Three percent staff salary increases and leave changes proposed

Better Reporting, Less Effort
Online Faculty Assignment Report now available

A variety of resources are available to support implementation of the new FAR:

• Several Town Hall meetings were held around campus to introduce the system and answer questions from the field. A recording of one of the sessions is available online.
• The Office of Contracts and Grants Accounting has formed a subcommittee to review and improve grants-related policies and procedures, especially those related to effort reporting. The subcommittee’s efforts will help provide clarity to these important business processes.
•  A new informational session is available in myUFL: RSH200 Effort Reporting. This session provides descriptions of the new effort activity categories, step-by-step instructions for using the online FAR, and custom viewing tracks of information specifically tailored to the busy schedules of deans, chairs, and faculty. To enroll in RSH200, login to myUFL, and navigate to Main Menu > My Self Service > Training and Development > Request Training Enrollment. Search for course number RSH200.

If you have any technical questions regarding the online system, please contact the UFHelp Desk at (352) 392-HELP (4357), or helpdesk@ufl.edu.

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Law firm retained to handle immigrant visa petitions

Fragomen has been retained to provide a comprehensive range of immigration services. The university's retention of Fragomen will streamline the application process, minimize the collection of information required of departments, and simplify the approval process.  In addition to preparing and filing permanent residency petitions, Fragomen will be working with the university community to review the current immigration policies and procedures, ensure compliance with federal immigration regulations, and offer ongoing training.  The Fragomen University Team will be holding monthly office hours in Gainesville at the Human Resources Building.

Fragomen is also providing UF with its own web-based Immigration Home Page (IHP). This portal will centralize all permanent resident case-related data and combines this data with a host of other useful immigration-related information.  Departmental administrators, Immigration Compliance Services, and employees applying for immigrant visas will soon have the ability to access the following:

• Online questionnaires to facilitate efficient fact-gathering procedures
• Process flowcharts outlining the steps involved in applying for various nonimmigrant and immigrant visas
• An extensive collection of frequently-asked immigration questions to assist employees in gaining a basic understanding of a variety of immigration processes, procedures, and terminology
• Links to government agencies and resources for quick verification of processing times as well as access to the latest immigration regulations and important news

Additional information regarding training sessions, office hours, and the IHP will be circulated in the near future. If you have any questions regarding any of the new procedures, please contact Immigration Compliance Services at (352) 392-2477 or ics@mail.ufl.edu. Should you wish to learn more about Fragomen, please visit its web site at www.fragomen.com.

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Deadline to enroll in GatorGradCare is September 14

University of Florida graduate students on a pre-doc fellowship appointment and appropriately registered are also eligible to participate. There is no FTE requirement for graduate students on pre-doc fellowship appointments. Criteria for appropriate registration can be found in the Registration Requirements section of the Graduate Catalog.

All graduate students who wish to participate in the GatorGradCare health plan for the fall 2011 semester must enroll online  by September 14.

Prior to approving an enrollment, eligibility criteria must be reviewed by the GA and Post Doc Associate Benefits Office following the drop/add period that ends on August 26.  Departments must have completed all appointment processes, entered ePAF transactions, and allowed time for each level of approver to approve the appointment prior to August 26 so GatorGradCare enrollees can have their insurance coverage activated as quickly as possible.

Any delay in loading the TA, RA, or pre-doc fellow appointments, letters of appointment, and tuition waivers will delay insurance coverage for the GatorGradCare enrollees.  Please contact the GA and Post Doc Associate Benefits Office at (352) 392-0003 if you are aware of any delays. For more information, visit the GatorGradCare section of the HRS web site.

Current and new enrollees’ mailing address information should also be verified in the myUFL system by August 26 to ensure it is up-to-date. The street number, street name, and apartment number—if applicable—should all be listed in Address Line 3. 

Students should review their mailing addresses to make sure the information is listed correctly so they receive important mailings related to their insurance, including insurance ID cards.  Department administrators who enter mailing addresses for Graduate Assistants and Pre-Doc Fellows should follow the format indicated above.

Graduate assistants and pre-doc fellows who have moved should contact the GA and Post Doc Associate Benefits Office at (352) 392-0003 or gabenefits@admin.ufl.edu to request that their updated address information be forwarded to the insurance company. 

Contact your directory administrator or the UF Help Desk at 392-HELP or helpdesk@ufl.edu with questions pertaining to the UF Directory.

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GatorGradCare reminders: Handling terminations, withdrawals, and transfers

If you need additional information about terminations or withdrawals or have any questions, please contact the GA and Post Doc Associate Benefits Office at (352) 392-0003 or gabenefits@admin.ufl.edu. 

Please also note that if a postdoctoral associate is transferring to a faculty or benefits-eligible position in the near future, be sure to advise him or her to contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2477 as soon as possible to find out how it will affect his or her insurance coverage.

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Submit updates to Gainesville AT&T Directory by August 26

To confirm, update, or add your department's listing, please visit https://appdev.cns.ufl.edu/ATTDirectory.html. If a response is not received, the current listing will be deleted. Please note that personnel listings are not included in this update.  If you have any questions, please contact Ray Warner, CNS-Telecommunications, at rcwarner@ufl.edu or (352) 392-1139.

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Fringe Benefit Pool rates approved and effective for FY 2011-12

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved the University of Florida’s proposed pooled fringe rates as submitted earlier this year. The rates were effective July 1, 2011, and have been updated in the myUFL system.

Benefits included in the pooled rates are:

1. FICA OASDI (Social Security)
2. FICA Medicare
3. Health Insurance (including graduate assistant and postdoctoral associate health insurance)
4. Retirement (employer contributions)
5. Life insurance
6. Clinical disability insurance
7. Worker's compensation
8. Unemployment compensation
9. Vacation and sick leave cash-outs
10. Sick leave pool payments

The employee categories and corresponding approved benefit rates are as follows:

 Please contact the following individuals if you have any questions:

Brian Kuhl, bkuhl@ufl.edu or by phone 392-5778
Jim Ferrer, jferrer@ufl.edu or by phone 392-2402
Sheela Moudgil, moudgils@ufl.edu or by phone 392-1324

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©2011 University of Florida Office of Human Resource Services
The InfoGator for Department Administrators is a monthly e-publication produced by the University of Florida’s Office of Human Resource Services. It is distributed electronically to UF faculty and staff and is available online. Please direct questions or comments to its editor, Angie Brown; Human Resource Services; P.O. Box 115006; (352) 392-4626; TDD 800-955-8771. The InfoGator is available in an alternative format upon request.