Colgate Employee Benefits

Insurance Providers

Delta Dental
Excellus BC/BS of Utica
Excellus BC/BS of Utica (Doctor and Hospital Finder Guide)
- The following link leads to machine-readable files that are available in response to the Transparency in Coverage Rule. These files include negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers; they are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers easy access to analyze data. Transparency in Coverage Machine Readable Files
Guardian VSP
OptumRx (Prescription Drug Coverage)

Other Benefit Providers

Retirement Plan Vendors

Vision Benefit Summary

The university maintains a limited fund that is used to provide housing loans to benefitted employees on the regular payroll. The loan program is designated to assist individuals in the initial purchase of their primary residence. The program provides loans up to a maximum of $20,000 for the purchase of a home within the Hamilton school district, unless there are specific needs not well served by the Hamilton School District. In these cases, staff employees may, upon applying for the loan, request to be considered for the benefit for a home purchased outside the district.

The unsecured loans are made at the long-term, semiannual Applicable Federal Rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for the month in which the loan is made. Repayment is made over a ten-year period, with monthly payments made through payroll deductions. If the staff member’s employment with the university ends prior to repayment, the loan must be paid in full.

Staff members are eligible to receive this loan only once. The program is restricted to one loan per property/primary residence. Colgate University couples may only utilize one loan, with a $20,000 maximum. In order to be eligible, a staff member must complete a Staff Housing Loan Promissory Note prior to closing on the purchase of his or her primary residence.

If you would like more information about this program, please contact Andrew W. Fagon, Executive Director for Risk Management & Legal Affairs, at extension 7765.

Revised December 2020

Detailed descriptions of each service provider can be found on the Work/Life Programs webpage.

BRiDGES
HigherED EAP
- HigherEd EAP- Self Help Resources
Telemedicine
Madison County Mental Health Department
- The Mental Health Department offers a crisis line 24-hours a day. You can call 315-366-2327 and press 1. During business hours, this line goes to office staff where clients may ask to speak to an available clinician. Individuals are also seen at the office on an emergency walk-in basis.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness-Syracuse)
- NAMI offers a wide variety of educational and support programs for both adults and children living with mental illness, and those who support them.
- NAMI Basics On Demand is a free online class for parents, guardians and other family caregivers who provide care for youth (age 22 or younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms. The program is self-paced and available 24/7, and is guided by parents and family members with lived experiences. The program is free to participants, 99% of whom say they would recommend the program to others.

Fidelity Enrollment: You will need the following plan number to begin the enrollment process: 73906 Defined Contribution Plan (This plan accepts both Colgate and employee contributions.)

TIAA Enrollment: To enroll you must complete a pension plan salary reduction agreement form and return it to the Human Resources office.

Fidelity and TIAA will be hosting one-on-one sessions to help you become better informed about various plan features, including investment options.

To scheduled a one-on-one session with Fidelity, please call 1-800-642-7131, or visit this site. For TIAA, please call 1-800-842-2252, or visit this site.

During its June 2011 meeting, the Board of Trustees of Colgate University (“Colgate” or “university”) approved a Faculty Mortgage Interest Reimbursement Program (the “program”) to assist eligible faculty members who wish to purchase homes within a three mile radius of campus or within the Hamilton Central School District. The program is designed to incentivize newly hired faculty members to live in close proximity to campus thereby contributing to the residential nature of the university while simultaneously invigorating the Hamilton community.

The program is subject to availability of funds and can be changed or discontinued at any time at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated periodically with an initial comprehensive review to occur in August 2016.

Download details (PDF)

The university maintains a limited fund, which is used to provide housing loans to tenure stream or category 1 academic faculty and full-time faculty in the library and athletics. The loan program is designated to assist individuals in the initial purchase of their primary residence. The program provides loans up to a maximum of $20,000 for the purchase of a home within commuting distance to Colgate University. Commuting distance is defined as the 50 mile radius surrounding the university.

The unsecured loans are made at the long-term, semiannual Applicable Federal Rate prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for the month in which the loan is made. Repayment is made over a ten-year period, with monthly payments made through payroll deductions. If the faculty member’s employment with the university ends prior to repayment, the loan must be paid in full.

Faculty members are eligible to receive this loan only once. The program is restricted to one loan per property/primary residence. Colgate University couples may only utilize one loan, with a $20,000 maximum. In order to be eligible, a faculty member must complete a Faculty Housing Loan Promissory Note prior to closing on the purchase of his or her primary residence.

If you would like more information about this program, please contact Andrew W. Fagon, Executive Director for Risk Management & Legal Affairs, at extension 7765.

