The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 9)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
The following message comes from Dr. Sue Peterson, K-State's director of government relations:
The
Kansas Legislature will convene the 2014 Legislative Session on Monday, January
13, 2014. As this is an election year
for all 125 members of the Kansas House and all state-wide elected officials,
there will be a lot of action and a fair amount of politics in the 2014
Session. The Legislative Schedule can be
found HERE.
During
the 2014 Legislative Session, we will send you timely information regarding the
activities in the State Capitol concerning higher education, K-State, and
K-State Research and Extension. This
information can be provided to advocates and stakeholders of K-State Research
and Extension for advocacy efforts with members of the Kansas House of
Representatives and Kansas Senate. We
encourage you to keep your stakeholders informed on the Legislature this year,
as their voices are extremely beneficial to legislators.
Identifying
the stakeholders of K-State Research and Extension is important. These individuals can be State-wide
Extension Council members, County Council members, local elected officials, parents
of 4-H Club members and other youth development programs, clients you have
served throughout the year, and your families and neighbors. In some cases, you may have the opportunity
to see and speak directly to your State Representative and State Senator about
the value of Kansas State University, K-State Research and Extension, and all of higher education. Please be mindful of using state resources if you are speaking directly
with a member of the Legislature. If you
have any questions or concerns, please refer to information on the University Government Relations Website or contact Daryl Buchholz, KSRE Associate Director.
The 2013
Legislative session is history. The
actions taken during that session have had a profound impact on K-State, particularly the salary cap imposed by the
Legislature resulted in a budget cut to K-State of $1.8 million in Fiscal Year
2014 and $1.2 million in Fiscal Year 2015. For K-State Research and Extension the budget was cut $1.9 million in
Fiscal Year 2014 and $1.4 million in Fiscal Year 2015. The Governor vetoed the salary cap budget
cuts for all other state agencies; however the way the final legislation was
written it was impossible for the Governor to veto the salary cap cut for state
universities.
Thank
you for your interest and support for legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of
K-State and all of higher education. - Sue Peterson, Director of Government Relations, KSU President's office.
Happy New Year! Stay warm, and have a great week! See you at Partnership Meetings in a couple weeks. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
REMINDER TO REGISTER FOR ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP MEETINGS
Statewide Annual Extension Partnership Meetings are scheduled at the following dates and locations across the state:
January 22 Wichita – Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W. 21st St. North
January 23 Lawrence – Douglas County Extension 4-H Building, 2110 Harper
January 29 Ellsworth – St. Bernard Catholic Church, 911 N Kansas
January 30 Scott City – 4-H Building, Fairground Rd.
Theme for this year’s Partnership meetings will be advancing our discussions on "K-State 2025: A Vision for Research and Extension."
Registration information may be found on the Employee
Resources “Registrations” website. Please
complete the on-line registration by Tuesday, January 14, and send the payment
to the office identified on the registration page. I would encourage offices to coordinate registrations for their board members who plan to attend. Each meeting will begin with registration and
coffee at 9 a.m. Welcome, introductions,
and opening comments begin at 9:30. The
event will adjourn at roughly 3:30 p.m.
For
2014, we’ve again chosen cities that are more centered north / south across
the state, and encourage board members and agents to attend at the most
convenient location. All four locations will have the same agenda.
We all look forward to seeing everyone at the 2014 Partnership Meetings. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
HEALTH INSURANCE CONFIRMATION STATEMENTS FOR PLAN YEAR 2014 TO BE AVAILABLE THROUGH HRIS SELF SERVICE
Due to unforeseen programming issues, the open enrollment confirmation statements will not be available on the state's open enrollment portal. However, employees can verify their selections made in October on the HRIS Self Service “View Paycheck” feature in January 2014.
In January, log on to HRIS Self Service and "VIEW PAYCHECK" for the first and second paychecks in January. (Paycheck data is available on Monday of the week in which the Friday payday falls.) For the first paycheck — January 3, 2014 — employees should pay particular attention to health coverage, flexible spending and the employee contribution to a health savings account. If there is an error, employees must send an email to R.J. Steelsmith at rjs@k-state.edu with their October confirmation statement attached. This must be done no later than January 10, 2014. Please be sure to include your employee ID number in the email.
