August 2002Volume 1

The SLU Human Resources Office Newsletter

HUMAN RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTS

COMPREHENSIVE HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES


Contents

1

  • New Employee Orientation
  • Graduate Assistant Orientation
  • Authorization and Requests for Fee Waivers for Summer and Fall 2002 Semesters
  • Benefits Fair
  • Optional Term Life And Personal Accident Insurance
  • Office of Group Benefits PPO News
  • Office of Group Benefits Introduces SeBOIS
  • TRSL
  • Shared Sick Leave
  • University Awards Ceremony
  • SLU Training
  • Ethics Issues

1

NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION

New Employee Orientation for unclassified staff and classified staff will be held on Monday, August 19, 2002 in the University Center, room 122. Orientation will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast and will conclude at 11:30 a.m. Invitations will be sent to all new employees who have not attended orientation. If you have any questions please contact Carol Cooper at extension 5435 or email ccooper @selu.edu.

New Faculty Orientation will be held on Monday, August 19, 2002 in the Alumni Center beginning at 8:00 a.m. The Human Resources part of the New Faculty Orientation will be held in the University Center, room 122 at 1:00 p.m. and will conclude at 2:15 p.m. If you have any questions please contact Carol Cooper at extension 5435 or email ccooper @selu.edu.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT ORIENTATION

Orientation for new graduate assistants for the Fall 2002 session will be from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 19, 2002 in the University Center, room 122. Each GA must bring the original and a xerox copy of their driver’s license and social security card, and a voided check for direct deposit. International students must also bring the original and a xerox copy of their passport, visa, I-94, I-20 and work authorization. Students who do not have a social security card must apply for one prior to being set up on the payroll system. If you have any questions concerning graduate assistant employment please contact Rissie Cook at extension 2347.

AUTHORIZATION AND REQUESTS FOR FEE WAIVERS

FOR FALL 2002 SEMESTER

All requests for Authorization to Take University Classes and Fee Waivers for qualified employees and dependents must be submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than the last day of late registration for Fall 2002. As a reminder, the last day for late registration for Fall 2002 will be on August 28, 2002.

Please note any changes to your classes require a revised form be submitted to the Human Resources Office as soon as possible.

If you have any questions regarding Fee Waivers or Authorization to Take Classes, please contact Sue Jones at extension 2057 or email or visit our website at:

Please send the completed forms to the Human Resources Office, SLU 10799. The Human Resources Office is located in Building NCHR, on North Campus in Room 106.

BENEFITS FAIR

The Fall Benefits Fair will be Monday, August 19, 2002 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in room 125 of the University Center. All employees are encouraged to attend the Benefits Fair to meet with the vendors and obtain information about employee benefits. No health insurance carrier changes can be made at this time.

BENEFITS FAIR

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

*************************************************************

During the Benefits Fair on August 19, 2002, several of the vendors will be giving brief presentations in room 104. This would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about these plans or to have your specific questions answered.

The following is a schedule of vendors and the designated times: (subject to change)

TIAA-CREF
Optional Retirement Plan/403(B)
9:30 AM
approximately 30 minutes / AMSOUTH BANK
Checking/Savings
10:00 AM
approximately 30 minutes
OFFICE OF GROUP
BENEFITS
Optional Life Insurance
Prudential
10:30 AM
1:30 PM
approximately 1 hour each

OPTIONAL TERM LIFE AND PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE

IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH

THE OFFICE OF GROUP BENEFITS AND PRUDENTIAL

To enroll, please come by the Human Resources Office, Building NCHR, Room 106.

Optional Term Life Insurance

***Employee Coverage***

During the Open Enrollment period that begins on August 1, 2002, no evidence of good health satisfactory to Prudential is required if you are currently enrolled in Basic or Basic Supplemental or if youapply within 30 days of your hire date with the university. Coverage is available for one, two or three times your currentBasic or Basic Supplemental coverage amount, not to exceed $200,000. The amount of insurance reduces 25% at age 65 and 50% at age 70.

Dependent Term Life Insurance

***Spouse and Child(ren) Coverage***

You must be enrolled for Optional Term Life to elect coverage for your dependents. Spouse and child(ren) coverage is available in increments of one, two or three times the amount of Dependent Term Life coverage they currently have in the Basic or Basic and Supplemental plans.

  • Spouse: If you enroll during the Open Enrollment period or within 30 days of eligibility, no evidence of good health satisfactory to Prudential is required.
  • Child(ren): No evidence of good health is required satisfactory to Prudential.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)

(also known as Voluntary AD&D)

Employee, Spouse and Child(ren) Coverage

  • Employee: Coverage is available in increments of $10,000 to $150,000.
  • Family: (includes employee and all dependents):

Spouse Only: Your spouse’s coverage amount is 50% of your PAI coverage amount.

Child(ren) Only: Your child(ren)’s coverage amount is 15% of your PAI coverage amount.

Family: Your spouse’s coverage amount is 40% of your PAI coverage amount. Your child(ren)’s coverage amount is 10% of your PAI coverage amount.

Coverage for all of the above plans will end on your termination of employment or retirement. Insurance may be converted to a Prudential individual life insurance policy or you may continue your group insurance coverage through a portability provision.

For more information, please come by the Human Resources Office, Building NCHR, Room 106, or call 549-2057.

OFFICE OF GROUP BENEFITS PPO NEWS

The following hospitals have contracted with the Office of Group Benefits PPO network in Region 6 effective July 1, 2002.

