The purpose of the Classified Staff Advisory Council is to promote its constituency; review, initiate and make recommendations on appropriate issues, policies, and procedures; foster and facilitate communications among members; and provide opportunities for professional growth.
The recommendations of the Council are submitted to the university President or his designated representative.
CSAC Online Nominations
Monday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 28th, 2013
CSAC Online Elections will be held:
Monday, May 13th through Sunday, May 19th, 2013
2013 Nominations and Elections support letter form President Hopkins can be found here.
Charter & Bylaws can be found here.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to Jodi Blacklidge at ext. 3974.
Opers Board approves one-year delay on new retiree health care plan
The OPERS Board of Trustees approved a one-year delay in the implementation of a new retiree health care plan adopted last year. This one-year delay applies to all the components of the new plan with a few exceptions.
The following components of the new health care program will NOT be delayed for one year:
- Qualifying service credit: OPERS will apply the new rules for which types of service credit will qualify in 2014.
- Medicare Part B premium reimbursement: OPERS will retain our scheduled reduction of the Medicare Part B reimbursement in 2014.
- Disability 5-year rule: Members who retire under a disability retirement Jan. 1, 2014, or later will be subject to the 5-year limit on access to health care.
- Elected withdrawal: Retirees who voluntarily elect to withdraw from the OPERS health care plan on or after Jan. 1, 2014 cannot re-enroll.
- Minimum earnings: Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, contributing service credit for health care will be accumulated only if the member earns at least $1,000 per month.
Key components being delayed by one year to Jan. 1, 2015:
- New eligibility rules: The new program will require members to have at least 20 years of service and be at least 60 years old to qualify for health care or have 30 years of service at any age.
This means that members have an extra year to decide whether or not to retire under the current eligibility rule of 10 years of service. Members must not be on their employers’ payroll later than Nov. 30, 2014, in order to qualify for OPERS retiree health care with 10 years of service.
- Allowance transition: The new health care plan will base the allowance given to participants for their monthly premiums on age and service. There will be a three-year transition for participants to the new allowance tables.
The delay means that the transition will run from 2015 to 2017. Plan participants and their spouses will retain their current allowance through 2015. In 2016, the difference between the current allowance and the new allowance will be reduced by one third. In 2017, the difference will be reduced by two-thirds. The new allowance will go into effect in 2018.
Key component being delayed one year from Jan. 1, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016:
- OPERS Medicare Connector: The new health care plan includes a connector model for Medicare-eligible members, in which a licensed professional helps the member choose a plan that can be paid for with the allowance received from OPERS.
OPERS is making these timing changes so that current members and retirees can have more time to prepare. The delay also will allow us more time to educate members and communicate the details of the new retiree health care plan. Please click here to view a video featuring OPERS Health Care Director Marianne Steger sharing the reasons behind these changes.
Please click here to access a summary of the health care plan approved last year and a breakdown of which components are and are not affected by the implementation delay.
Classified Staff Open Forum
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Time: 2:00 - 4:00pm
Place: E156 SU
Strategic Plan
Suggestions can be made here.
Classified staff smoking task force
CSAC has been asked to form an ad hoc committee to review possibilities and bring forth a recommendation on a campus smoking policy. Any classified staff interested in participating on the committee, both smokers and non-smokers are needed, please contact the committee chair Sue Artz-Bevan at extension 2250.
Information on meeting times and dates will be provided to volunteers as soon as it is available.
Classified and Unclassified Staff Open Forum
Open Forum 2 hour video - Click on the "News and Information" tab and then on the "USAC CSAC Open Form" presentation.
Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2012
When: 11am - 1pm
Where: 156 Student Union
There will be a Classified and Unclassified Staff Open Forum with Dr. Henry Limouze, Associate Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs. Please mark this date on your calendars and plan to attend. More details will be released closer to the open forum.
If you have a question for the Staff Open Forum prior to October 9, you may submit it anonymously by completing an online form. Submit your question>>
Classified Staff "Compensation 101"
Held: September 24, 2012
Please watch the presentation here. Click on "News and Information" tab, and then "Compensation 101 Classified Staff".
The power point presentation can be found here.
2012 CSIC Donation- May 15, 2012
Town Hall Meeting - May 2, 2012
June 12, 2012
To Classified Staff,
It has been about a month since the Staff Town Hall (to view the video - click on "News and Information" then on "USAC & CSAC Town Hall Mtg" here find the PowerPoint presentation here). Staff Council wants to be sure to keep you updated about the progress we've made since the meeting. We will be providing regular reports, so please keep the comments and questions coming, and stay tuned for further updates.
Staff Council has collated the comments and questions from the Town Hall. We met with Dr. Henry Limouze to discuss the comments and create a plan for responding to the issues you brought forth.
Dr. Limouze has agreed to review the list and identify the issues he has already begun work on or feels can be addressed quickly. He had planned to have this list completed, but his work chairing the search committee for the Vice President for Multicultural Affairs & Community Engagement has delayed completion of his list. Staff Council recognizes the importance of this search as it is integral to the university’s diversity strategy and, by extension, represents progress toward addressing the diversity concerns expressed at the meeting.
In the meantime, Staff Council is reviewing the list of issues to identify core themes or root causes. A number of the issues involve concerns about Human Resources. In light of this fact, we are also reviewing the Huron and internal audit reports recently conducted for HR. At the same time, we are working with Henry, the Provost and HR to assess the effectiveness of the Human Resources Subcommittee that was initially created to address the HR issues identified in the 2008 Staff Survey.
We recognize and share your frustration with many of the issues raised at the Town Hall. We know that frustration has its roots in years of seeing inaction and vague responses to our concerns. However, we urge you, even as we remind ourselves, to be patient. Our frustrations about the past do little to change the very real present circumstances.
HR, in particular, is hard-pressed at the moment due to staffing issues that are both systemic and circumstantial. Personal and family illnesses and key losses to the staff have created enormous pressures to meet the many demands on their time. That many of us have experienced similar personal setbacks and professional demands should encourage our compassion rather than inflame our impatience.
There are tangible positive signs that bode well for future improvement. The administration is supporting Al Boggs’ plan for reorganizing the department to put the staff in a better position to provide effective and timely service. The plan calls for increases to HR staff. While these increases merely reverse some of the losses HR has sustained, they are a positive step toward addressing our concerns.
Similarly, HR has approached Staff Council to take part in a two-pronged benefits initiative. The first step of the initiative is to provide a “Benefits 101” presentation to enhance our understanding of benefits terminology and issues. The second step involves participation in a focus group to help HR determine an appropriate benefits mix. We would like to thank HR for their willingness to work with us.
Staff Council, USAC, and CSAC will be meeting over the summer, so we hope to have more progress to report to you next month. In the meantime, we’re happy to accept your comments, suggestions, and questions. Contact Kym Sellers at (937) 231.9232 or kym.sellers@wright.edu or any Classified Staff Advisory Council member.
Sincerely,
Kym Sellers, CSAC Chair and David Bringhurst, USAC Chair
