From: DDDH Send Date: December 11, 2006 12:08:39 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Terminal Benefits Reply-To: DDDH Send TO:                  Deans, Directors and Department Heads   FROM:            Patricia A. Gill                         Human Resources   RE:                  Terminal Benefits   In the past, academic employees were allowed to extend their official last day as an employee by use of vacation following their last actual day worked.  For example, an employee might state their last day at work would be May 10th, but they were applying vacation thru May 31st, which would be their last date as an employee.  During the extension, no vacation or sick leave accrued and holidays were not applied.  In most cases, the employees did this to extend their insurance coverage.   The state agency, Central Management Services (CMS) which administers health insurance for state universities insists that May 10th be the day insurance coverage ends.   • In a recent CMS review of a particular case, a discrepancy between University practice and CMS rules was called to the University’s attention.  CMS rules state that a member’s coverage terminates “on the last day of active employment.”  Further, CMS language notes that terminal vacation and/or sick leave are not to be considered when calculating the member’s last day of employment for insurance coverage purposes.  Within 14 days of the last day of work, CMS will send a letter to the member regarding COBRA rights.  Members have 60 days from the date of that letter to elect COBRA coverage.    Therefore, effective immediately, be aware that the Benefits Service Center will be submitting the actual last day of work as the termination date for insurance benefits.  It is important that terminating employees are informed that the terminal vacation period will not extend benefits/insurance coverage.   Why is this important to an employee who is leaving the University? • An employee may have a coverage gap between the last day he or she works at the University and the start date at a new employer.  Vacation time cannot be used to cover this gap. • Employees could fail to complete and return the COBRA enrollment form within 60 days of receiving the CMS notice, thereby forfeiting all COBRA rights.   Please adjust your units’ procedures accordingly and communicate this important change to those you employ, those who are leaving the University and those who process separations in your unit.From: DDDH Send Date: December 12, 2006 10:34:03 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Library Extended Hours Reply-To: DDDH Send Richard J. Daley Library, Dec. 10-14: EXTENDED HOURS Sunday: 1 p.m. - midnight Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – midnight   Please note: ONLY THE 1ST FLOOR OF DALEY IS OPEN BETWEEN 9 P.M. AND MIDNIGHT.  After 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends, Daley west doors are closed and ID is required for east-door entry.   Science Library (3500 SES), through Dec. 15 Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday: 1-5 p.m. Sunday: closed   Please note: Access to SES after 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends is limited to building keyholders.   Library of the Health Sciences Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16: Closed   Please note: ID is required for entry after 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends. From: DDDH Send Date: December 14, 2006 10:22:32 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: UIAA Student Leadership Award and Activities Honorary Society Reply-To: DDDH Send Recognizing student leaders at UIC…   Nominations are due Wednesday, January 10 for the 2007 Student Leadership Award and the 2007 Activities Honorary Society!  The University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA) is proud to offer two prestigious awards recognizing student leaders for their exceptional contributions at UIC.    The 2007 Student Leadership Award is given to graduating students (undergraduate, graduate or professional) who have demonstrated exceptional leadership through their involvement in diverse campus student organizations. Nominees for the award should have received their degrees in summer or fall 2006, or who are candidates for graduation in May 2007.  Recipients of the award will be honored at the UIAA Leadership Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 15, 2007.   The 2007 Activities Honorary Society recognizes students whose participation in a variety of activities on campus has contributed to a better community for everyone. Eligible nominees must be associated with at least three relatively diverse student organizations or volunteer activities with a key leadership role in one of the three, and be in good academic standing with at least 72 credit hours completed by the end of the 2006 Spring Semester.  Graduate and professional students are also eligible.  Inductees will be honored at a private ceremony sponsored by the UIAA on Sunday, April 15, 2007.    To nominate a student, visit www.uiaa.org/chicago/awards, and click on either the Student Leadership Award or Activities Honorary Society.  If you have any questions, please contact Alicia Sedberry, Assistant Director, Programs and Services, at asedbe1@uic.edu  or 312/996-8535.    University of Illinois Alumni Association Building Relationships For Life www.uiaa.org From: DDDH Send Date: December 14, 2006 3:53:42 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: 2007 RFA for the Chicago Biomedical Consortium Catalyst Awards Reply-To: DDDH Send Dear Faculty and Administrators:   The Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC) is a new initiative, launched with impetus and support from The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, to stimulate collaborative research and training in the field of Systems Biology among scientists at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.  