Academic Catalog

2023-2024

VIII.Financial Arrangements and Faculty Benefits: C. Faculty Benefits

1. Benefit Programs and Eligibility

Denison's Board of Trustees has established the staff benefit programs which are briefly outlined below. These programs are subject to periodic review, normally in three-year intervals and may be amended at its discretion. Participation in university staff benefit programs is subject to eligibility requirements as published for the individual programs. For the purpose of eligibility for the various benefit programs, faculty under a yearly contract and working the equivalent of .75 FTE, and administrative staff scheduled to work at least 1,365 hours per year receive the same benefits as full-time employees. Domestic partners are eligible for participation in staff benefit programs that include coverage for spouses and dependent children. Coverage for all benefit programs is discontinued when the faculty/staff member's association with the university ends or if the contract or position falls below the relevant threshold.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment

This benefit is available to full-time employees as defined in this handbook. This plan provides a death benefit and scheduled payments for dismemberment caused directly and inclusively by external and purely accidental means. The benefit amount is 1.5 times budgeted salary for accidental death. Denison pays the entire premium

Adoption Assistance Program

The adoption assistance program pays, upon finalization of a legal adoption, up to $5,000 per adopted child to eligible faculty and staff for adoption-related expenses. Any full-time, continuing faculty or staff member is eligible for this program. If both adoptive parents are university employees, the benefit maximum may not exceed $5,000 per child. Adopted children must be under 18 years of age and they may not be biologically related to either parent. Adoptions made through public, private, domestic, international and independent means are eligible. Details on reimbursable expenses and the maximum level of reimbursement are available in the Office of Human Resources.

Business Travel Accident Policy

Full and part-time employees are covered under the Business Travel Accident policy. Employees are covered for $200,000 in case of accidental death while traveling on Denison business. Denison pays the full premium for this benefit. Policy details are governed by the plan document.

Comprehensive Health Insurance 

A PPO medical program and high-deductible medical program are available. Additionally, Denison offers dental coverage. The cost of these plans are shared. Full time faculty and administrative staff are eligible beginning with the date of employment. Denison and the staff member contribute to the cost of the plans. Part-time faculty and administrative staff working fifteen (15) hours or more per week may take part in the program by paying the total premium without cost sharing by the university.

Medical coverage, which is coordinated with Medicare, is available for eligible members, including eligible dependents, hired prior to July 1, 1993, and who retire from Denison with ten years of continuous service immediately before retirement. The coverage continues for a member's spouse and other eligible dependents upon the member's death. In no event, however, will coverage be continued beyond death or remarriage of the surviving spouse. Please contact the benefits team, in the Office of Human Resources at Benefits@denison.edu, for more details concerning continued coverage.

Death of Employee 

In the case of the death of an active Denison employee, the beneficiary is paid through the date of death plus twenty-two (22) working days. Accrued vacation is also paid up to the maximum accrual.

Dental Insurance

One dental plan is available to full-time employees, either as part of their healthcare plan choice or as a voluntary plan. Part-time employees working at least 15 hours per week can enroll in the dental plan as well and pay the entire premium. Summary plan booklets are available in the Office of Human Resources.

Dependent Care Spending Account

Full and part-time employees are eligible to participate in the Dependent Care Spending Account. Employees can direct up to $2,500 or $5,000, depending on their circumstances, from their pay into the Dependent Care Spending Account. Employees do not pay federal, state or social security taxes on the amount of pay directed into this account. Employees reimburse themselves from this account for childcare or elder care expenses. Please refer to the summary plan description for further plan details, rules, and limitations.

Education Benefits for Employee's Dependent  

The Board of Trustees of Denison University has made available to spouses, same-sex domestic partners (herein referred to as domestic partners), and dependent children of full-time employees, dependent education benefits.

