Human Resources Newsletter ~ May 2023

H U M A N R E S O U R C E S N E W S L E T T E R

MAY 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pg. 1 - Overview

From the Office of HR

Pg. 2 - Important Updates

Open Enrollment Deadline Covid Vaccination Update

Summer Hours & 2023-2024 Holiday Calendar

Pg. 3 - Core Value of the Month

Our Learners Come First How Can We Solve the College Student Mental Health Crisis?

Pg. 4 - Golden Compass Award

Pg. 5 & 6 - Health & Wellness Initiative

Magellan Healthcare Webinar Fitness Center Hours

10,000 Step Challenge

Mental Health Month

Pg. 7 - Professional Development

TIAA Financial Education Webinars

Leading Edge Webinars

Educational Assistance Benefit

Pg. 8 - Community Updates

BPU Community Events

Breakthrough Collaboration Dining Service Hours

Pg. 9 - Human Resources Team Profile

Pg. 10 - Contact Us

FROM THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Spring has officially sprung here at Bay Path which means it is commencement season! As we plan and prep for all of the graduation festivities, we want to extend our sincerest THANK YOU to every staff and faculty member who had a hand in making our student successes possible None of this would have been possible without your tireless hard work and unwavering support of our learners

Mark your calendars for commencement which will be held at the MassMutual Center on Sunday, May 7th, at 2:00 PM. As there are so many events and ceremonies leading up to the big day, be sure to see page 7 for the entire list of May community events

Inside this issue, you will find reminders about the open enrollment deadline, an update on the Covid-19 vaccination policy, and our summer hour schedule and 2023-2024 holiday calendar. You will also read about our Core Value of the month, "Our Learners Come First" and see who won this month's Golden Compass Award.

Our health and well-being initiative is in full swing as May is Mental Health Month! See pages 5 & 6 to learn about managing stress, understanding your emotions, and the benefits of counseling. Head to the Breck Fitness Center to take advantage of our free gym membership and make sure to have your sneakers laced up if you will be participating in the Health New England 10,000-step challenge!

As always, we will be offering free financial education webinars sponsored by our friends at TIAA. Also, be sure to mark your calendars for the leading edge webinar on student retention happening next month in June. We hope that you find this month's issue engaging and informative. Thank you for your attention and happy reading!

IMPORTANT UPDATES

OPEN ENROLLMENT DEADLINE

* The Benefits Open Enrollment period ends at midnight on May 5, 2023. *

There is one last open enrollment forum session scheduled for tomorrow, May 2, 2023, at 2:00 PM. You will be emailed the Zoom link the morning of the meeting.

We invite all our benefit-eligible employees to attend, and we encourage everyone to submit their questions in advance of the meeting via google forms by clicking here. Your questions will be answered during the Open Forum meeting. (Questions presented as examples in the forums will be shared without identifying information to protect your privacy; but, if you prefer that your individual question and response not be used in the forums, please indicate that on the form.)

If you have not already done so, please log into ADP Workforce Now and verify your current elections and beneficiaries. Attached you will find the "Online Open Enrollment Instructions" and the "Summary of Benefits" for the upcoming plan year.

COVID VACCINATION UPDATE

Bay Path University has made the decision to no longer mandate the COVID-19 vaccination (the primary series and booster(s) for students and employees.

The policy change goes into effect on May 11, 2023, coinciding with the end of the COVID-19 national public health emergency.

While members of the Bay Path community are no longer required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, the University “strongly encourages” all members to stay up to date with COVID-19 immunizations in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.

SUMMER HOURS & 2023-2024 HOLIDAY CALENDAR

Great news! As many are beginning to plan their summer activities, we are pleased to share that Bay Path University will once again offer our modified summer hour schedule this year with a four-day work week which will go into effect June 5, 2023, until August 18, 2023.

The attached FAQs provide detailed information regarding eligibility. If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to hr@baypath.edu and someone from our team will be in touch with you.

Also attached is the 2023-2024 holiday calendar. As we approach the upcoming summer season, please keep the following information in mind:

The 2023-2024 holiday calendar has been modified due to the addition of the Juneteenth schedule.

The University will be closed Monday, May 29, 2023, in observance of Memorial Day. Because the University will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth and Tuesday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day, modified summer hours will NOT apply during those weeks.

As the 2022-2023 fiscal year comes to an end, to help you plan accordingly, we want to remind employees who are eligible to accrue vacation time that the University's vacation policy allows for up to 5 days of carryover into the new fiscal year. The University is not making any changes to this policy. We ask that you coordinate the use of your accrued time with your supervisor.

