2013

Informational Meetings on Changes in Developmental Education

January 14, 2013

Last year, the Legislature passed a bill (Public Act 12-40) that requires the Community Colleges and State Universities to develop a one-semester intensive college readiness program, or alternately, a one-semester developmental course and to embed support in entry-level English and math courses. The bill generally prohibits additional developmental course work at the college level beginning by the 2014 fall semester.

In order to help facilitate communications between all concerned, the 4C’s, in conjunction with Senator Bye and Representative Willis, is sponsoring information sessions. Representatives of the Board of Regents are invited to make a presentation and to listen to members’ concerns and ideas. A meeting will be scheduled on each campus in the coming months. Please check the 4C’s Calendar for the schedule of meetings.

Important Considerations for Retiring Faculty Who Plan to Return as Adjuncts

January 20, 2013

Faculty members who retire from full-time service and then return to teaching as an adjunct faculty face special challenges in accessing retirement assets in defined contribution plans, which include the Alternate Retirement Program (ARP), the 403(b) and the 457 Plans. With only minor exceptions, the IRS prohibits an employee from receiving a distribution from these plans during a period of post-retirement employment with the same employer.

The Office of the State Comptroller's Healthcare Policy and Benefit Services Division has sent out a memorandum explaining the issues in detail. It advises retiring faculty members in the ARP to map out a retirement distribution strategy BEFORE entering into any discussion about continued employment.

> Read the Comptroller's Memo on Retirement Distribution Strategies

Members Testify on Governor's Scholarship Bill

March 1, 2013

On February 28, two 4C's members, Margaret Malaspina and David Welsh,  testified on a legislative proposal to create the Governor's Scholarship. The proposal would replace existing state student aid programs with the Governor's Scholarship and includes new eligibility requirements. Both Margaret and David objected to provisions of the program. Their major concern is language that would limit scholarship eligibility to full-time students. A secondary concern restricts the use of funds to provide student employment.

• Read MARGARET MALASPINA TESTIMONY

• Read DAVID WELSH TESTIMONY

"Encouraging our students to persist in their studies and complete degrees is a goal we all share, but our students who can't attend full-time have the same aspirations as full-time students, and I don't believe we should deny them a reasonable chance at this assistance," testified David Welsh, Director of Student Financial Assistance at Tunxis.

Margaret Malaspina, Director of Student Financial Assistance at Capital, offered details concerning the kinds of students who would be denied scholarships if the program were restricted to full-time students. She also objected to the elimination of student employment for those with financial need. "Research has shown that students who work on campus are more likely to complete their degrees," she testified.

The Governor's Scholarship proposal is included in Senate Bill 844, "An Act Implementing the Budget Recommendations of the Governor Concerning Higher Education." The bill is currently being considered by the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. The Committee Chairs, Sen. Beth Bye and Rep. Roberta Willis, have also shared their concerns about limiting scholarships to full-time students. Both have promised to include part-time students in the final version of the bill.

SEBAC Reaches Pre-Age 55 Retirement Settlement

March 25, 2013

SEBAC Retirement Settlement for Certain Employees with 25 Years of Service Who Are Not Yet Age 55

In mid-August of 2011, just before 4C's members and other state employee union members approved concession agreements, about 80 people (about half managers and half union employees) were offered the option of retiring even though they were under age 55.

The decision to make these offers was not negotiated with SEBAC. The union coalition objected to the terms of the agreement and to their being implemented without coalition agreement. SEBAC filed a "failure to bargain" charge with the State Labor Board. An agreement has been reached between the Malloy Administration and SEBAC on this early retirement grievance.

Who is affected by the settlement? Any employee who was on the payroll as of 12/1/12 and who had as of Sept. 1, 2011, 25 years of service but had not yet reached age 55. These employees may elect to retire under the settlement, which includes a reduced pension. This decision must me made before May 1, 2013.

• Agreement on the Pre-Age 55 Agreement

• Q&A on the Pre-Age 55 Resolution

Delegates Approve 4Cs Budget for 2013-14

May 16, 2013

At the May 4 Delegate Assembly, Delegates approved the proposed budget for the coming year. Total expenses total just over $1.5 million. The budget includes a 6 pay period dues holiday.

• Proposed 4Cs Budget: 2013-2014 (approved 4/4/13)

State Union Coalition Hails Court Decision on Rowland Layoffs

June 4, 2013

After nearly a decade, the Second Circuit Court's opinion invalidating John Rowland's layoff of nearly 3,000 state employees is a tremendous victory for the free speech rights of all Americans. The court held that when a governor punishes people because of the group to whom they belong – whether it's a union or a political party, or a religion – he or she violates our Constitution's most cherished provisions.

