Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty/Staff

Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty/Staff

This information is intended to assist faculty and staff whose employment has ended with Birmingham-Southern College (BSC).  It provides general information or answers to frequently asked questions.  It is not intended to be all inclusive and is subject to change.

WARN Act

Q.     What is the WARN Act?

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires certain employers planning for mass layoffs to notify laid off employees in advance, protecting them from sudden loss of income and providing them sufficient time to transition to new employment.  BSC will be providing WARN Act notices to employees affected by the closure.

Q.     What does the WARN notice provide?

In general, the WARN Act requires employers to provide at least 60 days written notice to employees affected by closure or mass layoffs.  Employers are also required to notify state and local government entities. BSC will be providing WARN Act notices to state and local government officials.

For additional information: Worker's Guide to Advance Notice of Closings and Layoffs Guide

General Questions

Q.     What does this mean?  How does this impact me?

The Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to close Birmingham-Southern College and will cease operations effective August 9, 2024.  While none of us wanted this day to come, we also realize that to honor BSC’s 160+ year legacy, we must proceed with the current information on hand, to end operations with as much grace and dignity as possible.

Employees will be laid off in phases based on the functional areas needed to support students and wind down operations of the college. 

Q.     When will my employment end?

The date of the termination of your employment will be provided in a personal letter at least 60 days before the termination date.

Q.     When will be the last day I am able to come to campus and retrieve any personal items?

Staff will remove any personal items before or on your last day of employment.  Faculty will need to have retrieved and removed from campus all personal items on or before May 31. After May 31, the campus will be closed outside of those authorized to be on campus.

Q.     Will I receive a severance payment instead of a 60-day notice?

For us to gracefully shut down our operations, we are not in a financial situation to offer any severance payment instead of the 60-day work-through notice period.

Q.    What happens if I get another job before my 60-day notice end, will I get paid for the remaining days in the 60-day notice?  Will I get paid my remaining annual leave balance?

Should you obtain employment elsewhere and submit your resignation notice prior to the end of your 60-day notice, you will be paid for work performed through your last day worked or date of employment termination and will not receive payment for the remainder of the 60-day notice period. 

Per (Staff Handbook page 22), if you provide the required notice and work though the resignation period, you will be paid your accrued, unused annual leave balance up to the maximum amount (18 days).

This does not apply to those employed through a contractual agreement.

Q.    Where can I find BSC assistance to support me?

The College understands this is a difficult period, and we want to provide you with as much support as possible during this time.

BSC will continue to provide the Uprise Health Program, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) delivered by Uprise Health, which offers a broad range of services and support through July 31, 2024.  Additional information can be found on the Uprise Health Member Portal using our access code: bsc

During this period of uncertainty, the BSC HR Team is working to secure local support through various agencies and employers for transitional assistance and outplacement resources for impacted individuals.  HR will update resources as additional information is obtained; however, we have provided a list of employment agencies and job search resources at the end of this document. In addition, the college will host a Job Fair in April 10, 2024, in Norton Great Hall, 10 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Q.     Will I be eligible for unemployment?

You may file an unemployment insurance claim if you meet eligibility requirements. The unemployment commission, not Birmingham-Southern College, will decide whether you are entitled to benefits.

Although the processing and approval of unemployment claims is governed by the Alabama Department of Labor: Unemployment Division, the BSC Human Resources Team will work closely with the State in an effort to make the process as smooth as possible.  

Q.     Who will verify my employment for a potential new employer?

All employment verification inquiries should be directed to the BSC Human Resources Team:

• HR will provide a letter of employment verification nearer your last day of employment.
• Any further employment inquiries should be addressed to [email protected] prior to July 31, 2024

Faculty Contracts

Q.     What does this mean for current contracts?

• You will continue through the current terms of your contract and will receive a WARN letter at least 60 days prior to the end of the contract.
• Faculty on 9 or 10-month contracts paid over 12 months be paid for all work performed through May 31, 2024. You will receive your final paycheck in August.
• Faculty on 12-month contracts will continue working until August 2 and will be paid their remaining contract in August.

Adjunct Faculty Contracts

• Adjunct faculty for spring term 2024 (February 6 – May 21) will receive their final paycheck on May 31, 2024.

Self-Service access

Q.     Will terminated employees continue to have access to Self-Service on the BSC website?

No.  Once your employment ends your access to Self-Service ends. 

If you wish to obtain information, such as paycheck stubs, W2, etc., it is strongly advised to pull those documents/information prior to your last day of employment.  The College cannot guarantee its ability to provide information once the College officially closes on August 9, 2024.  

