Author: Nitshu Joshi

Tuition Remission Guidelines Summer 2020

The Department of University Human Resources (UHR) Office of Employee Benefits is accepting tuition remission applications for Summer Sessions I and II 2020 as of March 4, 2020.

Employee Tuition Remission

Faculty and staff employees must use the new University System (USM) of Maryland Tuition Remission Application Portal to apply for tuition remission at all USM institutions for themselves and their eligible spouses and dependents. Paper tuition request forms will no longer be accepted, except for those attending Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  Paper forms will still be required for these institutions and all retirees must use the paper form.

Employees must have an active, approved appointment in PHR with a start date no later than June 1, 2020 for Summer I and July 13, 2020 for Summer II in order for the employee to be eligible for tuition remission.

  • Full-Time Employees (100%): Eight total credit hours for Summer Sessions I and II 2019, combined.
  • Regular Status Part-Time Employees (50% or more): Credit hours are prorated according to FTE.

If the applicant is requesting tuition remission for both summer sessions, TWO separate USM Portal applications must be completed. The approved form(s) must be submitted through USM Portal by June 5, 2020 for Summer Session I and July 17, 2020 for Summer Session II. Forms received after the deadline will not be processed.

For more information on dependent eligibility, payment due dates, and more general information, please read the guidelines: Tuition Remission Letter Summer 2020

PRD Tips and Guidelines

We are at the end of the Performance Review and Development (PRD) Cycle (April 2020 through March 2021). All PRD forms/ratings with the highest second level of approvals are due to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) by COB Friday, April 09, 2021. Since we are mostly working in an online environment, there are tips and guidelines that may assist you and your supervisor in having a productive virtual meeting.

  • While the PRD form still needs to be completed, consider whether the employee has the ability to print the document to sign, scan and email it back to you.  If not, you can ask the employee to send you an email indicating whether they are in agreement or disagreement
  • Immediate supervisors are responsible to forward the PRD forms for review and approval to the highest level supervisor
  • The highest level supervisor can either sign on the form if possible or provide comments/signature via email
  • Schedule the meeting at a time that is convenient for both and consider using a web-conferencing tool (like Zoom or WebEx) with the video feature turned on,
  • Pay close attention to what your body language is communicating. Nonverbal cues count. When conducting a performance review using video, be aware of the subtle visual cues that you give and receive. Remember to project openness in your posture, by sitting tall, with arms at your sides or placed on the arms of your chair or table (not crossed).  Crossed arms, shrugged shoulders, eyes looking down or away, hand covering their mouth or neck may be signs of restraint, holding back, or resistance
  • Be an active listener and allow the other person to express their thoughts without interjection.  As the manager, use open ended questions to solicit the employee’s thoughts – give them the chance to explain their biggest wins or challenges.
  • Use this opportunity to discuss professional development opportunities for the coming PRD review cycle (April 2021 – March 2022)
  • Supervisors can ask employees to explore the Linkedin Learning library and identify professional development topics that they both can agree to include in the PRD development plan for the new cycle. Suggest the employee add selections to their personal Linkedin Learning library; encourage the sharing of completion certificates, and watch the learning begin! Visit the Learning and Talent Development website or linkedinlearning.umd.edu for more information.

 

2020 PRD Training

The Performance Review & Development (PRD) Cycle (April 2019 through March 2020) is quickly approaching. Supervisors are encouraged to begin preparing to conduct final PRD evaluations.

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) will be hosting a Performance Review and Development (PRD) training on Monday, March 09, 2020. All new supervisors and new employees are required to attend this training before participating in the PRD process. All other employees are strongly encouraged to attend this training session. Additionally, we will be offering the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) training on this day.

Please use this link to register for both the training sessions: Register Now

Performance Review and Development (PRD) Cycle

As you know, PRD’s are mandatory for all regular and Contingent II staff. We are now at the End-of-Cycle point of the PRD cycle. The initial expectation-setting meeting should have been conducted in Spring 2019 (or ASAP for new employees hired later in the year), and the mid-year feedback meeting should have been held around November.

