The Student Government Association laid out expanding annual and individual projects, such as Hilton College’s expanding program and introducing Metro’s new routing system.
They started Wednesday’s meeting with a special guest, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Joan Nelson, to deliberate on the challenges of student employment— highlighting residential assistants—and the forthcoming changes in occupational status and payment processing taking effect this fall.
“This year is our first year to report to the IRS employees who are going to move from non-benefit employees to benefit employees,” Nelson said, signaling that RAs will now have an employer-employee relationship. Those full-time employees will be offered benefits under the Affordable Care Act.
The ACA policy also changes the definition of a full-time employee, which is now a 30-hour work week, unlike the general interpretation of a 40-hour week. UH’s first review period identified 28 students who are affected by this and work full-time in the UH System, 10 being from the main campus. The federal government will fine UH for every full-time unbenefited employee, potentially impacting the University economically.
“We knew the [ACA] policy was there, but we weren’t forced to track it,” Nelson said. “Now that it’s going to hit us in the pockets, we need to be very clear and comply with the federal guidelines. That’s the difference, we’re held accountable for what we’re submitting.”
This policy does restrict students’ work hours to 20 hours per week for the academic year, a huge cut from the few RAs who have reported to working a 100-hour work week, and their payroll system will transition from a stipend to an employee salary as of September 1, according to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Keith T. Kowalka.
“Now that we are tracking your hours, it is highly unlikely that you’ll have 100-hour work week again,” Kowalka said. “If you total up the number of students on payroll by weekly capacity roles, there will be a 15 or 20 percent bump overall from the end of this spring to 2016.”
Senator Edwin Mascorro, representative for the college of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, agreed with the hour cuts, explaining how students’ academic success is the main priority.
“You came here to study and succeed,” Mascorro said. “Some people can handle a 100-hour work week, but many can’t, and I guarantee many RAs couldn’t handle it.”
Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Ahmad Shareef announced the finished renovations for the Hilton Hotel College expansion the San Antonio campus, in addition to expanding the HR program by partnering with national colleges in Switzerland and Hong Kong, offering a master’s degree in global hospitalization.
“What’s unique about that is that it is three semesters: one in Switzerland, one in Hong Kong and then one in UH,” Shareef said. “We rolled out the Ph.D. program starting this fall semester as well.”
As the fall semester approaches, SGA President Shaun Smith’s initiative to increased presence and access for METRO service will provide students with a free ride in Metro’s new routing system on August 16 to 22 in order “for students to get the feel of it,” according to Cullen College of Engineering David Gratvol, who added that the changes in routing will make the University more accessible.
“I’m working with (the) Metro CEO and marketing through the administration to get the Q-card (to any incoming freshmen) that may not know of our 50 percent discount,” Smith said.
Also among SGA’s initiatives this year are sexual assault and mental health awareness, higher security measures such as the implementation of self-defense classes, and a higher level of engagement which will focus on getting certain senators deputized and getting an active discussion in student voting participation for the near mayoral elections this fall and the coveted presidential election next year.
The upcoming fall meeting is set for August 26.
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“SGA unveils change in RA employment, global partnership and annual initiatives” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar