Special Open Enrollment for Long-Term Disability extended to June 20th

If you are an eligible USF employee (at least .50 FTE on a line position) without Long-Term Disability coverage, you may enroll in the LTD insurance during a special Open Enrollment Period from now through June 20, 2008 with guaranteed acceptance and no underwriting or medical exams.  This limited time offer by the Gabor Agency and UNUM Life Insurance provides a means to continue your pay in the event of a disability.

Eligible employees should have received a brochure via campus mail from the Gabor Agency in early April    Coverage is effective July 1, 2008 for 12-month employees and September 1, 2008 for 9-month employees.  Payroll deductions begin in the month coverage takes effect.  Employees may choose a 30-day or 90-day elimination period.  The premium for the 90-day elimination period option is $.61 per $100 of covered monthly salary; for the 30-day elimination period, the premium is $.94 per $100 of covered monthly salary.   The monthly benefit is 2/3 of your salary up to a maximum of $9,000 a month.

To take advantage of this opportunity eligible employees’ should fill out the application form included in the brochure they received in April and turn it in to Human Resources on or before June 20th. For full plan details go to www.gaboragency.com/ltd. For more information, contact the Gabor Agency at 800-330-6115 option 5. For questions, call your HR Benefit Representatives at (813) 974-2970.

Faculty & Staff Softball Event and Taste of “Bulls Country”

A record-breaking crowd of USF employees and their families enjoyed gorgeous weather, fabulous food and drink and exciting inter-departmental softball on May 17th. Check out photos from the event on the HR Event Calendar & Photo Gallery.

The Benefits Expert Tip

Did you know… that you can get significant savings on prescription medicines at Publix, Sweetbay, Wal-Mart and Target? Check out this month’s “The Benefits Expert Tip!” and start saving now!

Health Insurance Premiums

Effective July 2008, State of Florida health insurance premiums are increasing. For full-time employees, this rate increase will be assumed by the University and will not result in an increase in employee contributions. Employees with an appointment of less than 1.0 FTE will see an increase in the pro-rated premiums for which they are responsible.  Because premiums are paid in advance, the rate changes take effect in June.  If you have any questions, contact a member of the HR Benefits Team at (813) 974-2970.

Employee “Perks” & Discounts

Your USF Employee ID card is your ticket to fun and savings year ‘round with the Employee Perks Program -- just one of many benefits offered at USF.  Faculty and staff can receive various discounts for goods, services and recreation.  Planning your summer vacation? Check out discounts on theme parks, hotels and car rentals. Get “connected” with phone and cable savings. You’ll find discounts on auto club membership, car maintenance, flowers, vision care and more. And be sure to visit Bulls Country for great discounts from our local Bulls Country community partners, including restaurants, shops, movies and local attractions.

Update Your Mailing Address for FRS Pension Plan

Do you participate in the FRS Pension Plan?  The Division of Retirement is preparing the 2008 Annual Statements for FRS Pension Plan participants.  Please review and update your mailing address on file with USF in order to ensure that you receive your statement. Your mailing address may be accessed through GEMS Self Service (click here for instructions).  There is a short on-line training that walks you through how to use GEMS Self Service here. For questions contact an HR Benefits Representative at (813) 974-2970.

“Heart Walk” November 8, 2008

Plan now to join “Team USF” to walk and fight the #1 killer in the U.S. – heart disease. Last year USF had 455 walkers and raised $35,000. This year’s American Heart Association Heart Walk will be Saturday November 8th at Raymond James Stadium. Expected attendance is 17,000 walkers. Join your area’s team or organize a team of your own. To learn more and register click here or call Judy Lowry, HR Communications, Programs & Events, (813) 974-5484.

