Human Resources

The 2025 Open Enrollment period will begin on November 1 and run through November 14, 2024. Our annual Open Enrollment period provides all benefit-eligible employees an opportunity to make changes to their current coverage or enroll in coverage that was previously waived.

Open Enrollment Benefit Fair

Additionally, we are excited to share that we will be able to gather again for an Open Enrollment Benefits Fair in the Warch Campus Center – Somerset Room on Monday, November 4, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

This event will provide opportunities to meet with University’s benefit providers, obtain benefit enrollment forms and the 2025 benefit guide, and connect directly with our benefits vendors about enrollment for the upcoming year.  

Please watch for additional communication as we approach the start of the Open Enrollment period.

Questions? Contact Human Resources
humanresources@lawrence.edu

Your Transamerica retirement plan offers complimentary access to a retirement planning consultant (RPC) who can review your personal retirement strategy and discuss any other financial goals you’re working toward. An RPC is coming to Lawrence University on November 4 & 5. These experienced professionals can help you: 

• Enroll in the plan
• Review and understand Your Retirement Outlook^©
• Determine your contribution rate and investment mix
• Learn how life events — such as marriage, children, and buying a home — could impact your retirement strategy
• Improve your overall financial wellness

Even if retirement is years—or decades—away, having a smart strategy starts today.

Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation appointment with a Transamerica RPC at a time convenient for you. Appointments available November 4 & 5.

Lawrence University
1025 E. South River Street, Appleton, WI 54911
Conference Room 207

The UMR Summer issue of Healthy You includes a spotlight on stopping tobacco and nicotine use. Find these and other helpful resources!

See below for a few updates from the Human Resources Office that will help you efficiently find the resources and support you need.  

STAFF UPDATES 

• Please welcome Ka Houa Lee, our new Payroll & HR Coordinator. Ka Houa is joining us from Nurses PRN, where she was in the role of HR Generalist. Ka Houa will lead our Student Employment Program and payroll processing, benefits program support, pre-employment activities, background & MVR checks, and management of the HR inbox and online resources. 

• Congratulations to Robin Bettis, who has been promoted to HR Generalist. She will be assisting with daily HR operations including employee relations, compensation, benefits, risk management, and compliance. 

• Crista Rettler, Payroll Manager, will be leaving Lawrence as of June 7.  Please join us in thanking Cris for all of her hard work and dedication to LU over the last 13.5 years—she will be greatly missed! In partnership with WAICU, we will be utilizing Core Education for payroll processing as we seek to fill this important role. Please direct all payroll requests and inquiries to the payroll@lawrence.edu email account, as Core Education will be supporting us virtually. 

RESOURCES & SUPPORT

SUPERVISORS – With these changes, we are better able to offer a specific HR representative to partner with you around policy and process, employee relations, recruiting, and organizational changes. The list of leaders and partners will be posted and updated as needed on the HR SharePoint page under Meet the Human Resources & Payroll Team>HR Partner List.

ALL STAFF & FACULTY – Please utilize the humanresources@lawrence.edu email account as your first point of contact for any questions related to benefits, policy, and procedures. You can also find answers to common inquiries on the Human Resources SharePoint site, which will continue to be updated with the most recent information available including: 

• Employee Handbook 

• Benefits Guides & Contact Information – *Note: In most cases, benefit and/or prescription questions are best answered directly by the benefits provider. 

• Paycor Resources & Guides (Instructions for Log-In, Direct Deposit Updates, Timesheets and more) 

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

• Holiday Schedule 

• Payroll (including tax information and schedule) 

• Discrimination & Harassment Reporting 

• Injury & Incident Reporting 

• Performance Management 

• Career Opportunities & Recruitment 

• Student Employment 

*New* We now have an electronic HR Booking system to schedule appointments with the HR staff member who has the best expertise to help you! In-person or virtual appointments with HR are best for: new hire paperwork, benefit enrollment assistance, timesheet assistance, and employee relations concerns. 