Employees should also review their second paycheck on January 17, 2014, paying particular attention to the HSA employer contribution if they are enrolled in Plan C. Please note the first half of the annual employer contribution is deposited into the health savings account, with the second paycheck in January — not the first check. Again, if there is an error, employees must send an email to Steelsmith at rjs@k-state.edu with their October confirmation statement attached. Please be sure to include your employee ID number in the email. Deadline for notification to the Divison of Human Resources of an error is January 24, 2014.
Amounts for the first half of the annual HSA employer contribution for a full-time member only policyholder is $750, for full-time member/dependent, $1,125. Part-time member only is $562.60, part-time member/dependent is $843.80.
This information is also available at www.k-state.edu/hr under Hot Topics. --Stephanie Harvey
2013 ELECTRONIC W-2 FORMS AVAILABLE
The state of Kansas has announced that the 2013 electronic W-2 forms are ready to access through the State of Kansas Employee Self Service.
You can access your W-2 electronically any time the State of Kansas
Employee Self Service is available to get the information you need to
file your taxes, complete financial aid forms, apply for a loan, or
review your finances. The electronic versions contains the exact
information and format employees are used to seeing and can be printed
on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper. Please note that, based on the speed
of the internet connection, it may take 5-15 seconds for the system to
generate the form when you click on the "Year End Form" link.
Please remember, printed W-2 forms
for employees who do not consent to receive their W-2 information
electronically through the State of Kansas Employee Self Service, will be
mailed the last week of January in accordance with IRS regulations.
If you have not previously consented to receive your W-2 information
electronically but would like to consent now, just follow the step by
step instructions on the Electronic W-2 flyer.
You only need to consent once and your consent remains in effect until
it is withdrawn. Your W-2 form (and up to five years of prior W-2 forms)
will be available immediately in the State of Kansas Employee Self
Service once you complete the consent.
If you have any questions, please email hroffice@k-state.edu and we will be hapy to assist. --Division of Human Resources
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my picks are Success Stories reported from the
Horticulture PFT working on Local Food Efforts.
In 2011–2012 K-State Research and Extension conducted a research trial at a Johnson
County farm. The trial evaluated the utility of tomato grafting and identified
rootstocks that might be suitable for high tunnel tomato production. In trial observations,
the grafted plants produced 120–125% more fruit than non-grafted plants. Based
on the research, the grower decided to shift the entire tomato production
system to grafted plants. He then approached his transplant grower about
producing grafted plants for his operation. Extension specialists consulted
with the transplant growers and trained them to produce grafted plants. The
tomato grower has adopted the use of grafted plants and increased yields
significantly.
Wyandotte County Extension Master Gardeners are leading gardening efforts in
six inner-city community gardens. Master Gardeners share expertise including what
to grow, how to control weeds and unwanted pests, and how to keep gardeners
motivated throughout the growing season. The gardens serve to demonstrate and
teach best management practices to individuals of all ages (youths and
seniors). They create a safe gathering place for growing produce and building
relationships. They build community pride and beautify blighted areas in the
communities. Many gardeners are from low-income families, and learning to grow
nutritious fruits and vegetables supports healthy eating. To further benefit
the community, more than 3,600 pounds of produce were grown and given to
schools, local food pantries, and women's shelters in “food deserts” - areas without easy access to fresh,
healthy, and affordable food. -–Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
DECEMBER EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
John Jobe, 4-H Youth Development Agent in Riley County, began employment on December 1, 2013. His email address is jajobe@ksu.edu.
Laura Marks, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Dickinson County, began employment on December 8, 2013. Her email address is llmarks@ksu.edu.
Scott Chapman, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Post Rock District, retired effective December 9, 2013.
Peggy Berrier Boyd, 4-H Youth Development Agent in Wyandotte County, retired effective December 10, 2013.
Christopher Petty, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Graham County, resigned effective December 12, 2013. --Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu
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