View the April addendum for recent phone directory updates: Monthly Phone Directory Addendum April 2020 PDF.
Annual open enrollment process for all benefit options
The annual open enrollment process for all benefit options begins on Monday, May 4 and ends Thursday, June 4. Please thoroughly review the benefit guide HR emailed yesterday. It provides an overview of provided benefits, including information about the health and dental insurance premiums and coverage for the plan year beginning July 1, 2020. You may also view this short benefit summary video. Open enrollment offers the opportunity to make changes to all benefit options, including, Voluntary Life and AD& D Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Cancer and Critical Illness Benefit and Accident Benefit.
Open Enrollment Process
The open enrollment process will be conducted entirely online. On Monday, May 4, you will receive an email with the subject line: “You need to complete your FY21 open enrollment checklist.” The email will contain a link to access your open enrollment tasks. You will use your LLCC login credentials to access the system. You will be immediately taken to the My Tasks page, which will list all of the items you must complete. If you are not immediately taken to the My Tasks page, click on the three dots in the upper left-hand corner of the page and select Employee Records. Please view each item and complete according to the instructions by no later than Thursday, June 4, 2020. To aid you in completing this process, we will be mailing a benefit statement to your home this week, which will list what your current coverage is for all options. If you have trouble with the online process, we are happy to assist you via a Microsoft Teams meeting.
Benefit Information
For plan year 2021, there are no changes to any plans with a minor exception for the High Deductible Plan. The individual deductible for the High Deductible Plan was increased from $2,750 to $2,800 in order to meet IRS guidelines for qualified high deductible plans.
View more detailed information regarding benefit options. You will find detailed information including:
- Schedule of benefits for Open Access and High Deductible Plans
- Schedule of benefits for vision
- Schedule of benefits for dental
- Non-discrimination notice for your dental benefit
- FAQs for the High Deductible Plan and Health Savings Accounts
- Information about Allied Benefit Systems and our network, HealthLink
- Information about DirectPath, a health plan advocacy and healthcare cost transparency tool
- Important notices about insurance
- IRS documents on health savings accounts
- Affordable Care Act Summaries of Benefits and Coverage
- Benefit overviews for Life/AD&D, Long-Term Disability, Accident and Critical Illness and Cancer
Questions?
If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nicole Ralph, Kim Elder or Kirsten Taylor.
Phishing alert
In the past few days, LLCC has received an aggressive wave of malicious cyberattacks, primarily in the form of phishing scams. Colleges across the nation have been heavily targeted by cybercriminals this month. Just last week, IVCC and Parkland fell victim of ransomware here in Illinois. Their entire computer networks are currently locked down and inaccessible. In both cases, the attacker infiltrated the network though a phishing email. A common theme for phishing scams during the current pandemic is COVID19. Some phishing emails include the subject “Covid19 status update,” but many variations are being circulated.
Cybersecurity is the responsibility of each and all of us at LLCC, not just IT. A simple click on the wrong link can compromise your personal information and the college’s entire computer network.
If you suspect phishing:
- STOP – Do NOT open the email. Do NOT click on any hyperlinks, and do NOT open any attachments.
- READ – Verify the actual email address (not just the name) of the sender.
- ACT – Report the message using the “Report Message” button in Outlook to report the malicious email directly to Microsoft (see below). Then delete the email.
Reporting malicious and unsolicited emails makes LLCC’s email filtering system more effective.
Phishing is a common identity theft method used by fraudulent parties. NEVER send your personal information including passwords, user IDs, credit card numbers or a social security number via email. Passwords should NEVER be shared with ANYONE in any form.
To learn more about “phishing,” visit https://llcconline.sharepoint.com/IT/SitePages/Cybersecurity.aspx.
Cybersecurity learning videos will be available soon.
Please contact the IT Help Desk if you have any questions or concerns at helpme@llcc.edu or 217-786-2555.
Connecting and moving forward with virtual learning
From College NOW to statistics to education to music classes, LLCC faculty and students are connecting and moving forward! Photos below are of Music 102 with Jason Waddell, professor of music; Introduction to Education with Dr. Taiebeh Hosseinali, professor of teacher education; College NOW with Dr. Chris McDonald, professor of political science; and Matt Vespa, professor of mathematics, teaching statistics with a combination of interactive whiteboard type and screen-casting.
