September 2014: Vol. 2, No. 3

Committee Highlight: Fringe Benefits

Raising awareness of benefits available to all staff

Did you know that the SAC Fringe Benefits Committee has been active in:

• More than doubling the number of Lactation Rooms around campus
• Identifying gaps in the benefits afforded LGBTQ CWRU employees
• Allowing CWRU retirees the ability to keep their CWRU email addresses
• Increasing the Tuition Reimbursement maximum from $2000 to $2500 (effective July 1, 2014 – a joint project with the SAC Policy Committee)

The Fringe Benefit Committee is not only interested in “what’s next” in terms of what the university can provide to its employees, but also in making employees more aware of what benefits we already have. Through interactive feedback from staff and faculty, the Fringe Benefits Committee hopes to be well-positioned to meet the changing needs of the CWRU community.

The Fringe Benefits Committee is seeking input from staff members. If you have comments, feedback, or questions about these issues, contact: fringebenefits@case.edu. If you would like to attend a meeting, the Committee meets from 12-1pm on the third Tuesday of every month in Crawford 720.

Member Highlight: Tracy Wilson-Holden

Hockey mom, distance runner, and Fringe Benefits guru

A busy mom of 12 year old identical twin boys who play hockey, Tracy Wilson-Holden is originally from the Pittsburgh, PA, area where she earned both an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and a MS in Audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. In spite of her love of Pittsburgh, she describes herself as a “huge Cleveland Indians fan.”  On top of her home and work responsibilities, Tracy has managed to find time to run five half marathons!

Tracy joined the CWRU family 9 years ago. In her current role as the Director of Research Integrity and Education within the Office of Research Administration, Tracy provides educational programming, and manages cases of misconduct in research at CWRU. Tracy felt honored to lead the team that reinstated the Research ShowCASE after it had taken a brief hiatus. Her favorite campus memory was seeing the glowing faces of students whose accomplishments and hard work were being celebrated by the CWRU community during the Research ShowCASE.

Tracy is no stranger to extending a helping hand to serve on the Staff Advisory Council. Believe it or not, Tracy actually started attending Fringe Benefit Committee meetings before she was even an elected member of SAC so that she could learn more about the University’s tuition benefits! (Note: Members of the CWRU community are welcome to attend SAC meetings.) Tracy values the opportunity to collaborate with the Faculty Senate and the Human Resources Department to institute positive changes for all CWRU employees on campus. Thanks for your service, Tracy!

Fringe Benefits Highlight: Tuition Benefits

The Staff Advisory Council Newsletter will now include a regular column, Fringe Benefits Highlight. As part of the new series, there will also be a short survey designed to gauge staff members’ experiences and solicit input regarding fringe benefits available at CWRU.

Tuition Waiver (employees, spouses and dependent children): Employees, as well as spouses and dependents of employees, have an opportunity to pursue their education at Case Western Reserve University through the Tuition Waiver Program.
http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/benefits/education.html

Tuition Reimbursement (employees): Tuition reimbursement is available to employees who cannot take advantage of Tuition Waiver because job related courses are not available at the university, and/or the employee cannot get release time for the job related courses at the university. Employees may receive up to $2,500 per fiscal year (July 1-June 30) for job related courses at a degree granting institution other than Case Western Reserve University. Employees may apply for a tuition waiver ora tuition reimbursement during any one semester/quarter, but not for both during the same semester/quarter.
http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/benefits/education.html

The Tuition Exchange (dependent children): Case Western Reserve University is a member of The Tuition Exchange (tuitionexchange.org), a consortium of more than 600 private and public not-for-profit colleges and universities, representing 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several other countries that provide tuition assistance to dependents of individuals who work at participating schools.
http://case.edu/financialaid/undergraduate/tuitionexchange/

Please take a minute to complete the short survey on your use of and experiences with tuition benefits.

Did you know?

The following are applicable to all staff members:

Wellness @ CWRU

Faculty and staff can participate in three wellness activities this fall to qualify for a $25 monthly Wellness Premium Incentive in 2015 if they elect Benelect medical plan insurance. Registration is available now for onsite biometric screenings offered by Quest Diagnostics beginning Sept. 15 at We.BlueprintForWellness.com. Onsite screenings will be offered on multiple days through November in various locations on campus.

The Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) is now available at case.edu/hra and will be available through Nov. 12th for the onsite screenings. Any benefits eligible faculty or staff member can complete the questionnaire this year to receive an individualized, private results report. The Tobacco Attestation Form will be available for completion during the annual Benelect open enrollment period in November. All three activities will need to be completed by November 30 to be eligible for the $25 monthly Wellness Premium Incentive throughout 2015. Faculty and staff that elect Benelect medical plan coverage for 2015 and complete all three activities by the due date will also be eligible to obtain one or two $100 Wellness Program Incentives in 2015 by participating in various wellness programs. Contact wellness@case.edu or 216.368.5790 with questions.

Case Western Reserve University will offer a free tobacco cessation series to faculty and staff Sept. 3 through Oct. 22 for those who want to quit using tobacco products. The eight-week sessions are available throughout the year. A representative from ease@work, the university’s Employee Assistance Program vendor, will lead each session. Each tobacco cessation meeting will be from noon to 1 p.m. in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, room 320. Registration is required. To register, email Valerie Clause at vclause@easeatwork.com or call 216.325.9323.

Individual coaching also is available through a Tobacco Cessation Quit Line Program. The Quit Line Program offers benefits-eligible employees science-based tools and resources to take control of the habit. Participants are five times more likely to succeed than someone who does not enroll. Participants can enroll by calling 1.800.QUIT.NOW.

PNC Banking at CWRU

PNC Bank offers a complete set of money management tools and special benefits to CWRU students and employees to help you achieve your financial goals. To start enjoying the many benefits of a PNC Student Banking or a Work Place Banking account, select from the additional information on the website or call PNC's University Circle Office at 216.791.9696 for more details.

SAC General Council Minutes

Minutes are posted on the SAC Website. All staff are invited to attend General Council Meetings. The 2014-2015 meeting schedule is as follows: 

October 24, 2014, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room 
December 5, 2014, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room 
February 27, 2015, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room 
April 17, 2015, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room 
June 12, 2015, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room 
August 14, 2015, 10:00-11:30, Toepfer Room

Upcoming Events

Case for Community Day - Friday, September 19, 2014

School Supply Drive in conjunction with Case for Community Day

Steps for Staff - Friday, October, 3, 2014
3:00pm, Adelbert Gym, $15

Benefits Fair - November 5-6, 2014

SAC Community Service Committee Basket Raffle in conjunction with Benefits Fair