Action items subject to the early deadlines include:

• All electronic time sheets must be submitted in Murphy to your supervisors for approval by noon Monday, Nov. 23.
• All paper time sheets must be received in Payroll by noon Monday, Nov. 23.
• Time clock correction sheets and vacation requests for the Stromberg time clock system must be turned in to the time clock administrators by 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23.
• All electronic approvals must be done in Murphy and Stromberg by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23.
• All new Student Employment Forms must be submitted and approved by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All non-base-comp Web pages must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All employee action forms, including new employee, transfers and terminations, must be submitted by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All other employment change requests must received by Human Resources by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All insurance and annuity change requests must be turned in to the Benefits Department by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All direct deposit and payroll deduction forms must be turned in to the Payroll Department by Friday, Nov. 20.
• All payroll check mailing-address changes must be completed in Murphy Online by Friday, Nov. 20.

Pay items received after the deadlines printed above will not be processed on the Dec. 4 paycheck. They will be processed on the following payday, Dec. 18.

Dr. Jan Hansen, School of Education, delivered an invited lecture that she and Dr. AnnMarie Thomas, School of Engineering, prepared for the “New Voices in Creativity and Intelligence” conference Nov. 2 at the University of Kansas. The lecture, “Creative Applications in Engineering Education,” was the first conference at KU to invite noted psychologists, researchers and educators to present with a selected group of graduate students serving as “new voices” to the field. 

Dr. Michael Hennessey, School of Engineering, presented a research paper, “Brachistochrone on a 2D Curved Surface u=Using Optimal Control,” at the 12^th IASTED International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Control Nov. 4 in Cambridge, Mass. The paper, co-written with Dr. Cheri Shakiban of the College of Arts and Sciences (Mathematics Department), represents a modern look at an extension to an old problem in mechanics from a control theory perspective – the “brachistochrone,” or minimum-time route. The extension can be thought of as how to ski down the mountain in minimum time, knowing the equation of the surface of the mountain. This work also has formed the basis of several Center for Applied Mathematics summer projects over several years with undergraduate students Jake Maida, Aaron Hagstrom and Natasha Wright.

Dr. John Holst, College of Applied Professional Studies, is the author of “The Revolutionary Party in Gramsci’s Pre-Prison Educational and Political Theory and Practice,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Education Philosophy and Theory.

Dr. Ameeta Jaiswal-Dale, Opus College of Business (Finance Department), was invited to present her paper “Total Risk Evaluation for Capital Budgeting in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Clinical Study of the BTC Project,” at the annual meeting of  the Academy of International Business-Southeast  last month in Jacksonville, Fla.

Dr. Shersten Johnson, College of Arts and Sciences (Music Department), is the author of an article, “The Intellectual and Inspiration: Sounds of Sense and Sensuality in Aschenbach’s Venice,” published in the International Journal of Arts in Society (Vol. 4, No. 2). This paper examines the nature of inspiration as portrayed in Benjamin Britten’s opera, “Death in Venice,” especially with regard to the effect of Venice as a place of artistic stimulation. The article draws on metaphor theory to explain how we conceive of bursts of insight as gestures, and how music can amplify these embodied notions of creativity.

Dr. Matthew Kent, College of Arts and Sciences (Philosophy Department), delivered an invited lecture Oct. 17 at the annual meeting of the American Kinlein Association in Cable, Wis. Kent’s talk on “Connaturality” was well received, earning him an invitation to give another lecture at the 2010 Kinleiners’ meeting. This year’s lecture was Kent’s third address to the Kinleiners in the past four years.

Sheik Odeh Muhawesh, College of Arts and Sciences (Theology Department), is the author of an article in the November issue of the Jordanian magazine Ash-shari’ah. The article explores how to tackle monotheism and the Trinity while respecting the boundaries of the respective faiths. Muhawesh is a member of the board of advisers for the Muslim Christian Dialogue Center.

Dr. Lalith Samarakoon, Opus College of Business (Finance Department), is the author of The Financial Market of Sri Lanka, published by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka. The book was written in Sinhala, the main language of Sri Lanka. It provides the theory and practice of the stock market, the Central Depository System, the SEC, stock market indices, stock market returns, valuation and selection of shares, financial statement analysis, government debt securities, corporate debt securities, unit trusts and derivative securities. It is the only comprehensive book available on the Sri Lankan market.

