Human Resources

Christopher Newport employees and their dependents are eligible to participate in the commonwealth of Virginia state health benefits program. Available plans include:

• COVA Care
• COVA HDHP
• COVA HealthAware
• Optima Health HMO
• Tricare Supplement for Military Retirees

Each health plan includes the following:

• Medical coverage
• Preventative dental coverage
• Prescription drug coverage
• Behavioral health coverage
• Employee assistance programs

Employee assistance programs include:

• Mental health
• Alcohol or drug abuse assessment
• Child or elder care
• Grief counseling
• Legal
• Financial services

Most health plans include a buy-up for basic and complex restorative dental services. The COVA Care plan provides a buy-up for hearing and vision coverage. COVA HealthAware provides a buy-up for eyeglasses or contacts.

Group Life Insurance

Employees are entitled to group life insurance administered through the Virginia Retirement System and paid for by Christopher Newport University. The amount of your group life insurance equals your salary rounded up to the nearest thousand, multiplied by two.

For example, an employee currently making $25,400 would be entitled to $52,000 worth of group life insurance ($26,000 x 2 = $52,000). There are additional benefits associated with your basic group life policy.

Optional Group Life Insurance

As an employee, you may choose to purchase additional term life insurance for yourself and your family through payroll deduction. Employee coverage is equal to one, two, three or four times your salary depending on what you choose.

After one year of employment, employees enrolled in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) who are not in the traditional sick leave program are automatically enrolled in the Virginia Sickness and Disability plan (VSDP), which includes short- and long-term disability and long-term care insurance. Employees may also purchase additional long-term care insurance.

An employee-paid, long-term disability plan is also available through The Hartford for employees not enrolled in the VRS or those in the traditional sick leave program under VRS. Employees may also purchase long-term care insurance.

Long-term care programs administered by the VRS provide help with everyday life tasks because of a prolonged health problem or following a major illness, injury or surgery.

Full-Time Classified Employees

Classified employees are automatically enrolled in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). Employees hired after January 1, 2014 or later are covered under the VRS Hybrid plan, which is a defined benefit and defined contribution plan.

Full-Time Faculty and Administrative Professional Faculty Employees

Faculty and administrative professional employees may choose between the VRS plan and the Optional Retirement Plan for Higher Education (ORPHE), a defined contribution plan. The current providers for the ORPHE plan are TIAA-CREF and Fidelity. Employees hired after July 1, 2010 or later are covered under ORPHE Plan 2.

New instructional faculty and administrative professional faculty employees have 60 days from the date of hire to enroll in their chosen plan.

Supplemental Retirement Accounts

Christopher Newport offers the following supplemental retirement options:

• Tax Sheltered Annuity Program 403(b)
• State Deferred Compensation Program (457)
  Contributions are not subject to state or federal tax until withdrawals are made.
• State Cash Match Program (401a)
  The Commonwealth of Virginia will match 50 percent of your contribution up to a maximum of $20 per pay period.

The Flexible Benefits Program allows you to set aside part of your pay on a pre-tax basis for a medical spending and/or dependent care account.

Employees accrue leave in a variety of ways based on whether they are classified or administrative or professional faculty. Consult the employee handbook or contact Human Resources for more information.

All Christopher Newport employees are covered under workers’ compensation. Claims are handled by Managed Care Innovations.

Christopher Newport is committed to the continued professional and personal development of our faculty and staff.

Employees may pursue on-campus courses and instruction (for degree and nondegree credit) offered by the University without the payment of tuition and fees, as follows:

• One course of four or fewer credit hours each semester
• One course of four or fewer credit hours during the entire summer

Courses taken under this policy are subject to supervisor approval.

The University is also committed to providing tuition reimbursement to administrative/professional and classified employees for graduate-level or higher courses taken at other institutions of higher education.

Christopher Newport employees are eligible for a variety of other benefits, including discounted travel, banking, legal and retail services, among others.