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Human Resources

Category: Human Resources

Reminder: President’s Award of Excellence nominations due Nov. 17!

REMINDER to submit your submission for the President’s Award of Excellence. The award recognizes staff members who continually go above and beyond for the betterment of Lawrence.

You may nominate a staff member from your own department or another department by Nov. 17 (note new due date). Nomination forms are available on the PAE page and must accompany a one- to three-page, typed testimonial describing how the employee encompasses the award criteria.

The nomination form can be submitted by one of the following methods:

Email: Excellence@lawrence.edu
Fax: 920-993-6026
Interoffice mail: Rochelle Blindauer, Human Resources
Hand deliver: Rochelle Blindauer, Brokaw Hall Room 108

If you have additional questions, please see the President’s Award of Excellence FAQ page or contact Rochelle Blindauer at 920-832-6541.

Reminder: Submit your President’s Award of Excellence nominations

REMINDER to submit your submission for the President’s Award of Excellence. The award recognizes staff members who continually go above and beyond for the betterment of Lawrence.

Nominees must meet the following conditions:

  • Is an active, regular full- or part-time staff member with a minimum of one year of service (senior administrators, faculty, student workers/students and staff with less than one year of service or casual, temporary or leased/contracted employees are not eligible for nomination)
  • Exhibits consistent demonstration of the award criteria
  • Demonstrates and maintains consistent job performance that exceeds expectations while displaying high levels of commitment, stewardship and respect

You may nominate a staff member from your own department or another department by Nov. 11. Nomination forms are available on the PAE page and must accompany a one- to three-page, typed testimonial describing how the employee encompasses the award criteria.

The nomination form can be submitted by one of the following methods:

Email: Excellence@lawrence.edu
Fax: 920-993-6026
Interoffice mail: Rochelle Blindauer, Human Resources
Hand deliver: Rochelle Blindauer, Brokaw Hall Room 108

If you have additional questions, please see the President’s Award of Excellence FAQ page or contact Rochelle Blindauer at 920-832-6541.

Careers at Lawrence

The following job openings are available. If you are interested, please apply online or send a resume to humanresources@lawrence.edu. View full job postings on Lawrence’s job website.

  • Executive assistant for the Office of the VP for Student Affairs
  • Director of alumni admissions engagement
  • Assistant baseball coach (pitching)
  • Assistant director of athletics fundraising
  • Associate director of parent giving
  • Tenure-track assistant professor, vocal coach
  • Custodian
  • Tenure-track assistant professor, cello
  • Tenure-track assistant professor, voice
  • Assistant professor of ethnic studies
  • Postdoctoral fellow in Jewish studies
  • Campus security officer

Summary of Lawrence Retirement Readiness Plan changes

As you know, Lawrence made several changes to our retirement program, effective Jan. 1, 2016. The Office of Human Resources wanted to provide you with an update on some things that have—and have not—changed, to give you an update on some of these changes and to clarify some questions about the plan.

 

What Has Changed

What Has Not Changed

Number of plans and plan name

Lawrence used to maintain two separate plans: The Lawrence University Defined Contribution Plan and The Lawrence University Tax Deferred Plan.

We have merged these plans into a single plan: renamed The Lawrence University Retirement Readiness Plan.

The retirement plan provides for Lawrence contributions on your behalf and also offers you the opportunity to save for your retirement, up to maximum amounts set by the IRS.

Record-keeper

Previously, the plan used two record-keepers: TIAA and Fidelity.

We have selected Transamerica as the sole record-keeper for the plan.

Note: Transamerica will report all assets that are still with TIAA and/or Fidelity, however have no control over TIAA and/or Fidelity funds.

Investing your contributions

Amounts you contributed before Jan. 1, 2016 remain with the investment funds you have selected. Amounts you invested with TIAA funds remain invested in the TIAA funds you selected. Amounts you invested with Fidelity funds remain invested in the Fidelity funds you selected.

All amounts contributed after Jan. 1, 2016 will go into the new plan and be invested in funds offered through Transamerica.

You may direct that amounts invested with TIAA or Fidelity be transferred to Transamerica, but this is your decision.

 

New hires and new positions

The following colleagues have been hired, rehired or have a new position within the last two weeks. If you see them on campus, please welcome them to Lawrence or congratulate them on their new position!

