Provost's Wednesday Briefing for September 27, 2017
Out of the Darkness Walk
Eastern’s SAFE (Stigma and Fear End) Now and Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS) have partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for an Out of the Darkness walk. The Out of the Darkness Campus Walk is a fundraising effort from which Eastern receives 50% of the proceeds to support our efforts to end the stigma and fear surrounding issues of mental health and suicide. U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell is scheduled to attend in support of this event. If you have lost a family member or friend to suicide or just want to come to show your support - we welcome you!
Registration for the event is required.
Date: Friday, September 29, 2017
Time: Registration starts at 3 p.m. and the walk and ceremony begin at 4 p.m.
Location: EMU Lake House
MI-ACE Women’s Network Update
In concert with the Inclusive Excellence Group of the American Council on Education, the Michigan ACE Women’s Network is committed to identifying, developing the leadership of, advancing, and supporting the retention of women in higher education throughout the state.
The MI-ACE Women's Network Micro-Grant Program is now accepting applications. Approved micro-grant awards range from $250–$500. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2017. Visit the MI-ACE website for more information on how to apply.
The MI-ACE Women of Color Collaborative (WOCC) Luncheon will be Friday, November 10, 2017, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. The mission of the WOCC is to provide a forum and means of support for women of color employed in faculty, administrative staff, and leadership roles at Michigan’s colleges and universities. Further, the goal is to enhance career advancement and success for women of color in higher education across the state, thereby strengthening the overall MI-ACE Women’s Network. The cost for attendance is $60 for professionals and $20 for undergraduate/graduate students. Registration for the event is open through November 1.
For information on EMU’s Chapter of MI-ACE, contact Chiara Hensley at [email protected] or 734.487.6741.
Changes to Open Enrollment for Health Care
Changes are afoot for the 2017-18 academic year in how employees manage their benefit choices. The University is moving to an online system, Benefitfocus, for entry and management of employee benefits. During the Open Enrollment period, all employees must enter their healthcare choices in the online system, regardless of whether they are making changes to their existing plan. This is a change from past practice. To make it easier, the Benefits Office plans to hold daily training sessions at the library during Open Enrollment for one week (October 30–November 3) and provide assistance at the Benefits Fair, scheduled for Friday, October 27, 2017 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you are unsure of the benefit plans in which you are currently enrolled, you may access that information through your my.emich.edu account. I encourage you to review this information prior to the Open Enrollment period scheduled for October 25–November 12, 2017.
Directions for Accessing your Benefit Information via my.emich.edu
- Login to my.emich.edu using your EMU User ID and password.
- Select the Employee Tab
- In the menu that populates on the Employee tab, select "Benefits and Deductions – Regular Staff and Faculty Only"
- The Benefits and Deductions -- Regular Staff and Faculty Only section provides the following options:
Health Benefits Link
This section provides you with detailed information on your health care and dental benefits for the current year.
Benefit Statement Link
This section will return a summary report of your health, dental, retirement, and miscellaneous benefits, along with the associated monthly costs. The first screen gives you the option of selecting a date. The default selection is “CURRENT” and will return your current years benefits. You may adjust the date selection on this screen to make historical comparisons between benefit years.
Flexible Spending Accounts Link
This section provides you with detailed information on your Flexible Spending Account for the current year.
