UC to enhance benefits related to tuition remission

The Board of Trustees has voted to enhance current tuition remission benefits, effective Fall Semester 2020.

According to Liz Aumann, director of benefits, these changes will further solidify the university’s leading role in the state when it comes to its offerings around this important benefit.

She explained, “UC’s tuition remission benefits are the most generous throughout the State of Ohio. It’s not uncommon for other institutions, even those larger than UC, to offer only 50-percent tuition remission to full-time, benefits-eligible employees.”

Coming enhancements include

• Full-time, benefits-eligible employees will be able to enroll for an unlimited number of credit hours each semester without obtaining prior vice presidential approval. (Currently, a vice president’s approval is required if full-time, benefits-eligible employees wish to enroll for more than 6 credit hours per semester.)
• Eligible dependents of employees will be able to employ tuition-remission benefits to pursue programs/study and degrees within the College of Law. (Currently, only employees can use tuition-remission benefits to pursue studies and degrees in the College of Law.)
• Post docs, annual adjuncts, and non-benefits eligible employees: Tuition-remission benefits will increase to 4 credit hours per semester, up from the current 3 credit hours per semester. In addition, no supervisory approval will be needed to take advantage of this benefit.
• Term adjunct faculty members: Tuition-remission benefits will increase to 4 credit hours per semester, up from the current 3 credit hours per semester. In addition, no supervisory approval will be needed to take advantage of this benefit.
• Unlimited course audit hours will be available to all employees, full-time, part-time, term- and annual adjuncts, and post docs. No supervisory approval will be needed to make use of this benefit.
• Unlimited undergraduate and graduate credit hours at any UC campus or online program will be available for dependents of employees. (Currently, there is a tuition remission cap on accumulated undergraduate credit hours. That cap currently stands at 144 total credit hours.)

A new service available to UC faculty and staff is Tess, a 24/7 chatbot which provides emotional support, psychoeducation and check-ins to aid your mental health and well-being.  Similar to an automated self-help book, Tess simulates how a human would behave as a conversational partner while providing clinically proven coping skills and strategies based on expressed emotion.

If at any time during a chat session with Tess an individual wishes to speak to, or schedule an appointment with a counselor, Tess will provide the IMPACT phone number and/or emergency response services depending on the need.

Tess expands your options of care and breaks down barriers to mental health support for individuals who may not access services through traditional channels. Tess meets all HIPAA requirements, and is available 24/7 on demand.

Tess is available by texting ”Hi” to =1(415)360-0023.  Start code: bearcats.

• See HR’s website.
• See HR’s news page.
• Go to UC’s Bearcats Landing intranet. (log-in required)