HR Announcements

How was the current state hazing law revised?

Following the death of a Washington State University student, Washington state revised its anti-hazing law to expand the scope and definition of hazing and obligations for institutions of higher education. The revised definition of hazing and additional requirements for the University are outlined in the Interim Preventing and Responding to Incidents of Hazing Policy.

How does this apply to WWU if there is no Greek system or football team?

It is a myth that hazing only occurs in Greek systems or football teams. Hazing incidents have been documented in a variety of athletic teams, marching bands, performing arts, honor societies, religious groups, and other types of clubs and/or organizations.

What is required of employees?

• Report suspected hazing incidents to the Office of Student Life. Reporting details are provided in the policy.
• Complete a brief 15 min hazing awareness training which will cover what constitutes hazing and how to report. Information about this and other required trainings is available on CRTC’s website.

Why is this required?

The new law strives to change campus culture by increasing awareness of what constitutes hazing and creating stronger communication lines between students and employees about hazing.

• Across many surveys, students report a lack of reporting due to a code of silence.
• As noted by www.insidehazing.com  an Alfred University Study reported “36% say they would not report hazing primarily because ‘there's no one to tell.’”

Questions or comments?

Send questions or comments to compliance.matters@wwu.edu.

Don’t confuse these dental plans

The PEBB Program offers two dental plans administered by Delta Dental that are often confused. Sometimes members intend to enroll in Uniform Dental Plan (UDP) but accidentally enroll in DeltaCare, or vice versa. During open enrollment, be careful to choose the dental plan you want.

• DeltaCare (Group 3100) is a managed-care plan with a narrow network. You must choose a primary care dentist within the network or you will be assigned a primary care dentist. Your primary care dentist must give you a referral to see a specialist. This plan will not pay claims if you see a provider outside of the network.
• Uniform Dental Plan (Group 3000) is a preferred-provider plan. You may choose and change any dental provider at any time, but you will usually have lower out-of-pocket costs if you see in-network providers.

Compare your dental plan options on the PEBB Program’s Dental plans & benefits webpage. Before you enroll in a dental plan, check with the plan (DeltaCare or UDP, not the provider) to see if your provider is in the plan’s network and confirm the group number. You can call the dental plan’s customer service or use the plan’s online directory.

• Virtual benefits fair – This is a great way to learn about your benefits anytime, day or night, without leaving your home. All you need is a computer, tablet, or smartphone to access the virtual benefits fairs You’ll find links to videos, plan comparisons, and webinars to help choose the right benefits for you and your family.
• Webinars – Register and attend live and recorded webinars hosted by our medical and dental plan carriers on the PEBB Open enrollment webinars
• Web content – The PEBB Open Enrollment webpage is your one-stop shop for open enrollment information. From this page, you can compare plan benefits and costs, find out what’s changing for 2023, and access PEBB My Account to make plan changes or attest to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge.
• For Your Benefit newsletter – The newsletter includes information about benefit changes for 2023, changes you can make during annual open enrollment, how to make changes, and more. Read the full issue of the For Your Benefit newsletter.

If you have questions about your enrollment or PEBB account, please contact hr.benefits@wwu.edu or 360-650-6841.