W-2 Information

Q.     How will a terminated employee receive their W2?

Details regarding 2024 W2 and other related tax documents prior to the official closing of the College will be forthcoming when finalized.

As the College winds down operations, Colleague and Self-Service will no longer be available to provide and/or store electronic pay stubs or W2 information; therefore, we will be producing manual paper tax forms for 2024. Employees should confirm/update their address in Self Service as needed prior to your last day of employment.

Group Health Plans and COBRA

Employees and dependents who lose coverage under the Group Health Plan and/or the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) due to certain events (including termination of employment) may be able to continue their health coverage for a specified period under a federal law known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

NOTE: Continuation of current coverage is only available if the College remains above 20 enrolled contracts on each individual plan for medical, dental and vision.  As operations wind down and the workforce levels decrease, COBRA may fully dissipate. 

For information on COBRA, you should refer to the COBRA Notice mailed to you upon termination.  Should you have additional questions about the information in the letter or options under this plan, you may contact our COBRA administrator, WEX.

WEX

Phone: 1.866.451.3399

Website: www.wexinc.com

Before deciding to enroll in COBRA, you may want to consider other health coverage options, such as coverage under another group health plan, or purchasing an individual policy on the healthcare market.  Suggested resources are as follows:

• Healthcare Exchange Marketplace:

Visit Healthcare Exchange for more information and to find out if you qualify for Alabama's Medicaid , ALL Kids - Alabama's Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or lower costs for a Marketplace insurance plan.

• Individual Blue Plan:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama offers an Individual Blue Plan, to learn more visit www.bcbsal.org.

• Medicare:

If you are age 65 or older, you may be eligible to enroll in Medicare and possibly a supplemental policy. To learn more about Medicare coverage and as it related to COBRA or supplemental coverage, visit Medicare or contact them directly at 800.MEDICARE.  Personal and local support can also be obtained through Medicare Advisors of Alabama.

Q.     Will BSC provide information on how to enroll for health coverage under COBRA?

Yes. Generally, within 14 days after an employee’s health plan or health FSA coverage is terminated, employees and/or their covered dependents will be mailed a COBRA notice that explains how to continue coverage under COBRA, and the cost of such coverage (COBRA premium rates are determined by the type of coverage elected). 

Employees have 60 days from the date of termination to elect COBRA based on existing benefit selections and COBRA effective date will be backdated to the date BSC coverage ended. There will be no lapse in coverage if enrolled within 60 days from termination. WEX, our COBRA Administrator, will be providing this information and can reached directly at 866.451.3399 or WEX. If you have not already done so, you can also download the WEX app, called Benefits by WEX.

Q.     How long can BSC Group Health Plan coverage be continued under COBRA?

Continuation of current and COBRA coverage is only available if the College remains above 20 enrolled contracts on each individual plan for medical, dental and vision.  As operations wind down and the workforce levels decrease, COBRA will fully dissipate.  We do not anticipate there will be any COBRA coverage after August 31, 2024.

Q.     When do BSC group life and welfare benefits with Mutual of Omaha (MOO) cease?

BSC (College-paid) group life/AD&D and voluntary (employee-paid) benefits cease on the last day of the month employment ends unless you contact MOO within 31 days of termination and elect to continue coverage.

Q.     Can I continue my coverage with Mutual of Omaha (MOO) after my employment ends?

The BSC (College-paid) group life/AD&D benefit is eligible for conversion to individual policies.  The voluntary (employee-paid) insurance is portable as well.

BSC Group Plan is G000AYN9. Questions or additional information regarding the conversion of these plans can be found on-line at www.mutualofomaha.com or by calling toll-free 877.466.8367.

 Flexible spending account (FSA)

Q.     What is the deadline for filing health care flexible spending amount (FSA) claims?

Terminated employees who contributed to the FSA may be eligible for reimbursement and have 91 days to file claims for eligible expenses incurred prior to their last day of employment.

Q.     How long can FSA coverage continue under COBRA?

FSA Coverage may be continued through COBRA only through the end of the year in which the employee lost coverage and only if the employee’s account balance exceeds the contributions that the employee has made as of the date of termination (i.e., there is a positive account balance at the date of termination.) More information about the continuation of FSA benefits, including the cost to continue benefits, is outlined in the COBRA Notice mailed to terminated employees.

