Benefits corner

As you know, dependents through the age of 26 can now be carried on a parent’s insurance coverage.  This is part of healthcare reform, officially called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  This act, signed into law in 2010, has required employers to make this and many other changes to their medical insurance plans over the last several years.

Although your dependents can still be covered by NMC insurance, there are a few things you might think about if your children do have other coverage…

  • You may be paying premiums for these children unnecessarily if they have other coverage, and they may be paying premiums at their employers as well.
  • You have to coordinate benefits for them between NMC’s coverage and their other coverage, which can be challenging.
  • Employers are now required to pay new fees based on the number of members they cover for insurance, not just on the number of employees covered.  For the NMC plans, this means fees paid to the government for over 700 covered members.

If you have a dependent that you would like to remove from your insurance, you can do so by emailing Carol Kasper with the date that the child acquired other coverage and the reason.  If this “qualifying event” did not take place since the plan year starting 1/1/13, you would not be able to terminate their coverage until open enrollment next year.

If you have any questions about this or your other benefits, feel free to contact Human Resources at 995-1362 or 995-1025.

 

Position vacancies

For information on positions currently open at NMC, please visit NMC’s web page at https://jobs.nmc.edu/  Information on internal postings has been emailed.

 

New items at the bookstore!

Summer is almost here and the crowds have thinned at the bookstore. A great time to browse and shop! Here is an idea of a few of the new things the bookstore has available.

Women’s Tees: Comes in 4 colors. Retail price $16.50
Women’s Black Cinch Tee: Dolman 3/4 sleeve. Cinches on the side. Great with white capris! Retail $24.75
Men’s Tee: Available in military green and brown with an antique cream lettering. Retail $ 9.95- $11.95
Men’s Retro Jersey: Baseball style 3/4 sleeve in a tan and charcoal color combination. Retail$24.25- $ 26.25
Ear buds: We carry 4 brands of ear buds ranging from $8.95- $15.95 in a variety of colors. Check out our variety of headphones too when you visit.
Stainless Water bottles: 4 colors. The opening is large enough to fit ice cubes and the top closes with one twist. Retail $9.95
Don’t forget about your employee discount!

earbud selection

mens retro jersey
mens tee
stainless bottles
womens tee

Employee anniversaries

The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!

Kristal Nolf                  Instructional Technology Designer                                          6 years

Kathy Sedlacek            Administrative Assistant-Records/Registration/Testing        26 years

Position vacancies

For information on positions currently open at NMC, please visit NMC’s web page at https://jobs.nmc.edu/  Information on internal postings has been emailed.

myPDCA is here─Are you ready?

If you haven’t yet done so, please login to the Intranet (linked below) to complete the Overview and Getting Started modules soon, so you can plan your SMART goals and complete your self-evaluations.

Supervisors should begin scheduling meetings soon for the annual conversations with your staff members.  All the tools you need as an employee or supervisor are available on the Intranet.

https://intranet.nmc.edu/depts/human-resources/employee-resources/mypdca/index.html

Remember, all conversations, goal setting, and annual forms are due to HR by June 30.  Feel free to email lhodek@nmc.edu or call Lori at 5-1143 if you have questions.

Benefits corner

Are you or one of your dependents struggling with life challenges that affect home life or work performance?   This could include any array of situations.  Examples include, but are not limited to, financial difficulties, substance abuse, stress, work/life balance, loss of a significant person, parenting challenges, and elder care.

Just a reminder to our regular employees, adjunct faculty, and supplemental employees that you and your dependents have access to a confidential personal counseling service at no cost to you through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by Catholic Human Services.  Services are private and confidential, with no disclosure to the employer unless you sign a release, and it may include consultation, assessment, brief therapy, and referral service if necessary.

If you would like to learn more about NMC’s EAP Service, please attend “Caring for our Employees:  An EAP Presentation” scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, 2103 from 12:00-12:30 pm in LB105.  This presentation is one of our NMC Wellness events scheduled for the month of May – look for an email sent by Sarah Shimek for details on how to RSVP for this and other presentations to help us deal with the stresses of our daily lives.

Regular employees, adjunct faculty and supplemental employees can call the following number for EAP assistance:  231-947-8387. For more information on NMC’s Employee Assistance Program, click on the following link:  https://www.nmc.edu/departments/human-resources/salaries-benefits/eap.html

Student employees should contact NMC’s Counselors, Student Life Office at 231-995-1118, or Third Level Crisis Intervention Center at 231-922-4800.  For more information, click on the following link:  https://www.nmc.edu/student-services/personal-counseling/

 

myPDCA is here ─ Are you ready?

Thank you to all who attended the myPDCA staff performance workshops. If you were unable to attend, please login to the Intranet (linked below) to complete the Overview and Getting Started modules soon, so you can plan your SMART goals and complete your self-evaluations.

Supervisors should begin scheduling meetings soon for the annual conversations with your staff members.  All the tools you need as an employee or supervisor are available on the Intranet.

https://intranet.nmc.edu/depts/human-resources/employee-resources/mypdca/index.html

Remember, all conversations, goal setting, and annual forms are due to HR by June 30.  Feel free to email lhodek@nmc.edu or call Lori at 5-1143 or if you have questions.

