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NOVEMBER IS OPEN ENROLLMENT MONTH As reported in this month’s Clarion, November is the “open enrollment” month for eligible doctoral student employees to enroll in the NY State Student Health Insurance Program scheduled to take effect in January 2009. CUNY management has announced a February 1 start date and meetings about the new health plan for eligible doctoral employees. The meetings will be held in the Elebash Recital Hall on the first floor on Wednesday, Wednesday, Oct. 29, also at noon and 2 p.m.   Doctoral students employed at CUNY as graduate assistants or teaching or non-teaching adjuncts who cannot attend the Graduate Center information sessions should contact Josette Johnson in the GC Human Resources Office for details. In particular, doctoral students employed at CUNY community colleges should contact Johnson directly to ensure coverage. Please note that Doctoral students employed as adjuncts will no longer be eligible for coverage through the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund. INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS ON HEALTH COVERAGE The Graduate Center and CUNY Central have arranged for representatives from NYSHIP (the state agency providing the coverage) to visit the Graduate Center and conduct four informational meetings. All meetings will be in the Elebash Recital Hall on the first floor. The dates and times are below.  Tuesday, Oct. 21 12 noon 2 pm Wednesday, October 29 12 noon 2 pm

health insurance for doctoral student employees:  The PSC has been pressing CUNY to provide health insurance for doctoral student employees for several contract rounds. After heightened union and student agitation over the past year for health insurance, CUNY indicated a clear willingness to work to make it happen.  Instituting a new health insurance program is never a quick and easy process.  Nevertheless, the PSC demanded, in the context of reaching a settlement on the proposed 2007-10 collective bargaining agreement, that the University agree to implement their commitment within the 2008/09 academic year.  

New York State finally agreed earlier this month to offer Student Employee Health Plan (the plan currently available to SUNY graduate employees) coverage to CUNY doctoral student employees under the same terms as SUNY graduate employees.  The plan, while not perfect, is comprehensive and offers family as well as individual coverage at relatively low cost to the student.

The CUNY Board of Trustees have approved CUNY’s participation in the State’s plan, and PSC and CUNY have signed a Letter of Agreement (below) memorializing our agreement to that effect, including specifying the represented CUNY titles in which a doctoral student may be working.  We do not yet have a start date, but the PSC, the Graduate Center and University will continue to work hard to ensure that coverage begins at the earliest possible date.

TEXT OF LETTER OF AGREEMENT FROM CHANCELLOR MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN TO PSC PRESIDENT BARBARA BOWEN July 22, 2008 Dr. Barbara Bowen President Professional Staff Congress/CUNY 61 Broadway, Suite 1500 New York, New York 10006 Dear Dr. Bowen:  This will confirm our understanding regarding health insurance coverage for matriculated doctoral students employed in the following titles represented by the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY (PSC): Graduate Assistants A, B and C; Adjunct Instructors; Adjunct Lecturers; Adjunct College Laboratory Technicians or Non-teaching Adjuncts I and II.  Subject to approval by New York State and the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York (CUNY), CUNY will participate in the New York State sponsored Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) on behalf of its eligible doctoral students.  Employees will be eligible for enrollment in the plan if they are enrolled as a matriculated doctoral student in a CUNY graduate program and simultaneously employed in one of the following Professional Staff Congress represented titles:  Graduate Assistant A, B and C Adjunct Instructor Adjunct Lecturer Adjunct College Laboratory Technician Non-teaching Adjunct I, II  Employees must meet compensation eligibility criteria consistent with those specified in the SUNY Graduate Student Employees Union Collective Bargaining Agreement.   CUNY will contribute: 90% of the cost of individual coverage for doctoral students electing to participate in the plan; and 75% of the additional cost of dependent coverage for the eligible dependents of doctoral students electing to participate in the plan. The benefits structure, including but not limited to: plan provisions, premiums, co-pays, deductibles, participating providers and/or networks, reimbursement, covered benefits and benefits design modifications, shall be governed solely by the Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP).  If this comports with your understanding and agreement, please sign below and return a fully executed copy to me.   Very truly yours,               /s/ Matthew Goldstein Chancellor  __________/s/________________________________ Barbara Bowen President Professional Staff Congress

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7/11 LETTER FROM B. BOWEN TO GRAD STUDENTS

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