STRS adopts eligibility changes

The State Teachers Retirement Board recently adopted new eligibility requirements and premiums for the 2004 State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Ohio Health Care Program that will become effective January 1, 2004. The most significant change concerns retiree access to health care coverage. This change may have direct and immediate impact on faculty’s retirement plans.

Revisions to the health plan provided by STRS can be viewed at http://www.strsoh.org/healthcare.htm. If these changes are significant in your retirement planning process, contact the following representatives in the Office of Human Resources who will assist you in exploring questions you may wish to ask STRS:
• Donna Wittwer, associate director, at 2-2113, or
• Diana Shamp, employee benefits supervisor, at 2-2115.

Retirement plans for those individuals 60 and over with between five and 15 years of service credit must be finalized and effective no later than Dec. 1 in order to be covered under the existing eligibility requirements. As in all retirement cases, faculty members and administrators with faculty status who wish to retire should notify their immediate supervisors as soon as possible to assure a smooth transition.

Free tickets to Falcons opening game offered to faculty and staff

All faculty and staff are invited to help BGSU launch the 2003 football season by attending the opening game Aug. 28 against Eastern Kentucky University. Game time is 7 p.m.

Any faculty or staff member with a University ID can pick up four free tickets to the game, courtesy of Linda Dobb, executive vice president. Tickets may be obtained until noon on game day at the BGSU ticket office in Anderson Arena. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.