Join Columbia Athletics for free food, drinks, and activities for the whole family.

Athletics will feature a special pre-game event, the Faculty/Staff Festival, prior to the Basketball doubleheader—Women’s Basketball at 4:30 p.m. and Men’s Basketball at 7 p.m.—against rival Cornell University on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. in the University (Blue) Gymnasium in the Dodge Fitness Center. This festival will be free to faculty and staff, and their families.

The Faculty/Staff Festival will include free food and beverages, interactive games for children and appearances from Columbia’s spirit organizations (cheerleaders, dance team, pep band and Roar-ee the Lion mascot). The festival will also feature a number of special events and presentations, including welcoming remarks from Head Women’s Basketball Coach Paul Nixon.

The first 200 fans at the festival will get a free Columbia scarf. Every fan in attendance at the Faculty/Staff Festival will be encouraged to purchase tickets to the Columbia Basketball games following the festival, for only $10/ticket.

Visit www.gocolumbialions.com for more information. 

 

 

We are pleased to offer benefits-eligible Officers an opportunity to learn more about Columbia University’s new High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA). You are invited to join Aetna for one of three webinars that will be held this month to discuss the HDHP and HSA.

During these live chats hosted by Aetna, you will have the opportunity to speak directly with and ask questions of an Aetna representative.

This session will teach you:

• What the HDHP is and how it works
• How the HSA works, including:
  • Making withdrawals
  • Using the HSA Debit Card
  • Using the HSA Checkbook
  • Online bill pay
  • HSA auto-debit
  • HSA investments
  • Recordkeeping
  • Tax reporting
• How to pair the two to ensure that you can meet your healthcare needs
• How prescription drugs are covered under the HDHP
• How to use the Aetna Navigator™, an online tool that lets you manage your account

You can access the webinars from your work or personal computer, or any computer with an internet connection.There is no need to register.

The sessions will be held:

• Friday, November 4 from 8-9 a.m.
  First-Time Live Meeting Participants: To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting.  
  TO PARTICIPATE:
  Join the meeting (online portion - note that this link will bring you to the meeting just before the session starts)
  Enter the Conference Number: PG9385483
  Enter the Participant Code: 4077086
  To join the live audio session, please dial in to the meeting at least 5-10 minutes prior to the start time, as follows:
  Participant Dial-in: 800-593-8953
  Participant Code: 4077086
• Monday, November 7 from 8-9 p.m.
  First-Time Live Meeting Participants: To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting.  
  TO PARTICIPATE:
  Join the meeting (online portion - note that this link will bring you to the meeting just before the session starts)
  Enter the Conference Number: PG9385495
  Enter the Participant Code: 4077086
  To join the live audio session, please dial in to the meeting at least 5-10 minutes prior to the start time, as follows:
  Participant Dial-in: 800-593-8953
  Participant Code: 4077086
• Tuesday, November 15 from 12-1 p.m.
  First-Time Live Meeting Participants: To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting.  
  TO PARTICIPATE:
  Join the meeting (online portion - note that this link will bring you to the meeting just before the session starts)
  Enter the Conference Number:  PG9385501
  Enter the Participant Code: 4077086
  To join the live audio session, please dial in to the meeting at least 5-10 minutes prior to the start time, as follows:
  Participant Dial-in: 800-593-8953
  Participant Code: 4077086

NOTICE: Office Live Meeting can be used to record meetings. By participating in one of these sessions, you agree that your communications may be monitored or recorded at any time during the meeting.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

Follow these steps if you have trouble joining the webinar:

1. Copy this address and paste into your web browser:
   https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/aetna/join
2. Copy and paste the required information:
   Location: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/aetna

If you still cannot enter the meeting, contact support.

Presentation File

If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, you can also read the presentation (PDF).

As Benefits Open Enrollment for 2012 approaches, we have a variety of events and resources to help you make informed decisions.