In the news
Sheridan Lane, director, culinary program and operations, is the author of today’s Epicuriosity 101 column in the State Journal-Register, “Start with Compari and end with limoncello.”
Thom Whalen honored with national award
Thom Whalen, professor of art, was recently honored by the American Association of Community Colleges with the 2020 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition.
This recognition, named in honor of former AACC President and CEO Dale P. Parnell, honors individuals making a difference in the classroom. Recipients of the honor demonstrate passion for and willingness to support students, inside and outside of the classroom, and go above and beyond what is required to ensure that students are successful in their academic endeavors.
We congratulate Professor Thom Whalen on this outstanding national honor,” said Charlotte Warren, Ph.D., LLCC president. “His talent, creativity and commitment to teaching and students are reflective of LLCC’s excellent faculty.”
In addition to his excellence in teaching, for which he was recognized with the 2010 Drs. Raymond and Ann Pearson Master Teacher Award, Whalen is a renowned studio artist and freelance graphic designer. He has exhibited his work nationally and designed signage, exhibits and promotions for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, and clients such as Planet Hollywood, Extra TV, Hard Rock Hotel and Las Vegas casinos.
“My paintings are loud and proud,” says Whalen. “The use of design in my work is often ambiguous with shifting perspectives, non-local color and an emphasis on the absurd. I create environments which immerse the viewer into a world of creatures that rehearse a frenzy of dramatic situations. It is my goal to create a body of work that engages the viewer to curiously explore and to experience a visual and private interpretation.”
Professor Whalen holds an associate of arts degree from LLCC, a bachelor of arts in studio/art history from Eastern Illinois University and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Kansas. He joined the LLCC faculty in 2001.
FY2021 planning and budget requests due May 1
As a reminder, the due date for submitting your FY2021 Planning and Budget requests is Friday, May 1, 2020. Please see the March 16 LincIn article for more information on the planning process.
Tech Tip: Take notes in a Teams meeting
L
earn how to take notes within a Teams meeting and access them for future reference.
For supporting documentation (Take Notes in a Teams Meeting), please visit the Remote Access Document Library > Teams folder.
While participating in a Teams meeting via audio or video, you can take notes. These notes are saved within the meeting history, as well as any chat conversations and shared documents.
- Select the … More Actions and choose Show meeting notes.
- Click on the Xwithin Meeting notes to return to the active meeting.
- Once you have ended the meeting, all content will display within the chat, and in the menu bar at the top.
- Click on the document to open it within Chat window.
- Click on Close to return to the Chat synopsis.
- Click on Show notes in fullscreen to open the Meeting Notes.
- You can edit the existing notes by formatting the text, adding additional text to the existing content, or add a new notes section by clicking on the + below the text.
- To leave notes, click on Chat in the menu bar.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
This Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), LLCC Compliance & Prevention partnered with Student Life to offer virtual challenges aimed at helping our community turn our awareness into action. In order to show support for SAAM’s mission of increasing awareness and preventing sexual violence, we are also inviting faculty and staff to take part in the final challenges (prizes are only for students). Instructions can be found on LLCC’s Sexual Violence Resources webpage. Information AND opportunities to participate can be found on the LLCC Student Life Facebook page. A challenge with trivia questions began yesterday. Check out the video to the first question.
We hope you’ll join us in taking part in these challenges and encouraging students to participate. Questions? Contact Shelby Bedford at shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.
Nominate a colleague for KUDOS and brighten their day!
In these extraordinary times, many people are stepping up and going above and beyond. Know of someone doing just that? Nominate them for a KUDOS award!
Key or Unique Demonstrations of Outstanding Service award nominations are open through May 6. Nominate a deserving colleague by filling out the online submission form. Please use the Chrome or Firefox browser when completing this form. The KUDOS awards will be announced Friday, May 15. The KUDOS awards are an informal way to recognize the special contributions — small and large — made by faculty and staff that create the positive environment that is LLCC. Brighten someone’s day. Say, “Thank you! Great job!” by nominating that person for a KUDOS award!