Dependent children for this benefit are defined as son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, legally adopted child of employee, or foster child (living with the employee the entire year and providing the employee has been declared legal guardian and is providing 50% support). Unless a decree of divorce, decree of dissolution of marriage, decree of separate maintenance, or the law provides to the contrary, dependent children must be claimed as dependents on the employee's federal income tax return. A spouse is defined as the person to whom an employee is legally married according to Ohio law. A domestic partner must be documented through an affidavit of domestic partnership available in the Office of Human Resources. A child receives benefits for eight (8) semesters or twelve (12) academic quarters. The program applies only toward undergraduate studies at accredited colleges or universities. The program terminates upon separation from Denison except in the case of the death or total disability of an employee who has been employed on a full-time continuous basis for seven (7) years or longer and meets other program requirements.  Eligibility also continues for employees who retire under the terms of one of Denison's official retirement plans.

For purposes of determining eligibility for employees hired or rehired July 1, 2011 or later, the following prior service credit rule will apply: for the tuition-free program at Denison, the GLCA exchange program, and the tuition cash assistance program, employees will be allowed to receive up to five years of credit toward the five year waiting period for full-time continuous service at an institution of higher education as long as the prior service occurred immediately prior to the full-time employment date at Denison. Additionally, eligible faculty and staff hired or rehired prior to July 1, 2011 who are not already eligible under the prior waiting period rules, will be eligible for prior service credit according to the same rule as described above.

Consecutive part-time employment at Denison directly preceding a transition to full-time employment at Denison will count for service credit towards the five-year waiting period at an amount of prorated full-time equivalency hour calculation. For questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources. 

GLCA Tuition Exchange Program

For eligible employees who are hired or rehired prior to July 1, 2011, dependent children are eligible to participate in the GLCA Tuition Exchange Program if the eligible employee has one (1) year of continuous full-time employment immediately prior to the beginning of the academic semester of the child’s college enrollment. For employees hired or rehired July 1, 2011 or later, children are eligible after the employee has completed five (5) years of service based on the adjusted date of service (see “Rehiring Former Employees” for definition) immediately prior to the beginning of the academic semester of the child's enrollment at Denison.

Standard admission procedures apply. The member colleges throughout Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Ohio (OH), Michigan (MI), Pennsylvania (PA) and Wisconsin (WI) are: Grinnell College (IA); DePauw University, Earlham and Wabash College (IN); Albion College, Hope College and Kalamazoo College (MI); Allegheny College (PA); Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster (OH); and Beloit College (WI). An updated list is maintained in the Office of Human Resources.

Tuition remission may not include tuition for off-campus study programs, sponsored either by GLCA, ACM, or individually by the college the student is attending. Participating students should check with appropriate officials at the college they are attending to determine which fees and off-campus program may be covered by tuition remission. Denison University does not pay fees for abroad/off-campus programs.

For further information regarding the tuition exchange program, contact the Office of Human Resources.

Tuition-Free Scholarship at Denison

Spouses, domestic partners, and children of full-time employees, with no limit on the number of children, are eligible for full tuition remission at Denison. The following conditions apply:

a) For employees hired or rehired prior to July 1, 2011, children are eligible after the employee has completed one (1) year of continuous full-time employment immediately prior to the beginning of the academic semester of the child's enrollment at Denison. For employees hired or rehired July 1, 2011 or later, children are eligible after the employee has completed five (5) years of service based on the adjusted date of service (see “Rehiring Former Employees” for definition) immediately prior to the beginning of the academic semester of the child's enrollment at Denison;

b) Admission to Denison is not guaranteed for dependents. They must meet normal university admission standards. While this is the case, dependent children will be given full and careful consideration;

c) All students attending Denison under the provisions of this program are subject to the normal academic and administrative regulations of the university;

d) Spouses and domestic partners are eligible after the employee has completed the 90-day introductory period.

e) A spouse or domestic partner who does not have a baccalaureate degree shall be able to take two courses per semester, for credit or audit, on a space available basis and upon approval from the faculty member. A spouse or domestic partner admitted to the college may take a full course load (see (c) and (d) above);

f) A spouse or domestic partner that has a degree shall be eligible to take one course per semester on a space available basis, either for credit or audit, for no more than eight (8) semesters. Under unusual circumstances, the staff member may petition to waive the one course limitation for a spouse or domestic partner. 

