Exerpts from the January Academic Council Meeting (IFS)

Update on staff fee privileges. The proposal is that "Employees may "transfer" this benefit to one family member per term in accordance with the following conditions." Following is the rule (I am not including the fee calculation section.) "On approval of the president or designee of the teaching institution, the staff fee is available to a qualified family member or domestic partner of employees appointed at half-time or more (not including temporary classified employees. Employee qualification will be verified through Human Resource System records. To qualify for this fee, the family member or domestic partner must meet the criteria no later than the first day of classes of the term of enrollment. For purposes of this policy the term "family" includes spouse and dependent children in accordance with IRS code and "domestic partner" is defined as per Section One of the Public Employees Benefit Board Affidavit of Domestic Partnership. The employee will verify the qualification of the family member or domestic partner. The maximum number of credits to which the staff fee may apply is 16 credits per quarter or semester. See exception for retired employees and staff members on leave. (Section d OAR 580-022-0030). Only one staff member, family member or domestic partner within a family may use the provisions of this policy per term. The provision may not be subdivided during a term." Some questions were raised: Is it only the individual institutions faculty/staff that can participate at that institution or is it to be across OUS? How much independence of individual campuses is there? The presidents are to endorse it 21 January. Notice for public hearings will go out. Board will hear it at the February meeting and plans to adopt it at the April meeting.

Finally, the PEBB update. Most likely is a carving out within PEBB for OUS. John Moseley and George Bernsteiner are to work with the PEBB board on a carve out. There has been an initial meeting and the next is 24 January. The other option is a total pullout and 3 vendors are already to bid on contracts but they are worried about the time line and whether they will have an opportunity for long term participation because of the swiftness of the action necessary and that the future is not entirely clear just now.

Paul E. Simonds, Academic Council Representative 


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