LU Human Resources Team:
Miranda Wollin, Stephanie Chitel, Robin Bettis & Ka Houa Lee 

How to Have Impassioned Disagreements Without Damaging Relationships

Monday, May 9 | Noon

ComPsych invites faculty and staff from the higher education industry to attend a special webinar on How to Have Impassioned Disagreements Without Damaging Relationships.

On college campuses around the country, the war in Gaza has spurred dialogue that is important but often very challenging. People may find themselves in conversations where there is passionate disagreement, but also a desire to maintain positive relationships. This webinar is about having those conversations in ways that allow you to convey strong convictions without damaging relationships that matter to you.

Staff & Faculty are welcome to attend this upcoming higher education specific webinar with ComPsych! If interested, please register here.

ComPsych will be holding an upcoming webinar on the importance of mental health and how to manage anxiety. If you are interested in attending to learn more, you can register here.

Mental Health Matters: Strategies for Managing Anxiety

Monday, May 6 | Noon

Anxiety is and has been on the rise. In fact, it is the most common issue Gen Z-ers bring up in therapy. According to our own book of business data, anxiety started appearing in 2014 as a reason for seeking out counseling. In 2020, anxiety jumped to the top of our charts and has stayed there ever since, worsening even. As a society, what is making us so anxious and how can we deal with it in a healthy way? Join this session to find out.

Speaker: Jennifer Birdsall, Ph.D., ABPP, Clinical Director, ComPsych

Have a question you would like them to cover during this session? Please send to webinars@compsych.com.

If you see them on campus, please welcome them to Lawrence!

Ed Momkus – Lecturer in Business and Entrepreneurship

Andrea McComas – Bon Appetit

Michael Kiefer – Bon Appetit

Jennifer Smith – Bon Appetit

Dante Molina – Bon Appetit

Will Bunnell – Bon Appetit

Alex Cronmiller – Campus Safety Officer

Rehires

Marissa Resler – Bjorklunden Temporary Staff

Isabel Alvarez – Lecturer of Spanish

Donna Clementi – Lecturer of Education

Elyse Lucas – Lecturer in Education

Anders Hanhan – Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership Fellow

Alan Parks – Professor Emeritus of Mathematics

When it comes to tax prep, there are a few ways to make the process smoother. Gathering all your necessary documents like W-2 forms, and receipts, in one place is a good first step. Discover additional tips in the resource below.

Filing a federal tax return can be a tedious and time-consuming task, so it’s never too early to start preparing. Keep in mind: The deadline for filing individual returns for the 2023 tax year is April 15, 2024. Here are some tips on filing:

• Get started now. Organize receipts, paycheck stubs, financial records, mortgage statements and other important documents, and try to estimate how much you will owe or be refunded. You want to schedule enough time to complete your return and avoid the filing deadline rush.
• Educate yourself. Learn about the latest tax laws so you can take advantage of as many deductions, exemptions and credits as possible. Visit the IRS website at irs.gov or call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 for help. Consider hiring a CPA, financial planner or tax attorney for a complex return.
• Understand your payment options. There are alternatives if you cannot immediately pay the taxes you owe. Installment agreements can be applied for at irs.gov, and there are a number of options for charging the balance on a credit card. The IRS won’t tack on a fee for credit card payments, but the processing companies will charge a convenience fee.
• If you can’t file on time. You can submit IRS Form 4868: Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return and receive an automatic six-month extension to postpone your filing date. This pushes back the due date for the paperwork. It doesn’t give you more time to pay any taxes due, so you will owe interest on any amount not paid by the May 17 deadline, plus a late payment penalty if you have not paid at least 90 percent of your total tax by that date.

Your GuidanceResources® program has partnered with WorkingAdvantage to offer a discount on TurboTax tax preparation software. To get started, log on to GuidanceResources® Online, click on the Discounts icon and follow the instructions posted under Save on TurboTax. Or, access WorkingAdvantage directly and log in or create a new account using access code 653935339.

If you see them on campus, please welcome them to Lawrence!

New Hires

Michael Bernard – Bon Appetit

Sarah Benton – Senior Systems Analyst

Morris Beans – Campus Safety Officer