University president Fr. Mark Poorman, C.S.C.. and interim VP for financial affairs Eric Barger have notified the UP community that, in the face of unprecedented financial shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University would be pausing employer contributions to retirement plans. Consistent with these prior messages, the Office of Human Resources will have a notice about this change mailed to all employees. You can also access a pdf of this notice at this link: Notice About Change of University of Portland’s Employer Contribution Rate for Retirement Plan.
As well, it has been a difficult week with the wild fires in Oregon. If you need any type of support, please let us know in Human Resources so we can support you.
Support available to all employees
Campus Ministry – ministry@up.edu, (503) 943-7131
Employee Assistance Program (free and confidential) – www.up.edu/hr/benefits/eap, (800) 433-2320
Human Resources – hr@up.edu, (503) 943-8484
Sandy – chung@up.edu, (503) 943-8484 (office), (310) 779-2406 (cell phone)
The University of Portland will not be implementing the payroll tax deferment program announced three weeks ago by 
Eric Barger, associate vice president for finance and controller, has been selected for the 2020-21 National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Fellows Program, a one-year professional development opportunity for a small group of promising higher education leaders in business and finance.
To facilitate easier transaction coding and to improve financial controls, the controller’s office has asked Barnes & Noble to discontinue having open departmental accounts at the University bookstore, according to 
Given the possibility of an inclement weather-related campus shutdown this week, Eric Barger from the Office of the Controller would like to remind University employees of the payroll policy that applies to such days. Hourly employees must record holiday time for any closure days for which they are usually scheduled and record regular time for time during which they work. When the two overlap, you are paid for both the holiday and the time worked – effectively double-time. Note that if you pick up an extra shift and work on a holiday or shutdown day for which you not regularly scheduled, you should record both regular and holiday (you’ve been added to the schedule that day, so it becomes a “scheduled shift”). The details are below. Another way to think about this is that the “shutdown” days are now treated just the same as holidays have been treated all along. We will no longer use the “floating holiday bank” system for shutdown days.
For many years, the University has been able to sell Tri-Met bus and light rail passes through the Office of Public Safety, including subsidized monthly passes. Unfortunately, due to the imposition of new federal taxes on transportation discounts and changes in Tri-Met administrative processes, we can no longer offer this benefit to our students, faculty, or staff. There is a limited inventory of books of 10 individual tickets that public safety will sell until they are gone.
With the holidays rapidly approaching, the controller’s office would like to make the campus community aware of the following:
Beginning in July of this year, the State of Oregon is levying a 0.1% state-wide transit tax on all salaries and wages. UP employees will see a new deduction code, “SWT” (for state-wide transit) on paychecks beginning July 20. The July 5 and 10 paychecks are payments for work performed in June and are, therefore, not subject to this tax.
As we begin the holiday season, all departments should take note of a new policy adopted by the President’s Leadership Council with respect to employee recognition, awards, and events, according to Eric Barger, controller. This new policy was adopted to ensure compliance with tax regulations, appropriate use of University resources, and equity across the departments of the University. A significant point in the new policy is a general prohibition on the use of gift cards as gifts to employees. There may be infrequent exceptions to this general rule, and in those circumstances departments must have officer approval in advance and give notice to the Controller’s Office (so that the value of the card may be included in taxable income).