Tuition-Free Scholarship Cash Assistance Awards Elsewhere

This program applies to employees' children in attendance at schools other than Denison. To be eligible for this benefit, an employee must be full-time, with the salary or wages funded from the university's operating budget. Additionally, the waiting period for an eligible employee who was hired or rehired prior to July 1, 2011 is two (2) years of continuous full-time employment prior to the academic semester. For employees hired or rehired July 1, 2011 or later, children are eligible after the employee has completed five (5) years of service based on the adjusted date of service (see “Rehiring Former Employees” for definition) immediately prior to the beginning of the academic semester of the child's enrollment at Denison. Consecutive part-time employment at Denison directly preceding a transition to full-time employment at Denison will count for service credit towards the five-year waiting period at an amount of prorated full-time equivalency hour calculation. For questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

Staff members who were on the Denison payroll prior to February 1, 1974, have a benefit equal to the direct tuition costs, exclusive of any fees, of the admitting college or of Denison, whichever is less. Effective January 1, 2023 staff members on the payroll February 1, 1974, or later receive a four-year benefit that is equal to 10% of Denison’s current annual tuition cost over eight (8) semesters or twelve (12) quarters to be applied against tuition of the admitting college or university. The sum of the tuition benefit and any other financial aid specifically designated for tuition only (excluding loans and work) may not exceed the tuition charges of the institution attended. The dollar amount of this benefit will be updated at the beginning of each academic year.

Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions Program

The Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions program is a benefit that provides a tax-advantaged program to invest and accumulate assets to help meet future retiree medical expenses for full-time administrative staff hired after June 30, 1993. Eligibility for university contributions begins at age 40 and continues for up to 25 years. All full-time staff members, including staff hired prior to July 1, 1993, may make voluntary contributions beginning at age 21.

Group Life

This benefit is available to full-time employees as defined in this handbook. This is a term life insurance program; a benefit is payable only when death occurs. The benefit amount is 1.5 times budgeted salary. Denison pays the entire premium.

Health Care Spending Account

Full and part-time employees are eligible to participate in the Health Care Spending Account. Employees can direct part of their pay into the Health Care Spending Account. Employees do not pay federal, state or social security taxes on the amount of pay directed into this account. Employees reimburse themselves from this account for out-of-pocket healthcare, dental, or vision expenses. There is a 90-day waiting period from date of hire before participation can begin. Please refer to the summary plan description for further plan details, rules, and limitations.

Home Mortgage Guarantee Program

A Home Mortgage Guarantee Program is available to members of the general faculty to assist in the purchase of a personal residence within a ten-mile radius of Granville. A complete copy of the policy is available in the Office of Human Resources.

Long-Term Disability Insurance

This program provides a monthly income benefit in the case of total disability. This benefit is available to active full-time employees as defined in this handbook. An employee must complete one year of service to be eligible, unless they qualify for a waiver under the program. Rehired employees must complete one year of full-time service from their date of rehire. Denison pays the entire premium.

2. Medical, Family, and Parental Leave

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993

Effective August 5, 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides eligibility for members of the faculty, administrative staff and supportive operating staff for up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid leave during a twelve (12) month period for the following reasons:

  • For the birth of a child and to care for the newborn son or daughter;
  • To care for a son or daughter placed with the faculty/staff member for purposes of adoption or foster care;
  • To care for a spouse, domestic partner, son, daughter or parent with a serious health condition;
  • Because of a serious health condition that makes it impossible for the faculty/staff member to perform the functions of their job.

Faculty and staff members are eligible for FMLA twelve (12) months after their date of hire if they have also worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve (12) months before leave is requested. Eligible members may not take more than a total of twelve (12) weeks-unpaid leave during any twelve (12) month period. Leave taken for the birth or placement of a child must be completed within twelve (12) months of that birth or placement. The university uses the "rolling method-counting backward" method to determine the twelve (12) month period during which employees are entitled to leave. Under this method, a faculty or staff member's entitlement to leave is determined by looking at the twelve (12) months prior to the time the leave is requested. The faculty or staff member is entitled to any balance of leave not taken during the twelve (12) month period. Thus a faculty or staff member who has not taken any leave in the last year is entitled to twelve (12) weeks; while a faculty or staff member who has taken three (3) weeks' leave in the last year is entitled to only nine (9) more weeks.

