Category: Announcements

From the Office of Human Resources.  Please contact Lynne Lee at llee5@umw.edu  with any questions.

Reminder:  TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012 is the deadline for the CLD Bonus Submissions

Recognition bonuses for certifications, licenses, and degrees (CLDs) are available for administrative faculty, non-probationary classified, and wage employees who have recently received a certification, license, or degree. 

To find out if you or your employees qualify and to process the request follow the steps below or visit the website: 

1. Determine if the certification, degree, or license was earned between the qualifying dates (see chart below) and meets the program guidelines outlined in the policy and in the CLD Checklist  (attached).

CLD_Checklist 

2. Complete the Recognition Award Notice Form (attached) CLD_Recognition_Award_Notice and include the required documentation listed below (must be attached for submissions to be considered).

Certifications – Copy of the certification and attached CLD Checklist

Licenses – Copy of the license and attached CLD Checklist

Degrees – Official or unofficial transcripts 

3. Obtain the appropriate approvals. Employee’s supervisor and the Cabinet VP for the area will have to approve the request using the attached CLD Checklist and Recognition Award Notice Form CLD_Recognition_Policy_061.

4. Submit the required documentation to Human Resources by January 31, 2012. Completed Recognition Award Notice Form with attached documentation and all required signatures should be submitted to Lynne Lee in the Office of Human Resources/Fairfax House by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2012.

Bonus issuance is contingent on budget availability.  All approved bonuses will be issued to the employee within 30 days of approval.  

For more information or clarification on the process, please contact Lynne Lee at llee5@umw.edu or 654-1215. 

Lynne H. Lee, PHR

Human Resources Analyst

Benefits and Employee Relations

1301 College Avenue

Fairfax House

Fredericksburg, VA 22401

540/ 654-1215

The following message has been sent on behalf of Meta R. Braymer, Vice President for Economic Development and Regional Engagement: 

Carolyn Chewning, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Regional Engagement, has decided that she is ready to retire after more than 17 years of dedicated service to the University.  Please join us on Monday, January 23, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Dodd Foyer as we say thank you, give our congratulations, and bid a fond farewell.  All faculty and staff are invited to attend this special occasion and to send Carolyn off with our best wishes.

Dear Colleagues: 

Please find attached Gov budget highlights-12_19_11 a summary report on the Governor’s budget recommendations related to higher education and the University of Mary Washington.  The Governor’s budget will be considered by the 2012 General Assembly, which convenes on January 11, 2012 and, as such, is subject to change through the legislative process. 

Overall, the Governor’s budget is very favorable to higher education through its support of goals identified in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 (TJ21).  We are very appreciative of the Governor’s support for higher education and are grateful to see new funding after several years of declining state support.

Please keep in mind, however, that our biggest budget challenge for next year is to find a permanent replacement for the federal stimulus funds that were provided on a temporary basis to help mitigate the impact of significant reductions in State funding.  Beyond any State mandated use requirements in the final state budget, new funding will first be allocated to balance our operating budget.  Simply put, funds that are not State restricted for specific uses, will be directed to fill the gap in the University’s budget left by the loss of federal stimulus funds.  In so doing, we will establish a solid financial foundation for building support and continued development of our strategic plan in the ensuing years. 

As a result, Vice Presidents and budget managers will not be asked to submit proposals for new or expanded programs that require new funds in the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013).

If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or Paul Messplay, Executive Director for Budget and Analysis. 

As President Hurley has said many times, the effort and performance of our faculty and staff continues to be outstanding in spite of the limited resources available to all of us.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication. 

With best wishes and hopes for the New Year. 

Rick

The following message is from Human Resources:

Update for All Anthem Policy Holders

(This notice does not apply to Kaiser Permanente Members)

It is official:  as of January 1, 2012, Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) has terminated its provider network agreements with Anthem.  Mary Washington Hospital, including the hospital’s emergency room, Stafford Hospital, including the hospital’s emergency room, the Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center, and Snowden at Fredericksburg are no longer in-network providers for Anthem.

The complete list of Mary Washington Healthcare facilities and their Anthem status is located at http://www.marywashingtonhealthcare.com/images/stories/graphics/facilitieslist.pdf.  This does not impact the MWHC physician offices, the Mary Washington Freestanding Emergency Department at Lee’s Hill, or the Sleep and Wake Disorders Center- Fredericksburg.

