benefits offered to assist with child care, elder care and other family needs. Following a recommendation of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion to provide better support for families, the Benefits Advisory Council (BAC), a diverse representation of the campus community, assessed current needs, reviewed best practices and presented findings intended to ease pressures on families regarding availability, accessibility and affordability of dependent care.

For faculty and staff, the new subsidies will benefit a greater number of families by increasing the household maximum eligibility for the subsidies and the dependent age limit, as well as the actual annual amount of the subsidies. Also, a newly designed online resource will provide a central hub for helpful information families are seeking to support their needs. Plans also include an increase in the child subsidy amount provided to graduate students.

“We are grateful for the thoughtful approach taken by the Benefits Advisory Council as they looked at ways to alleviate some of the stressors on our employees in balancing work/life issues,” says Andrew Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “Part of the solution is to bring together in one place information that can help families, an on-line resource where they can become more aware of the many options available to them.  Another part of the solution is to provide more subsidy support to help offset the growing pressures on families faced with child care and other dependent care needs.”

Gordon says the steps being taken now and the changes to the Child Care Subsidy Program that will become effective January 1, 2019, are part of a continuous effort to support the changing needs of families. Details of the newly expanded subsidy programs include:

Faculty and staff

• Broadening the number of eligible families by increasing the annual faculty and staff household income maximum from the current $100,000 to $150,000;
• Providing increased financial assistance for faculty and staff by raising the annual tax-free child care subsidy for children under age 6 from $1,000 to $1,500 per child;
• Providing additional support for older children of faculty and staff, ages 6 to 12, who may need after-school or other care with a new annual tax-free subsidy of $750 per child;
• Providing increased support for faculty and staff caring for an elder or disabled dependent with a new annual tax-free subsidy of $750 per dependent; and
• Increasing the annual cumulative household maximum tax-free subsidy for faculty and staff from $2,000 to $3,000.

Graduate Students

• Doubling subsidy support for graduate students earning less than $65,000 from $500 per child to $1,000 per child under age 6, raising the maximum subsidy per family to $2,000. This program will continue to be run by the Graduate School Office, with the same application process. As required by federal law, the subsidy is taxable.

As many of the University’s graduate students have or are starting families, Peter Vanable, dean of the Graduate School, says this increased subsidy is essential to providing greater support to this important population.

“Our graduate students are critical to the University’s short- and long-term success, from both student experience and research excellence perspectives,” says Vanable. “This increased subsidy, combined with our recent efforts to enhance healthcare benefits at a reduced cost, will allow us to better support our graduate students, both current and future.”

A central hub of information and resources available to help employees access Work Life Benefits and Resources provided by the University, includes caregiving and child care resources, adoption assistance and financial consultation, among other areas of interest.

The Benefits Advisory Council and other campus constituents have identified a growing gap in the demand for child care among faculty, staff and graduate students, and the availability of child care resources.  A feasibility study will be launched in the fall to thoroughly assess options for addressing that gap.  Further, the BAC will explore opportunities for expanding elder care benefits and ways to assist employees with aging parents and other dependent adults.

A cross-functional team continues to make progress to introduce timesaving systems to improve timekeeping and core HR transactions. This technology will bring new, simpler processes that result in the quicker inputting of more accurate data, ultimately allowing employees to spend less time on administrative functions and more time on their individual priorities. With the assistance of operational leaders and a knowledge network of department administrators, the project remains on track for a July 30 go live.

Technology Solutions and Benefits

The timekeeping process change brings more efficiency and reliability to the way individuals track their time, whether they are hourly or salaried employees reporting vacation. The system replaces the iJAN (Job Action Notice) and Appointments tools with simpler online forms designed for each transaction. The streamlined system is also mobile-friendly and provides flexibility for managers and employees.

Many core human resources transactions, including approvals, position requests, hiring and mid-year compensation changes will be simplified. Security for viewing data and approving transactions can be tailored for each school, college or administrative unit to ensure reliability and confidentiality of the data.