Dr. Britain Scott, College of Arts and Sciences (Psychology Department), delivered a keynote address on “Teaching Psychology for Sustainability: The Why and How of Greening Your Psychology Course” at the Iowa Teachers of Psychology conference Nov. 6 in Pella, Iowa.

Dr. Scott Wright, College of Arts and Sciences (History Department), had a weekend homily published in the fall issue of The Oblate, the newsletter of the Benedictine Oblates of St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville. Wright is also a deacon serving at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in South St. Paul.

We apologize for this inconvenience.  Please check IRT’s Alerts page for updates regarding this issue.

Did you know that if each full-time UST employee gave $2 per pay period, $78,000 would be raised to give back to the broader community?

Did you know that:

• $3 per pay period provides one hot meal each week for a hungry person or basic school supplies for three homeless children?
• $5 per pay period provides preventive oral health care for three preschoolers or one day of labor toward improving national park trails?
• $10 per pay period provides critically needed food for local food shelves, or summer workshops for 20 girls and boys to write and perform a play based on their experiences and concerns?
• $20 per pay period provides safe housing for two months for a homeless mom and her children while the mother establishes a work history, or a work-study position for a law student to assist an attorney in recovering missing pensions, allowing seniors to remain financially independent?

Did you know that the official end to the university’s Charitable Giving Campaign is Friday, Nov. 13, but that the Office for Mission will accept donations at any time during the year? 

Did you know that if you have not already done so, you can still print the pledge form found on the Charitable Giving web site, complete it, and send it to the Office for Mission (AQU104)?

Did you know that donations can be made by cash, check or through payroll deduction either as a one-time deduction or spread over 26 weeks?  

Did you know that this year new contributors to the campaign or those who increase their donation by 5 percent over last year’s donation are eligible for the Charitable Giving Drawing? To be eligible return your pledge form to the Office for Mission by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. A list of donated items for the drawing, including a luncheon for five employees hosted by Father Dennis Dease, president of St. Thomas, can be found on the Charitable Giving web site.

Mother Teresa once said, “If you can’t feed 100 people, then just feed one!” Can you help us feed at least one person?

Quentin Moore ‘09, Enrollment Services, was one of 10 local writers selected to participate in the 2009-10 Givens Black Writers Collaborative Retreat Program Nov. 12-15. Moore and the other nine writers will join national mentoring writer Ishamel Reed, a renowned American poet, essayist and novelist, and state mentoring writer Laurie Carlos, an Obie award-winning actress and theater artist. The 10 writers, who range in experience from emerging to mid-career, were selected through a competitive submission and panel-review process. According to the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, sponsor of the retreat, “These writers demonstrated a commitment to the writing life and represented provocative and energetic voices of the literary arts scene in Minnesota.”

Dr. Mark Neuzil, College of Arts and Sciences (Communication and Journalism Department), is the author of “Yielding Questions,” a summary of a debate on biofuels, greenhouse gas emissions and land use change as it relates to agriculture and yields. The article was published in Momentum, the quarterly publication of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, where Neuzil is an associate fellow.

James Rogers, Center for Irish Studies, is the author of an article, “Old Men in Graveyards: Joseph Mitchell’s Dialogue With Seumas O’Kelly,” in the spring  issue of the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies. The article examines intertextual relationships between a 1956 work of literary nonfiction by New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell and a 1918 work of fiction by the Irish writer O’Kelly.

Dr. Teresa J. Rothausen-Vange, Opus College of Business (Management Department), is the lead author of the article, “Are All the Parts There Everywhere?  Facet Job Satisfaction in the United States and the Philippines,” published in Asia Pacific Journal of Management (Vol. 26). Her co-authors are Jorge A. Gonzalez and Andrea E.C. Griffin.  The paper reports empirical results of survey research comparing what is important to job satisfaction and retention in the two countries.