The case is now being remanded to the district court to craft appropriate equitable relief, and to consider the case for damages against the former governor.

The Second Circuit Court’s opinion shows that Rowland’s treatment of public service workers as the enemy is costly and destructive – to the workers and the vital public services they provide, and to every taxpayer.

Instead, it is mutual respect – for the law, for public service workers, and most importantly the public we all serve – which will move us forward towards a better future. Our country and state simply function better when top officials work with and for working families, instead of against them.

"It feels great to be vindicated by the appellate court," said Denise Bouffard, a Support Enforcement Officer and plaintiff in the case who was illegally fired from the state in 2003. "I stepped forward because as a single parent I wanted to show my daughter that when you believe in something you have to stand up for what is right." Denise is a member of Judicial Professional Employees Local 4200B.

“When John Rowland laid off nearly 3000 state workers it was a mean, vindictive act that was perpetuated by Jodi Rell, after Rowland went to prison,” said Marcelle Pichanick Groves, one of the named plaintiffs in the case. “Rell had many opportunities to make this right and thus mitigate the damages for our state's tax payers.  Instead she chose to waste millions of taxpayer dollars fighting this lawsuit.  I thank the court for upholding the rights of workers.” Groves worked as a Management Analyst 2 for the Department of Environmental Protection when Rowland laid off 3,000 state employees including her. She now works for the State Department of Education as an Associate Account Examiner and is a member of A&R Local 4200.

Ultimately the Court’s decision is a welcome reminder to the John Rowlands of Connecticut, the Scott Walkers of Wisconsin and the Koch brothers of everywhere that in America it’s not just the powerful, the rich and the big corporations that have free speech rights.  Ordinary Americans, whether they work for the government, private industry or their corner drug store, have rights, too.

A copy of the decision can be found here: http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/3829bb26-7573-4307-b014-149c3c3a1ed0/3/doc/11-3061_opn.pdf

Part-Time Employees and Unemployment

June 11, 2013

Part-time employees may be eligible for unemployment benefits during the semester if they do not receive a class or an E.A. contract, if they are not working full-time elsewhere, or are not working the equivalent of full-time because of multiple part-time jobs.

Part-time employees are not eligible for unemployment during the summer or intersession if there is a “reasonable assurance” of employment in the coming semester. This standard does not require a guarantee of reemployment. If there is a history of reemployment or you are offered a contract for the coming semester, this may constitute a reasonable assurance.

If you apply for unemployment for the summer or intersession and are granted it, the employer has the right to appeal that award. If on appeal, it is found that you should not have been granted unemployment, you will be required to pay back any benefits received.  Usually, the payback would come out of future unemployment payments. This would mean that payback would only occur if at some future date you are eligible for unemployment benefits.

Individuals may wish to apply for summer unemployment anyway because, if your class or classes do not run, you may be eligible for retroactive unemployment benefits. That would mean you would receive benefits retroactive to your last day of employment.

You can apply for unemployment benefits online. Go to: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/UI-Online/Index.htm

Governor's Scholarship

June 13, 2013

The new “Governor’s Scholarship Program” was enacted as part of the State Budget Implementer Bill, House Bill 6706. Below is the text of Line T678 of the House Bill 6706 which shows the amounts in FY14 and FY15 that will be allocated to the scholarship ($42M and $43.6M).  Also attached below is the text of Sections 179 -182 of House bill 6706 which sets forth the guidelines and procedures for the implementation of the program. The 4C's, with leadership and guidance from the Financial Aide Council, worked hard to ensure that the program also applies to part-time students; and the text of House Bill 6706 does indeed included part-time students. Special thanks to our lobbyist, Bob Shea, who keeps track of all the goings-on at the Capitol and helps the 4C's be so effective.

T678

Governor's Scholarship

42,011,398

43,623,498

Sec. 179. Subsection (f) of section 4-89 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):

(f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to appropriations to the Office of Higher Education for student financial assistance for [the scholarship program established under section 10a-169, or for the high technology graduate scholarship program established under section 10a-170a,] the Governor's Scholarship program established under section 182 of this act, or to the Board of Regents for Higher Education for Connecticut higher education centers of excellence established under section 10a-25h, to the Office of Higher Education for the minority advancement program established under subsection (b) of section 10a-11, to the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the high technology doctoral fellowship program established under section 10a-25n, or to the operating funds of the constituent units of the state system of higher education established pursuant to sections 10a-105, 10a-99 and 10a-77. Such appropriations shall not lapse until the end of the fiscal year succeeding the fiscal year of the appropriation except that centers of excellence appropriations deposited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education in the Endowed Chair Investment Fund, established under section 10a-20a, shall not lapse but shall be held permanently in the Endowed Chair Investment Fund and any moneys remaining in higher education operating funds of the constituent units of the state system of higher education shall not lapse but shall be held permanently in such funds. On or before September first, annually, the Office of Higher Education and Board of Regents for Higher Education shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, through the Office of Fiscal Analysis, concerning the amount of each such appropriation carried over from the preceding fiscal year.

