Human resources

Employee benefits overview

Benefits for teaching & administrative faculty, professional staff and office & physical plant staff

Below are general description of the benefits, exclusions, limitations and other provisions of the benefits plans for Goshen College employees. Complete details of employee benefits and policies are outlined in the Staff Handbook or Administrative or Teaching Handbook. Complete descriptions of benefits and policies are available in the VP for Finance's Office and the Human Resources Office. The VP for Finance is the administrator responsible for all employee benefits.

'Open Enrollment' -- May 1 - May 14 -- During this period you may change health care plans, sign up for additional life insurance coverage, decide how much of your salary you wish to set aside for health care expenses (Section 125) and more.

Dental Insurance

All ongoing employees working 1,000 or more hours per year are eligible to enroll in a comprehensive group dental plan. The premium paid by the employee. Dependent coverage is also available. Application must be made within 30 days of hire and coverage may normally be changed in June of each year.

See Dental Benefit Plan Summary for additional information.

Disability insurance

Total disability – All ongoing full-time employees are eligible to participate after 12 consecutive months of full-time service. It is the responsibility of the employee to fill out proper application forms in the Human Resources office. The plan, with few exceptions, provides benefits after three consecutive months of disability from injury or illness. Together with Social Security and/or worker's compensation, the benefits approximate 60 percent of one's normal salary during total disability until one reaches age 65. The plan also provides continued payments into the retirement program during such disability so that the disability does not impair retirement benefits. Employees may use accumulated sick leave to cover the first three months of disability. For more details, see the Long Term Disability Insurance Coverage Plan.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – An EAP through Guidance Resources is available to employees and family members. Free telephone and up to 3 in-person sessions with a professional counselor are available along with referral services.

Faculty-only benefits

Professional improvement – All full-time teaching faculty are eligible for a $500 annual professional allowance. Part-time (.5-.749 FTE) receive a pro-rated allowance.
Sabbatical – All full-time faculty are eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave after 10 years of employment. The dean's office approves all sabbatical leaves; administrative faculty sabbaticals are processed through the Provost's Office. There is a limit on the number of sabbaticals granted each year. Subsequent sabbaticals may be applied for after seven years of additional employment. Full pay is given for six months, two-thirds pay for nine months, or one-half pay for 12 months.

Health insurance

Eligibility – All ongoing employees working 1,000 or more hours per year (half-time). Employees between one-half and three-fourths time share a pro-rata portion of costs. Spouse and unmarried dependent children through age 24 (employee pays a portion of the cost) of eligible employees. Health insurance coverage begins with a signed application at the beginning of employment. Application must be made within the first 30 days of employment. The plan year is July 1 - June 30.

Plan Highlights – A comprehensive Preferred Provider Organization plan is available with national and some international provider coverage. Specific details are given in the plan documents in the Human Resources Office or in the Benefit Plan Summaries.

Holidays

Administrative faculty, professional staff and staff have the following holidays:

If a holiday occurs when school is in session and the employee is at work, it is considered a floating holiday and may be used at another time. The exact dates for the current college year's holidays are: July 3, September 7, November 26-27, December 24, 25, 28, December 31-January 1, April 2, and May 31.

Life insurance

All full-time employees are included in the plan upon date of employment and completion of application. The college will pay the full premium for the plan, which offers coverage for full-time employees. The value of coverage for each individual covered is 1.5 times gross salary to a $100,000 maximum. This amount is reduced after age 65.


Accidental death and dismemberment – All ongoing employees working half-time (1,000 hours) or more are eligible. Upon signed applications, insurance valued at 1.5 times gross salary up to $100,000 maximum is provided against accidental death. A lesser amount is provided for faculty and staff dismembered in an accident. See the AD&D coverage policy for details.

Payroll Information

Contracts are issued to teaching faculty based on a 42-week year, (but paid over 12 months); administrative faculty and professional staff are normally on a 12-month year. Statements of agreement are issued to staff employees based on hourly wages. Contracts and agreements are based on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. Payroll is paid twice each month. Direct deposit is strongly encouraged and is available to any credit union or bank.

Retirement plan

Mennonite Retirement Trust (MRT)

Teachers Insurance Annuity Association (TIAA)
College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF)

Any faculty or staff member is eligible to participate provided the person has worked at GC at least half time (1,000 hours) or more for one year and is at least 21 years old. The college will begin retirement plan payments after the employee is eligible. Waiting period is waived if new employee participated in a not-for-profit organization retirement plan immediately prior to start of employment.

