October 2016 Newsletter

Discounts for WCU Employees

Did you know that several area businesses offer special discounts for WCU employees? We keep a list of available discounts on the Staff Senate website (staffsenate.wcu.edu). New this month is Kountry Kupboard, offering a 20% discount on purchases made in October. The Kountry Kupboard is located in Sylva across the street from Bogarts; stop by and don't forget your Cat Card.

If you know of an area business that offers a discount for WCU employees, send us an email (staffsenate@wcu.edu) and we will add the information to our website.

2017 Open Enrollment
Oct 1 - Oct 31, 2016

Open Enrollment for health insurance and NC Flex benefits is now open and runs through October 31, 2016. All new benefit elections will be effective January 1, 2017.

*Important note: This year will be an active enrollment, meaning ALL covered employees will be defaulted to the 70/30 plan. To change plans, one must take action to select the 80/20 or 85/15 CDHP plans. 

For the first time, the 70/30 plan will have a premium credit associated with tobacco use. The other two plans continue to offer three premium credits: tobacco attestation, naming a primary care physician, and completing a health assessment. Anyone wishing to complete the health assessment early may do so by visiting www.myactivehealth.com. Additional communication will be shared with campus in the upcoming weeks as well as assistance provided with the enrollment process. Please direct questions to Matt Brown, Office of Human Resources and Payroll, mbrown@wcu.edu, 227-3139.

2017 Open Enrollment
Oct 1 - Oct 31, 2016

Open Enrollment for health insurance and NC Flex benefits is now open and runs through October 31, 2016. All new benefit elections will be effective January 1, 2017.

*Important note: This year will be an active enrollment, meaning ALL covered employees will be defaulted to the 70/30 plan. To change plans, one must take action to select the 80/20 or 85/15 CDHP plans. 

For the first time, the 70/30 plan will have a premium credit associated with tobacco use. The other two plans continue to offer three premium credits: tobacco attestation, naming a primary care physician, and completing a health assessment. Anyone wishing to complete the health assessment early may do so by visiting www.myactivehealth.com. Additional communication will be shared with campus in the upcoming weeks as well as assistance provided with the enrollment process. Please direct questions to Matt Brown, Office of Human Resources and Payroll, mbrown@wcu.edu, 227-3139.

Take classes at WCU!

One of the most significant and under-utilized benefits for WCU employees is tuition assistance. While many different resources exist to help manage the cost of enrollment, here are three important ones to know about if you are planning to pursue additional education:

Tuition Waiver
Full-time, permanent WCU employees are eligible for a tuition waiver on up to three courses per academic year (taken during fall and spring only). These courses can be any level (undergraduate or graduate) and can be taken with any institution in the UNC system, either face-to-face or online. To learn more about this valuable benefit, visit the HR website.

Family Scholarship
In addition to the waiver, employees (and eligible family members) should know about the WCU Family Scholarship. This scholarship can supplement the tuition waiver and provide much-needed extra assistance. Watch for emails about submission deadlines each year, or visit the following website to learn more (look for the first link under "Forms): http://www.wcu.edu/faculty-staff/index.aspx.

FAFSA
Finally, don't forget about completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you qualify for any additional aid. Deadlines are earlier than ever, and applications for 2017-2018 are already open for submission. For more information, check the Financial Aid website: http://www.wcu.edu/apply/financial-aid/index.aspx.

International Friendship Program

International Programs and Services (IPS) is excited to introduce a new program, the International Friendship Program. This is a day-host program designed to promote friendship and cultural exchange between WCU's faculty and staff and the international students and scholar population. The goal of the program is to ease the adjustment and enrich the experience of the international student or scholar while enjoying the exchange of international friendships and learning more about each other's countries, cultures, and customs.

If you are interested in volunteering as a host for the International Friendship Program, click here. 

For more information, contact Kaitlin Ritchie at kkritchie@wcu.edu.