AHS Summit Hospital, 17000 Medical Center Dr., Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge General Medical Center, 3600 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge General Medical Center, 8585 Picardy, Baton Rouge

Earl K. Long Hospital, 5825 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge

Lane Memorial Hospital, 6300 Main St., Baton Rouge

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, 7777 Hennessy Blvd., Baton Rouge

Pointe Coupee General Hospital, 2202 False River Dr., New Roads

River West Medical Center, 59355 River West Dr., Plaquemine

St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 West Highway 30, Gonzales

West Feliciana Parish Hospital, 5266 Commerce St., St. Francisville

Woman’s Hospital Foundation, 9050 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge

NOTE: OUR LADY OF THE LAKE HOSPITAL HAS SIGNED WITH THE OFFICE OF GROUP BENEFITS PPO NETWORK EFFECTIVE 7/1/2002.

OFFICE OF GROUP BENEFITS INTRODUCES

SeBOIS

STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEM

Effective July 1, 2002, The Office of Group Benefits introduced a new website design which they refer to as SeBois. The web address to access is The new design will allow plan members to register using their personal information then log on using their own login and password to look up claims history and member information. OGB has provided a tour, which will walk plan members through the site indicating key components and useful tools. Although the design is different, members can still search for providers online, get premium rates as well as up-to-date benefits information.

For more information concerning the new website please contact the Benefits Office at 549-5451.

TRSL

New Rehired Retiree Law: Effective July 1, 2002 all TRSL retirees must wait 12 months before returning to work. If a TRSL retiree returns to work before the required 12 month waiting period, their retirement benefits will be suspended for the duration of the employment or the lapse of the 12-month waiting period, whichever occurs first. The new law also provides that the retiree will continue to receive full retirement benefits, with no limitation to salary earned if they are reemployed after waiting the required 12 months. Unsheltered retirement contributions will be deducted from the retirees pay during the reemployment period. These contributions may be refunded at the retiree’s request at the end of the employment. (This law does not apply to Disability retirees).

TRSL will soon be offering a new type of retirement plan, the Alternative Contribution Plan, (ACP) to all new Regular Plan members beginning January 1, 2003. It will also be available to current Regular Plan members who have less than five years of service credit and who were first hired on or after July 1, 1999. The ACP will combine features of the defined benefit and defined contribution plans, according to the Internal Revenue Code,

section 401 (a). TRSL will provide seminars to explain the new plan through a third party administrator, Educational Technologies, Inc. ETI will provide on-site seminars, informational videos, a website calculator or a toll free call center.

TRSL has added a new feature to their website. Employees can now use the online benefit estimate calculator located at Employees are reminded that this is an unofficial projection of their TRSL benefits and the data entered is not matched against the TRSL account database. Official retirement estimates may be requested through the Benefits Office.

For additional information you may also contact the Benefits Office at 549-5655.

SHARED SICK LEAVE

Southeastern Louisiana University has a Shared Sick Leave Program to be used by faculty and/or unclassified staff employees. A summary of the University Policy is:

Shared Sick Leave is leave hours donated by faculty and/or unclassified staff into a shared sick leave pool to be used by fellow faculty and/or unclassified staff who are suffering from their own serious health condition which has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or to terminate employment. Faculty and/or unclassified employees may irrevocably donate sick leave to the shared sick leave pool.

For those faculty and/or unclassified staff who are interested in donating a portion of their sick leave to the Shared Sick Leave program please complete a Leave Donation Form. The full policy and the Leave Donation Form are located on the Human Resources Website at Once the form is completed, it should be forwarded to the Controller’s Office for processing.

UNIVERSITY AWARDS CEREMONY

The Awards Ceremony to honor employees who have 25, 30, and 35 years of service, the President’s Excellence Award Winners, and the recipients of the Emeritus Awards will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 at Twelve Oaks Cafeteria. In addition, Dr. Savoie and representatives from the Board of Regents will attend to present the endowment checks. The reception will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will be followed by the program, which will begin at 1:45 p.m. in the Pottle Auditorium.

SLU TRAINING

In an effort to maintain accurate employee training records, the University has developed a Training Questionnaire. This training should include any conference, seminar, certification or license you have received. The Training Questionnaire can be found on the Human Resources website at Once the form is completed, it should be emailed to or faxed to the Human Resources Office at 549-2308. If a certificate of completion is received, it should also be sent to the Human Resources Office by fax or through campus mail at SLU 10799. If you have any questions concerning the questionnaire, please contact Carol Cooper at extension 5435 or email .

ETHICS ISSUES

Nepotism

The employment of relatives is regulated by the State of Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, Part II, Section 1119. Nepotism. listed below.

  • No member of the immediate family of an agency head shall be employed in his/her agency. (Immediate Family: Children, brothers, sisters, parents, spouse, and the parents of spouse.)

Prohibited Contractual Arrangements

Participation in certain transactions involving the governmental entity is regulated by the State of Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, Part II, Section 1112.B (1).

  • No public servant, except as provided in R.S. 42:1120, shall participate in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any of the following persons has a substantial economic interest:

(1) Any member of his immediate family. (Immediate Family: Children, brothers, sisters, parents, spouse, and the parents of spouse.)

Gifts

Soliciting or Accepting gifts or gratuities is prohibited by the State of Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, Part II, Section 1115.A(1&2).

  • State employees are prohibited from soliciting or accepting, anything of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person if the employee knows or reasonably should know that the person:
  • Has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with Southeastern Louisiana University.

1