University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Enroll in Flex Spending Accounts

Open enrollment is now under way for New York State Flex Spending Accounts, which allow state employees to pay for certain expenses with pre-tax dollars.

The Health Care Spending Account lets employees set aside any amount—from $100 up to $4,000 annually—to pay for health care expenses that are not reimbursed by health insurance or other benefit plans. These include medically necessary medical, hospital, dental, vision, hearing and prescription drug expenses, as well as some over-the-counter drug expenses for employees and their tax dependents.

The Dependent Care Advantage Account allows workers to set aside up to $5,000 for eligible child care, elder care, or disabled dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and his or her spouse to work.

The open enrollment period for 2010 runs through Nov. 16.

For more information, click here or call the FSA Hotline at 1-800-358-7202.

Discounts available on UB wear

Discounts on UB apparel are still available for faculty and staff as part of True Blue Days.

Discounts of 20 percent are available with a valid UB faculty/staff ID at the University Bookstore on the North Campus and at Tee Shirt University LLC in the Walden Galleria Mall.

For more information, click here.

Volunteers needed to ‘kick butt’

Faculty, staff and students tired of seeing cigarette butts strewn across campus can participate in an afternoon cleanup next week.

Those interested in taking part in “Kickin’ Butt at UB” should meet at 3 p.m. Oct. 23 in Wellness Education Services, 114 Student Union, North Campus.

In conjunction with UB’s smoke-free policy, which went into effect in August and bans smoking on the three campuses except in areas of parking lots more than 100 feet from buildings, the university removed cigarette-butt collectors from spaces where smoking is no longer allowed. However, some smokers violating the new rules have been throwing cigarette butts on the ground near campus buildings.

Beginning in August 2010, the smoking prohibition will extend to all areas on university grounds.

For more information about “Kickin’ Butt at UB,” email Martin at well.mjs83@vpsa.buffalo.edu.

IT Transformation topic of PSS meeting

Elias Eldayrie, chief information officer, will discuss the IT Transformation initiative during the Professional Staff Senate’s general membership meeting at 3 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Center for Tomorrow, North Campus.

Following his presentation, Eldayrie will facilitate a working discussion about challenges and opportunities regarding the transformation, which is part of UB 2020.

Visit the IT Transformation Web site for background information on the initiative.

Questions and concerns regarding the initiative should be sent to pssenate@buffalo.edu by Oct. 19.