Dr. Martin Warren, College of Arts and Sciences (English Department), is the author of an article, “The Quakers as Parrhesiasts: Frank Speech and Plain Speaking as the Fruits of Silence,” published in the journal Quaker History (Vol. 98, No. 2). The article examines parrhesia (the frankness and boldness of speech) employed by George Fox and his early Quaker followers.  Parrhesia is a verbal activity that leads a speaker to express his or her personal relationship to truth, and in doing so risks the speaker’s life because the speaker recognizes truth telling as a duty to improve or help other people. Warren also was a guest speaker on a two-hour Spirit Quest Radio program on medieval mystics. This was Warren’s second time this year working with Spirit Quest radio.

Dr. Scott Wright, College of Arts and Sciences (History Department), has six essays in the Historical Encyclopedia of American Business (Salem Press, 2009). The subjects include: “Beef industry,” “‘Coolie’ labor,” “Eugene V. Debs,” “Fur trading and trapping,” “Granger Movement” and “Meatpacking industry.”

This year’s annual enrollment is important for hourly employees as they are eligible to participate in the Employee Purchase Leave Time program (EPLT).  Information can be found in your annual enrollment packet or online here. This program allows hourly employees to purchase additional time off in calendar year 2010 beyond their normal leave time (PLT) accrual. 

Changes in coverage made during the annual enrollment period become effective Thursday, Jan. 1, 2010. Participants must remain enrolled in their selected health-care option until the following year. 

Medical Insurance

UST is self-insured, which means the university acts as its own insurance company, paying all claims and bearing the risk of the plan. Blue Cross of Minnesota administers UST’s medical plan.

Medical premiums for the 2010 plan year were initially projected to increase by 12.3 percent over the 2009 rates. This increase did not take into account the projected $340,000 deficit in plan cost for 2009. Together with the Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee (FBAC), Human Resources Department staff made several plan design changes in order to more closely align the health-care plan with those of other Twin Cities employers. By making several modest plan changes, we were able to reduce the premium increase from 12.3 percent to 7.5 percent for 2010. 

Unlike previous years in which employees and UST shared all premium cost increases equally, St. Thomas will absorb a larger percentage in 2010 — that is 10 percent for UST and 3.2 percent for employees.

Changes to the medical plan include:

Pharmacy Co-Pays

• Co-pays for generic drugs will continue to be covered at $15 or less.
• Co-pays for brand name drugs on the formulary list will increase to $35.
• Co-pays for brand name drugs not listed on the formulary list will increase to $60.

Annual Deductibles

• Gold Plan – Deductible for Employee only coverage will increase to $300. 
  • Deductible for Employee+1 & Employee + Family coverage will increase to                          $600.
• Silver Plan – Deductible for Employee only coverage will increase to $600.
  • Deductible for Employee+1 & Employee + Family coverage will increase to   $1,200.
• Bronze Plan – Deductible for Employee only coverage will increase to $1,200. 
  • Deductible for Employee + 1 and Employee + Family coverage will increase           to $2,400.
• HDHP Plan – Deductible for Employee only coverage will increase to $2,400. 
  • Deductible for Employee+1 & Employee + Family coverage will increase to   $4,800.

Platinum Plan Co-Pay Changes

• Physician Office visit co-pays will increase to $35.
• Emergency Room visit co-pays will increase to $100.

Dental Plan Changes

• There will be no increase to premiums in the dental plan. 

Vision Plan Changes

• There will be no increase to premiums in the three vision plan options.

Information Sessions

For employees interested in learning more about the UST benefits program are invited to attend one of the following employee meetings:

General Annual Enrollment Information Sessions Remaining

• Monday, Nov. 9 — 8-9 a.m., St. Paul, MHC 155
• Wednesday, Nov. 11 — noon-1 p.m., Minneapolis, TMH 301
• Monday, Nov. 16 — noon-1 p.m., St. Paul, MHC 154

Health Savings Account (HSA) Info Session

• Thursday, Nov 12 — noon-1 p.m., St. Paul, JRC 126

You are required to complete the online enrollment process if:

• You wish to participate in health care reimbursement, dependent care reimbursement or health savings accounts for 2010.
• You wish to change your medical plan option or level of coverage.
• You wish to change your dental plan level of coverage.
• You wish to waive coverage for medical or dental coverage in 2010.
• You wish to add, delete, change plan option or change plan coverage for vision insurance.
• You previously waived medical and/or dental coverage and you wish to enroll in 2010.
• You need to add or delete a spouse or dependent.

