| Long-term care plan enrollment exceeds expectations
Enrollment in the university’s long-term care plan nearly doubled the expectations of Human Resources, with 8 percent of university employees opting for the new benefit. Introduced in January in response to staff requests, the long-term care plan, which took effect Apr. 1, offers coverage for expenses related to bathing, dressing, and eating for the elderly or incapacitated. While some employers offer a single long-term care insurance plan, AU’s benefit features customizable plans. Employees who expect to need more coverage can make larger monthly contributions for larger future cash reimbursements; employees who expect to need less coverage can choose plans that cost less per month. “The strong participation in this new benefit reflects the fact that it was something staff asked for themselves,” said Sarah Bayne, director of employee benefits and communication.
University to end after-tax retirement contributions
Effective May 1, AU employees will no longer be able to make after-tax contributions to the university’s supplemental and regular retirement plans. The university is discontinuing the after-tax option because, while less than 1 percent of employees opt for after-tax contributions, it has presented tax compliance problems for several years. Human Resources will contact any faculty or staff members who currently fund their retirement plans with after-tax contributions to help them transition to pretax contributions. AU faculty and staff should direct any questions on the change to their Human Resources team contact, who can be found by clicking
on “Who to Call in HR” in the “Employment” section of my.american.edu. AU’s Methodist affiliation renewed
The University Senate of the United Methodist Church recently notified AU that its 112-year-old affiliation with the church will continue. The approval of the university’s continued listing as a United Methodist–related academic institution followed an institutional review by a team from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church last fall. The review focused not only on evidence of AU’s ties to the church but also on such academic standards as institutional integrity and course catalog offerings. AU has been affiliated with the Methodist Church since the university was founded in 1893 by the Methodist Episcopal Church (the predecessor of the United Methodist Church) to embody Bishop John Fletcher Hurst’s vision of a national Methodist institution educating students dedicated to public service. While many of the formal ties between AU and the Methodist church, such as mandatory chapel services, have disappeared since then, AU’s core mission is still linked closely to the church. “Those connections are not as visible as they once were,” commented Rev. Mark Schaefer, United Methodist Chaplain. “But the enduring connection can be seen in the university’s commitment to public service, social justice, and issues of global concern.” Exhibit features art by the homeless
An art show featuring work by homeless artists from Miriam’s Kitchen, which provides daily services and meals to the homeless in Washington, D.C., was on display Wednesday in the Battelle-Tompkins atrium. The entry fee to the show, Perspectives of D.C., was a suggested donation of toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant. The show was sponsored by the Student Leadership Program in the School of Public Affairs. |
