Human Resources Newsletter ~ May 2024

HUMAN RESOURCES NEWSLETTER

MAY 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pg. 1 - Overview

From the Office of HR

Pg. 2 -3- Important Updates

United Educators: Required Mental Health Training

Open Enrollment: Group Benefit Plans

Summer Hours, 2024-2025, Holiday Calendar & Vacation Time

New Address Change Feature in Portal

Pg. 4 -6 -Health & Well-Being Initiative

Mental Health Month: Surprising Facts

Counseling Benefits: Employee Assistance Program

Free Counseling Hotlines for BPU

Adolescent Digital Therapy

Adolescent Dependent Therapy

Pg. 7 - 8 - Health & Well-Being Initiative

Magellan Wellness Webinars

TIAA Financial Webinars

HNE Wellness Webinar

HNE 2024 Health Directions Program Free Yoga Classes

Fitness Center Hours

Pg. 9 - 10 -Community Happenings

Core Value of the Month

Why Mental Health is Critical for Academic Success

Golden Compass Award Call for nominations Golden Compass Award Winner for MAY!

Pg. 11 -12 - Community Happening

Campus Dining Closures & Reopenings

Upcoming Events

BPU 2024 Commencement

State of the University Presentation

Community Luncheon Celebrating Years of Service

NECHE Presentation

Cirque Du Soleil Bazzar

University Closed for Memorial Day!

Pg. 13 -BPU Discount

Pg.14 - 15 - HR Team & Contact Us

FROM THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Spring's here! May's is busy and momentous as we support student year-end preparations and community achievements Thanks, BPU team, for your hard work!

In response to the needs of our students and May's Community Value, "Learner’s Come First": did you know that youth depression rates doubled from pre-pandemic levels to 25.2% in 2021? Mental health is crucial for student academic success. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. As such, Bay Path is mandating Mental Health training for all employees by September 1st This training and new resources are available to better equip employees to support students and access resources.

New, free mental health resources are also available for employees and family members! Including, counseling, adolescent care, and 24/7 hotlines for you and your loved ones. Webinars this month include topics such as menopause, connectivity, neurodiversity, financial health, and coping with stress.

Join us in celebrating our dedicated retirees at the Community Luncheon, as well as the NECHE presentation, State of the Union, and Commencement.

SAVE THE DATE! Community Luncheon

Celebrating Years of Service Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Leary Circle (Blake rain location)

United Educators

New: required for employees by September 1, 2024

Mental Health Training

In support of the importance of mental health on college campuses, Bay Path University is requiring all faculty, staff, and adjuncts to undergo specialized training on Fostering Student Mental Health by September 1, 2024. This underscores BPU’s commitment to a supportive environment.

To complete the required training, please visit United Educators’ website here. Or through the BPU Portal, Human Resources page, under Professional Development & Training.

User name: same as your Bay Path email address.

If you used a different email previously, a new username has been created with your Bay Path email address.

More information on this important training will be sent to your email.

Open Enrollment Group Benefit Plans Deadline May 3rd

As we approach the new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, it's time to prepare for the renewal of our group benefit plans. Open Enrollment will be held from April 22nd to May 3rd, during which time you'll have the opportunity to review and make changes to your benefits.

This is your chance to assess your benefit needs and make any necessary adjustments. We encourage all benefit eligible employees to participate actively in Open Enrollment for coverage that best meets your needs.

If you have any question or concerns please contact our HR Benefits Specialist Brenda Fletcher at bfletcher@baypath.edu

IMPORTANT UPDATES

SUMMER HOURS, 2024-2025

HOLIDAY CALENDAR & VACATION TIME

Great news! We are pleased to share that Bay Path University will once again offer our modified summer hour schedule with a four-day work week which will go into effect June 3, 2024, until August 16, 2024.

The attached FAQs provide detailed eligibility information. Please note that the information in this FAQ supersedes all other documents.

Also attached is the 2024-2025 holiday calendar.

As we approach the upcoming summer season, please keep the following information in mind:

The University will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2024, in observance of Memorial Day. Because the University will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth and Thursday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day, modified summer hours will NOT apply during those weeks. As the fiscal comes to an end on June 30th, 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! Please contact HR at HR@baypath.edu if you have any questions.

NEW ADDRESS CHANGE FEATURE IN YOUR ADP PORTAL!

Change your address in ADP!

Convenient. Accurate. Time-saving!

To use:

Log in to ADP (via HR Portal) Click on Myself - My Information - Profile - View More. Scroll down to “Legal Address” and update.

For state relocations:

HR will provide you with a new state tax form and the required relocation date. Upon receiving your completed form and relocation date, we'll swiftly update your address.