Important Note
Denison's policy is to allow leave under the FMLA to be coordinated with all other paid leave. Faculty/staff members must use all applicable accrued paid vacation time and /or sick time for which they are eligible before taking any unpaid leave. However, staff members do have the option to reserve one (1) week of vacation and one (1) week of sick leave. The remaining time up to twelve (12) weeks is unpaid leave. The total leave including paid and unpaid will not exceed twelve (12) weeks.

Certification
If the leave is for a serious health condition, faculty and staff members are required to provide a certification substantially in the form of Appendix I which includes: the date on which the serious health condition in question began for the faculty/staff member or family member; the probable duration of the condition; appropriate medical facts regarding the condition; a statement that the faculty/staff member is needed to care for a spouse, domestic partner, parent or child (along with an estimate of the time required) or that the faculty/staff member is unable to perform the functions of their job; and the dates and duration of treatments to be given. Denison may require a second medical opinion from a doctor selected by the university and at the university's expense. If the opinions differ, Denison will furnish a third and final opinion from a mutually acceptable doctor.

Benefits
During the leave, any health insurance benefits that faculty and staff members have elected will be continued in the same manner as before the leave. Participation in other insured programs may be continued as provided by the various staff benefit programs but must be fully paid by the employee (life and long-term disability insurance). Benefits, which are based on length of service and other employment benefits will not be accrued during the leave. Faculty and staff members will be responsible to reimburse Denison for health plan premiums if they fail to return from the leave; except reimbursement is not required if the faculty/staff member fails to return to work because of her/his own family member's serious health condition. 

Required Notice
Faculty and staff members must provide a thirty (30) day notice for foreseeable leaves for birth, adoption, or planned medical treatment. If planned medical treatment requires the leave to begin in less than thirty (30) days, as much notice as is practicable must be given.

Returning From Leave
Faculty and staff members return to the same or to an equivalent position upon returning from leave. Pay, benefits and other terms and condition of employment will be the same as prior to the leave; however, faculty/staff in the top 10% of the university's payrolls may be excluded from job restoration rights if reinstatement will cause substantial or grievous economic injury to the university.

Intermittent Leave
A leave for serious health condition, either of a family member or the faculty/staff member, may be taken intermittently for a total lost time of no more than the equivalent of twelve (12) weeks during any twelve month period. However, intermittent leave arrangements for the birth or adoption of a child are not covered by FMLA and must be approved by the Provost and/or Office of Human Resources and the relevant division head. Faculty/staff members may be required to transfer temporarily to another job for which they are qualified that better accommodates a revised work schedule.

Family and Medical Leave for Teaching Faculty

The goal of this policy is to enable the teaching faculty to meet their medical and family needs while ensuring the continuity of operations for the university.

For certified medical leaves under FMLA, teaching faculty may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave in a 12-month period. For certified medical leaves, full salary may be paid for up to six months. For more information or to obtain a copy of the Family and Medical Leave Act policy, contact the Office of Human Resources.

Because the timing and duration of leaves vary considerably, arrangements for leave also vary. Examples of leave arrangements include release from teaching responsibilities for all or part of a semester, adjustment of class meeting schedules, and reduction of teaching load. Teaching faculty are responsible for designing a leave plan in conjunction with the Provost and department/program chair. This plan may include a program of paid work-related activities for the weeks in a given semester that precede or follow the family or medical leave.

When appropriate, faculty may request an extension of the probationary period prior to a tenure review (see section I.A. Extension of Probationary Period for Tenure).

Parental Leave for Teaching Faculty

Parental leave is available to eligible members of the teaching faculty. Eligible members of the teaching faculty are tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty and faculty in the Physical Education department on long-term, multi-year, renewable contracts who have served at the university for at least one year.

Parental leave is offered in cases of the birth or adoption of a child. Parental leave must be taken within one year of the birth or adoption placement and must be used in the course of one academic year. Only one such leave will be granted in any twelve-month period and will occur concurrently with leave provided by FMLA. In the case of a summer birth or adoption, parental leave would normally be taken in the course of the academic year following the event.