  • Lauren Barnes, gift processing specialist (Development)
  • Christian Kortens, campus safety officer (Campus Services)
  • Chelsea Hamesiter, assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach (Athletics)
  • Alisa Jordheim, lecturer in music (Conservatory)
  • Aleeh Schwoerer, Conservatory tour and outreach coordinator (Conservatory)
  • Rudi Pakendorf, director of major and planned giving (Development)

President’s Award of Excellence nominations open

As you heard during the all-staff meeting, we are continuing the President’s Award of Excellence to recognize staff members who continually go above and beyond for the betterment of Lawrence. Details about the award criteria and nomination process is outlined below.

The President’s Award of Excellence (PAE) recognizes exemplary university staff members for their exceptional support and performance for their department and the college. Award recipients will receive a $1,000 monetary award and a commemorative plaque presented at the annual Service Award Luncheon on Feb. 9, 2017, in the Warch Campus Center, where they will be recognized for their accomplishments. The president and the PAE Review Committee will select up to two individuals annually for this award.

Criteria:
The PAE Review Committee will carefully consider all nominations, taking into consideration the following criteria:

  • Support: Demonstrates above and beyond commitment to the support of students, staff or faculty.
  • Stewardship: Demonstrates a high level of care and responsible management for the well-being of the college and its resources for the benefit of our students, staff and faculty.
  • Innovation: Drives innovation, initiative and leadership in the workplace through creative ideas that positively impact the college and/or the surrounding community.
  • Teamwork: Works in partnership with others while nurturing an environment of camaraderie and collaboration.

Nominees must meet the following conditions:

  • Is an active, regular full- or part-time staff member with a minimum of one year of service (senior administrators, faculty, student workers/students and staff with less than one year of service or casual, temporary or leased/contracted employees are not eligible for nomination)
  • Exhibits consistent demonstration of the criteria listed above
  • Demonstrates and maintains consistent job performance that exceeds expectations while displaying high levels of commitment, stewardship and respect

On behalf of President Burstein and the review committee, I strongly encourage you to nominate a deserving colleague for the 2016 President’s Award of Excellence. You may nominate a staff member from your own department or another department. Nominations will be accepted now through Nov. 11, 2016. Nomination forms are available on the PAE page and must accompany a one- to three-page, typed testimonial, describing how the employee encompasses the above-mentioned criteria. A persuasive nomination will consist of heartfelt examples that illustrate the merit of the candidate, along with real-life anecdotes.

The nomination form can be submitted by one of the following methods:

Email: Excellence@lawrence.edu
Fax: 920-993-6026
Interoffice mail: Rochelle Blindauer, Human Resources
Hand deliver: Rochelle Blindauer, Brokaw Hall Room 108

If you have additional questions, please see the President’s Award of Excellence FAQ page or contact Rochelle Blindauer at 920-832-6541 for more information.

Thank you in advance for helping us to identify and honor outstanding members of our Lawrence University staff!

SAAC food drive underway

The Midwest Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) canned food drive competition has started! The Lawrence SAAC will be collecting nonperishable food or cash donations ($1=2 cans of food) for the next four weeks. We are competing against the other Midwest Conference SAACs for the most donations of cash and food. Last year we collected $144.50 and 99 cans for a total of 388 cans. Knox College was the winner with a grand total of 10,593 cans of food.

We are hoping to step it up this year! Please help in any way you can, please drop them off at Alex Gym. Thank you!

LU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

 

Understand your PHA report

Learn how to interpret your PHA (personal health assessment) report by attending one of the educational sessions hosted by our registered nurse educator, Laurie Ehlers.

Laurie will be sharing how to read your report, understand your numbers and how the report trends from prior years.

Please join us on one of the following days/times:

  • Oct. 25, 3 p.m.–3:30 p.m., Steitz Hall Room 202
  • Nov. 1, 8:30 a.m–9 a.m., Briggs Hall Room 420
  • Nov. 1, noon–12:30 p.m., Steitz Hall Room 202

Laure is also available for individual appointments. Email laurie.ehlers@lawrence.edu or call 920-832-7498. These appointments can be used to discuss individual results, identify goals and plan how to achieve goals.

Reminder: Complete your PHA questionnaire online

As a reminder, please complete the PHA questionnaire online at https://thedacarepha.net.

Note: please allow five business days to pass after your screening (blood draw) appointment to complete the online questionnaire, allowing ThedaCare time to process the lab data. The questionnaire needs to be completed for you to be able to see your results.