For more information contact the Benefits Office, Human Resources Department, at (651) 962-6497 or by e-mail at jame7033@stthomas.edu.

Beginning Nov. 15, staff and tenured faculty have 90 days – until Feb. 15, 2010 – to notify Academic Affairs (for faculty) and the Human Resources Department (for staff) of their interest in participating in the respective programs. The programs for tenured faculty and staff are slightly different.

This version of each retirement program will provide participants with payments equal to one year of their salary and up to three years of health care coverage at their St. Thomas employee rate.

To be eligible, individuals must meet the following criteria on the date of application to the program:

• Be age 55 or older.
• Have a combined age and years of full-time service with the University of St. Thomas equal to or greater than 70 (e.g., age 55 and 15 years of service or age 60 and 10 years of service).
• Have completed at least 10 years of continuous full-time service with the university.

For purposes of determining eligibility under the programs, applicants must meet age and length of service criteria as of the date of their application.

Nontenured faculty, staff covered by a labor contract and temporary employees (including adjunct faculty) are not eligible to participate in the programs.

Retirement must occur on or before May 31, 2010, for tenured faculty and on or before June 30, 2010, for staff.

Payments in the form of salary continuation will be made for one year on a biweekly basis beginning the first pay period after the retirement date. All other university employee benefits, except for the optional health care insurance and any benefits mandated by statute, will cease at the time of retirement. Retirement contributions will not be paid during the salary continuation period.

A request for early retirement must be initiated voluntarily and in writing by an eligible faculty or staff member. In the case of tenured faculty, his or her dean must approve the request. The appropriate member of the Academic and Administrative Leadership Group must approve requests from staff. Final approval must be given by the appropriate executive vice president, who has the ability to limit the number of participants in the program based on the needs of the university.

Positions vacated due to faculty or staff participation in the programs must remain vacant for at least one year.

The complete plans and application forms are available on the Department of Human Resources Web site. You also can contact Joe Kreitzer, Ext. 2-6032, for inquiries related to tenured faculty, and Edna Comedy, Ext. 2-6511, for questions related to staff participation.

These loans will be available until Dec. 22, 2009, and can be had in addition to the credit union’s regular signature loan. The $40,000 cumulative loan limit to any one member is still in force.

The Santa Special loan can be written for a maximum of $1,000, at 10 percent interest, with a term of one year. Loan payments can be made by automatic payroll deduction at either UST or St. Thomas Academy, or by monthly over-the-counter check payments. Depending on how many days there are between loan distribution and the first payment, payments for $1,000 will be approximately: $40.50 for 26 UST payroll payments, $43.87 for 24 STA payroll payments, or $87.91 for 12 monthly payments. There are no prepayment penalties.

Loan applications are located in a rack across the hallway from the credit union office at Room 209, Loras Hall, or one can be sent. To request an application, call (651) 962-6660 or e-mail the Credit Union.

Guidelines and policies for staff participating in off-campus activities sponsored by VISION and the International Education Center were developed and approved last April and finalized recently.

Staff who accompany study-abroad and service trips perform a range of leadership responsibilities under the auspices of the Office for Mission (VISION program) or the International Education Center (off-campus programs and courses).  Duties include providing support for students and for leadership teams, given 24-hour responsibility for these programs and courses.

Policy highlights include:

• Eligible exempt and nonexempt employees who participate in these programs must meet all state and federal laws and institutional policies, successfully complete a thorough background check, receive advance approval from their supervisor and appropriate member of the Academic and Administrative Leadership (AAL) group, meet program qualifications and undergo training as necessary. Staff are approved to take VISION trips once every three years.

• Employees approved for VISION trips are placed on paid leave for up to three weeks. If a trip exceeds three weeks, an employee must use his or her paid leave time or vacation.

• A staff member who serves as assistant directors for an International Education Center-administered course is placed on paid leave for the duration of the course.

• Hourly employees must be paid for all overtime while working on VISION trips.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact the Human Resources Department, (651) 962-6510