Student hiring goes electronic
The conversion to the new online student hiring system, which began earlier this year, is now complete. As of Nov. 14, 3,551 students had created a profile in the system, and more than 700 positions had been posted. At the end of this semester, the prior manual system will be eliminated.
Students now can search and apply for positions online through TUPortal. Click on “Student Links and go to StudentJobs@Temple to browse open positions at the university or create a user name and password to create a profile and apply.
All departments have been converted to the new system, which eliminates the delays of the prior manual system. New system tools include a requisition/applicant tracking database that is almost paperless and enables online posting of student positions, applicant tracking and electronic upload of new student hires directly into the university’s payroll system.
Each hiring department now has designated staff responsible for obtaining I-9 and W-4 within three days of employment of students who have not worked for the university in the past.
For more information, contact Abe Hedgcock at hedgcock@temple.edu or 215-204-3332, or Stephanie Tschanz at steph712@temple.edu or 215-204-7174.
Year-end reminders that may affect your pay
Faculty, staff and student employees:
1. Update personal information for W-2s: If you received a paycheck from the university in 2007, verify that your permanent address is correct, because Payroll Management will mail your W-2 form to that address next January. Visit Employee Self-Service at http://ess.temple.edu to confirm and update your permanent address.
2. Submit a new W-4 form, if your filing status, exemption allowances or exempt status has changed since your last Form W-4 was filed. Go to www.irs.gov for a Form W-4 and submit the completed and signed form to the Temple Payroll Management Department or visit Employee Self-Service at http://ess.temple.edu to verify and update your W-4 information for 2008.
3. Verify that the name on your pay stub matches the name on your Social Security card. If it does not, contact the Payroll Management Department immediately, and they will assist you.
Be certain that your personal information and exemptions are correct to avoid the $35 replacement fee for reissuing Form W-2s.
For those individuals claiming exemption from federal income tax: This year’s exemption from federal income tax withholding expires Feb. 15, 2008. For people currently claiming exemption, a 2008 W-4 form needs to be submitted by Feb. 15, 2008, to continue claiming the exemption from withholding in 2008.
For nonresident aliens: If you are eligible to claim a tax treaty benefit in 2008, you must submit a new Form 8233 or W-8 Ben. Watch for an e-mail from the nonresident alien tax specialist that will provide instructions on how to complete this process through Glacier, the university’s Nonresident Alien Tax Compliance System. Contact Nina Campellone at 215-204-6011 or nina.campellone@temple.edu if you need access to Glacier.
Payroll payment distribution changes
Effective Jan. 1, the university will no longer print direct deposit advices. All university employees will receive an e-mail notification each pay with a reminder to view pay stubs online through Employee Self-Service. You will need to use your AccessNet user account and password to access both your Temple e-mail account and Employee Self-Service. If you don’t currently have a username and password, you can create them at http://accounts.temple.edu.
On the site, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link provided for faculty and staff. Then, follow the prompts to create your account information. To complete the process, you will need to know your TUid. Your TUid is listed on your pay stub or direct deposit advice. Once you have your username and password, access your Temple e-mail account by going to: http://tumail.temple.edu.
If you have any questions, contact the Computer Services Help Desk at 215-204-8000 or help@temple.edu.
New policy for hiring foreign nationals for permanent residency
To provide guidance to applicants for employment, employees and hiring departments regarding the application for and sponsorship of foreign nationals, Temple has introduced a new policy, which is effective immediately. The policy is based on best practices used by other large universities.
Under federal law, there are strict requirements applicable to foreign nationals seeking permanent residency (green card). The process is lengthy and complex, potentially involving several government agencies.
The university will typically sponsor foreign nationals who are full-time, regular employees in tenure and tenure-track academic job classifications, provided the department chairperson agrees to support the application. These positions include professor, associate professor and assistant professor.
Temple generally does not sponsor foreign employees in non-tenure-track academic positions, post-doctoral fellow/researcher positions or non-academic staff positions.
A department may request an exception if unique circumstances justify the sponsorship of a particular employee, and if it can demonstrate that it is otherwise unable to recruit qualified applicants for the position. Prior to submitting an exception request to HR, the department must obtain approval from their dean (for non-tenure track faculty positions or postdoctoral fellow/researcher) or their vice president/provost (for non-academic staff positions).
Any foreign national sponsored by the university for Lawful Permanent Residence must use the services of a designated immigration attorney to prepare and file the applicable immigration forms with the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Human Resources Department maintains the list of designated immigration attorneys.
Temple will pay the fees or costs that the DOL requires sponsoring employers to pay at the time the application is submitted. All other fees and costs are the responsibility of the foreign faculty member applying for permanent resident status.
A foreign staff member, postdoctoral fellow/researcher or lecturer who is not eligible for sponsorship by the university may explore with an immigration attorney the possibility of self-sponsorship for permanent residence under the “national interest waiver” or “alien of extraordinary ability” provisions available under U.S. immigration law. More information on these options is available at www.uscis.gov, the USCIS web site.
For more information about this new policy, go to the Temple HR web site at www.temple.edu/hr under “Employment” or “Managers,” or contact Harry Young at harry.young@temple.edu. Individuals seeking temporary employment status should contact Martyn Miller in International Services at mjmiller@temple.edu or 215-204-7708.
New name for Organizational Development and Training
To put more emphasis on the university’s newer initiatives such as the Performance Development System and Leadership Development, Human Resources has renamed the Organizational Development and Training division to Learning and Development. In addition to the newer initiatives, the division will continue to coordinate and deliver training, coaching and testing, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to faculty and staff. For more information, visit the HR web site at www.temple.edu/hr.