FREE COUNSELING HOTLINES FOR BPU

Crisis Textline

Text ‘HOME’ to 741-741

Free, 24/7 support via text message. Get help with anxiety, depression, suicide, school, crises, and more.

Suicide Prevention

Call or Text 988

Free, private, 24/7 help for people in crisis or thinking about suicide. Access crisis support and prevention tools for you and your loved ones. Support is available in multiple languages.

Domestic Violence

1-800-799-7233 or Text ‘START’ to 887-88

Free, private, 24/7 help for people experiencing domestic violence or abuse. Access crisis support and tools to help you find safety and live free of abuse.

LGBTQ+ Support

1-866-488-7386 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678

Free, private, 24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth and their loved ones.

Trans Support

1-877-565-8860 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678

Free, private, 24/7 peer support for trans people, even if you’re not in crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans. Support is provided by trans or nonbinary peers.

Postpartum Support

1-800-944-4773 or Text ‘HELP’ to 1-800-944-4773

Free, private, 24/7 support for grief, loss, depression, or crisis related to pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

ADOLESCENT DIGITAL THERAPY

ADOLESCENT DEPENDENT THERAP

MAGELLAN WELLNESS WEBINARS

Balancing Your Financial & Emotional Wellbeing

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 - 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM

Stress is something we all experience. Financial and emotional strains are common, routinely appear together, and can significantly influence our lives. Successfully reducing these stressors is key to overall wellness. We’ll walk through several financial challenges and offer tips on how to manage them. We'll also talk about how to work with resources and how professionals can help.

Smart Money Moves: Tips for Major Purchases

Thursday, May 30th, 2024 - 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM

Whether it’s a car, living room furniture, or a washer and dryer, big purchases take special planning. This webinar will look at factors such as buying now versus later, saving up for purchase versus financing, and buying versus leasing. Also for discussion will be credit and budget implications, as well as strategies for planning ahead and saving money over the long term.

CHANGING YOUR PERCEPTIONS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT YOUR WELLBEING

Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 at 2:00 PM

In this webinar, you will:

Learn why neurodiversity is an important development in society.

Discover the value of recognizing neurodiversity Grasp how to better understand and support people who may be neurodivergent.

TIAA FINANCIAL WEBINARS

Opening doors to the future: Save in a 529 college savings plan

Wednesday, May 1st, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Learn how 529 college savings plans work and how to invest in one for a child, grandchild, yourself or another loved one.

Click here to register!

Invest for Success: 5 principles you need to know

Tuesday, May 7th, 2:00PM - 3:00PM

Understand the key principles of investing for retirement, because how you invest for retirement is just as important as how much you save. Click here to register!

Basic estate planning strategies

Thursday, May 16th, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Discover the components of a basic estate plan and strategies to ensure that your wishes are met. Click here to register!

Make the move toward long-term financial security: Your mid-career retirement check-in Tuesday, May 21st, 1:00PM - 2:00 PM

For anyone halfway down the road to retirement, this webinar is a critical checkpoint that can help put you on the path to lifelong financial security. Click here to register!

HEALTH NEW ENGLAND WEBINARS

Where Your Health Matters Webinar: Ways to Sneak More Exercise into your Day (for all employees)

Learn cost-saving habits and tips on how to successfully budget for your health now which can lead to savings later. Explore budget-friendly ways to manage healthy eating, exercise, and emotional self-care.

Date: Thursday, May 16th

Time: 12:00 PM

Register: Here

Earn: 50 Healthy Choices points (for HNE members) and a raffle entry for a 1 in 5 chance to win a $50 Target gift card*

Click here to learn more about each webinar this year and to register Employees can also watch on their own time and fill out the webinar completion form to earn 50 Healthy Choices points

FREE YOGA WITH ANDREA!

Hybrid yoga classes with Andrea Cordis! Certified yoga instructor

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Zoom & Breck Fitness Center Dance Studio EVERY MONDAY in April & May!

Monday, May 6th, 13th, 20th, 2024

For virtual access, Click here!

TEMPORARY SPRING AND SUMMER CLOSURE HOURS

Spring Closure Hours - 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Summer Closure - June 15th to August 15th

WHY MENTAL

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?”

HEALTH IS CRITICAL FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS LAUREN PARKER

Click here for the video

Mental health has increasingly become a notable factor in student success. This talk focuses on the need for schools and educators to have a proactive stance in supporting student emotional well being so academic and personal achievement is possible.

