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(Note: OLPM sections on this page may be cited following the format of, for example, "BOT.V.A.1.1". These policies may be amended at any time, do not constitute an employment contract, and are provided here only for ease of reference and without any warranty of accuracy. See OLPM Main Menu for details.)

A. Employee Benefits¹

1. State Delegation of Authority
   1. State law () delegates to the Board of Trustees authority to hire, employ, and compensate such personnel as are "needed to provide a well-coordinated system of public higher education."
2. General Policy on Benefits
   1. The University System shall provide an employee benefits program designed to attract and retain competent faculty and staff in a cost-effective manner.
   2. The University System benefits program may include a flexible benefits plan. Benefits offered under such a plan may include, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and dental coverage, and life and disability insurance.
   3. The Board of Trustees is committed to a single program of University System-wide benefits consistent with its status as a single employer. The University System will continue to review industry specific data; however, the benefit programs will be designed with the expectation that there is a single set of benefits for all faculty and staff.
      1. Standards for Exceptions. There are circumstances where Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ may seek to differentiate benefits for a specific employee group. The standard for these exceptions will require: a clearly articulated rationale; an analysis of the cost effectiveness including ease of administration; an analysis of the internal equity and fairness; and an analysis of the extent to which other organizations make the proposed differentiation in benefits (for example, other universities commonly provide sabbatical leave options to tenured faculty but not necessarily to other employee groups).
      2. Procedure for approval of the exception. A proposal to establish a different benefit for a specific group of employees will require a recommendation from the Administrative Board and approval by the Board of Trustees' committee on Financial Affairs.
3. Trustee Delegation of Authority
   1. The Board of Trustees delegates to the Administrative Board oversight responsibility for the administration of the employee benefits plan.
   2. The Board of Trustees delegates to the Administrative Board the authority to design the University System benefits plan in accordance with financial and benefits parameters authorized by the Board of Trustees. The Administrative Board shall report at least annually to the Board of Trustees on the effectiveness and suitability of the current plan with recommendations for changes to such plan if appropriate.

¹See, Â̾ÞÈËÊÓƵ Total Rewards Objectives, approved by Board of Trustees on Feb. 17, 2011