In this month's issue:

SPOTLIGHT
Charitable Contribution

HUMAN RESOURCES
Long Term Care
Tax $aver
Schwab Tutorial Webcast
SKIP income Guidelines

PAYROLLL
Direct Deposits and W4's

TRAINING
Supervisor Training Now Available
View Training Summary

AROUND THE CAMPUS
JAM Rewards Program Update

Click here for April Calendar

Charitable Contribution
Did you know that you can make a charitable contribution at any time through PASS?

What’s New with Tex$aver
*Effective March 1, 2007, the Vanguard Institutional Index Fund is changing to Plus Shares.
The name of the fund will change to the Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares and the new ticker symbol is VIIIX. The fund style and investment objective remain the same, but you benefit from a lower expense ratio. This means more of the Fund's money stays invested, resulting in a higher overall return over time.

Texa$aver has a new web-based tutorial: In just two minutes, you can learn about how you can use the Texa$aver website to make the most of your Plan account. Click here to start the tutorial.

Schwab Tutorial Webcast
Did you ever want to learn more about the benefits of the Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) in your Texa$aver retirement Plan? Schwab has provided a recorded Webcast which provides a comprehensive overview of the Schwab PCRA.

Please click the link: http://scrs.schwab.com/pcra/1/   Password: talk2chuck

New SKIP income Guidelines Effective April 1st
New family income guidelines for the State Kids Insurance Program (SKIP) will go into effect April 1. Families that meet family size and income requirements, as well as a limitation on certain assets, can save significantly on their eligible children’s insurance premiums.

Faculty and Staff can apply for SKIP at any time of the year. Click here for form.

* Add $6,960 to the Annual Family Income for each additional family member. “Family size” is the total number of people in your household.

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Direct Deposits and W4's
Direct Deposits and W4s are created and edited by the individual employee within PASS (People Advantage Self Service). Paper forms are no longer issued or accepted by Administration & Finance. Any forms received will be returned to the appropriate College or Division.

W2 reprints are also completed by the individual in PASS. For more information on these or other functions within PASS, you may sign up for an online class, view the PASS Fact Sheet, or call the Customer Service Center at 713.743.3988.

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Supervisor Training Now Available
The Human Resource Department is now offering Coaching, Discipline & Documentation training to leaders across campus. This course introduces a methodology for facilitating coaching and disciplinary sessions with employees. Department Managers interested in facilitating training in their area should contact their assigned HR Generalist to schedule a session.

View Training Summary in P.A.S.S.
To view your training summary in PASS, please click on the Training Link.




Next, click on the Training Summary Link. This will provide to you all of your training history at the university.


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JAM REWARDS PROGRAM UPDATE
Many of you have taken advantage of the JAM Rewards program, and we thank you for participating. We wanted to clarify the sign up process for UH Faculty and Staff so you can start earning right away!

Step 1: Click here to sign up

Step 2: When it asks for your HE Number you will need your Cougar 1 Card (the black card with the Master Card logo). Turn the card over, and in the lower left hand corner, next to the UH logo you will find your 9-digit HE number. If you do not know your HE number or if you have a red Cougar 1 Card, contact the Cougar 1 Card Office at 713.743.2399 or visit them in Room 279 at the University Center for more assistance.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

You should receive an email confirmation with your jam number notifying you that the permanent card will arrive within 3 weeks. JAM will also provide you with temporary card to use while your permanent card is being processed.

You will earn JAM Rewards points when you eat on campus, and all you need to do is:
(1) Purchase a dining plan- earn JAM points.
(2) Purchase dining dollars – earn JAM points.
(3) Make cash or credit purchases at any of the following locations – earn JAM points!