HR DEPARTMENTS			MORE LINKS & INFORMATION
	Benefits			HR Newsletter Archive
	Annual Enrollment Update New UT Select Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Features			UTSA Holiday Schedule
	Employee Relations			Building Codes - Mail Codes
	Employment: Fall Semester Hiring Hints			HR Major Projects in Progress
	STARS			HR Staff Changes

The purpose of this newsletter is to improve the communication process
between HR and campus Administrative staff.

Benefits

	Annual Enrollment 2007
	Review October 1st Paycheck for accuracy Ensure that your coverage is correct.  If you detect errors email benefits@utsa.edu or call HR at 458-4648 no later than October 12, 2007. Retroactive insurance changes can only be made due to systematic errors.  Notifications received in HR after October 12, 2007 cannot be considered.

Benefits

New UTSelect Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Features

	Online Blue Access for Members Secure and confidential online resource for plan participants.  Provides a variety of personalized information from the status of medical claims to a myriad of healthy living guidance.
	Personal Health Manager Provides health and wellness tools to help plan participants adopt and manage healthy behaviors. Complete your Health Risk Assessment and find health and wellness information Create a personal health profile Receive targeted wellness information Set up reminders about appointments and screenings
	Blue Points Rewards Earn Blue Points each time you: track a fitness workout; report a meal you have eaten; or take advantage of any other component of the "For Your Health" section within the Personal Health Manager Blue Points are redeemable for reward items at the Blue Points Redemption Center on the Personal Health Manager
	How do I get started? Go to www.bcbstx.com/ut Create a user ID and password Have your group number (71778) and identification number (found on your health insurance coverage card) accessible
	For technical assistance please contact: Blue Access® Internet Help Desk 1 (888) 706-0583 Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (CT) Saturday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (CT)

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

THE HOLIDAY SEASON WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT -
IT'S TIME TO PLAN AHEAD!!

HR recommends that all managers have their employees submit their vacation requests starting now to determine departmental coverage for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, to include the skeleton crew days in December. Please refer to the UTSA holiday schedule.

As always, all employee requests for leave during the holidays are subject to business needs and management approval. Taking action early can help the department provide needed coverage, minimize disruption and provide employees the opportunity to plan ahead.

STARS

The Office of Human Resources has contracted with InsideHigherEd.com and is currently working with our STARS vendor to have the ability to automatically advertise some of our STARS posted positions.  Our plan is to identify positions that meet the IHE criteria, contact the hiring managers for approval to advertise and flip a switch on the requisition so that once the position is posted on STARS, the position will also be advertised online at InsideHigherEd.com.  Our current IHE contract runs through August 08.  During this initial period there will be no charge to the department for the IHE advertisement.  If successful, we may have the option to renew our contract and continue this initiative. 

Building Codes - Mail Codes

Please contact Marie Cameron in Human Resources to update UTSA Building Codes and Mail Codes.

Fall Semester Hiring Hints

Criminal Background Checks (CBC):

• Departments are required to complete a new CBC if the employee has had a change in title and/or department. A new CBC is also required if an employee has had a break in service of more than 120 days.
• Employees should never begin working until the CBC has been cleared by the UTSA Police Department.

Non-Benefits Eligible Employment Packets:

• This packet is for non-benefits eligible employees only. New benefits eligible employees must attend benefits orientation and will complete the appropriate paperwork at that time.

Work Studies:

• Employment packets (I-9, packet, CBC, etc.) must be complete and received in HR before we can approve and forward the appointment to Financial Aid. The I-9 date of employment should match the date in Define. These appointments are routed through HR first and then Financial Aid is the final approver. To avoid delays, please submit the packet and I-9 to HR as soon as possible.

New Appointments:

• When creating an appointment for a new employee, please make sure to use the SSN number and not the Banner number.
• We have had several departments creating new appointments for employees that have worked for UTSA in the past and already have an EID created. Departments need to use the same EID, because that is tied to the correct social security number.

Define Desks:

Action command “rou” for routing will show you where the appointment is currently pending. The following are Define desks within HR:

APPDESK1: Denise Moore (all appointments will be sent to this desk and then forwarded to a desk listed below or will be final approved)

HR/TEMP: Marie Cameron (all new non-benefits eligible appointments)

HR/NEW:   Ron Fosmire (all STARS posted positions)

QEDESK3:  Benefits Dept (new benefits eligible appointments)

QEDESK5: Compensation (Audited positions and appointments with a salary of 25% or more above the base - with the exception of posted positions and faculty titles)

Outside of HR:

Auditcheck: Budget Office

Workstudy: Financial Aid

Welcome to HR

Diane Pina - HR Training and Development

Diane Pina joins the HR Training and Development team as of October 1st as a result of the restructuring of UTSA’s Office of Institutional Diversity. Diane worked for OID for three years as a Diversity Trainer, implementing trainings throughout campus on discrimination law, sexual harassment, workplace conduct and diversity awareness. At OID Diane coordinated several diversity programs, including UTSA Talks and Diversity Month.

Diane will work with the Training and Development team to continue to provide UTSA employees with specialized classes on unlawful discrimination and harassment, as well as classes focused on increasing respect and awareness for the wealth of diversity represented in our workplace. In addition, Diane will be expanding her expertise into more broad based administrative and supervisory learning. Classes are available for all employees, including faculty, staff and student employees, supervisors and non-supervisors.

Sandy Covarrubias - Employee Relations Advisor III

Sandy Covarrubias was hired on September 4, 2007 as an Employee Relations Advisor.  Sandy comes to us with 15 years of experience from the Texas Department of Human Services and Texas Health and Human Services Commission as a Civil Rights Officer/EEO Investigator.  Sandy has nineteen years of providing public service to Texans in need.  Sandy also held an Adjunct Instructor position at the University of the Incarnate Word teaching HR related course work.  At UTSA, she will be responsible for providing Employee Relations consultation to management and non-management staff whose departments report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost, the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Vice President for Research.  We are very excited to have her as part of the HR family. Please help us welcome Sandy to UTSA!  She can be reached at 458-4662. Welcome Sandy!

Ron Fosmire - Human Resources Specialist II - Employment

Ron Fosmire was hired in October into the HR Specialist II position. Ron has a degree in Finance from UTSA, and 15 years staffing experience.   Ron’s experience has concentrated on the recruitment, selection and placement of job applicants.  At UTSA, Ron will gradually assume responsibility for our STARS online employment system.  At the same time, Cheryl Nunn, currently our primary STARS liaison, will assume significant responsibilities in support of new HR system implementations.  I know you’ll enjoy working with Ron on staff employment issues.