Benefits Expos - Free Health Screenings
Information Sessions on 2012 Benefits for Officers

Benefits Expos - Free Health Screenings 

At this year's Benefits Expos, you can sign up for a free health screening, to Know Your Numbers. Obtain a free preventive health screening to learn your blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and more. Advance registration for the health screening is optional but recommended; look for an email sent to benefits-eligible faculty & staff on October 20, 2011 with more information.

At the Expos, you can also discuss your options with representatives from Benefits, Work/Life and insurance carriers. Computers will be available on site so you can enroll for 2012 benefits.

Location	Dates and Times
LAMONT-DOHERTY EARTH OBSERVATORY: Monell Building Lobby 61 Route 9W Palisades, NY 10964 Preventive Health Screenings	Tuesday, November 1 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.     9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
MORNINGSIDE: Alfred Lerner Hall Roone Arledge Auditorium 2920 Broadway (at 115th Street) New York, NY 10027 Preventive Health Screenings	Wednesday, November 2 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 10 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (both days)
CUMC: Armand Hammer Health Sciences Center Teaching and Learning Center (lower level) 701 West 168th Street (at Ft. Washington Ave.) New York, NY 10032 Preventive Health Screenings	Thursday, November 3 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 9 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (both days)

Information Sessions on 2012 Benefits for Officers

To help you make decisions and learn about what's new for 2012, Columbia Benefits is offering a series of information sessions for Officers, from mid-October through the first two weeks of Open Enrollment. The sessions will include presentations on the new High Deductible Health Plan and Health Savings Account, monthly healthcare contributions for 2012, and information about new online calculators in the Columbia Benefits Enrollment System. The slides from the information session presentations are available here.

Dates and Times	Locations
Wednesday, October 19, 3:00-4:00 p.m.	Monell Auditorium, Lamont-Doherty
Monday, October 24, 2:00-3:00 p.m.	Studebaker Room 469, Manhattanville
Tuesday, October 25, 8:30-9:30 a.m.	Uris Room 301, Morningside
Wednesday, October 26, 2:00-3:00 p.m.	Hammer Room 401, CUMC
Friday, November 4, 2:00-3:00 p.m.	Hammer Room 401, CUMC
Monday, November 7, 10:00-11:00 a.m.	Studebaker Room 469, Manhattanville
Friday, November 11, 9:00-10:00 a.m.	Uris Room 301, Morningside

Wednesday evening, September 21, CUIT will launch the updated myColumbia website, with streamlined navigation that will make finding the resources you need simpler and faster. Read more...

From the University Statement: Columbia University expresses its deepest sympathies to the victims of the tsunami and earthquake, and our thoughts and concerns are with the people of Japan.  Read the full statement and the list of resources for donations and locating friends and family. Harris, Rothenberg International, Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, has also compiled a list of resources.

We'd like to remind you that representatives from Calvert, TIAA-CREF and Vanguard are on site throughout the academic year to discuss financial planning, investment strategies, portfolio reviews and retirement education.

Representatives are available to answer your questions about the Columbia University Retirement Plan and the Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan (VRSP). Both plans help you save for the future.

How to Register for a One-on-One Session 

The dates and locations for all sessions are posted at the carrier websites so you can select the date and time that works best for you.

CALVERT

• Visit www.calvert.com/investor-workplace-columbia.html
• Select Columbia University
• Depending upon which location you'd like, click on that respective link
• Select the date for the one-on-one meeting and register

TIAA-CREF

• To schedule an appointment, call our service and scheduling group at 1-800-732-8353 Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) or
• Visit us at http://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/products-services/retirement-consultatio...

VANGUARD

• Visit www.meetvanguard.com or
• Call Vanguard at 1-800-662-0106, ext. 14500

We invite you to sign up for a counseling session and hope you find it helpful.

As we shared in August and September, Columbia has established a task force to conduct a comprehensive review of the benefits programs currently provided to officers.  The task force’s objective is to help the University design a set of high-quality, financially sound benefits programs.

