Please join the Civic and Community Engagement Office for the webinar "The Arc of Citizenship Bends toward Justice When We Work Alongside Communities" on Thursday, December 10, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. This event is presented by Campus Compact as part of its National Webinar Series and is free to members of the Buffalo State community. Speakers are Jamie Williams and Carah Ong Whaley.

This webinar provides participants with ideas and resources to work alongside community organizations in mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships to deepen community-engaged civic learning. Participants will learn about our educational initiatives and community experiential learning programs that focus on redressing racial and socioeconomic inequities. Presenters will highlight the development and implementation of partnerships between James Madison University and local civic actors and community organizations in the broader Shenandoah Valley on programming, including experiential learning tours of key sites related to slavery and the ongoing struggle for freedom and rights; the contributions of social justice movements to American society and democracy; ensuring a complete count in the 2020 census; education and mobilization for full participation in elections; and equitable responses to community needs during the COVID-19 crisis.

Participants will be guided through a design-thinking-based idea-generation and solutions-development process to identify how faculty, staff, students, and community partners can work together to identify area-specific needs and connect service with political learning to address racial and socioeconomic injustices and inequities while developing an appreciation for the contributions of traditionally marginalized groups to society and democracy. The workshop will offer strategies for building relationships with community organizations and for developing initiatives that provide individuals opportunities to develop and practice civic skills. Presenters will emphasize using discussion-based pedagogy to bridge divides on race and class issues, and to synthesize content knowledge with real world experiences and action.

Please register online for this webinar and for as many others in this National Webinar Series as you would like.

Thank you to all who participated in the recent interviews or attended the open forums with the candidates for the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. The search committee would appreciate your feedback about the candidates. To contribute, please complete this brief anonymous survey before the end of the day Friday, December 11.

Thank you to all who participated in the recent interviews or attended the open forums with the candidates for the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. The search committee would appreciate your feedback about the candidates. To contribute, please complete this brief anonymous survey before the end of the day Friday, December 11.

Last month, we published a number of tips about password security in the Daily Bulletin. Now, Wired magazine has published an article called "It’s Time to Stop Sharing Your Passwords with Your Partner." It's worth the read. Please save it for a time when you can look it over.

Please join the Buffalo State College Theater Department and Casting Hall Productions for the virtual streaming of our production of Mother C, a contemporary adaptation of Mother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht, written by Ansley Valentine and directed by associate professor of theater Jonathan Seinen.

As civil unrest sweeps across the country, an industrious businesswoman and her children are trying to make a buck. Mother C, an unscrupulous survivor of epic proportions, strikes out to make a good living in bad times. But when is the price of sacrificing one’s humanity too high? Based on Brecht’s twentieth-century theatrical classic, Mother C reimagines a morality tale for our times.

Dates and Ticket Information
All shows at 7:00 p.m.

• Thursday, December 3
• Friday, December 4
• Saturday, December 5

Tickets: https://bsctheater.anywhereseat.com/channel.php
Free for Buffalo State students; $5 general admission.

Featuring student actors Zachary Becker, Marykate Beyer, Zoe Gonez, Corey Gorski, Ian Hagerty, Isaiah Hancock, Summer Harris, Ben Kutnyak, Kenny Lam, Kennedy Lee, Gabriella McKinley, Jeanvier Nkurunziza, Yenessa Rodriguez, Joshua Sinclair, and Kajana Stover.

All virtual presentations will have embedded ASL interpretation as well as a CC option.

Employees may update their personal and campus phone numbers, home addresses, and emergency contacts and view their legal name, demographics, and education information in the SUNY System Administration’s Human Resources Self-Service Module. Please take a few minutes to review and update your telephone numbers in the system, including cell, home, and office, as well as your emergency contacts.

Employees are encouraged to review their records annually to ensure that their information is accurate and up to date. Necessary changes may be completed or requested via the Self-Service Module. A user guide (PDF, 364 KB) is available to assist employees in accessing and using the Self-Service Module. Home address and legal name changes may also be requested by completing the paper form. Campus directory updates may be requested using the paper or online Directory Add/Update Form. Departments with multiple directory edits for their staff members may e-mail a list of the changes to Noelle Fisher, office assistant 1 (keyboarding), in Human Resource Management.

Please e-mail Lydia Kawaler, manager of personnel operations, with any questions.

Dependent Care Advantage Account
A grace period is now available for the 2020 Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA) plan year. The grace period provides eligible participants with an additional two and a half months (January 1 to March 15) to incur dependent care expenses for reimbursement from the remaining balance of their 2020 DCAA. The last day to submit DCAA claims is March 31, 2021, for expenses incurred through March 15, 2021. The grace period will allow employees to use any unused amounts in their DCAA that would normally be forfeited at the end of a plan year. The grace period is applicable for the DCAA only, as long as the employee had a DCAA as of December 31, 2020.

Health Care Spending Account
A carryover is now available for the 2020 Health Care Spending Account (HSCA) plan year. The carryover permits eligible employees to use up to $500 of money remaining in their 2020 HCSA toward eligible expenses incurred during the 2021 calendar year. The carryover will allow employees to use unused amounts in their HCSA that would normally be forfeited at the end of a plan year.