Health savings accounts (HSA)

Q.    What happens to the employee’s HSA when the employee terminates?

HSAs are individually owned accounts and remain in place after a termination of employment occurs. Employees who participated in the BSC HSA Program will retain full access to their HSA and can direct any questions on the maintenance of the HSA plan to the HSA provider listed below. 

 Note: BSC pays the monthly account maintenance fee for active employees. Once an employee is terminated, the monthly fee of $3.00 is charged to the HSA balance.

 Q.     Can employees still seek reimbursements for eligible expenses after termination?

Yes, all eligible expenses are reimbursable once an HSA is established, regardless of the employee’s employment status. Current HSA accounts are managed by WEX, 866.451.3399. If you had an HSA account in 2022 or prior it is managed by Health Equity, 866.346.5800.

BSC TIAA plan

Q. If an employee is participating in the BSC TIAA Plan, what happens to their account balance upon termination?

This is an employee-owned account, and balances will remain in the BSC TIAA Plan until one of the following occurs:

• The participant has a distribution event and elects to take a distribution; or
• The BSC TIAA Plan portion is transferred to another qualified plan.
• Balance is less than the minimum plan requirement. TIAA will roll over into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Q. Can an employee continue making contributions to the BSC TIAA 403(b) Plan?  

Once the employment relationship has ended, the ability to make contributions to the BSC TIAA 403(b) Plan is no longer available.

Q. What happens if I am hired by another employer who offers a TIAA plan?

    Because of the uniqueness of each situation, please contact TIAA directly.

Q. How can I schedule an appointment with a TIAA Advisor?

You can schedule with an advisor via phone or ZOOM.  Start by calling the TIAA Investment & Advisory Center at [1-855-728-8422]855-728-8422. Fully-licensed advisors remain available via this number to assist participants “on-demand” with advice and planning concerns every weekday, between 8A-7P Eastern (even if they don’t have an appointment). If you prefer scheduling a virtual meeting using your online access, use this link; https://www.tiaa.org/public/login/schedule-meeting

For additional information regarding the BSC TIAA plan, you can visit www.tiaa.org or call 888.583.2535 M-F from 7 am to 6 pm CT.

The chart below is intended to give you more information on the specifics of how your benefit plans are affected when you terminate your employment as a full-time benefits-eligible member of Birmingham-Southern College (BSC). Please use this chart as a general guide for decision making.

Education Tuition Remission/Exchange

• BSC Education Tuition Remission - If an employee and/or eligible dependents are approved to receive the Education Tuition Remission benefit, the benefit will terminate at the end of the current academic year (e.g., employment ends 5/25/24, benefit terms at the end of the Spring 2024 term).
• ACS Tuition Exchange/ The Tuition Exchange - The College is actively working with the Associated Colleges of the South Tuition Exchange Program (ACS-TEP) and The Tuition Exchange (TE) for those individuals who are in the process and/or currently approved under those plans to determine available options to those participants. Details will be provided/updated as we learn them.

Payout of Annual Leave, Sick and Safe Leave, if applicable

• You will be paid for a maximum of 18 days of your actual accrued and unused annual leave time balance as of the date of termination.
• If you have taken annual leave days in advance of actual accrued time earned, you will be required to pay back that advance but not accrued/earned annual leave at the time of separation of employment.
• Annual, Sick and Safe Leave accruals will end March 29, 2024. No new hours will be accrued after that date. This will assist in having available funds to pay current annual leave accruals.
• Sick and Safe Leave are not payable upon termination.

Q. What is the payroll schedule for the remainder of time BSC is open?

A revised 2024 Payroll Processing Schedule can be found here.

Job Search Resources and Information:

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To learn more about Alabama Works! resources, such as: career services, financial services, job seeker services, job assessment tools, unemployment services, employer services, education services, labor market services, monthly events and more Click Here and/or their Alabama Works! Assistance for Dislocated Workers Guide

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Kelly Education

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Other Job Search Sites
Most employers post their job openings on multiple websites, so make sure you are looking in several places.  Job announcements on the web move quickly, so search daily and start early.  Here are some recommended job search sites:

Alabama Community College System
Alabama State Personnel Department
Blacks In Higher Education
Indeed
Simply Hired
Career Builder
Glassdoor
USA Jobs
LinkedIn
Monster
Zip Recruiter

In addition to these online job banks, you should visit employer websites to look for current openings and application information.  Don’t be afraid to apply for older listings. A position listed a couple of months ago may still be available, and fewer people are likely to be applying. Keep in mind that just because a posting is dated does not mean that the company is not desirable to work for; they just might not have found the right candidate.

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