On Tuesday, November 9, external firm Hase Schannen Research extended an email invitation via the Provost’s office to all benefits-eligible officers, to participate in a confidential survey about which benefits you value most, and which are most effective in meeting your needs.

If you need assistance completing the survey, or need to have your survey link sent again, please email surveysupport@catalystmr.com. The survey will be available online until Wednesday, November 24. 

Common Benefits Terms Explained

Please be aware that the survey will include some basic benefits language.  For your convenience and information, we have posted a Glossary of frequently used benefits words and phrases.   

How the Survey Works

Your participation in this confidential survey will be highly important—the results will help guide critical decisions on the future of our benefits package.

The results of the survey will be analyzed by Hase Schannen, rather than anyone within the University.  To ensure that your individual responses are kept confidential, the outside firm will only provide the task force with aggregate statistical information.

No Impact on 2011 Benefits

While the survey overlaps with annual Benefits Open Enrollment, please know it will not have any impact on your 2011 choices. The sole purpose of the survey is to help the task force make recommendations about the future of our benefits programs.  You should, therefore, be sure to complete your Open Enrollment elections as well as the survey. 

Your voice is essential to the task force’s work. In addition to completing the survey, please send your questions or comments to us at  fringe-review@columbia.edu.

Starting October 25, eligible faculty & staff are able to log in to the CU Benefits Enrollment System 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until Friday, November 12. 

Open Enrollment packets were mailed the week of October 18; if you have not yet received your packet, please know everything you need to enroll is online. You may download the 2011 Benefits in Brief to see what’s new for next year, and your 2010 benefits information is available in the enrollment system.

Attend a Benefits Expo to get a free health screening, enter drawings to win prizes, and ask questions of HR Benefits specialists and the insurance carriers. You are also welcome to visit one of the Information Sessions on 2011 Benefits, or  view an interactive presentation of the Information Session for Officers online or via iTunes U (transcript - PDF). For more information, also please see our FAQs.  

2011 Benefits in Brief
Benefits Expos
Know Your Numbers
Information Sessions on 2011 Benefits

2011 Benefits in Brief

Officers	Support Staff
Benefits in Brief: 2011 (PDF) Benefits for Part-Time Officers of Administration	Local 2110 and Non-Union Support Staff 2011 (PDF) SSA 2011 (PDF) TWU 2011 (PDF) Local 100, 32B-32J, 1199, MEBA, MM&P 2011 (PDF)

 

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Benefits Expos

Locations	Dates and Times
CUMC: Armand Hammer Health Sciences Center Lower Level 701 West 168th Street (at Ft. Washington Ave.) New York, NY 10032	Thursday, October 28 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 3 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
MORNINGSIDE: Alfred Lerner Hall Lower Level Event Space 2920 Broadway (at 115th Street) New York, NY 10027	Wednesday, October 27 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 4 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
LAMONT-DOHERTY EARTH OBSERVATORY: Monell Building Lobby 61 Route 9W Palisades, NY 10964	Tuesday, October 26 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

 

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Know Your Numbers

Columbia University understands the importance of your health and is pleased to present you with the opportunity to increase your health awareness by "Knowing Your Numbers." These events are being offered at no charge to you.

To participate in the fasting health screening event, you will need to register for the event online at https://www.provantevents.com/ColumbiaUniversity.

The online registration system ensures that your screening fit into your workday schedule. Please be sure to register NO LATER than 24 hours before your preferred event date to secure a time that fits your schedule.

To register, simply follow these steps:

1. Log on to https://www.provantevents.com/ColumbiaUniversity
2. Enter your e-mail address in the required field
3. If you have never used the site before, click on "No, I am a new user"
4. Enter your personal information in ALL required fields to create your personal profile.
   • If you are not a UnitedHealthcare member, enter 0 in the spaces designated for Subscriber ID and Group ID. 
   • If you are a UnitedHealthcare participant, enter the nine (9) digit subscriber number in the required field and the six (6) digit group number in the required field.
5. Click "Signup"
6. Click on the "ALL EVENTS" option from the navigation bar located at the top of the screen.
7. Click on the dropdown arrow and select your location by clicking your mouse.
8. Click "View"
9. Click on the dropdown arrow to select the time frame you would like to schedule for your appointment.
10. Click "Search"
11. Using the dropdown arrows, click on the specific time you would prefer from each menu selection.
12. Click "Register"
13. Congratulations, you are now registered for the event and will be receiving an email reminder in your inbox as well as an additional reminder in your inbox the day before the event.