Employees can check their 2020 DCAA or HCSA balances online or by phone at (800) 358-7207 and use this information to help estimate any elections for 2021. The open enrollment deadline for the 2021 Flex Spending Account (FSA) is Monday, November 30, 2020 at 10:00 p.m. Please visit the FSA website or call (800) 358-7202 to re-enroll.

Employees can e-mail fsa@goer.ny.gov or call WageWorks/Health Equity at (800) 358-7202 to learn more. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the FSA staff at (518) 473-6211. State employees should call WageWorks/Health Equity.

Voya Financial has established an in-depth learning curriculum for participants. Its weekly Zoom workshops address the concerns of every individual—whether newly hired, mid-career, or nearing retirement. Workshops provide the financial education that everyone has been looking for but could never find. You do not have to be a Voya customer to participate.

The following workshops take place on Fridays at noon:

On the Move: Distribution Options
December 4
Because your workplace retirement plan may represent a good portion of your retirement savings, it is smart to understand your options if you are considering a distribution. Whether you are changing jobs, consolidating your savings within a new plan or an IRA, or thinking about retirement, you should be aware of taxes and penalties that may be involved. This webinar will walk you through the pros and cons of each distribution option and how to keep your account working for you.

Savvy Social Security Planning
December 11
This seminar covers the basics of Social Security and reveals innovative strategies for maximizing your benefits. Common questions that will be answered include the following: I applied for early benefits and now regret the decision. Is there anything I can do? What happens if I go back to work after starting Social Security? How long do I need to be married to collect a spousal benefit? I’m divorced; can I collect Social Security off my ex-spouse’s record? What will happen to my survivor benefits if I remarry?

Legacy Planning for the Generations
December 18
This seminar will address what happens when a legacy isn’t planned and how legacy planning can be a meaningful and even fun process. You will also learn how to plan for sudden incapacity, the importance of expressing your wishes, conveying your values, and how to successfully transfer your tangible and intangible wealth. Join us to start the six-step process on leaving your mark on the next generation.

Please e-mail Molly Pecoraro to register. Make sure to specify the workshop(s) you are registering for. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

The Young Adult Option 2021 open enrollment period for eligible adult children of New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) enrollees is November 30–December 31, 2020. The New York State Health Insurance Program allows a young adult child up to age 30 to purchase coverage through his or her parent's group health insurance policy.

The Young Adult Option is for medical coverage only; dental and vision coverage is not included. Under the law, the young adult's coverage is subject to all terms of the group policy; however, premiums are to be paid by the young adult or his or her parent, not the employer. The premium is the full cost of individual coverage for the NYSHIP option selected.

Eligibility Criteria
The Young Adult Option is available to young adults who meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a child, adopted child, or stepchild of a NYSHIP enrollee (including those enrolled under COBRA)
• Be age 29 or younger
• Be unmarried
• Not be insured by or eligible for coverage through the young adult's own employer-sponsored health plan.
• Live, work, or reside in New York State or the plan's service area
• Not be covered under Medicare

In addition, the young adult does not need to live with the parent, be financially dependent on the parent, or be a student. A young adult's eligibility for health insurance coverage through a former employer under federal COBRA or state continuation coverage does not disqualify the young adult from electing this option under NYSHIP. Children of the young adult are not eligible for coverage under this option but may be eligible for health insurance coverage under other programs, such as the Child Health Plus Program. The young adult's parent does not need to have family coverage, nor is the young adult required to have been previously covered as a dependent under NYSHIP, to be eligible to enroll.

For more information or to enroll a young adult child, please visit the Department of Civil Service website.

The Health Insurance Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) election period is November 30–December 31. The PTCP is a voluntary program that employees can choose to participate in when they are first eligible for health insurance benefits. Employees may also elect to participate or decline participation in PTCP each year during the PTCP election period.

If you choose to participate in PTCP, your share of the health insurance premium is deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld, which may lower your tax liability. In exchange for this reduction in your tax liability, you agree to maintain the same pre-tax health insurance deduction for the entire plan year, unless you experience a qualifying event that would allow you to make a change or cancel your coverage and provide timely notification (within 30 days) of the event. If you decline participation in PTCP, your share of the health insurance premium will be deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld. Employees who do not participate in PTCP may have greater flexibility to make changes to their NYSHIP coverage during the year, as long as those changes are consistent with NYSHIP rules.

You can check your current PTCP status by reviewing your paycheck.

• If you are enrolled in PTCP, your paycheck stub shows “Regular Before Tax Health” in the Before Tax Deductions section. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld.
• If you are not enrolled in PTCP, or part of your deduction is being taken after tax (e.g., for a non-federally-qualifying dependent), your paycheck stub shows “Regular After Tax Health” in the After Tax Deductions section. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld.

If you wish to change your pre-tax selection for 2021, you must submit a Health Insurance Transaction Form (PDF, 78 KB) to the Benefits Office (Cleveland Hall 410) by Thursday, December 31. For more information about the PTCP, please see the "Planning for Option Transfer" brochure (PDF, 3 MB) or the PTCP Fact Sheet (PDF, 179 KB).

No action is required if you wish to keep your current tax status.