Establishing Eligibility

(WAC 182-12-114)

Part-time faculty become eligible for health insurance and retirement benefits at the beginning of the second consecutive quarter in which they are employed at 50% FTE or greater. For eligibility purposes, spring and fall quarters are considered consecutive.

Multiple Employment (“Stacking”)

Teaching workloads from all Washington State higher education institutions, including community and technical colleges and four-year colleges and universities, may be combined when determining eligibility.

To ensure all eligible workloads are counted, faculty must notify each employer in writing of any concurrent employment.

Highline collects this information through ctcLink when faculty accept quarterly contracts. To ensure your workload is accurately reported each quarter:

1. Log in to your Faculty Center and accept your contract(s).
2. After accepting a contract, a pop-up window will appear with the Employment and Retirement Questions & Answers.
3. Complete the questions regarding additional employment and retirement participation.

Important: You must accept your contract before you can access the Employment and Retirement Q&A.

Resources

• Faculty Center Overview (Canvas)
• Contract Acceptance Instructions

Maintaining Eligibility

(WAC 182-12-131)

Eligibility continues each quarter if you meet at least one of the following requirements:

1. Assigned at Least Half-Time

You are assigned to teach 50% FTE or greater.

2. Summer/Off-Quarter Coverage

You may remain eligible during an off-quarter if you:

• Taught at least 50% FTE in each of the previous three quarters;
• Maintained an overall 50% or greater average workload during the academic year (9-month instructional period); and
• Are expected to return to a faculty position following the off-quarter.

3. Two-Year Averaging

You may qualify through two-year averaging if you:

• Previously established eligibility;
• Maintained an average workload of 50% or greater during each of the previous two academic years; and
• Notify HR in writing during the spring quarter to be considered for eligibility in the upcoming academic year.

Loss of Eligibility

Eligibility reviews are typically completed after contracts are posted and class rosters are finalized. As a result, there may be a delay between the end of eligibility and benefit notifications.

When health insurance eligibility ends, coverage generally terminates on the last day of the month in which the quarter ends.

Reinstatement of Coverage

• If you return to teaching 50% FTE or more within 12 months of losing eligibility, coverage will be reinstated immediately.
• If more than 12 months have passed, you must re-establish eligibility by teaching 50% FTE or more for two consecutive quarters.

Questions?

Contact the Benefits Office:

(206) 592-3885
(206) 592-3587