If you need any additional assistance, please contact the Columbia University HR Benefits Service Center at 212-851-7000. We look forward to seeing you at the event.

 

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Information Sessions on 2011 Benefits

Locations	Dates and Times	Audience
October 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.	Monell Auditorium	Lamont-Doherty
November 3, 9-10:00 a.m.	Studebaker 469	Studebaker
November 5, 9-10:00 a.m.	Uris 332	Morningside
November 5, 2-3:00 p.m.	Hammer 401	CUMC
November 8, 9-10:00 a.m.	Hammer 301	CUMC
November 8, 12:30-1:30 p.m.	Uris 141	Morningside

You also may view an interactive presentation of the Information Session for Officers online or via iTunes U (transcript - PDF).

 

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Medical identity theft is a twist on traditional identity theft, which happens when someone steals your personal information. Like traditional identity theft, medical ID theft can affect your finances; it also can take a toll on your health.

While there’s no fool-proof way to avoid medical identity theft, the FTC says you can take a few steps to minimize your risk. Harris, Rothenberg International, Columbia's Employee Assistance Plan carrier, offers a full list of tips for you.

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a multitude of resources, including computing tips to help you with your workday.

This month, HR Benefits highlights an article that can help you with word processing:

Four Simple Ways to Save Time With Microsoft Word (PDF)

If you participated in the Healthcare or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) in 2009, any remaining claims for last year must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2010.

Any unclaimed money remaining in your 2009 FSA accounts after March 31, 2010 will be forfeited.

For questions about your account balance, please contact the FSA administrator, EBPA, at 1-888-456-4576, or visit http://www.ebpabenefits.com/.

To submit a claim, please use the FSA Reimbursement Request Form (PDF).

Please fill out, print and mail the form, along with any required receipts, to the address listed on the form.

TRANSIT/PARKING REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM

Unlike Flexible Spending Accounts, unused money in a Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP) account will roll over into your 2010 account.

The rollover money will be available in your account after June 1, 2010. In the meantime, please download a T/PRP Reimbursement Request Form (PDF) to submit a claim.

 

If you have questions, please contact the HR Benefits Service Center at 212-851-7000 or hrbenefits@columbia.edu.

On behalf of Counseling and Psychological Services and The Barnard/Columbia Personality Study, we want to share with faculty and staff a valuable opportunity to learn about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a condition that can affect adults at any age. A panel discussion, featuring Dr. Kathy Berenson of the Department of Psychology and Dr. Shirley Mathews of Counseling and Psychological Services at Health Services, will discuss the clinical perspectives and treatment of BPD, as well as have a dialogue with Amanda Wang, producer of RethinkBPD Documentary and Peer Organizer of NYC BPD Support Group.

Ms. Wang will give a personal account of living with BPD. The disorder, characterized by an inability to regulate emotions and affect, has a serious impact on the lives of people who suffer from it and those who are close to them, but recovery from BPD is possible.

The panel discussion is open to all members of the Columbia community:

Thursday, February 25
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Lerner Hall, Room C555

For more information, visit www.health.columbia.edu.

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a wide variety of resources. This month, HRI is highlighting the SpendLess program.

Having trouble finding things in your closet? Tired of tripping over shoes in the hallway? Feel like you’re running out of space? SpendLess can help you get organized!

SpendLess, your discount program, offers hundred of savings on everyday items from vendors you know and trust. So whether you’re looking for hangers, or shelving ideas, or creative storage solutions, SpendLess can help. 

