Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

HRD Training
HR Development lists current announcements, training resources and schedules on its Web site at http://bama.ua.edu/~hr/st-dev/index.htm.

Building Community
Communication
Continuous Quality Improvement
Computer Workshops
Personal Safety
Policy and Procedures
Job Openings
Miscellaneous

PAYROLL REMINDER: RENEW EXEMPTION CLAIMS
BENEFITS UPDATE

Building Community

Building Community -- Human Relations for the 21st Century is designed to develop human relations skills, heighten awareness of others and foster a sense of community throughout the UA campus. Workshops that bear the Building Community logo are available to UA employees.

Effective Affirmative Action Recruiting Strategies -- Shirley Darr/Auxiliary and Support Services, scheduled by request
Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention -- HRD Team, Feb. 28, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
The Value of Personality Differences -- HRD Team, Date TBA
The Diversity Experience -- HRD Team, Date TBA

Communication

Advanced Connections -- Moving Quality Service Beyond the Basics -- The HRD Team, scheduled by request

Continuous Quality Improvement

CQI Leadership Seminar Series. CQI workshops are part of the Leadership Seminar Series designed for people in academic and administrative organizations, such as deans, department chairs, directors, managers, assistant and associate directors and faculty who lead projects, or plan on moving into leadership roles. All workshops will be facilitated by John Dew, director for Continuous Quality Improvement. Contact the CQI Office at 348-9831 to schedule workshops, which are designed for 2-4 hours. Workshops include Leading Participative Meetings, Leading the Strategic Planning Process, Consensus-Based Decision Making, Planning Skills, Building and Sustaining Teamwork, CQI Leadership for Administrative Staff, Leading Continuous Improvement and Creative Thinking.

Computer Workshops

E-Course -- HRD Team, Feb. 27-March 1, 9 a.m.-noon
Windows for E-Course -- HRD Team, Feb. 27-March 1, 9 a.m.-noon
Desktop Publishing -- Laura Lineberry, Feb. 26 and 27, 9 a.m.-noon, A-342 Seebeck Computer Center
Web Page Production I -- Jaclyn Whitehorn, Date TBA, A-342 Seebeck Computer Center
Advanced Web Topics -- Jaclyn Whitehorn, Date TBA, A-342 Seebeck Computer Center

Personal Safety

Right to Know -- Janie Fowler, Health and Safety, Feb. 21, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Dealing with Critical Incidents in the Workplace -- Lt. Beth Turner, UADPS, Feb. 21, 9-10 a.m.

Policy and Procedures

I-9 Training -- Lisa Foster, Human Resources, Feb. 28, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
The Libraries' Guide to the Internet -- Brett Spencer, Gorgas Library, Feb. 20, 3-4 p.m., Osborn Instruction Area -- First Floor, Gorgas Library
Financial Accounting and Reporting Procedures -- Tina Dorroh, Accounts Payable, and Julie Shelton, Accounting and Reporting. Level One Courses are recommended for employees just beginning to use the Accounting/Reporting/Payable System. Feb. 19, 2-4 p.m.

Job Openings

The University of Alabama is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. For the latest job update, call the UA job line, 348-7780. For a full line listing of available positions, visit Employment Office web site. Remember that office, technical, clerical, maintenance and service positions stay on the Job Line only five days. Faculty positions are listed under the appropriate college or school.

Miscellaneous

New Employee Orientation introduces all new UA employees to campus life and provides them and employees with a status change (regular, part-time or temporary) an opportunity for benefits advisement and enrollment. New employees and employees with status change must pre-register and attend a New Employee Orientation session within the first 30 days of employment to be eligible for health insurance. Sessions are offered every Monday.

Three ways to register and to check out training manual:

Call 348-7125
Fax to 348-2072
Email mkarrh@fan.ua.edu

Human Resources Development training sessions will be conducted at G54 Rose Administration building unless otherwise stated. Persons with special needs should contact Margie Karrh.

The Training Resource Center (TRC) offers videos for a staff development "lunch and learn" program. The TRC accommodates six to eight people.

The Web site for Human Resources Development training offers the current Staff Training Calendar.

Payroll Reminder: Renew Exemption Claims

The payroll office reminds UA faculty and staff who claim exemption from federal and/or state income taxes that it is time to renew exemptions. The deadline is Feb. 18. If the exemption claim is not renewed by the deadline, the University is required to withhold taxes based on being single and claiming zero withholding allowances from any pay received after that date. To renew your exempt status, go to the payroll office in 330 Rose Administration Building to complete new W-4 forms for federal and/or state withholding taxes. For more information, contact the payroll office at 348-5221.

Benefits Update

The RSA Newsletter

University of Alabama employees whose address is current with the Retirement System of Alabama should receive the RSA monthly newsletter "The Advisor" (available online at the RSA web site, www.rsa.state.al.us). To provide a current address, employees may send a written request, including full name, current home mailing address, Social Security number, employer, and home phone, to P.O. Box 302150, Montgomery, AL 36130-2150. For more information, call 1-800-214-2158.

The RSA Web site, at www.rsa.state.al.us, provides current information of interest to UA employees, including news about RSA’s investments, a benefits calculator, and updates on legislation affecting RSA members.

The DROP Bill

The Deferred Retirement Option Plan, referred to as DROP, was passed into law by the Alabama Legislature last month. DROP allows active Retirement System of Alabama members with at least 25 years of service who are also at least age 55 to elect to have their retirement benefits frozen and placed in a separate account for a period of three to five years while continuing employment in their regular job. Once employees retire after the DROP period, they will begin receiving their regular retirement, excluding any DROP years, plus the accumulated savings from the separate DROP account.

In order to enter DROP, RSA members must meet all the following requirements:

Have at least 25 years of creditable service exclusive of sick leave
Be at least 55 years of age
Be eligible for service retirement.

Participation in DROP may be made in one-year increments, neither to exceed five years nor to be less than three years. Members may elect to participate in DROP anytime after eligibility, but the application must be made at least 30 days, but not more than 90 days, before the effective date of participating in DROP.

tWhile participating in DROP, employees must continue to contribute a percent of salary to RSA. Once the contractual obligation is fulfilled, the accumulated contributions plus interest will be returned.

Monthly retirement benefit will be calculated upon election to participate in DROP based on the retirement option selected. This amount will be placed into the member’s DROP account and will earn interest at the same rate as active members’ accounts (currently 4 percent). Also included will be the accumulated contributions paid in during participation in DROP plus interest.

Once contractual obligations in DROP are fulfilled, members will receive a lump-sum payment from their DROP accounts equal to all DROP contributions plus interest and accumulated contributions made during DROP plus interest. Members will begin to receive monthly retirement benefits, which may be recalculated to include sick leave accrued at the time of election to participate in DROP.

The complete bill may be accessed from the RSA Web site at www.rsa.state.al.us. Click on the link to Legislation. Information booklets and forms will be available from the RSA after March 1. For more information, contact UA’s benefits office at 348-7117.