Training Sessions Available

A number of training opportunities and resources are now available for individuals who currently use the system to perform their job responsibilities or will in the future. The schedule for July is posted on the Answers website.

Individuals who should attend these training sessions will receive more information through their operational leaders, as well as email and other campus communications channels.

Questions?

To learn more about the project, visit the Answers website. Contact the HR Service Center with questions at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu.

As the shared reading program gets underway for all first-year and transfer students entering this fall, the campus community is invited to get involved too. Free copies of Trevor Noah’s memoir “Born A Crime” are now available at the Syracuse University Bookstore for current students, faculty and staff with valid SU I.D.

To obtain your complimentary copy of “Born A Crime,” visit the Customer Service Desk on the third floor of the Bookstore and present your valid SU I.D.

Those who read the book are also encouraged to consider facilitating a five-week discussion session with new students during the fall semester. Discussion groups will be co-led by a student peer facilitator and a lead faculty, staff or graduate student facilitator. Additionally, training facilitators with previous dialogue experience are needed to train peer and lead facilitators. Facilitators will be compensated and receive training.

The Syracuse Reads shared reading and discussion sessions are part of efforts to enhance the first-year experience by engaging new students in shared reflection and discussion about themes of identity, belonging, diversity, inclusion and health and wellness. Campus community members are invited to host their own discussions or book club readings with colleagues as well.

For more information on the Syracuse Reads Program and the First-Year Experience Initiative, contact Amanda Nicholson and Kira Kristal Reed, co-chairs of the First-Year Experience Initiative.

In an effort to modernize decades-old timekeeping systems and improve core Human Resources transactions (e.g., iJANs and Appointments), cross-functional teams are working to introduce new, simpler processes and one modern system. The upgrades are planned for launch on July 30, and MySlice will remain the main access portal. This project will bring more efficiency and reliability to the way employees record their time, whether they are hourly employees tracking time or salaried employees reporting exceptions. The improved system replaces paper punch cards, paper timesheets and manual data entry with technology to swipe ID cards or online entry including mobile devices.

The system and process changes are designed to reduce administrative burdens across the university.

Training and reference materials to prepare student employees, faculty and staff for the change will be released in July, and additional support will be in place as the 2018-19 academic year gets underway.

Interested in learning more about the role of the new system and the changes it could mean for employees? Here’s an overview of what you need to know:

How will timekeeping change for hourly employees?

Currently, timekeeping for hourly employees varies by department, with some using time clocks and punch cards and others using paper timesheets that an administrator manually enters into the system. After the July 30 system launch, time will be recorded directly by employees electronically via a computer or mobile device, or in other cases, by swiping ID cards in time clocks at venues like the Dome.

Will salaried/exempt employees need to record their time every day?

Salaried/exempt employees will not need to record their time daily or weekly, but will use the system to input their time off, including vacation and sick days.

Which HR transactions will be handled through the new system?

HR transactions previously conducted via iJAN or Online RAP will now be conducted in the new system. Managers will be able to easily view employee information including leave accruals. In addition, they will be able to request new positions, address vacancies, access job descriptions and request compensation changes. The ability to conduct these transactions will be limited by department rules based on administrative roles

Will managers who rely on administrative support staff to conduct iJAN and Appointment transactions be expected to perform the function themselves after July 30?

The intent is that the system will be easy enough that managers and supervisors will be able to initiate transactions themselves via simple online forms that capture the necessary information HR needs. They will also be able to easily track where a specific transaction is in the process. Depending on the rules of their particular department, administrative support staff may be able to initiate these responsibilities as well.

How will timekeepers and administrative support staff with significant job responsibilities in these areas be affected?

At the university level, we expect the overall administrative burden and activity to be reduced as a result of the system’s advanced technology. How that translates to the individual level will vary based on department and other job duties. For some employees, their workload may not change, but may become easier to manage. For others, the new technology may free their time up to engage in other important activities and functions that advance the mission of the University and the Academic Strategic Plan. The specifics of those changes may not become apparent until after the new system goes live.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.