And SpendLess can help with any other daily needs you may have.

It’s a free and easy way to save money. Read more (PDF).

When is a child old enough to start learning about money? How can you teach your teen to use credit wisely? What approaches can help you and your spouse/partner deal with differences of opinion about finances? These are just some of the questions facing families when dealing with the challenges of money management.

Bring your questions—and insights—about your family and money to HRI’s January Live Chat, Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Register for the chat.

The chat will be hosted by Wendy Caster, Senior Writer at Harris, Rothenberg International (HRI). Wendy writes articles for HRI’s newsletters and website and develops and presents seminars; her areas of expertise include finances, communication, and mental and physical health. Wendy has received the San Diego Democratic Club Gloria Steinem Award and the Communicator Award. 

New plan offerings and rates for Columbia University Retiree Medical insurance are now available, effective February 1, 2010.

Information was also mailed to the homes of all eligible retirees in December; as a reminder, if you wish to change your elections for 2010, you must do so by January 20, 2010.

If you have questions, please call the HR Benefits Service Center at 212-851-7000 (select the "Retirement" option), 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a wide variety of resources. For this holiday season, the team has prepared some tips on a happy, healthy holiday.

Starting November 2, eligible faculty & staff will be able to log in to the CU Benefits Enrollment System 24hours a day, 7 days a week, until Friday, November 20.

Benefits in Brief for 2010 downloadable PDFs are now available online. 

Information Session for Officers: 2010 Benefits is now available online.

CIGNA Call Centers and the mycigna.com websites will be unavailable this weekend (10/16-10/18), due to scheduled system maintenance. 

Members can call or log back into the mycigna.com website after 7am EST, on Monday, 10/19.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Each year at this time, we ask all Columbia University faculty and
staff to verify and update personal information, including mailing
addresses and telephone numbers. This helps to ensure that we
communicate efficiently with you about important Human Resources
matters, including benefits and retirement.

Many of you will soon receive Benefits Open Enrollment materials at
your home address, so please check that the address in our system is
accurate.


ADDRESS VERIFICATION

*For benefits-eligible faculty & staff: to receive your Open
Enrollment materials on time, it is critical that you verify your
address information before October 22, 2009.*

You may also choose to provide a mailing address (which is handy if
you are away temporarily, or for non-resident alien staff); when
provided, it will be used rather than a home address for correspondence.

Please take this moment to click on the link below to connect to the
University's Human Resources system to confirm that your personal
information is up to date:
http://www.hr.columbia.edu/personal-data/

alternative link

Please also take this opportunity to review other personal data on the
Summary page, including your gender, birthdate and marital status; if
any of these are incorrect, please contact your Departmental
Administrator or HR Manager so that they can update your record.


VOLUNTARY SELF-IDENTIFICATION

We are also taking this opportunity to ask that you let us know if you
are a veteran and/or a person with disability.

As part of the Federal Government's Affirmative Action requirements,
Columbia is obligated to report information about the percentage of
our workforce who are either disabled or veterans. While we cannot
compel any person to provide us with this information, we are required
by law to report on it.

Providing the information to us helps us comply with the law, and no
data collected is used for any other purpose, nor is it associated
with any individual's job record.

The following links will bring you to forms that you may complete and
return to us:

Vietnam and Other Veterans Form:
http://hr.columbia.edu/files_humanresources/imce_shared/veterans-selfid....

Disability Self-Identification Form:
http://hr.columbia.edu/files_humanresources/imce_shared/disability-selfi...

If you have any questions regarding either of these forms please
contact your DA or call our HRPC Help Desk at (212) 851-2888.

If you have trouble logging in, please visit the CUIT Helpdesk at
http://www.columbia.edu/cuit/support to report your problem.

You can also reach the CUIT Helpdesk by phone at (212) 854-1919 (M-Thu
8 a.m.-11 p.m.; F 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sa 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Su 3 p.m.-11 p.m.)

Thank you for helping us keep your information current.