GOLDEN COMPASS AWARD CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Bay Path Golden Compass Award highlights a small but mighty act of how our colleagues are working to bring our Core Values to life. All community members are encouraged to nominate a peer they want to commend for being intentional when applying the Bay Path Core Values to their work and relationships.

BPU’s May Golden Compass Winner will be presented at:

State of the University Community Presentation Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Blake Dining & Zoom

Submit your nomination for next month HERE.

If you ' re new to the University, consider reviewing the Core Values section on the BPU Community Page. Here you'll find....

The Core Values Resource Hub

History of the Golden Compass Award

Previous Recipients of the Golden Compass Interested in serving as a Core Values Ambassador? Email us at corevalues@baypath.edu.

Golden Compass Award Winner for May!

Nominated by: Anonymous

Greg Kowalewski Media

Services Specialist

Greg is most deserving of the Golden Compass Award. A couple core values come to mind when considering Greg for this award: 1) Innovation and Excellence Drive Us; and 2) Our Learner's Come First. Greg's commitment to the education department's academic events, staff, faculty and students hasn't wavered in the many years I have worked with him. The reputation of our academic events is of utmost importance to him, ensuring that our students experience a thoughtful and quality event - regardless if they attend on zoom or in person. During an age where everything requires a digital, hybrid, AV component, I am sure the job can be a bit overwhelming at times. Yet, to look at Greg, you'd never know.

He aims to deliver quality, creative and innovative ways for our community at large to connect with one another. It is quite a tall order and Greg continues to show up with a smile and words of support. Recently, the education department has held two important hybrid events. With staffing shortages, our AV needs have grown immensely as responsibilities of our department members have shifted. Greg has willingly stayed late to assist without hesitation He was a critical member in the hybrid production of The Right to Read film event, as well as the annual Honors Society in Education Ceremony. The Right to Read event was a huge success due to Greg's input and expertise in delivering hybrid content to our remote University members and community members at large I appreciate having Greg as a part of our team and we could not do our jobs without him

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

CAMPUS DINING CLOSURES & REOPENINGS

As of April 30th, the following locations will be closed until the fall.

Blake Dining Hall, Carper Diem Café, and East Longmeadow Café.

Reopening date below:

Blake Dining Hall - September 2nd, 2024

Carpe Diem Café -September 3rd, 2024

East Longmeadow Café for summer PA Programs - June 3rd, 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS

Commencement

Saturday, May 11th, 2024

2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Mass Mutual

State of the University Community Presentation and May Compass Winner

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Blake Dining & Zoom

Community Luncheon Celebrating Years of Service

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Leary Circle

NECHE Presentation

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Blake Dining & Zoom

Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR

April 6th – May 5th

Hartford, CT

University Closed! Monday, May 27th, 2024

BAY PATH UNIVERSITY’S 2024 COMMENCEMENT

Our graduates have worked hard and deserve to be celebrated! The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA. We look forward to seeing you there!

NECHE PRESENTATION

Special presentation from Carol Anderson, NECHE Vice President, on Wednesday, May 15th, 2024 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. The presentation will be hybrid virtual and in-person in Blake Dining Commons.

Experience Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR in Hartford, CT! April 6th - May 5th. Bay Path community, get 20% off tickets! Group discounts available. Contact Sarah Hudson@cirquedusoleil com Don't miss out!

BPU Discount

HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM

Ashley Pereira AVP for People & Culture

Responsible for:

Strategy

HR Operations Compensation

Employee Relations Core Values

Colby Cabral HRIS Specialist

Responsible for:

HR Information Systems Reporting

Data Requests

HR Metrics Assistance

Meghan Rosenberger HR Business Partner

Responsible for: Recruitment Onboarding Performance Evaluations Training Employee Relations

Christine Fager HR Coordinator

Responsible for: Job Postings Onboarding New Hires New Adjunct Faculty

Brenda Fletcher Benefits Specialist

Responsible for:

Benefits & Retirement

PFML/FMLA

Workers Compensation

Short & Long Term Disability

Jeannette Mojica HR Support Specialist

Responsible for:

General Assistance

HR Communications

HR Newsletter

HR Events

Special Projects

Megan Pierson HR Generalist

Responsible for: Employee Engagement

Professional Development Policy Development

Tuition Benefits

Special Projects

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Lori Moccio Payroll Supervisor

Responsible for: Payroll Procedures and Process Updates

Adjunct Contracts

Payroll Management

Direct Deposit Requests & Changes

Paid Time Off (PTO)

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

The Human Resources Newsletter is a great way to get reminders as well as to advertise your own news to the rest of your colleagues.

If you have something you would like to have included in next month’s newsletter, be sure to send an email to hr@baypath.edu so that we can add your information to the issue.