Thank you for your attention and we hope that you enjoy the warm weather!

CORE VALUE OF THE MONTH

OUR LEARNERS COME FIRST

When our learners succeed, we succeed. Being student-centered is our mission, our passion. So we champion them to achieve extraordinary things. The decisions we make, the data we analyze, the priorities we follow...we must always ask "How

does this further our vision for

learner success?"

For the month of May, we are putting a special emphasis on the Core Value, "Our Learners Come First." Below you will find examples provided from the Community Week session and from other community conversations of how your colleagues are intentionally incorporating the Core Values into their work.

Here are some of the ways YOU are committing to this Core Value in your work:

Being mindful of our students’ perspectives and being careful to operate in their best interest. Developing welcome calls and conducting surveys so we can learn what we are doing well and what we need to work on. Getting feedback from students to better help us do our jobs. Having no meetings on student event days. Faculty and staff should be able to attend without conflicting meetings or work responsibilities.

Staff and faculty attending more student-led events. They deeply appreciate it when they see you there. Monitoring student progress and encouraging collaborative conversations - meet them where they’re at. Pushing students in a respectful and collaborative way to meet learning expectations.

Keeping in mind that students are learning how to learn and that can sometimes be a process.

Thinking “we” not “I” and by doing Core Values for our employees will trickle down to students.

HOW CAN WE SOLVE THE COLLEGE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS?

Tedx Talk by Dr. Tim Bono

GOLDEN COMPASS AWARD WINNER

MAY 2023

Jodie Baker, Coordinator of Operations

"I have worked with Jodie for about 5 years now and she really does exhibit all of the Core Values at any given time. She is extremely talented and smart as well as kind, funny, and generous. She has always been an incredible resource not only to students but to faculty and staff such as myself. We used to work very closely when I was in another role and I learned so much from her. I don't see her as often these days but, regardless, when I reached out to her recently to get her opinion on best practices and methods for some things, she was quick to respond and happy to help as always. It's a pleasure to talk with her and I always learn something. Jodie is always looking to improve and she works really hard but also consistently carves out time for self-care. Before the pandemic, she started walking every day on her lunch break. I kept saying that I needed to follow her example but it wasn't until the pandemic hit and I was in the house all day, that I started to walk every day on my lunch break. I still walk almost every day on my lunch break and Jodie does, too. She also would bring in self-care products and share them or leave them in the bathroom for others to try. Jodie shares her knowledge and collaborates with so many folks at BPU and she really doesn't have to. We are all better for having a coworker like her. In addition, she has the best fashion on campus! If I could raid anyone ' s closet it's hers! "

- Marcie Custer

"Jodie coordinated all aspects of Academic Achievement Day and the Marcia Conrad Awards within the same week. She navigated changes, requests, and silliness all with grace. She even sat in Blake and passed out bags and stickers while the rest of us ate our lunch. She went above and beyond what was asked of her. Kudos!!!"

- Brenda Hardin-Abbott

NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE: GOLDEN COMPASS AWARDS

The Bay Path Golden Compass Award is a monthly award that highlights a small but mighty act of working to bring our Core Values to life. The nomination process is simple - consider it a virtual comment box for your coworkers. All community members able are encouraged to submit a peer they want to commend for being intentional with applying the Bay Path Core Values to their work and relationships. See someone exemplifying “We Pledge to Foster Inclusion and Belonging”? Drop a note in the virtual nomination box letting us know. Notice someone making an active choice to promote diversity or innovation? Tell us using the form below!

HEALTH & WELLNESS INITIATIVE

10,000 STEP CHALLENGE MAGELLAN HEALTHCARE WEBINAR

Managing Life's Micro-Stressors

Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2:00 PM

The accumulation of small, stressful frustrations throughout the day referred to as “micro stressors” often occurs without our being aware of them. However, the impact of processing them can linger for hours or days In this webinar, learn about the common sources of micro-stress. Pick up techniques on how to manage it.

In this session you will learn how to:

Define micro-stressors

Identify common sources and causes Manage stress in a healthy and constructive way

CLICK HERE to register or by visiting our the Magellan health care website.

FITNESS CENTER HOURS

The fitness center will be operating on a part-time schedule beginning today, May 1, 2023.

The hours of operation are now Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. The gym will also be closed from 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM daily.

Breck Fitness Center will be completely closed for its summer hiatus from June 15, 2023 - August 15, 2023.

