CSUN Human Resources December 2015 Newsletter
Human Resources Newsletter
Welcome to CSUN!

Welcome back to campus and welcome to Spring 2016! To those of you who are new to campus, welcome, and congratulations on joining a great University!

HR News which is published on a monthly basis, is just one of the ways benefit, payroll, programming information and deadlines are made available to you. We also invite you to regularly visit the Human Resources webpage at http://www.csun.edu/hr. If we can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact us.

As a reminder - if you have not already done so, take advantage of the benefits of Direct Deposit,and enroll today.

2015 W-2 Forms

W-2s were issued in January by the State Controller's Office and mailed to your home address on record in the CSUN portal. If you have not received your W-2, contact Payroll Administration at x2728 to inquire if your W-2 was returned to the campus by the post office.

For W-2s that are not returned to the campus, or if a duplicate copy is needed, submit a request to (read more).

Health Care & Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts

The CSU provides for the 2 ½-month grace period extension allowed by the U.S. Department of Treasury for flexible spending plans. Participants (as of December 2015) with balances as of December 31, 2015 in the Health Care Reimbursement Account Plan and/or the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account Plan will be allowed to utilize remaining 2015 balances toward reimbursement of eligible medical and/or dependent care expenses incurred from January 1, 2016 through March 15, 2016. (read more)

Part-Time Faculty On-Line Benefits Overview

If you are a new part-time faculty member or returning faculty and are benefits eligible for the Spring semester, we invite you to click here and view information on plan options, eligibility, and how to enroll. Benefits Packets are also available in the Office of Human Resources, UN 165.

To be eligible for benefits, part-time faculty must have an Academic Year (AY) classification and have an appointment of at least six units (.4 time base) for one semester.

Faculty currently enrolled in Medical/Dental/ Vision benefits or FlexCash who fall below six units should notify Benefits Administration regarding continuation of coverage. COBRA coverage may be available. For information on COBRA please visit http://www.csun.edu/benefits/cobra.

2016 Information for 403(b), 401(k), and 457(b) Retirement Plans

For the 2016 tax year, contribution limits remain the same: up to $18,000 to a 403(b) or 401(k) plan, subject to the 415(c) limit; AND $18,000 to a governmental 457(b) plan, for a total contribution of up to $36,000.
To view additional information on our Retirement and Savings Programs, please view the Savings Plus Program page for information on the 401(k) and 457 plan, or the Tax Shelter Annuity Program page for information on the 403(b) plan.

Read About...

  1. Health Plan Rates
  2. 2015 Annual CalPERS Statements
  3. Student Assistant Employment Scheduling
  4. New Hire/ Position Description Reminder
  5. Work Schedule Changes
  6. Academic Personnel Hiring & Processing Information
  7. Emergency Hire Pool - NEW Job Opening Number
 November Sessions and Workshops

February Sessions & Workshops

The following sessions and workshops are available in February as part of the Professional & Personal Development Program.

Focus on Faculty

02/16/16 - Keynote Speaker: Three Research-Based Findings and Two Activities that will Change the Way you Teach

(Facilitated by Faculty Development)

Focus on Employee Success

02/03/16 - Learning Can Be Fun and Almost Free: The CSU Fee Waiver & Reduction Program Benefit
02/24/16 - Building Marshal Training
02/25/16 - Life Happens: Coordinating the Leave Process for Employees

Focus on Diversity & Inclusion

02/29/16 - Supporting LGBTQ Students on Campus - Panel Discussion
February Program Highlight

02/18/16 - You Can't Take It With You: Essential Estate Planning in California

Join us for a brown bag lunch, we’ll provide the refreshment and dessert, while we cover the essentials of estate planning in California. We’ll start with the basics of what estate planning entails, cover topics that are specifically relevant to CSU employees, and discuss resources that are available to you on campus, such as Charitable Gift Annuities. Whether you’re planning for yourself, your family or your favorite charity, we’ll provide you with information to get started on the right path.

Focus on Sustainability

02/11/16 - Sustainability: Go Green & Save Green

Focus on Safety

02/10/16 - Identity Theft Prevention
02/16/16 - Disaster Ready: Personal Preparedness 101
02/23/16 - Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) for Women

Focus on Management & Supervision

02/09/16 - Documentation Can Help Raise the Bar for You and Your Employee(s)
02/15/16 - When Coaching and Counseling are Not Enough: Taking Corrective Action & Improving Performance

Focus on Personal Health & Wellbeing

02/03/16 - Grow Your Mind Book Club
02/04/16 - Coping with Stress - The Balancing Act

Check out Lunch-Time Express Workouts at the SRC, every Wednesday & Thursday! (learn more)

Just for You!

02/10/16 - VOYA One-on-One Advisement
02/17/16 - CalPERS Member Class for Early to Mid-Career Employees
02/18/16 - VALIC One-on-One Advisement
02/25/16 - Saving Money for College with a 529 Program - Scholar Share

All of these programs are just a sample of what's available to you – just in February! A printable PDF listing of all Spring 2016 programing is available.
Campus Updates

50th Annual Staff Service Awards

On Thursday, May 26, 2016 the Office of Human Resources will host the 50th Annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards Event. The event celebrates staff and administrators who have achieved service milestones at five year increments (5, 10, 15, etc.).

A list of staff scheduled to be honored for their years of service will be posted to Employee Enrichment's Staff Service Awards webpage February 17, 2016. If you believe that your name should be on the list, but it is not, or, your name is on the list and you believe it should not be, please contact Rosemary Martin at rosemary.martin@csun.edu by March 1, 2016.

Recognition of Excellence Awards

The Annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards Event also provides us the opportunity, through the Recognition of Excellence Awards, to recognize both staff members and teams for outstanding efforts made over the course of the calendar year. Those awards are the:

  • Presidential Award
  • Award of Merit
  • Alumni Award
  • Jolene Koester Team Award, and the
  • Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award

    Descriptions and eligibility criteria as well as links to the nomination forms, are currently available on the Staff Service Awards webpage. Nominations must be submitted by April 15, 2016

    • K9 Unit Mitch & Officer Vargas

    Remembering Mitch

    The Department of Police Services announced the death of Mitch, a beloved K9 partner and extends its heart-felt sympathies to Officer Anthony Vargas and his family.

    K9 Mitch joined the Department of Police Services in 2010 and was partnered with Officer Anthony Vargas in 2012. You can see pictures and read more about Mitch on the Police Services' Facebook page.

    Lifematters Wellness Webinar

    Each month, LifeMatters, our Employee Assistance Program provider, offers webinars free to you and your family/household members. February offers two webinar choices: 

    Get Motivated!
     Available as a pre–recorded webinar

    You set goals and then you procrastinate. You create a to-do list but then you don’t follow through. Sound familiar? If you’ve been caught in this cycle, take advantage of the new year and make a commitment to finding your purpose… NOW!

    Making Tax Returns Less Taxing – 
    Tuesday, February 16, 2016 
    Two options: 9 a.m. Pacific and Noon Pacific

    Filing tax returns can be very stressful. Let us relieve some of that stress by tackling common questions and concerns about the filing process. In this webinar, a tax specialist will discuss key decisions and mistakes to avoid with regard to selecting the correct tax forms, determining filing status, and making deductions and adjustments.

    Register for the live webinar at Noon Eastern or 3 p.m. Eastern or please check our WorkLife Balance Webinar archives the month after this live webinar is complete.

    Access LifeMatters Webinars