Sincerely,

Cindy Durning
Vice President
Columbia University Human Resources

NOTE: To confirm this is email is legitimate, please visit the Columbia University HR website to see a copy of this message.

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a wide variety of resources. This month HRI is highlighting the SpendLess program: "You may still be making summer memories, but school is just around the corner. This year, you can make back-to-school errands as stress-free as possible with SpendLess, your FREE discount program. ..." Read more ...

A letter was mailed Thursday, July 9 by benefit provider EBPA to any participant in Columbia University's Transit and Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP) who has a remaining balance for 2008.

If you have any questions, please call EBPA at 888-456-4576.

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a wide variety of resources; this month HRI has written a short article on travel preparation.

Don’t Unravel When You Travel: "Advance planning can help prevent travel stress. Navigating security and check in, and boarding calmly when traveling by air, for example, can start any trip on a positive note ..." Read more ...

Harris, Rothenberg International, the vendor for Columbia's Employee Assistance Program, offers a multitude of resources, including money management.

This week, HR Benefits highlights an article that can help you with your food budget.

Spend Less on Food and Still Have a Great Time: "If you write down everything you spend on food and drink for a month, you may be astonished at what you learn. And many of your purchases may be quite small: a muffin here, a soda there. But they add up. After you have figured out where your food money goes, you can start deciding where to cut back." Read more ...

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report findings on Influenza A(H1N1) in New York City and the United States, University leadership is actively monitoring the situation and will post further information as it becomes available.

For the most recent news, please visit Columbia's Preparedness website. HR also recommends visiting the page on flu prevention.

Parents may wish to visit the CDC page on Information for Concerned Parents and Caregivers.

Beginning July 1, 2009, Columbia University will convert all University Officers of instruction, research, administration, the libraries and student officers to a semi-monthly pay cycle. The new semi-monthly pay cycle will replace the existing monthly cycle. This change means that while your total monthly earnings will remain the same, you will be paid twice every month rather than once. Please note, fellowships and stipends will continue to be paid on a monthly basis, as they are now.

Changes to New York State law require that all employees below a certain earnings threshold be paid at least semi-monthly. Several pay frequency options were considered and the conversion of all Officers to a semi-monthly cycle was determined to be the most effective way to comply with this law. This change will provide you with earlier and more frequent access to your earnings, giving you more flexibility to manage your money.

Human Resources mailed letters home to all affected Officers on April 29, 2009:

• Letter to Salaried Officers (PDF)
• Letter to $0-Salaried Officers (PDF)

For your reference, we have created several useful materials:

• Working at Columbia
• Officer Pay Cycle Change FAQs
• External Budgeting Resources

We are here to help you think through any issues that may result from this change. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Human Resources Processing Center (HRPC) Helpdesk at (212) 851-2888. For benefits-related issues, please call the HR Benefits Service Center at (212) 851-7000.

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which raised the monthly transit allowance to $230 for both transit and parking. Transit is increasing from $115 to $230; Parking is increasing from $220 to $230.

You now have an opportunity to enroll in or change your 2009 monthly Transit and/or Parking election.

The new contribution amount will be effective May 1, 2009, provided you enroll before April 22, 2009.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR ELECTION ONLINE:

• Go to the benefits website at http://hr.columbia.edu/benefits.
• Select the "CU Benefits Online Enrollment System" link on the left side and click "LOG IN."
• Log in with your UNI and password.
• Select "Choose Your Benefits" under Elect Your Benefits Section.
• Select "Make a Qualified Life Status Change" on the elect menu.
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select "Begin."
• Under "Colleague Events" section, select "Change in Commute."
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select "Continue."
• Enter today's date; select "Continue."
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
• To change your Transit Reimbursement amount, click on "Transit Reimbursement Program."
  • Enter your desired pre-tax contribution in the box below "Monthly Amount."
  • "Save & Submit."
• To change your Parking Reimbursement click on "Parking Reimbursement Program."
  • Enter your desired pre-tax contribution in the box below "Monthly Amount."
  • "Save and Submit."
• Click on "Continue" at the bottom of the page.
• Review your benefits; if correct, "Save & Submit." If corrections are needed, select, "Return to LSC Worksheet."

