UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Human Resources

Flex Plan Participants Take Note

please_noteAs a reminder to all Flex Plan participants, the U.S. Treasury Department has modified the Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA) “use-it-or-lose-it” provision to allow carryover of Health Care FSA funds. Beginning with the 2014 plan year, all savings under the plan must be used by December 31, 2014, with the exception of up to $500, which can be rolled into the 2015 plan year and used throughout 2015. There will no longer be a 2.5 month grace period as in years past.

For more information contact HR at hr@up.edu.

Brown Bag Lunch Session: Stress Management, Nov. 19

hThe human resource office will host a brown bag lunch session on “Stress Management,” presented by Cascade EAP, in the Chiles Center Hall of Fame room on Wednesday, November 19, from noon to 1 p.m. The presentation will be just in time for the busy and often stressful holiday season. Bring your lunch and join us! For more information contact Andy Sherwood, human resources, at 8981 or sherwood@up.edu.

TIAA-CREF Counselor on Campus This Week

please_noteThe University’s TIAA-CREF investment counselor for employees, Preston Watts, will be on campus a number of times this winter for individual financial counseling sessions. The next one-on-one counseling sessions will take place this week on November 11, 12, and 13 in Orrico Hall room 101. Go to www.tiaa-cref.org/schedulenow or call TIAA-CREF at (877) 842-2028 (press 5) to schedule an appointment today.

For more information contact Andy Sherwood, human resources, at 8981 or sherwood@up.edu.

Retirement Brown Bag Series: Understanding Social Security Income, Nov. 4

hThe Office of Human Resources is coordinating a five part series focusing on developing a holistic approach to retirement readiness. This series is geared towards faculty and staff who are 55 years of age or older. The next session, “Understanding Social Security Income,” will take place Tuesday, November 4, noon to 1 p.m., in the Terrace Room in Bauccio Commons. Please feel free to bring your spouse or significant other. Refreshments will be provided. For more information about this educational series visit the hr website at http://tinyurl.com/oeuop5w.

Open Enrollment Begins

University of Portland Nursing Department Promotion ImagesOpen Enrollment for the 2015 plan year will take place beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 3, and will end at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2. All benefits eligible faculty and staff will receive an e-mail link to the enrollment tool and new rates later today. Please see the Open Enrollment page for more information.

For more information contact Andy Sherwood, human resources, at 8981 or sherwood@up.edu.

TIAA-CREF Counselor on Campus Nov. 11-13

please_note-feb-24-2The University’s TIAA-CREF investment counselor for employees, Preston Watts, will be on campus a number of times this winter for individual financial counseling sessions. The next one-on-one counseling sessions will take place on November 11, 12, and 13 in Orrico Hall room 101. Go to www.tiaa-cref.org/schedulenow or call TIAA-CREF at (877) 842-2028 (press 5) to schedule an appointment today.

For more information contact Andy Sherwood, human resources, at 8981 or sherwood@up.edu.

Tuition Remission Due Nov. 15

please_noteFaculty and staff applications for tuition remission can be accessed through the human resources website at www.up.edu/hr/, according to Bryn Sopko, human resources. The application deadlines match deadlines in student accounts, so please keep these dates in mind:

  • Spring term: November 15
  • Summer term: April 5
  • Fall term: July 1.

Please note that there are separate tuition remission application forms for undergraduate and graduate course work, and that any graduate level tuition remission benefits will be taxable to the employee on the value above $5,250 for attempted credits and subject to applicable withholdings, and will be reflected on the W-2 form of the tax year the remission was applied. A summary on tuition remission and links to the online forms are available at http://tinyurl.com/c8f6j2x. For more information contact human resources at 8981 or hr@up.edu.

Nominate Colleagues for Annual Staff Awards, Oct. 13-30

awardsThe nomination period for staff awards will be October 13 to October 30, with the winners announced at the Staff Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 18, according to Bryn Sopko, human resourses. The nomination form can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ousfjpd.

For more information contact HR at 8981 or hr@up.edu.

Annual UP Wellness Fair, Oct. 30

_1aWellness150The annual Wellness Fair sponsored by human resources will take place on Thursday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Terrace Room. Representatives from the University’s benefits carriers such as Kaiser, MODA, Flex-Plan, EAP Cascade, Life Insurance carriers, and TIAA-CREF will be joined by community health vendors including West Coast Fitness Center, Kenton Wellness Center, the American Cancer Society, and others. Come and enjoy healthy snacks from New Seasons, a chair massage, ear acupuncture treatments, raffle prizes, and more.

For more information, contact Andy Sherwood, human resources, at 8981 or sherwood@up.edu.