  1. Enter the following address into your web browser: https://thedacarepha.net.
  2. Click on “Start Your Online Questionnaire HERE” (to complete your online questionnaire), located in the yellow box.
  3. Enter your unique access code: hbv4mdcv
    (Hint: The access code is case sensitive.)
  4. Enter the required account information. Click “Proceed to Registration.”
    (Hint: Use your “legal” first and last name.)
  5. See box below. 

First Time User

Repeat User

Enter email address and create login and password.

(Hint: Please write down for future use.)

Hint: Your email (if previously entered) and login will autopopulate.

Enter new password and confirm password
  1. Click “Sign up.”
  2. Choose the most current lab date (even if it differs from your screening date) and click “Go.”
  3. Click on “Begin your Questionnaire.”
    (Hint: You must answer ALL of the questions before submitting your questionnaire.)
  4. After submitting your questionnaire, on the main menu click on the “Printable Report” button to view your Personal Health Assessment Report.

Transamerica plan updates

As of Oct. 10, Lawrence has made the following changes to the Transamerica plan:

  1. Opened the Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) to all sources
  2. Allow participants to allocate directly to PCRA
  3. Participants must maintain a $3,000 minimum balance in the plan’s core fund lineup
  4. Participants can only allocate 90 percent of their contributions directly to PCRA

*Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) is a self-directed investment option designed to complement your Lawrence University Retirement Readiness Plan core investments. PCRA gives you access to thousands of additional mutual fund options.

Who should choose to invest through PCRA?

PCRA may be appropriate if:

  • You have a sophisticated understanding of investment principles and the stock market;
  • You have the resources to research and monitor your investments;
  • You are comfortable with the additional risk associated with making investment decisions;
  • You are willing to undertake any additional trading and maintenance costs that may apply

How can I obtain additional information about PCRA?

Visit luretirement.trsretire.com. Under the Resource Center tab and Services section, please find the Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) brochure for more information.

How do I open my PCRA?

  1. Visit luretirement.trsretire.com.
  2. Sign in to your account and go to the Messages section (on the top center of the page).
  3. In the Messages section, click on Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account, then click on the link that appears in the message box. Please make sure to note the Retirement Plan ID and Plan Password displayed on this page—you’ll need them for the next step!
  4. You’ll be directed to the Schwab site to complete the process.
  • From the Schwab site, enter the Retirement Plan ID, Plan Password that you noted from the prior page and your Social Security Number.
  • Follow the steps to complete the online PCRA application.
  • Once you click “Submit,” you will receive your account number instantly on the screen.
  • To set up your PCRA for online access, go to Schwab.com, click the “New User” tab, then the “Register” button.
  • Your PCRA is now ready to be funded, and you can begin researching investment opportunities.
  • You will receive welcome materials from Schwab in a few days.

Can I make direct payroll contributions to my PCRA?

Yes, you can allocate direct payroll contributions to PCRA. Log on to your account at luretirement.trsretire.com and select Manage/Future Allocations. The maximum allocation is 90 percent of payroll contributions to PCRA.

Can I transfer money into my PCRA?

Yes, you can transfer assets from your Lawrence University Retirement Readiness Retirement Plan through the following process:

  • Determine which of your core investments you want to transfer money from.
  • Decide on the amount to transfer. See below for transfer restrictions.
  • Log onto the plan website at luretirement.trsretire.com and follow the steps to initiate a transfer or call the Transamerica Call Center at 800-755-5801.

Are there transfer restrictions?

  • Transamerica does not impose any charges on your transfer, but certain plan options may charge redemption fees on frequent trading, which could apply if you liquidate a fund with a redemption fee in order to fund your PCRA contribution.
  • Direct transfers to your PCRA from the New York Life Insurance Company Guaranteed Interest Account cannot be transferred directly to your PCRA. You may transfer them to any other fund offered under the plan for a period of 90 days. You may then transfer those funds to your PCRA. Such restrictions are an industry standard and are intended to prevent excessive short-term or disruptive trading to protect the integrity of the fund and its shareholders.

Is there a minimum transfer required?

Yes, the initial transfer minimum is $1,000, and each subsequent transfer must be at least $250. You must maintain a minimum core product account balance of $3,000. 

What does it cost?

  • Transaction fees and trading commissions are outlined in the Charles Schwab Pricing Guide for Retirement Plan Accounts provided in the welcome materials you receive from Schwab after opening your account. Please contact Schwab at 888-393-PCRA (7272) for questions regarding commissions and transaction fees.
  • Transamerica will apply an annual PCRA fee of $50 that will be withdrawn from your Transamerica account in addition to any other Transamerica administrative fees.