We are excited to announce this month’s fitness challenge sponsored by our partners at Health New England! For the month of May, the fitness challenge is the 10,000 steps challenge.

The 10,000 Steps Challenge is a four-week program. During this time, participants engage in the recommended physical activity outlined in the program objectives long enough to establish a new habit. Research supports engaging in moderate intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes, five days a week, or vigorous intensity physical activity, like running or jogging, for at least 20 minutes, four days a week. All who do this can experience health benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic conditions, benefiting brain health and improving overall function.

Participants will set goals and track their steps over the course of this challenge through the Tracking Sheet provided.

Tracking will begin on May 1st and will last through the end of the month. Anyone who submits their completed tracking sheet to healthydirections@hne.com by June 5th will be entered into a raffle for 2 Health New England beach towels and 2 water bottles!

We hope you will take this opportunity to stay active!

HEALTH & WELLNESS INITIATIVE

MIND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Magellan Healthcare's campaign theme for the month of May is "Recognizing and Understanding Emotions."

Traditionally, people often hesitated to seek help or even talk about mental health for fear of being judged and facing backlash. However, the issue is now entering more and more of our daily conversations. We’re making progress.

Talking with others about mental health and medications helps normalize the process of getting behavioral health care which is just as important as treatments for physical illness.

The average delay between symptom onset and obtaining treatment is 11 years, meaning a lot of people still spend months or years facing mental health problems before being diagnosed and treated.

Addressing mental health symptoms early is critically important for your overall health.

When facing a mental health concern, it’s common to feel like no one understands what you’re going through. However, you aren’t alone. Help is available, and recovery is quite possible. Visit MagellanHealthcare.com/about/bhresources/mymh or call your program for confidential mental health resources.

WORKING ON WELLBEING

One of the essential elements of wellbeing is that of community. Taking pride in one’s local environment and helping the community head in the right direction can make a good life great.

People with high community wellbeing generally feel safe, secure, healthy and supported where they live. To do the same, identify how you could help the community based on your strengths and passions. You could start by making small contributions that lead to more of your involvement and greater impact.

If you’re not sure where to start, find out about what is happening close to you. See if your employer has volunteer events planned. Look on your town’s social media pages. Check out national volunteer databases like VolunteerMatch.com.

COUNSELING

When life presents you with problems that you’re having difficulty resolving on your own, counseling can help. Counseling provides a convenient, confidential, safe and nonjudgmental environment to work on issues and learn new coping skills. Struggling alone and doing nothing is never the answer. Visit BPU's member website to get started.

Contact BPU's Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-450-1327 (TTY 711) or go online to Member.MagellanHealthcare.com (enter Principal Core) for confidential, no cost help available 24/7/365 for you and your household members.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TIAA FINANCIAL EDUCATION WEBINARS LEADING EDGE WEBINAR

Basic Estate Planning Strategies

Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 12:00 PM

Ensuring that our assets will pass to loved ones, and causes that are near and dear are important to most of us.

CLICK HERE to register!

Paycheck for Life

Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 12:00 PM

Learn how creating a diversified income plan one that uses a combination of income sources and includes annuity income that’s guaranteed for life can help reduce the risks you may face in retirement and ensure you have income that never runs out.

CLICK HERE to register!

Financial Finishing Touches for Women

Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 12:00 PM

Am I ready to retire? How do I know if I have enough? How do I plan my income? Financial success can often complicate your life, in this session TIAA representatives will answer these questions and more!

CLICK HERE to register!

5 Steps to Setting Your Retirement Date

Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 12:00 PM

Deciding when the time is right to retire, including estimating retirement expenses, closing any income gap and understanding key milestones that can impact retirement finances.

CLICK HERE to register!

Student Retention: The Campus-Wide Approach

June 13, 2023 from 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Presenter: Tim Culver, Executive Vice President, Mohave Community College, and national consultant for RNL Retention Services

Student retention on two and four-year campuses is critical for colleges to ensure a strong student body, maintain revenue, and achieve student success goals. But student retention strategies are not the work of one administrative unit. Along with data-informed planning comes the need to build cross-campus partnerships with faculty, staff, students, and a wide span of college departments. Effective advising, the use of key technology tools to understand, monitor, and communicate with students, tailored support services, and adjusting retention strategies based on inputs must all come into play. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussion and Q&A to share their own experiences and ask questions about how to adjust, adapt, and apply cutting edge strategies to their own institutions.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE BENEFIT

Considering going back to college to finish your degree? Thinking about continuing your studies or exploring a new field? Bay Path University offers an Educational Assistance Program benefit to support your educational aspirations!

