The PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund provides the Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Direct Connection HMO plan (New York residents only) and the Direct Connection EPO (Connecticut and New Jersey residents only) plans to eligible adjunct staff members. To be eligible for the health insurance benefit, you must be paid with tax-levy money, not be covered by health insurance through another source and meet the following requirements:

Summer sessions are excluded for the purposes of determining eligibility.

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You are eligible to join the New York City Teachers' Retirement System (TRS), which provides retirement, disability and death benefits. A three percent deduction from your salary combines with the City's contribution to provide a pension. Vesting occurs after the equivalent of five full-time years of service in the plan. TRS will prorate part-time teaching and non-teaching service. For more information regarding TRS please review the summary plan description at www.trs.nyc.ny.us.

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You may participate in a tax-deferred annuity (TDA) program plan with HRC Financial
Services, TRS or TIAA-CREF. The TDA program allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars, subject to a maximum exclusion allowance, for retirement. Information about the TRS and TIAA-CREF plans is available in the Human Resources Office. For more information about the HRC TDA plan, call James Pino or Sandy Joel Siff, the HRC representatives for the College, at 1-800-786-1598.

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You are entitled to receive your regular salary provided that you serve during your normal work hours and remit to the Human Resources Office proof of jury duty attendance. You should notify your departmental chair or director of such service. If the jury service does not conflict with your assignment, you will be expected to work as scheduled.

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You may be excused for one hour per semester for each hour you teach per week, without loss of pay, for reasons of illness or personal emergency including religious observance, death in the immediate family or similar personal needs which cannot be postponed. Requests for such leave must be made in advance, when possible, and in writing. If it is not possible to make such a request in advance, the department chairperson should be informed as soon as possible. The reason must be satisfactory to the chairperson. Only the department chairperson may authorize arrangements among colleagues to cover or reschedule classes and work assignments.

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The United States Savings Bond Program allows employees to purchase series EE and I savings bonds through payroll deduction. Employees may join this plan by calling the National Bond and Trust Company at 1-800-426-9314 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. You must inform the customer service representative that your agency code is 70031.

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An adjunct is eligible for tuition remission of up to one course if he or she has taught one or more courses in the same department at the same college for ten consecutive semesters (not including summer session) and is appointed to teach a course of not fewer than three contact hours per week per semester. If the course offered is at the graduate level, it is available on a space-available basis. An adjunct that has established eligibility for this tuition waiver shall lose eligibility if in any two out of three academic years the adjunct teaches in only one semester of the year at that college.

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The Workers' Compensation plan provides for health benefits and disability pay if you are injured in the performance of your College duties. You must report work-related injuries to the Human Resources Office and complete the required Workers' Compensation forms. The Workers' Compensation Division of the Law Department of the City of New York will notify you if your injury is covered.

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For information regarding eligibility, please visit the Benefits Office at your college. If you are teaching at more than one college, the Personnel Officer at each school has to certify your eligibility.

For information regarding coverage and benefits, please call the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund (212) 354-5230, extension 29.

If you are purchasing family coverage, please enclose a check payable to PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund for the correct amount for the first quarter's premium

Incomplete applications will not be processed and will have to be returned to you. If you have a spouse or domestic partner and all requested information is not supplied, the application will be returned to you.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for this benefit, the adjunct must be paid with tax-levy money (not Research Foundation and not grant monies) and must meet the following requirements:

Teaching Adjunct - Teaching six or more hours (or the equivalent) at any CUNY college in the semester of proposed coverage and who have taught at any CUNY college in the two semesters immediately preceding the semester of coverage. Summer sessions are excluded for purposes of determining eligibility.

Non-teaching Adjunct - Working ten or more hours per week in the semester of proposed coverage and who have worked at least ten or more hours per week at any CUNY college in the two semesters immediately preceding the semester of coverage. Summer sessions are excluded for purposes of eligibility.

Health Coverage - Coverage shall be provided to an eligible adjunct who is not covered by other primary health care insurance provided by or through another source and who is teaching the required number of hours in the current semester. If you are working for another employer who is paying for your health insurance or you are covered by your spouse's health coverage and that health coverage is paid for by your spouse's employer, you may not also receive health coverage from the Welfare Fund.

Loss of Health Coverage - Once an adjunct has satisfied the eligibility requirements for benefits, those benefits will continue as long as the adjunct works the required number of hours (six teaching, 10 non-teaching each week). Health Coverage will not be available to those adjuncts who are working less than six hours teaching or ten hours non-teaching each week.

Loss of Eligibility - Although an eligible adjunct who does not teach six hours or work ten non-teaching hours loses present health coverage for that semester, he or she retains eligibility for future benefits until in any two semesters in a three-year period the adjunct is employed in only one semester of the year at CUNY. In such a case, the adjunct must re-establish eligibility.

COBRA - A participant may continue Empire Health Choice coverage through private payment under the provision of COBRA when Welfare Fund coverage ceases.

lf you are purchasing insurance privately, or are named on another person's policy, do not cancel coverage until you have received official notification of coverage from the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund.

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