Through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), employees are given the option of continuing participation in the group medical plan at their own cost for a maximum period of 18 months after the qualifying event (See also Section 1.8.1). Qualifying events are:

1. The death of the covered employee,
2. The termination of the employee,
3. A reduction in the employee's hours, so that the employee or dependent is ineligible for coverage,
4. The divorce or legal separation of the covered employee and his or her spouse,
5. For spouses and eligible dependents, the employee's eligibility under Medicare,
6. A dependent child who marries or reaches the limiting age under the plan, thereby ceasing to be a "dependent" under the terms of the plan.

The following statements are summarizations of SPU policy regarding faculty member benefit plans and are intended to give a general outline of the benefits, not an authoritative description. Please refer to the Benefits Handbook for a more complete description. These benefits are for full-time faculty at .75 FTE and above. Some employee benefits are available to parttime employees, on a pro-rated cost basis.

The University allows for unpaid leaves of absence for the following reasons:

1. Medical LOA: Up to six continuous months in duration; all benefits paid. (Short-term disability pay may be substituted.)
2. Family Medical LOA: Up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period; all benefits paid. (Short-term disability pay may be substituted only in cases of faculty illness.)
3. Military LOA: Two weeks or more per year; all benefits paid.
4. Personal LOA: Up to one year in duration; no benefits paid.

Full-time faculty are eligible for 45% tuition scholarships for their spouses and during the first three years of their employment and of 90% thereafter. Students are eligible to receive the tuition scholarship until they are granted a first baccalaureate degree or until they reach age 24, whichever is first. In the case of non-dependent students, the scholarship is considered a taxable benefit to the employee under current IRS regulations. The same benefit applies to spouses and dependent, unmarried children of full-time faculty members whose capacity to serve the University is terminated by death or total disability.

This tuition scholarship for dependents of faculty and staff is an exclusive entitlement benefit to provide greater financial assistance to SPU employees. Students who receive the tuition scholarship are ineligible to receive other SPU-funded entitlement programs, e.g., Alumni Scholarship. They remain eligible for any other SPU-funded scholarships or grants for which they qualify.

Credit toward the three-year requirement may be earned through previous employment at other accredited or adjunct accredited institutions. An "accredited institution" is any college or university primarily engaged in courses and programs of formal instruction recognized by one of the six regional accrediting associations, the American Association of Bible Colleges, the American Association of Theological Schools, or another association acknowledged by the Council on Postsecondary Education. "Adjunct accredited institutions" are other institutions which, while not recognized by one of the accrediting associations, require of their faculty duties substantially similar to those duties expected of Seattle Pacific faculty, and which deliver postsecondary education substantially similar to that delivered by accredited institutions.

Any resident campus-based course for which the regular day, evening or Summer Session tuition rates apply may be taken with the scholarship. A resident campusbased course is a class held primarily on the premises of the Seattle or Casey campuses, or course work directly supervised by faculty based at those sites. Examples of courses excluded from the definition are courses which are exclusively field experiences, with the instructor and students away from the campus setting; workshops held by nonresident faculty in non-campus environments; foreign tours sponsored by the University--whether credit is attached to the tour program or not--and courses offered through SPIRAL (a program of the Division of Continuing Studies).

To assist new employees invited to fill fulltime faculty positions, an allowance may be granted on recommendation of the appropriate vice president to cover part of the cost of relocation from a residence located at least 30 miles from the campus. The amount of the relocation allowance will be related to the salary of the position and the distance involved in the relocation as follows:

New faculty who accept reimbursement for relocation expenses thereby agree to an expectation to remain with the University for a period of at least two years. Anyone who accepts this reimbursement and chooses not to stay for two years agrees to repay a pro rata amount of the reimbursement to the University.

For faculty members who are ordained clergy of their respective denominations, the Internal Revenue Service may recognize assignment to full-time employment in a Christian university as a basis for qualifying for parsonage allowance. Information on specific conditions to be met is available in the Office of Business and Planning. Those who qualify must file authorization forms before the beginning of each calendar year. Forms are available in the Payroll office.

Faculty Center. A space on campus is designated as the Faculty Center. The purpose of this center is to provide faculty and professional staff from across the campus with a dedicated, central place for informal relaxation, conversation, and fellowship. Questions or requests relating to the appropriate use of the Faculty Center will be referred to the Faculty Council.

Part-time faculty participate in the Social Security system as required by law.

Faculty employed full-time who move to less than a .50 teaching load in any one year will not be eligible for fringe benefits during the time of such part-time contracting. A faculty member who has previously been eligible for medical and life insurance may continue these insurance programs at personal cost under the provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) (Section 14.1.4).

University contributions to the retirement plan will discontinue if a full-time faculty member moves to less than 1,000 hours per year (.7 FTE). If and when FTE increases to .7 FTE or more, SPU contributions will be reinstated. All faculty members are always eligible to participate in the Tax Deferred Annuity Plan (Section 14.2.8).