The Retirement Plan offers options for investment through TIAA-CREF and Mennonite Retirement Trust. Each employee decides in which funds he or she wishes to place the Goshen College contribution. Goshen College contributes an amount equal to 9 percent of employees' regular salary. The employee may make additional contributions to a plan on a tax-deferred basis. Additional contributions are made under an agreement for salary reduction at the time of eligibility for participation in the basic retirement plan or at any time thereafter. Increases or decreases in the amount to be deferred may be made several times per year. Since this plan is voluntary, the participant can discontinue at any time. Employees may elect to use both TIAA CREF and MRT for their retirement savings but may not divide contributions of the college contribution or salary reduction between them.

See:
TIAA-CREF website

TIAA-CREF College Contribution Plan Summary

TIAA-CREF Employee Contribution Plan Summary

Mennonite Retirement Trust plan description

Section 125

All ongoing employees working half-time time (1,000 hours) or more are eligible. Employees are permitted to use pretax dollars for health and dental insurance premiums, unreimbursed medical expenses, dental and optical expenses and dependent-care costs. Election of eligible expenses is made at the time of employment and the annual benefit open enrollment period. It is the responsibility of the employee to fill out proper application forms in the Human Resources Office. For more information, see the plan description on the benefits plan summary page.

Sick leave

Full-time employees earn sick pay at the rate of one day per month (4 hours per pay) with a maximum of 100 days accumulation. Sick leave is intended primarily to recover the loss of income due to actual illness, but it may be applied to personal and immediate family doctor and dental appointments and absence for emergency care of an immediate family member (dependent child, spouse or dependent parent), if other arrangements are impossible. It also may be applied to maternity/paternity leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Part-time employees earn pro-rated sick leave hours.

Supplemental Insurance (AFLAC)

Four supplemental insurance products are offered to employees through AFLAC: Cancer, Accident, Specified Health (includes heart, stroke, and other illnesses), and Life Insurance. Family members can be included. The employee is responsible for the premium, and various levels of coverage are available. For more information, contact AFLAC representative Cheryl Miller, 574-536-9410.

Social security

Participation is a condition of employment through payroll deduction for all employees, except ordained ministers in the exercise of their ministry whose participation is on a "self-employed" basis. The college contributes an amount equal to employee contributions for these "self-employed" employees. In addition to retirement benefits, this program provides survivor and disability benefits.

Tuition discounts

Employee eligibility – Employee spouse and dependent children under 25 are eligible if the employee works one-half time or more. Full-time employees (defined as 75 percent employment or greater) receive full tuition-discount benefits; part-time employees (employed 50 percent to 74 percent) receive a pro-rata share of tuition discounts. Employees are eligible to take up to two classes per semester at 100 percent tuition discount, if work schedule permits and the supervisor approves. Discounts for classes in the Adult Programs are pro-rated on a different schedule.

Employee spouse eligibility – Employee spouses are eligible for a 75 percent tuition discount during the first two years of employment and a 100 percent discount beginning the third year.

Employee dependent children eligibility – Dependent children are eligible for a 50 percent tuition discount during the first two years of employment and a 75 percent discount beginning the third year.

Part-time employee eligibility – Tuition discount policies for part-time employees are outlined in the employee handbook and are available in the Financial aid office.

Former employee eligibility – Discounts are available for dependents of former employees who began employment before July 1, 2003 and who have worked 10 years or more for the college with the exception of persons who worked at least 4 years between 1968 and 1989, who will receive dependent tuition discount of 5% for each year of full time employment. A maximum of 15 years employment (75% discount) is counted for this benefit. No employees who started employment after July 1, 2003 are eligible for former employee tuition discounts should they leave Goshen College.

Tuition discounts
Tuition discounts are not automatic and must be applied for at the financial aid office. Undergraduate tuition discounts are nontaxable benefits. Tuition discounts are coordinated with other types of financial aid. 

For more information, see the plan description on the benefit plan summary page.

Vision Service Plan

Employees working half-time and above and their dependents may enroll in the Vision Service Plan (VSP) benefit. The employee is responsible for paying the premium. Benefits include discounts on annual examinations, lenses (including contact lenses), and frames. Applications are available from the Human Resources Office. For plan details, see the benefit plan summary page.

Vacation

Part-time employees (1/2 time to 3/4 time) – receive pro-rata time for vacation and holidays.

Each full-time staff member and administrator is eligible for paid vacation time accrued each pay, calculated according to the schedule listed below.