October Staff Senate Meeting Updates
Information Technology Services — Ellen Burnette and Crystal Brooks
Presented on Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the Cyber Bowl. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and ITS will host a speaker series on cybersecurity throughout the month. Staff are encouraged to play Cyber Bowl for the chance to win prizes. Cyber Bowl is separate from the required cybersecurity awareness training, which is due by the end of the year. The slideshow presented at the meeting contains the full details.
Information Technology Services — Elle Smith
Presented on the Atlassian cloud migration. The slides presented at the meeting contain the specific information on the migration, including the training available to staff.
Human Resources Update — Tina Chaffin
State Human Resources Act. The State Human Resources Act has been replaced by the State Human Resources Modernization Act. Additional detail on the many changes is forthcoming, pending guidance from the System Office. Changes include parental and bereavement leave, annual leave accrual, and sick leave. All references are being updated, and an announcement will be issued soon. Questions should be submitted through the Jira ticketing system.
Open Enrollment. Open enrollment runs October 12 through November 6. Coverage remains with Aetna for one more year, transitioning to BCBS in 2028. Employees who want the 80/20 plan must select it; the automatic selection is the 70/30 plan. Premiums did increase, and a comparison sheet is available. The Health Care Flexible Spending Account contribution limit has increased for the coming year. Employees are reminded to file their wellness benefits for reimbursement. HR staff will be available on both campuses for assistance, and additional information is available at ncflex.org.
Meeting minutes, the Zoom recording, and additional documents can be accessed from the Meetings page.
Next Meeting: The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on November 10, 2026 1:30 - 3:00 PM. Join us in Boone (Belk Library, 421), Hickory (1421), or on Zoom.