Once you have successfully completed your 90-day introductory period, you can take advantage of this opportunity if you are accepted into one of Bay Path's programs and complete the Educational Assistance Program Application.

Your dependent children are also eligible for this benefit after the completion of one year of continuous full-time employment.

For more information contact:

Ann Reilly, Benefits Specialist

anreilly@baypath.edu

CLICK HERE to register!

COMMUNITY UPDATES

BPU COMMUNITY EVENTS

MAY 2023

Thursday, 5/4 , 4:00 PM reception in Empsall followed by 5:30 PM dinner in Blake Dining Commons

Residential College Farewell Celebration

Thursday, 5/4, 5:30 PM, Empsall Hall

Strawberries & Champagne Reception for Undergraduate Candidates

Thursday, 5/4, 5:30 PM, Zoom

Graduate Psi Chi honor Induction Ceremony

Friday, 5/5, 5:00 PM, Ryan Health Center Class of 2023 PA Graduation Ceremony

Saturday, 5/6, 11:00 AM, Breck Suite

Strawberries & Champagne Reception for Graduate Candidates

Saturday, 5/6, 11:00 AM, Zoom Nursing Pinning Ceremony

Saturday, 5/6, 1:00 PM, Mills Theatre

TAWC Psi Chi Induction Ceremony

Saturday, 5/6. 1:00 PM, Mills Theatre

Vana Nespor Rose Ceremony

Saturday, 5/6, 3:30 PM, Mills Theatre

Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

Sunday, 5/7, TBD

Honors Program Ceremony

Saturday, 5/7, 8:30 AM-11:00 AM at Blake Dining Commons

Cap & Gown Brunch

Sunday, 5/7, 2:00 PM, MassMutual Center

Commencement 2023

BREAKTHROUGH COLLABORATION Monday, May 8, 2023

On Monday, May 8th, we will all participate in a daylong session that will foster open and candid dialogue and active listening. We will develop solutions and move forward as a community. This workshop is an important investment in our future.

Our session will be facilitated by Breakthrough Collaboration, and will be held at the Blake Dining Commons from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. To achieve our goals, it is important that your voice be heard and we need your full in person engagement.

In anticipation of our time together, consider the following question:

“What do we need to focus on, address, correct, or anticipate, in the next 1 to 3 years, to ensure that the Bay Path University experience is grounded in a supportive and diverse community for everyone?”

DINING SERVICE HOURS

Please make note of the following updates to dining service hours.

Blake Dining Hall will close on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, but will be open that morning for breakfast from 8:00am - 10:00am.

Carpe Diem Café will close on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 9:00pm.

Ryan Center Café will close today, April 27, 2023 at 1:30pm.

Returning Hours for the Fall:

Blake Dining Hall will re-open Monday, September 4, 2023 from 5:00pm-7:00pm.

Carpe Diem Café will re-open on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 from 10:00am-9:00pm

Ryan Center Café will re-open on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 from 7:30am-1:30pm

HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM

Ashley Pereira

Interim Director of HR

Responsible for:

Strategy

HR Operations

Compensation

Employee Relations

Core Values

Meghan Rosenberger

HR Business Partner

Responsible for:

Recruitment

Onboarding

Performance Evaluations

Training

Employee Relations

Sophie Stevenson

HR Generalist

Responsible for:

Employee Handbook

Professional Development

Offboarding

Unemployment

Employee Verifications

PSLF

Ann Reilly

Benefits Specialist

Responsible for:

Medical, Dental, Vision & Voluntary Insurances

403(b) Retirement Plan

Educational Assistance

Workers Compensation

Leave Management

Finance Department

Monica Roche

HR Support Specialist

Responsible for: & Events

Mass Communications

HR Community Updates

HR Newsletter

Special Projects

General Assistance

Lisa Berezin

HR Assistant (PT)

Responsible for:

Job Postings

Onboarding New Hires

New Adjunct Faculty

Background Checks

I-9's Compliance

Colby Cabral

HRIS Specialist

Responsible for:

HR Information Systems Reporting

Collecting Employee Data

Data Requests

HR Metrics Assistance

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact

Lori Moccio

Payroll Supervisor

Responsible for: and Process Updates

Payroll Procedures

Adjunct Contracts Payroll Management

Direct Deposit Requests & Changes Paid Time Off (PTO)