July 2024 HR Newsletter

Inside this Edition

The First Two Centers of Excellence are Open!

The Talent Acquisition Center and The People Support Center recently launched as part of KU's People First HR initiative. These two centers collectively encompass the services and support formerly offered by Employment and Appointment (HRM) and the HR SSC. Learn how roles and support services have been realigned by reviewing the HR Centers of Excellence webpage or by reaching out to the HR Help Desk team at 785-864-4946, or hrdept@ku.edu.

HR Onboarding Center

New and rehire employee onboarding services have been relocated from Strong Hall room 50 to Carruth O’Leary Room 101. The HR Onboarding team is the campus resource for ensuring proper completion of all required new hire documentation, initial orientation to campus resources and benefits, verification of all required I-9 documentation, and more. Visit us at our new location or contact the team by emailing kuhronboarding@ku.edu. Onboarding staff work a hybrid schedule with on-site office hours Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Academic Year Reserve

Enrollment in the Faculty Academic Year Pay Reserve for Summer Disbursement program for the 2024-25 academic year is now available. Eligible faculty members can enroll in the program by completing the Enrollment Form by 5:00 PM on 8/23/2024. Late applications will not be considered. The Summer Disbursement program reserves a portion of net pay from every full pay period during the academic year and then evenly disburses those funds to the participating faculty member during the summer. Participants will have 27.01% of net earnings reserved from each full pay period August through May. Those funds will be held by the university and be the source of the participant’s summer disbursement. Participating faculty members will continue the practice of pre-paying summer State Employee Health Plan and optional group life insurance premiums during the spring semester.

Tuition Assistance Application Deadline Extended to July

The Fall 2024 Tuition Assistance Application Deadline has been extended to July 31st, 2024. Timely submission is strongly encouraged, and late applications may be denied.The Employee Tuition Assistance Program provides eligible employees with assistance to cover tuition for up to 12 credit hours per calendar year. Please visit our website for more information.

FY 2024 Staff Evaluations in progress and Due by September 1, 2024

On May 15, 2024, staff due a FY 2024 annual evaluation received a notice from the MyTalent System to begin working on their self-evaluation. Below are the due dates for the overall staff evaluation process. Staff members who have not yet completed their self-evaluation should ensure to do so as soon as possible, and supervisors should ensure that all other evaluation steps re completed by the September 3, 2024, deadline. The specific steps and due dates are as follows:

June 30, 2024 — Staff self-evaluation due
August 28, 2024 — Supervisor’s evaluation of staff members due
August 30, 2024 – Employee acknowledgement due
September 3, 2024 – Supervisor acknowledgement due

All staff evaluations must be completed by September 3, 2024.

Instructions can be found on the Human Resources website.

FY 2025 Goal Plan now available - begin setting goals in MyTalent

The FY 2025 (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025) Goal Plan is now available in the MyTalent System. Staff and supervisors of staff can begin to add goals to the FY 2025 (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025) Goal Plan. While both the supervisor and the staff member can establish goals within the system, ultimately goal setting and expectation-setting is the responsibility of the supervisor.

At least one goal must be established during the FY 2025 evaluation period. A best practice is 3-5 goals. It is advised that goals are established as early in the evaluation period as possible.

Human Resources has created a video on Best Practices in Goal Setting.

Step-by-step instructions on how to establish goals as an employee can be found here: Step-by-Step Instructions - Goals - Employee.

Step-by-step instruction on how to establish goals as supervisor can be found here: Step-by-Step Instructions - Goals - Supervisor.

Additional training for the Performance Management System, to include desk side coaching can be requested by emailing hrdept@ku.edu for more information.

Thank you for supporting the professional development of your staff by engaging actively in the Performance Management system.

Save the Date: Staff Leadership Summit 2024

The annual Staff Leadership Summit will take place this year on Thursday, September 26 in KU Memorial Union on Lawrence campus. This year’s theme is Coming Together: The Power of Human Connection. This is Learning and Development’s free annual professional development event for KU staff. Event registration and details will be coming soon. Registration required. Lunch will be provided.

Learning and Development Opportunities

Boosting Morale Through Daily Celebrations: Sharing Appreciation Using Compassionate Communication (NEW)

Prerequisite: Introduction to Compassionate Communication

Learn the richness of appreciative feedback in Compassionate Communication and what makes it different from giving praise, compliments, and approval. This type of feedback gives you the opportunity to go beyond a "thank you” and share exactly how another person has made a contribution to you that you find meaningful. Appreciative feedback offers an opportunity to touch more deeply what is meaningful for us and name it with gratitude. This can lead to deeper connections at work, more fulfilling work relationships, and a greater clarity and understanding of how life is enhanced by one another. Strategies for sharing and receiving appreciation are included.

Wednesday, July 31 | 9 – 11:30 a.m. | Zoom

Thursday, Sept. 19 | 9 – 11:30 a.m. | Zoom

Giving and Receiving Feedback (NEW)

The training provides an overview of three types of feedback. Also, learn one model of feedback, common mistakes when giving feedback, and tips to making a feedback conversation more of a dialogue between two people rather than a monologue by the giver of feedback. The second half of the training focuses on how to get better at receiving feedback. Learn how our common challenges can lead to a gap between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us, how feedback can trigger our defensiveness, and strategies for getting clarity on the feedback provided.