EFFECTIVE DATE OF CHANGE:

If you make your change prior to April 22, 2009, your new monthly Transit/Parking amount will be effective May 1.

Any changes after that date will be effective the first day of the following month after your election is made.

QUESTIONS?

The Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program is administered by Employee Benefit Plan Administration (EBPA). If you have any questions, you may contact EBPA at 888-456-4576, or you may contact the HR Benefits Service Center at (212) 851-7000.

NOTE: Thank you for attending our April workshops! Human Resources will host additional financial planning workshops in Fall 2009. 

To help you with some of the economic challenges we face today, the University offers financial and retirement planning workshops throughout the year.

In upcoming financial planning workshops, a certified financial planner from Ernst & Young, LLP offers independent guidance about investing during times of crisis, diversification, portfolio building, choosing investment funds and retirement planning.

If you would like to know more about balancing financial goals so you can save for your first home, a new car, college education for your children or your retirement, please attend a financial planning workshop.

Audience feedback has been extremely positive.  Here are some comments from prior workshops:

"The cash flow statement will help me manage my personal finances better."

"I have a better understanding about the CU Retirement Plans." 

You will learn how to create a personal action plan for meeting your individual goals, develop basic investment strategies for retirement and know the pros and cons of investment risk.

The workshop focuses on three important objectives:

• Financial Planning Basics: Money Management/Budgeting/Cash Flow
• Retirement Planning: Understanding the CU Retirement Plan, the Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan (VRSP), Social Security and IRAs
• Investing for Your Goals: Discuss Investment Asset Classes and how they fit into an investors overall portfolio. Define risk and identify tools to minimize risk.  

Each workshop is four hours long; during that time the individual segments will last 1 hour and 15 minutes. You are welcome to attend the entire workshop or only the segments that interest you. 

Please note: You do not need to rsvp to attend the workshop. All you need to do is come to one of the sessions listed below. 

The workshop is offered three times in April 2009:

Date	Location	Time
April 22	Studebaker, Room 469 615 West 131st Street	9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
April 22	Studebaker, Room 469 615 West 131st Street	1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
April 29	CUMC 701 West 168th Street (at Ft. Washington Ave.) Armand Hammer Health Sciences Center Riverview Lounge -Room 312	1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Click here for the intercampus shuttle schedule.

Originally posted January 22, 2009
Beginning Thursday, February 5, 2009, anyone enrolled in electronic W-2 will be able to reprint your 2008 W-2 form online.  To do this:

• Go to https://my.columbia.edu/ 
• Log in with your Columbia UNI and password
• Click on the Faculty and Staff tab
• Go to the Faculty & Staff Self-Service section
• Click on Print My W-2.

You will be transferred to our vendor's website where you can reprint your own 2008 W-2 form.  If you have any questions about your 2008 W-2, please call the vendor's toll free number (800) 360-1265.  Our vendor-supported Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system will assist you with your request.

You can also speak to a customer service representative if needed.
 
If you think you need a corrected 2008 W-2, you may use either the online or phone service to request a Form W-2C.

Past employees who no longer have secure access to our web portal and those without access to a computer should call: (800) 360-1265 on or after Thursday, February 5, or go to https://www.getmytaxform.com/columbiau/ and sign up.

PLEASE NOTE: For employees inquiring about prior year W-2 forms, please call (212) 851-2944 or email w2@columbia.edu. 

Originally Posted January 12, 2009
After a record-breaking Fall 2008, this spring HR Learning & Development will continue with many of the classroom learning courses we offered last fall.

We also provide new programs to complement the programs we are bringing back. 

Our Spring 2009 offerings are grouped under the following series:

• Personal Effectiveness Series

• Communication Skills Series

• Writing Skills

• Project Management Skills