Since agreements weren’t reached, Mary Washington Hospital, Stafford Hospital, the Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center, and Snowden at Fredericksburg are now considered out-of-network providers under Anthem’s Health plan. Click here for a list of alternative Anthem in-network providers for the Fredericksburg Area.

For employees with out of network coverage:  Employees who elected the “out-of-network” buy up coverage option of the health plan will be covered if they choose to be treated by the MWHC out-of-network facilities. Normally, when receiving services at an out-of-network provider, you would have a higher out-of-pocket responsibility; however, to avoid any monetary disruption to the Anthem members with out-of-network benefits in the community,  Mary Washington Healthcare has committed to honor the in-network benefits.  MWHC will not charge the employee for any costs beyond what their in-network responsibility would have been, thus MWHC will honor in-network deductibles, co pays and co insurance.  Simply stated, you can continue to receive services at the MWHC facilities that are out-of-network with Anthem without incurring any additional out-of-pocket expenses.

How payments are processed for out of network providers:  Please be advised that MWHC will continue to submit claims to Anthem and will bill the patient directly.  Because Anthem does not make direct payments to any out-of-network providers, there is a good chance that Anthem will send the payment to the policy holder to pay the bill.  In these cases, please be sure that MWHC receives the payment.

For employees without the out–of–network coverage:  You will need to first contact Anthem at 1-800-552-2682 to request an exception of coverage for services at one of these out-of-network facilities.  Attached is a list of alternative Anthem in-network providers for the Fredericksburg Area.

For employees who want to change plans or elect out-of-network coverage:  Employees will have the opportunity to change plans or elect out-of-network coverage during the annual Health Benefits Open Enrollment this spring, unless there is a qualifying mid-year event under DHRM policy. To see current costs, you may visit  http://www.dhrm.state.va.us/hbenefits/openenroll11/Premiums2011.pdf  Cost is subject to change each year.  Changes made during open enrollment will be effective July 1.

If you have forgotten which coverage you have:  To confirm whether you elected out-of-network coverage, you may…

• log into EmployeeDirect to review your health benefits election at https://edirect.virginia.gov/EDL/Start.aspx. You will need your employee ID number (which is located on your health card), your date of birth, and create a password; or
• contact Anthem (1-800-552-2682); or
• contact our Benefits Office (X1210 or X1215).

Mary Washington Healthcare has updated their website with FAQs at the following link to assist you in this transition:  http://www.marywashingtonhealthcare.com/awards-a-accreditations/878-attention-anthem-patients. You may also contact the MWHC Anthem hotline number at 540-741-1010 or click here for a PDF version. Anthem’s FAQ’s are available at https://anthemgroup.postclickmarketing.com/Global/FileLib/disruptions/MW-FAQs.pdf.  The Anthem hotline number is 1-866-263-0361.

REMINDER:  In an emergency situation, please call 911 and you will be taken to the closest, most appropriate emergency department.

The university’s gift policy is as follows:

Receiving Gifts From Vendors:

Vendors sometimes seek to express their appreciation for the University’s business by offering gifts, food, meals and invitations to parties. This can especially be true during the holiday season. The University’s Policy states that such offers are inappropriate and consequently are not accepted by the Purchasing and Central Stores staff. We strongly encourage all UMW faculty and staff to abide by this policy.

The University is a member of the National Association of Educational Buyers and endorses and supports its Code of Ethics.  In keeping with that Code and the Laws of the Commonwealth, and in the spirit of a professional public entity, the employees of the University cannot accept gifts of any kind from vendors.  The University, as an Agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and its employees are subject to the Virginia Comprehensive Conflict of Interests Act as well as the Virginia Public Procurement Act.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and support of this policy.   Vendors can best convey their appreciation by continuing to promptly provide high-quality goods and excellent, reliable services at the best possible prices.

Giving Gifts

Gifts are allowed to be given only if the reason for giving the gift supports the mission of the university and UMW is in compliance with IRS and state regulations.  Read the Gift Giving Policy and Procedures on the Accounts Payable website before making any gift purchases.

For more information, visit http://adminfinance.umw.edu/ap/gift-giving/.