The policy allows for a faculty member to choose from one of the following Parental Leave Options:

  1. Reduction to a 3 course load for the academic year at full pay;
  2. Reduction to a 2 course load for the academic year at 3/4 pay;
  3. Year off from teaching at 1/3 pay;
  4. A leave plan negotiated with the Provost that does not exceed the leave time or benefit offered in options 1, 2, and 3 above. Because the timing, duration of leaves, and needs and interest of faculty regarding parental leave can vary considerably, a flexible leave plan may be the best option to meet the faculty member’s and university’s needs.

To enact the benefit, the faculty member must meet with the department/program chair and the Provost in order to discuss the Parental Leave Options and to indicate which Parental Leave Option has been elected. This meeting should occur as far as possible prior to the onset of the leave. In instances in which parents are both eligible members of the teaching faculty, as defined above, the Parental Leave Option can be taken by either parent or be split between them.

If appropriate, the university will provide funding for leave replacements. Faculty may request an extension of the probationary period prior to a tenure review (see section I.A. Extension of the Probationary Period for Tenure).

Retirement Plans

While not mandatory, normal retirement at Denison University is at age 65. To be considered for retirement, employees must meet the following length of service requirements:

  • Age 60 - 62 with 15 years of service
  • Age 62 - 65 with 10 years of service
  • Age 65 and over with 5 years of service

Faculty retirement options include:

Core Retirement Plan

Denison provides a core retirement plan for full-time faculty and administrative staff members with investment options through TIAA. Eligibility exists on the first day of the month after completing one year of service at the university and attaining age 21.

Full-time faculty and administrative staff members receiving salary checks as fulltime employees before August 31, 1974 participate in the Core Retirement Plan, when eligible, on the basis of a contribution of 15% of salary by the university. Full-time faculty and administrative staff hired and/or rehired by the university after August 31, 1974, participate in the Core Retirement Plan when eligible on the basis of a step rate plan. The university contributes 10% of regular salary up to the Social Security wage contribution base and 15% of the regular salary above that base to the plan. See Plan provisions for more details.

Supplemental Retirement Plan

A member of the faculty or administrative staff may, through a properly authorized salary reduction agreement, divert part of their compensation before taxes and/or after taxes to the purchase of supplemental annuity contract or mutual funds from TIAA. All faculty and administrative staff are auto-enrolled in the plan at 3% of salary. Employees can opt out of the plan or change the contribution amount by following instructions sent to them from TIAA. Federal and state income taxes on the salary reduction and on the investment earnings credited to the contract are deferred until they are received in the form of benefits. At that time, payments are taxed as ordinary income in the year or years in which they are received. Faculty may also contribute after-tax dollars to a Roth 403b account.

Special Retirement Plan

Since 1997 the university has maintained a special retirement incentive plan for faculty. Under the terms of this program, additional retirement income is paid to faculty members who meet the following criteria:

  • Highly compensated (in the top 15% of university employees, ranked by pay)
  • Full-time (tenured or at least a .75 FTE teaching faculty member)
  • Either (a) have completed at least 15 years of service with the university and attained age 60, or (b) been designated as eligible by the plan’s administrator
  • File a participation election form designating a proposed retirement date that is accepted by the plan’s administrator

Under the terms of this program:

  • The annual benefit provided is equivalent to 40 percent of the retiring faculty member’s compensation, adjusted after 12 months of payment for changes in the cost of living index (but not more than five percent annually);
  • The benefit is normally paid for up to 60 months (or until the participant dies), although this benefit is reduced for people who have less than 15 years of service at age 60 or who delay retirement after they first meet the age and service criteria. The plan administrator may approve other, more rapid forms of payment.

You can request a full copy of the plan from the Office of Human Resources or the Provost’s Office.  Although the plan prescribes generally applicable rules affecting eligibility and benefits, the program administrator has latitude to modify those rules consistent with the plan’s purpose and the university’s interest. In addition to the benefits provided under this program, eligible faculty members continue to participate in the university’s health insurance and tuition abatement programs and to enjoy other perquisites extended to retired faculty members (e.g., access to athletic facilities).  These benefits are provided through other programs and policies.