To stimulate research and education that bridge institutional boundaries, the CBC is now soliciting applications for Catalyst Awards as part of a key strategy to seed and nurture scientific collaboration across Chicago around the technologies of proteomics, imaging, and informatics as they are used to address biological complexity. Catalyst Awards will be one-time incentive awards, with no expectation of continuation or renewal, made to teams with principals and other strong representation from at least two of the CBC institutions.   Available funding:      Approximately $650,000 to be allocated in calendar 2007      Grants can range up to $250,000 for use over 1-2 years      Catalysts are one-time awards with no expectation of continuation or renewal   Eligibility:      Applicants must be tenured or tenure-eligible faculty with strong research programs at University of Chicago, Northwestern University, or University of Illinois at Chicago who will jointly engage in collaborative research and education in Systems Biology with a focus on the technologies of proteomics, informatics, or imaging.      Proposals must have Principal Investigators from at least two of the CBC universities.      There may be multiple applications from each institution.      There is no expectation that Catalyst Awards will be distributed evenly among the CBC institutions.   Submission:      Deadlines: By 5:00 p.m. on March 30, 2007 (Fall) and September 14, 2007 (Spring).      Only one submission per project group.      Submit electronically by completing the on-line submission form on the CBC website.   For the complete RFA and application details, please visit: http://www.chicagobiomedicalconsortium.org/rfa_catalyst   If you have additional questions regarding this RFA, please contact Brenda Russell (russell@uic.edu), CBC Leader, UIC.   For information on all funding opportunities at UIC, visit: http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/research/funding/find_funding.shtml     Brenda Russell  (russell@uic.edu) From: DDDH Send Date: December 18, 2006 11:52:37 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Reminder: University Exemption from Telecommunications Tax Reply-To: DDDH Send Date:    December 18, 2006 To:        Deans, Directors, and Department Heads From:    Heather J. Haberaecker, Executive Assistant Vice President for Business and Finance Subject: Reminder: University Exemption from Telecommunications Tax This is a reminder that the University is exempt from paying federal telecommunications excise tax, State of Illinois excise tax, and the simplified municipal telecommunications tax.  If your department has a contract with a telephone service provider, please check the billing statement to ensure that the provider is not charging the above-referenced taxes.  If your department is erroneously being charged these taxes, please call or e-mail the University’s Tax Department using the contact information below. The Tax Department will work with your department and the service providers to stop the tax charges and recover the tax already paid, depending on how long the taxes have been erroneously charged.  For additional information, see Section 18.8, Communications Tax, of the University’s Business and Financial Policies and Procedures Manual at http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/manual/central_p/sec18-8.html. If you have questions regarding the telecommunications tax or other tax issues, contact Terry Thompson (terryt@uillinois.edu) or Carl Patterson (crpatt@uillinois.edu) in the Tax Department at 217-244-8359.   From: DDDH Send Date: December 19, 2006 9:24:39 AM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: DDDH notice re ethics training Reply-To: DDDH Send Dear Deans, Directors, and Department Heads: The University Ethics Office, and I personally, ask for your help with follow-up on the 2006 Ethics Training. The Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General has provided my office a list of university employees the inspector general has determined did not spend enough time on the training program. The result: the inspector general has invalidated over 900 UIC employees' Certificates of Completion for 2006 and has provided training materials employees must now complete. This week, packets of training materials will arrive within those units with employees who need to retrain. The pack will include a list of those employees in your unit the inspector general's office identified, a personal letter and a paper training packet for each person the inspector general considers non-compliant. Please ensure the personal letter and packet are distributed to the necessary employees as soon as possible. The inspector general has established February 2, 2007 as the deadline for completion. After completion of the training packet, the inspector general will reinstate the completion record. The inspector general will mandate internal disciplinary action for any of our employees who do not finish the paper training. Because of the potential for disciplinary action, it is imperative that each employee receive their packet as soon as possible. If the individual is no longer employed at the University of Illinois, I ask that you quickly communicate this information to the University Ethics Office via e-mail at ethicsofficer@uillinois.edu to allow for exemption from the training requirement. Again, the University Ethics Office is grateful for your help in guaranteeing the University of Illinois obeys state law. We believe you are best-situated to communicate directly with employees in your unit and manage this within the deadline. Please contact me for any