Sec. 180. Section 10a-161 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):

The [Board of Regents for] Office of Higher Education shall: (1) Establish state-wide policy pertaining to student financial assistance; [under sections 10a-163 and 10a-167 to 10a-169, inclusive;] (2) establish procedure by regulation, for the award of financial assistance under [sections] section 10a-167 and [10a-169] section 182 of this act; (3) review and approve applications for financial assistance under [sections 10a-163,] section 10a-168 and [10a-169] section 182 of this act; (4) receive and review records of all financial assistance granted pursuant to section 10a-167; (5) increase the availability of the state financial assistance programs to all segments of the state population, with significant attention to those with special needs; and (6) assist financial aid officers at institutions of higher education and secondary school guidance counselors in becoming better informed about matters concerning student financial assistance affairs. [The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall appoint a seven-member advisory committee on student financial assistance matters. At least one member shall be a financial aid officer at a public institution of higher education; at least one member shall be a financial aid officer at an independent institution of higher education; at least one member shall be a Connecticut student from a public institution of higher education in the state; at least one member shall be a Connecticut student from an independent college or university in the state; and, at least one member shall be a public secondary school guidance counselor.]

Sec. 181. Section 10a-168 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):

If the [Board of Regents for] Office of Higher Education determines that no approved program of teacher education within the state is available for the preparation of teachers of children requiring special education as defined in part V of chapter 164, said [board of regents] office may provide scholarship aid for such undergraduate and graduate students as it may designate to attend approved programs in institutions in other states. The [board] office may determine the amount of such scholarship aid in each case. [, without regard to the limitations of section 10a-169.] In order to be eligible for such scholarship aid, any applicant shall agree to teach children requiring special education in Connecticut for at least three years.

Sec. 182. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2013) (a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Family contribution" means the expected family contribution for educational costs as computed from the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid;

(2) "Full-time or part-time undergraduate student" means a student who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in a course of study leading to such student's first associate or bachelor degree and who is carrying, for a full-time student, twelve or more semester credit hours, or, for a part-time student, between six and eleven semester credit hours at such institution of higher education;

(3) "Independent institution of higher education" means a nonprofit institution established in this state (A) that has degree-granting authority in this state; (B) that has its main campus located in this state; (C) that is not included in the Connecticut system of public higher education; and (D) whose primary function is not the preparation of students for religious vocation;

(4) "Public institution of higher education" means the constituent units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of section 10a-1 of the general statutes;

(5) "Eligible educational costs" means the tuition and required fees for an individual student that are published by each institution of higher education participating in the grant program established under this section, plus a fixed amount for required books and educational supplies as determined by the Office of Higher Education.

(b) The state, acting through the Office of Higher Education, shall establish the Governor's Scholarship program to annually make need-based financial aid available for eligible educational costs for Connecticut residents enrolled at Connecticut's public and independent institutions of higher education as full-time or part-time undergraduate students beginning with new or transfer students in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. Any award made to a student in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, under the capitol scholarship grant program, established under section 10a-169 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, the Connecticut aid to public college students grant program, established under section 10a-164a of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, Connecticut aid to Charter Oak, established under subsection (c) of section 10a-164a of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, or the Connecticut independent college student grant program, established under section 10a-36 of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, shall be offered under the Governor's Scholarship program and be renewable for the life of the original award, provided such student meets and continues to meet the need and academic standards established for purposes of the program under which such student received the original award.

(c) Within available appropriations, the Governor's Scholarship program shall be comprised of a need and merit-based grant, a need-based grant, a Charter Oak grant, and a performance incentive pool. The need and merit-based grant shall be funded at not less than twenty per cent of available appropriations. The need-based grant shall be funded at up to eighty per cent of available appropriations. The Charter Oak grant shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars of available appropriations. The incentive pool shall be not less than two and one-half per cent of available appropriations. There shall be an administrative allowance based on one-quarter of one per cent of the available appropriations, but not less than one hundred thousand dollars. Not less than thirty-eight per cent of the annual appropriation shall be allocated to the independent institutions of higher education for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, and not less than thirty-six per cent of such appropriation shall be allocated to such institutions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.