Revised December 2020

Colgate University’s Voluntary Phased Retirement Program provides a means for eligible faculty members (tenure-stream teaching faculty—full-time and Category I) to move by one intermediate step into normal retirement through the reduction of teaching obligations and salary for a fixed period of time.

Specification of program

Teaching expectations and salary reduction
The faculty member teaches two courses each year and performs a minimum of 102 hours of other scholarly and non-teaching obligations, e.g., advising, scholarship, and committee service to the department or university, for which they receive 50% of their annual salary. During the phased-retirement period a faculty member’s salary continues to be adjusted through the normal process of setting faculty salaries. The person entering phased retirement may continue to fully participate in department activities if they wish, with the exception that they do not participate in any aspect of the faculty hiring process. A new tenure stream replacement will have first priority for teaching elective or other courses when teaching interests overlap.
Duration
Maximum of three years (shorter periods may be elected with the approval of the Dean of the Faculty)
Required ending
In entering this program a faculty member commits to retire at the end of the three-year period; continuous tenure is relinquished and emeritus/a status conferred at the time of retirement; elections to enter the program are irrevocable.
Hire overlap
With a 50% salary savings, replacement junior faculty may be hired prior to completion of the phased retirement period; as in all cases of replacement hires, these positions are allocated by DAC and are not guaranteed to the department or program of the phased retiree.
Minimum age
Faculty are eligible to enter phased retirement at age 60.
Minimum length of service
None is required. However, Colgate does have minimum-service-length requirements for retirement with benefits¹ which needs to be satisfied in order to receive normal retirement benefits following the phased retirement period. Retirement with benefits can occur at age 65 with 10 years of service or at 62 with 15 years. Time in service accrues at the rate of ½ year per year served in the phased retirement program.
Provision of office and/or lab space
Retiring faculty will have access to office and/or lab space depending on availability; space may not necessarily be in the home department and may be shared; junior faculty will receive preference for office space in the departmental area.
Sabbatical accumulation
Because the faculty member is teaching less than half time for half-time salary, there is no accumulation of SLA credits in phased retirement.
SLA use
Accumulated SLA credits may be used to decrease teaching load during phased retirement, scheduled via negotiation with the department chair and Dean of Faculty; they cannot be employed to increase salary beyond 50%.
Institutional support for research and travel
Support continues in full according to the usual policies.
One or both semesters
The faculty member may choose to teach the two required course in either one semester or two; the salary payment schedule will reflect this choice.
Option to take on other (external) commitments
Allowed, with approval of the Dean of Faculty for the semester(s) the faculty member is on campus and teaching; approval is not needed for non-teaching semesters.
Endowed chair-holders
If there are no provisions to allow naming of a second chair holder during the phased retirement period a faculty member will need to relinquish their chair; in the event of a chair being relinquished, emeritus/a status in the chair can be conferred immediately if the individual desires and research stipends attached to the chair will continue in full through the phased retirement period; any course releases associated with distinguished chairs do not apply during a period of phased retirement.
Dean of Faculty approval is required
Approval is required for a faculty member to enter the phased requirement program; while all applications from eligible faculty members will be approved, Colgate reserves the right to require an employee to defer their requested entry to the phased retirement program if there are multiple requests within the same department or if other operating situations within a department or program so require.

Other Information

Benefits continue throughout the phased retirement period: health, dental and tuition benefit² are fully covered; pension contributions, disability coverage and life insurance continue based on base salary paid³.
It is possible for retirement savings withdrawals to commence during the phased retirement period; it is recommended that the advice of a financial planner be obtained.
Information concerning this program will be available on the Dean of Faculty web page.
Teaching faculty members interested in the program should proceed by contacting the Dean of the Faculty, preferably at least one year prior to the requested start date of phased retirement. The Dean will notify the relevant division director and department chair and/or program directors of the request; formal application is by way of the form appended at the end of this document.
Colgate reserves the right to amend or terminate this program at any time, but such changes will not affect the agreements with faculty members then enrolled in the phased retirement program.

Application

Please contact Diane Beach (dbeach@colgate.edu) to begin the application process or to learn more about the program.

Footnotes

1 Retirement with benefits can occur at age 65 with 10 years of service or at 62 with 15 years. Time in service accrues at the rate of one half (1/2) year per year served in the phased retirement program.
2 Eligibility for the higher education tuition benefit (7 years of full-time service) must be established prior to initiation of phased retirement.
3 Coverage and benefits will be subject to the terms and conditions of these separate plans, which also may be amended or terminated at any time.