help you may need. Sincerely yours, Donna McNeely CPA, CIA, CIG, CFSA, CGAP University Ethics Officer Human Resources Building, Room 20 One University Plaza, MS HRB 20 Springfield, IL 62703-5407 Ethics Help Line: 866-758-2146 Direct Line: 217-206-6202 Fax: 217-206-6211 dmcneely@uillinois.edu http://www.ethics.uillinois.edu From: DDDH Send Date: December 19, 2006 4:42:05 PM CST To: DDDH@LISTSERV.UIC.EDU Subject: Dec 2006/New Year's 2007 Holiday and Intersession Schedule Reply-To: DDDH Send December 19, 2006 TO: Deans, Directors and Department Heads FROM: Joseph Muscarella Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services RE: December 2006/New Year’s 2007 Holiday and Intersession Schedule University of Illinois at Chicago This year the University of Illinois will implement a reduced service schedule for the period of December 25th to December 29, 2006. President White and Chancellor Manning are granting two half gift days on December 29th to complement this schedule. The schedule is summarized in the chart below for UIC’s two main groups of employees. Monday, 12/25 Essential Service Units* - Observed University Holiday All Other Units - Observed University Holiday Tuesday, 12/26 Essential Service Units* - Regular Workday All Other Units - Designated Campus Holiday Wednesday, 12/27 Essential Service Units* - Regular Workday All Other Units - Reduced Service Day Thursday, 12/28 Essential Service Units* - Regular Workday All Other Units - Reduced Service Day Friday, 12/29 Essential Service Units* - ½ gift day (President) + ½ gift day(Chancellor) All Other Units - ½ gift day (President) + ½ gift day (Chancellor) Monday, 1/1 Essential Service Units* - Observed University Holiday All Other Units - Observed University Holiday *Hospital, clinics, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, all departments under the Department of Facilities Management and Capital Programs, Environmental Health and Safety, Telecommunication Services, Facility and Space Planning, UIC Police Department, Campus Auxiliary Services, and Biologic Resources Laboratory. Hospital employees required to work on the gift day are asked to schedule another day off by January 31, 2007. Those employees required to work on the gift day must follow the Floating Holiday Rules and Procedures for scheduling their gift day. PAYROLL SERVICES HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Payroll Calculation Dates Bi-weekly Calculation (BW 26) - The date for the bi-weekly payroll calculation for pay period 12/03 through 12/16 (BW 26) is Tuesday, December 19, 2006. All timesheets should be approved by noon on Tuesday, December 19, and superusers will have until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19, to make any changes to unapproved timesheets. Bi-weekly Calculation (BW 1) - The bi-weekly payroll calculation date for pay period 12/17/06 through 12/30/06 (BW 1) has been moved from Tuesday, January 2, 2007 to Wednesday, January 3, 2007, due to the New Year's holiday. All timesheets should be approved by noon on Wednesday, January 3, 2007, and superusers will have until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3, to make any changes to unapproved timesheets. Payroll/Paycheck Distribution BW 26 Bi-weekly payday is December 27, and distribution will be as follows: Direct Deposit will not be affected by the holiday schedule. Paper paychecks will be mailed on December 26 to the address listed in the "Mailing Address" field of each employee's NESSIE Personal Information tab due to the December holiday schedule and to ensure each employee receives his/her December 27, 2006 paycheck in a timely manner. Employees who do not have a mailing address listed, the paycheck will be mailed to the address listed in the "Home/Permanent Address" field of each employee's NESSIE Personal Information tab. Checks that are returned undeliverable will be held in the University Payroll service center for pick up. Paper earning statements will be distributed by campus mail on January 2, 2007. Online earnings statements will be viewable online through NESSIE as of Friday, December 22. Payroll Adjustments There will be only one adjustment payroll calculation process run between December 18 and December 30. The deadline to submit approved adjustments is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20. Direct deposit payments of these adjustments will be credited on December 22. Paper checks will be mailed to the mailing address in Banner or if no mailing address exists, the paper checks will be sent to the permanent address on December 26. There will be a regular adjustment run the week of January 2nd to be paid on January 5, 2007. Adjustments must be in approved status by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2007. Feeder Systems BW 26: Must be submitted by 9:00 p.m. on Monday, December 18, 2006. BW 1: Must be submitted by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2007. University Payroll Services From close of business on December 22 through January 1 no payroll services will be provided. Full services will resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2007. 2007 University Payroll Schedule The 2007 payroll schedule (http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/earnings/2007payrollschedule.xls) has been posted on the University Payroll Web site. Payroll questions should be directed to the University Payroll Service Center at 866-476-3586 or 217-265-6363. SCHEDULE FOR OPERATING UNITS Schedules for operating units and any updates are available on-line at: http://www.uic.edu/depts/avcad/calendar/holiday/intersessionmemo06.htm Please distribute this memo to your employees. For questions and additional information, you may contact Joseph Patzin, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, at 996-8259.