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Strategies and programs that provide a more effective educational system for Ohio's workforce.

Fostering connections between rural and urban communities.

Growing Ohio's green industry and agriculture with high-impact commodity/issue teams.

Helping to create jobs through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Education leading to good stewardship of Ohio's natural resources.

Improving health and wellness, and positively impacting the state's economy.

Approaches for improving community quality of life.

Extension HR Newsletter

September 23, 2007

SUPPORT STAFF CONFERENCE

Registration is now open for this year's Extension Support Staff Conference, All Hands on Deck. The conference will be held October 24-25, 2007 at Fort Rapids Waterpark, located at I-70 and Hamilton Road in Columbus. Register before September 28th and receive the early bird cost of $85.00 for a two-day registration. One-day registrations will also be available. To view the agenda and register, please go to: http://abe-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/2007-program.pdf/view

The CES annual meeting and brunch will also be held in conjunction with the conference on the morning of Wednesday, October 24, 2007.

We hope to see you there!

PRE-RETIREMENT IN-SERVICE

If you are thinking about retiring within the next 10 years, you might want to attend the Pre-Retirement In-Service which will be held Wednesday, November 14, 2007 in the Ag Auditorium in Columbus. Speakers from OPERS, STRS, OSUHR, and the Social Security office will be there to discuss retirement benefits, along with a financial planner who will help you determine how to plan for your retirement years. Registration will go on line the first week in October. Contact Terri Gustafson at gustafson.29@osu.edu or at 614/292-2399 for more information.

NATIONAL WORK and FAMILY MONTH

In celebration of National Work and Family Month in October 2007, The Ohio State University and the Office of Human Resources are offering all faculty and staff a variety of free workshops designed to improve and integrate work and life. Registration for these events is preferred but not required.

A calendar of events, registration details, and more information is available at http://www.ohr.ohio-state.edu/worklife/.

OPEN ENROLLMENT FORUMS

October 10, 2007
Ag Auditorium - Columbus
11:00 am

Mark your calendar on the above date to attend a special forum for OSU Extension employees. This forum has been scheduled to help you select a new medical plan which becomes effective January 2008. The open enrollment period will be October 1-19, 2007. An OSUHR benefits consultant will be on hand at this forum to present the new medical plans and other benefit choices, as well as answer your specific questions about the new plans. Employees will have a chance to attend this forum in person or participate from their office via WebEx (details will be announced later). No registration is necessary.

Several other forums presented by the Office of Human Resources will be held on the Columbus and Regional campuses through October 18, 2007. To see a complete schedule of these forums and to register, please visit http://hr.osu.edu/oe and click on the Open Enrollment Forums link.

OPEN ENROLLMENT VIDEO

If you are unable to attend any of the Open Enrollment Forums mentioned above, consider this option:

The Office of Human Resources has developed a short video to help faculty and staff better understand their Open Enrollment options and the new medical plans which become effective January 2008. The video is available at: http://hr.osu.edu/oe/yourhealthyourchoices.aspx.

SAVE $10 per MONTH On HEALTH PREMIUMS

Save $10 per month on your 2008 health premiums by completing a Personal Health Assessment (PHA) by September 30, 2007. Plus you can earn 50 incentive points in the Your Plan for Health 2007 incentive program by completing a PHA.

As Open Enrollment draws near (October 1-19, 2007), you are encouraged to take your PHA to get a more complete picture of your health, reduce your medical plan premiums, and receive your incentive reward of up to $125. For more information about the PHA and to view online tutorials, visit http://www.yourplanforhealth.com/. The far right side of this webpage will help you get the information you need to set up an online PatientLink account, schedule a health screening, and complete the PHA.

DEPENDENT FEE TUITION ENHANCEMENTS

The Office of Human Resources recently announced enhancements to the Dependent Tuition Assistance program, effective Autumn Quarter 2007. The enhancements include increasing the dependent tuition assistance benefit from 50% to 75% for students whose parents are both employed by the University. It also now offers dependent tuition assistance benefits to same-sex domestic partners and their eligible dependents. Faculty and staff must meet the program eligibility requirements listed below to qualify for dependent tuition assistance:

* Faculty and staff must hold a Regular (Faculty, A&P, Senior A&P, CCS) appointment of at least 50%.

* Eligibilty begins upon completion of three years of continuous service in an eligible appointment (outlined above).

* Eligibility begins upon employment for Tenured Faculty, Senior Administrative Officers, Senior A&P staff, and ROTC officers.

* Eligibility is contingent upon the employee continuing to work in an eligible appointment throughout the entire quarter for xxwhich the benefit is applied.

Eligible employees who submitted the former dependent tuition assistance application must complete the revised application, which can be found at http://hr.osu.edu/forms/ben/tuitdep.pdf.

Questions regarding the Dependent Tuition Assistance enhancements can be directed to the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center at 1-800-678-6010 or at 292-1050.

STAFF CAREER DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Applications are now being accepted for the 2008 Staff Career Development Grants. These grants are for up to $500 each, and are awarded annually to offset education and training costs needed to further staff career goals and professional development. The grants can be used toward expenses for activities that occur during 2008, such as conference and registration fees, tuition, textbooks, research supplies, and transportation costs.

To be eligible, you must be a regular full- or part-time employee and have at least two years of continuous employment with The Ohio State University by January 1, 2008. Applications are due by October 29, 2007 and are available online at http://hr.osu.edu/forms/careerdevgrt.pdf.

These grants are funded through contributions to the Campus Campaign's Staff Career Development Fund . For more information, contact Michele Bondurant at bondurant.11@osu.edu or at 614-292-4341.

TAG LINE for EEO STATEMENT

The EEO statement listed below is the correct tag line that should be used in OSU Extension publications. This statement can be found on OSU Extension HR's website at http://hr.ag.ohio-state.edu/resources/resources_aaeeo.html or on the Communications/Technology website at http://ct.excelcomm.com/

Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring
that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a
nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin,
sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This
statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural
Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868



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Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA. Site designed and developed by Communications and Technology. If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact ITHELP by email at ithelp@cfaes.osu.edu