Position vacancies

For information on positions currently open at NMC, please visit NMC’s web page at https://jobs.nmc.edu/  Information on internal postings has been emailed.

Employee anniversaries

The following employees are celebrating anniversaries soon. Please join us in congratulating them!

Dawn Mleczko                        President’s Office Assistant                                                     1 year

Stephen Sedlacek        Assistant Engineer-Motor – Maritime Academy                     3 years

NMC Fitness Center hosts Open House

Come over and try out the NMC Fitness Center in the Physical Education Building!

The NMC Fitness Center will host an Open House the week of May 13 – 17th.  During this time the fitness center is open to all NMC employee categories and students. There is no charge to try out and use the center during the open house week.

Fitness Center hours: May 13-17th, Mon-Thurs 7 am – 7 pm, Fri 7 am – 6:30 pm.

For more information contact the fitness center at 995-1379

Benefits corner

Have you ever wondered how close you are to meeting your medical deductible?  Or how much you have used of your flexible spending account?  How about whether your provider has already submitted a bill for your visit and how much you will have to pay them?  If you are an employee on NMC’s medical plans, you can check your deductibles, your out-of-pocket expenses, your medical claims, your flexible spending accounts, and your pharmacy claims online.  Priority Health acts as our claims administrator, and they give you the ability to set up a Member Account for yourself and for each of your covered dependents to view this information.

Do you cover children on your plan?  Through enhancements to Priority’s online accounts, you now have the ability to view claim information for minor dependents (up to age 18) with a single login.  Find out more about this feature at Priority Health Dependent Claims

If you do not currently have a Priority Health Member Account, you can  learn how to set up one here.  Be sure you have your medical card handy so you can enter your individual contract numbers while creating your account.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact HR at 995-1362 or 995-1025.

Kudos

I’d like to thank all the people who helped us have another successful Commencement, May 4, 2013.

Jan Gasnik, Linda Glaesmer and her crew, Andy Dolan, Cari Noga, Roy Bartle and his crew at Sodexo, Holly Gorton, Irina Grougan, Sarah Hemminger, Kyle Morrison and his crew, Shayrrl McCready, Shannon Owen, Deb Patterson, Eileen Vaughn, Jim White and his crew, Jan Oliver, Cheri Garvin, Renate Simsa, Miku Crouch, Michael Lohr, Sara Hartley, Morgan Bowers, and Zack Light and anyone else who helped.

We couldn’t do it without the help of so many people!

Save the date: 58th Annual NMC Barbecue is May 19, 2013

It’s almost that time of the year again! Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 19, 2013! The BBQ will run 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. and includes fun for the whole family!

The NMC Barbecue is one of northern Michigan’s most popular and enduring traditions. The annual event brings thousands of people to NMC’s main campus for an old-fashioned picnic and a chance to see their community college.

The late Gerald W. Oleson and his wife Frances, founders of Oleson’s Food Stores in Traverse City, started the annual fundraiser picnic in 1956. Oleson’s Food Stores continue to donate the food, and hundreds of volunteers turn out to make the event happen.

Buy your tickets today! Advance tickets are just $6 while day-of tickets are $8.

Click HERE to buy your tickets online and learn more about the BBQ! Or for more information, call (231) 995-1020.

Let’s all do the BBQ!

Small Works art sale at Dennos Museum Center

The Dennos Museum Center is offering art patrons an opportunity to purchase original works of art by talented artists in the region in the museum’s 5th annual Small Works art sale from May 2-5, 2013.

Artists are being invited to submit up to 10 works of art in any media with measurements no greater than 5” x 7” x 5”.  All art work will be priced at $50 or less. The size restrictions have changed this year to allow for more small pottery and sculptures.

The Small Works Sale has been organized to benefit artists and provide art patrons the opportunity to acquire works by artists in a price range accessible to many collectors.

There is no application fee or jury process for the sale.  If the work of art meets the size and price parameters it will be allowed in the sale.

The Museum’s goal for the sale is to provide artists with additional sales opportunities and encourage patrons to buy original art at an affordable price. This is the fifth year of the Small Works sale. Last year 110 artists brought in about 1,000 works to sell.  The sale was a great success with over $7,000 in gross sales.

The Small Works sale, open to the public, will begin with the sale and reception from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Thursday, May 2.  The sale will continue Friday, May 3rd and 4th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, May 9, from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. There is no admission charge for the Small Works sale.

For additional information on the Small Works visit www.dennosmuseum.org or call the Dennos Museum Store 231-995-1587.

The Dennos Museum Center is open Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursday until 8 PM and Sundays 1-5 PM. Admission is $6.00 adults, $4.00 for children and free to museum members. For more information on the Museum and exhibition, go to www.dennosmuseum.org or call 231-995-1055. The Dennos Museum Center is located at 1410 College Dr., Traverse City, MI 49686, at the entrance to the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.