Wednesday, August 7 | 9 a.m. – noon | Zoom

Tuesday, August 13 | 9 a.m. – noon | Zoom

Tuesday, Sept. 10 | 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Zoom

Why, What, and How to Delegate(NEW)

Hoarding work for yourself is a no-win situation for your team. Team members want to make meaningful contributions, they want opportunities to grow and develop, and they want to feel trusted. In this course, we define what it means to delegate to someone else, determine which tasks and responsibilities are appropriate to delegate, and examine the reasons we hesitate to delegate. We step through a process for delegating effectively, and we identify actions to take when the process does not go as expected. This course is open to everyone but may be more applicable to those who supervise others.

Wednesday, August 14 | 1 – 3 p.m. | Zoom

Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 10 a.m. – noon | Zoom

CENTRAL BANK AT WORK EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

(the two trainings below)

Central Bank is KU’s community banking partner that offers traditional banking services as well as financial education workshops, and more. Learn more by visiting Bank at Work Powered by Central Bank. These workshops are led by Central Bank instructors. Contact stephanie.hass@centralbank.net with your questions.

Making the Most of Your Retirement Plan (NEW)

Take advantage of your retirement plan and figure out the best ways to start planning for your retirement today.

Wednesday, August 7 | 10 – 10:30 a.m. | Zoom

Understanding Your Banking Relationship (NEW)

Learn how to take advantage of all the resources your bank has to offer and how to make it work well for you!

Wednesday, Sept. 11 | 10 – 10:30 a.m. | Zoom

Project Leader Certification Program

The Project Leader Certificate Program benefits those who serve as unofficial project managers. The 6-week, interactive curriculum provides a strong foundation in the processes, tools, and interpersonal aspects of being an effective project leader.

Participants should come with a project to work on throughout the program, e.g., planning an event; testing and training for a new software solution; improving a process. At the conclusion of the program, each person will give a 10-minute presentation describing how they applied what they learned to their project.

The Project Leader Certificate Program begins in October and ends in December. The instructor-led class sessions will be conducted online from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. on the following six Thursdays: Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, and 21, and Dec. 5 and 12. Supplemental readings and LinkedIn Learning courses are required as well as a small-group presentation on facilitation tools.

There is a fee of $275 to participate to cover the cost of materials and assessments. Invoices will be sent to the participant’s department before the first class. Contact hrdept@ku.edu with questions.

Best Practices in Conducting a Staff Search

Search training provides an overview of equal opportunity principles, university hiring guidelines and best interviewing practices. Attendance is encouraged for those who plan to chair a search committee and anyone else needing a refresher on conducting staff searches. Student hourly hiring practices and these changes will be touched upon at the session as well. Training is through Microsoft Teams. After registration, the instructor will send Teams details closer to the training date. For those interested in attending a faculty search training, please contact employ@ku.edu

Tuesday, August 27 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Teams

Friday, Sept. 13 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. | Teams

Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement Plans

This quarterly newsletter from TIAA and Voya about the Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement Plans, contains information about saving more for retirement and improving financial well-being, online tools and calculators, and on-demand webinars.

To update your beneficiaries please complete the form for the retirement program you contribute to and submit to the KU Benefits Office by email at benefits@ku.edu or by fax at 785-864-5790 or take to Carruth O’Leary Hall room 103 for processing.

KPERS members beneficiary form

KBOR members (TIAA or Voya) beneficiary form

All benefits-eligible employees can participate in the Voluntary Plan.

The Mandatory Plan is available for eligible faculty and unclassified professional staff.

Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act

The Pregnant Workers Fairness is available to any employee experiencing pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, including lactation.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Provides reasonable workplace accommodations for limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions.

Process: To request a reasonable workplace accommodation for the conditions described above, complete the workplace accommodation form. Medical information may be requested to substantiate the request.

More information can be found on the Human Resources website: https://humanresources.ku.edu/pregnant-workers-fairness-act

Get the Healthcare You Need on the Cheap

HealthQuest Health Center in Topeka is a convenient place for all benefits-eligible employees, spouses, and their dependents aged 2+ to obtain preventive and sick care, non-emergency injury care, as well as health coaching, skin cancer screening, chronic condition coaching, and counseling. All preventive visits are no cost regardless of health plan enrollment. Healthcare services are provided at no cost for those with Plan A and only require a $40 fee for those with Plans C, J, and N until the deductible is met. Many of their services are offered virtually through Marathon Health Anywhere.

Skip the Store! Buy Produce Directly from a Farmer on Campus!

It is the perfect time to subscribe to the Crops to Campus Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). Summer vegetables are now available every Thursday to be picked up in the back of Price Computing Center from 4-6 p.m. Your $25/week subscription gets you a wide variety of delicious seasonal fruit and vegetable choices from an alliance of nine regional farms who practice natural, ecologically sustainable growing practices. Don’t miss out! Subscribe at the link above!

Wellness Ambassadors Program Update

Recruitment for the new KU Wellness Ambassadors Program has been underway since early spring. So far, 32 faculty and staff have been accepted as their department’s ambassadors, a position that will be tasked with building a healthy and vibrant work culture that integrates wellbeing, communication, and activities into the fabric of our day-to-day schedule. We are still in need of applicants from Liberal Arts & Sciences. If you are interested in learning more, check out the Wellness Ambassadors page or feel free to reach out to Employee Wellness.