PRD forms for both Exempt and Nonexempt staff, including an optional self-evaluation form and the annual training and development form, are available on the OHR employee relations forms page.

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

2020 Spring Break Leave

 

The UMCP Spring Break holidays this year are:

  • Monday, March 16th
  • Tuesday, March 17th

As has been our practice the last few years, and because so many of our partners hold classes and events during this time, the Universities at Shady Grove will be open normal spring semester hours these three days (as well as the weekend and weekdays before and after). USG departments should ensure that their units are open; however, we do expect the volume and activity to be below normal during those two days.

We recognize that some staff may have already made plans for these days and others might actually prefer to take their holidays at another time (for example, during the public school spring break holiday or around Memorial Day). A student or C1 employee might want to work those two days as they do not earn holidays and would therefore not be paid if they do not work. Managers, please be considerate of your staff’s plans when setting a work schedule for those two days.

Managers, please use the following instructions when completing and approving timesheets:

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LinkedIn Learning Course Highlight

Rock Your LinkedIn Profile

Explore how to create a LinkedIn profile that brings your personal career story to life, whether you are just starting out, seeking to advance, or making a career change. Instructor Lauren Jolda—head of the “Rock Your Profile” team at LinkedIn—offers tips on tailoring each section, starting with the key insight that a LinkedIn profile is unique and shouldn’t be approached exactly like a resume. Lauren covers ways to add media to a profile, methods for showcasing your career accomplishments and aspirations, and specific examples of profile phrases and language that can help inspire your personal story. Find more information on the course here. 

It’s #WearRedDay

Help bring attention to heart disease awareness by wearing red on Friday, February 7th. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans, especially women. Wear red, snap a pic and tag us at @uatshadygrove.

Benefits Open Enrollment Reminder

November 14 is the last day for Open Enrollment. The plan year begins on January 1, 2020. If you want a flexible spending account in 2020, you must enroll for a flexible spending plan through the SPS online system during open enrollment.

The new limit for the Health Care FSA is $2,700.00 for 2020. The Dependent Care FSA remains at $5, 000.00 for 2020. To calculate your biweekly Health or Dependent Care FSA payroll deduction, please use the applicable formula below:

  • 22 pay (9 month) employees: there are 20 biweekly deductions in 2020. Divide the total by 20.
  • 26 pay (12 month) employees: there are 24 biweekly deductions in 2020. Divide the total by 24.

Linkedin Course Highlight

Take 30 minutes and learn how to capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage with tasks that are demanding your attention, and come away with a clear head and a clear focus. Join-world renowned productivity and time management expert David Allen as he walks you through his five-step process for Getting Things Done.

New Tuition Remission Portal

Starting today, November 4, 2019, the new USM Tuition Remission Application Portal will replace the UMD TR-ELF system currently used for UMD students, and the paper forms currently used for students of other USG institutions. TR-ELF will be disabled and no paper forms will be accepted for submittal to other USM institutions as of November 1, 2019.

The portal is active only for the Winter term 2020. On December 2, 2020, Spring 2020 will be available for portal applications.

University of Maryland retirees, and employees applying for tuition remission benefits for students at Morgan State University, Baltimore City Community College, or St. Mary’s College of Maryland will continue to use paper forms. Graduate Assistants will not use the new portal. The automation process for them will remain the same as it has been.

For employee to login to the portal, they will click on Apply Now button and use their University login ID and password. To continue they should select the UMD logo, then start a new application, then the logo of the institution will pre-load, like the former TR-ELF system, then continue completing the rest of the application. It is similar to the TR-ELF application process.

Please visit the UHR Website for more information on tuition remission.

Here are the tuition remission guidelines for Winter and Spring 2020.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Human Resources.