(d) The Governor's Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be available to any Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-time undergraduate student at any public or independent institution of higher education beginning in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. The Office of Higher Education shall determine eligibility by financial need based on family contribution and eligibility by merit based on either previous high school academic achievement or performance on standardized academic aptitude tests. The Office of Higher Education shall make awards according to a sliding scale, annually determined by said office, up to a maximum family contribution and based on available appropriations and eligible students. The Governor's Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be awarded in a higher amount than the need-based grant awarded pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. Recipients of the need and merit-based grant shall not be eligible to receive an additional need-based award. The accepting institution of higher education shall disburse sums awarded under such grant for payment of the student's eligible educational costs.

(e) The Governor's Scholarship need-based grant shall be available to any Connecticut resident who is a full-time or part-time undergraduate student at any public or independent institution of higher education beginning in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. The Office of Higher Education shall determine eligibility based on family contribution. The amount of the annual appropriation to be allocated to each institution of higher education shall be determined by its actual eligible enrollment based on family contribution during the fiscal year one year prior to the grant year. Participating institutions of higher education shall make awards according to a sliding scale, annually determined by the Office of Higher Education, up to a maximum family contribution and based on available appropriations and the number of eligible students. Each participating institution of higher education shall expend all of the moneys received under the Governor's Scholarship program as direct financial assistance only for eligible educational costs based on the sliding scale determined by the Office of Higher Education and the maximum award amounts set by said office.

(f) Participating institutions of higher education shall annually provide the Office of Higher Education with data and reports on all Connecticut students who applied for financial aid, including, but not limited to, students receiving a Governor's Scholarship grant, in a form and at a time determined by said office. If an institution of higher education fails to submit information to the Office of Higher Education as directed, such institution shall be prohibited from participating in the scholarship program in the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which such institution failed to submit such information. Each participating institution of higher education shall maintain, for a period of not less than three years, records substantiating the reported number of Connecticut students and documentation utilized by the institution of higher education in determining eligibility of the student grant recipients. Such records shall be subject to audit. Funds not obligated by an institution of higher education shall be returned by February fifteenth in the fiscal year the grant was made to the Office of Higher Education for reallocation. Financial aid provided to Connecticut residents under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Governor's Scholarship program.

(g) The Governor's Scholarship Charter Oak grant shall be available to any full-time or part-time undergraduate student enrolled in Charter Oak State College beginning in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. The Office of Higher Education shall allocate any appropriation to Charter Oak State College to be used to provide grants for eligible educational costs to residents of this state who demonstrate substantial financial need and who are matriculated in a degree program at Charter Oak State College. Individual awards shall not exceed a student's calculated eligible educational costs. Financial aid provided to Connecticut residents under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Governor's Scholarship program.

(h) The Governor's Scholarship incentive pool shall be created to encourage retention and completion for any student who (1) receives the Governor's Scholarship need-based grant, (2) returns with sufficient credits to complete such student's associate degree in two years or bachelor degree in four years, and (3) exceeds the minimum satisfactory academic performance standards as determined by the Office of Higher Education. Such student shall be eligible beginning in the second year of such student's need-based grant. The pool shall be distributed to participating institutions of higher education based on eligibility as determined by the Office of Higher Education.

(i) In administering the Governor's Scholarship program, the Office of Higher Education shall develop and utilize fiscal procedures designed to ensure accountability of the public funds expended. Such procedures shall include provisions for compliance audits that shall be conducted by the Office of Higher Education on any institution of higher education that participates in the program. Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and biennially thereafter, each such institution of higher education shall submit the results of an audit done by an independent certified public accountant for each year of participation in the program. Any institution of higher education determined by the Office of Higher Education not to be in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Governor's Scholarship program shall be ineligible to receive funds under the program for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the institution of higher education was determined not to be in substantial compliance. Funding shall be restored when the Office of Higher Education determines that the institution of higher education has returned to substantial compliance.

Professional Development Funds for Part-Timers

October 8, 2013

Part-timers are eligible for reimbursement for workshops, classes, and other professional development opportunities. There is a separate fund on each campus set aside for part-timers. Follow the link for information from each college on how to access the funds.

SEBAC Responds to Reports about the Hybrid Plan

October 24, 2013

Recent media reports have created some confusion about the impact of the newly created Hybrid Plan – and particularly of employees who exercise their right to move from the ARP to the Hybrid Plan – on the finances of the State Colleges and Universities and the State.

>> Read the CT Mirror story:  "Glitch in 2011 Malloy/union pact rips hole in CT public colleges' budgets"

>> See the SEBAC hybrid memo