USF Night with the Tampa Bay Rays August 2, 2008

Saturday August 2, 2008 is the inaugural USF Night with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, when the Rays will take on the Detroit Tigers. The game begins at 6:10 PM (gates open at 4:10 PM). Free post-game concert with Grammy Award winning Hip Hop Artist LL Cool J. USF Men’s Basketball Coach Stan Heath will throw out the first pitch. There will be special appearance by USF icons, and a B.J. Upton figurine to the first 10,000 fans. Discount tickets start at $14. Baseline box tickets are $25 and include a limited edition Rays hat with USF logo (while supplies last). Groups of 20 or more receive additional discounts and perks. Join USF faculty, staff, alumni and students for this one-of-a-kind event! Event information is here. To order tickets click here or call 1-888-FAN-RAYS.

Financial Disclosure

Each year, employees filling certain designated positions must complete a Statement of Financial Interests Form and submit it to the Department of State in Tallahassee by July 1.  USF has approximately 75 positions so designated.  The forms are mailed directly from the State to the incumbents of the designated positions.  Affected individuals should have received the form and the guide during the month of May.  The forms must be completed, signed and returned to Tallahassee even if none of the items apply (retain a copy of the completed form for your records). Do not send the completed form to Human Resources.  The mailing address is listed on the back of the form. For questions contact Nancy Ward in Human Resources, (813) 974-5385.

Outstanding Staff Awards

The 2007 Outstanding Staff Awards were presented on May 13, 2008. In a ceremony hosted by President Judy Genshaft, 40 USF employees from the four campuses were honored.

The Outstanding Staff Awards recognize excellence and a high level of performance and standards that support the overall Values and Service Standards of the University, and are the highest honor accorded to Administration and Staff employees. For 2007, 105 employees were nominated by their co-workers and managers and 40 were chosen by their VP area selection committees to receive the award. It is an honor to be nominated for an Outstanding Staff Award.

The ceremony opened with a spectacular light show designed by Visual & Performing Arts and Theatre 1. President Genshaft welcomed the honorees and introduced guest speaker Dr. Karen Holbrook who congratulated the award recipients and recognized their contributions to the University. Each award recipient was recognized individually during the ceremony.

A highlight was the announcement of the “Employees of the Year.” The Gabor Award was established to honor two outstanding Employees of the Year by the Gabor Agency, a long time insurance and investment services provider to USF. Each year, two recipients are selected from the Outstanding Staff Award recipients, and the names are kept a secret until the announcement at the ceremony. This year’s Employees of the Year are Barbara Bushnell of the College of Business Administration (Academic Affairs) and Thomas Bobrowski of the University Police (University Services).

Following the ceremony was a reception to congratulate recipients on their accomplishments.

Pictures of this year’s OSA recipients and the ceremony are posted on the HR Event Calendar & Photo Gallery.

2007 OUTSTANDING STAFF AWARD RECIPIENTS

Using the eUSF Portal to Access GEMS Self Service

As a USF employee, you can use GEMS Self Service to print your paycheck, request leave, review your benefits, update your address and personal information, etc.

The eUSF Portal is a more secure port of entry into GEMS Self Service (and other USF business systems). All regular line employees have access to the eUSF Portal.

In the past employees have used their GEMS ID to log into GEMS Self Service. The University is in the process of shifting all employees from that old way to the new way -- accessing GEMS Self Service via the eUSF Portal. If you are not yet using the portal, follow the instructions below to get started.

You can access the eUSF Portal on or off campus. You can set it up to automatically log you in using your regular computer ID and password, so you won’t need separate passwords for different applications.

How to get started:

You’ll find the link to the eUSF Portal throughout the USF website. For example, on the “A-Z Index” the Portal link is just above the “Search” box.

Step by step instructions, links, frequently asked questions and help are on the ePortal homepage here. There is a short on-line training that walks you through it here.

To log in: click on the eUSF Portal link and log in using your “domain name\regular computer ID” and “regular computer password” in this format:

USERID:  domainname\jsmith

PASSWORD:  enter your regular computer password

Don't know your domain name? Click here for a list of most USF domain names. Still can’t find it? Email helpdesk@admin.usf.edu.

Set up automatic access to the Portal by following the step-by-step instructions here.

Need more help? Email helpdesk@admin.usf.edu.