Campus News Briefs

Ages for ROTC scholarship change Air Force ROTC students can now be paid scholarship benefits through age 30. This increase from a maximum of 27 years of age will make scholarship benefits available to more students at Utah State University. For more details and specific eligibility rules, please contact Detachment 860, Air Force ROTC at 797-USAF, afrotc@hass.usu.edu or stop by MS 107.

Governor appoints White to term Gov. Michael O. Leavitt has appointed Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Barbara A. White to a two-year term on the Utah Education Network Steering Committee. As Internet services provider to Utah public schools and higher education, UEN is the technical backbone for the delivery of time-enhanced learning, including short courses, degree programs and teacher training. As a member of the steering committee, White will offer advice on technical infrastructure and programming.

Payne announces new vice president Charles W. (Chuck) Gay Jr., college administrator in Extension at Utah State University, was named associate vice president of University Extensions and associate director of Cooperative Extension, effective Jan. 1. Jack Payne, vice president of University Extension, made the announcement, calling Gay “the perfect fit for the many challenges facing Utah, especially our rural population.” USU Extensions has served Utah residents for nearly 90 years, addressing critical needs and teaching residents self-sufficiency through the use of research-based knowledge. With specialists on the Logan campus and faculty who live and work in every Utah county, Extensions also has Utah’s largest continuing education program. It offers dozens of degrees at more than 80 sites across the state. 4-H, Extensions’ youth program, touches the lives of more than 100,000 Utah youth each year. Gay joined Extension as a faculty member with USU’s College of Natural Resources in 1983 and is recognized nationally and internationally for developing management programs for rangelands and other natural resources.

Retirement plan changes considered Two proposed changes being considered in Utah State University’s retirement policies would offer new incentives for university employees while relieving some of the financial pressure the university is experiencing under the current Early Retirement Program. A proposed Phased Retirement Program is a new option for employees, and changes have also been proposed for the current Early Retirement Program. The proposed new program, the Phased Retirement Policy, would provide a viable alternative to early retirement. It would allow employees to “phase” into full retirement by reducing their workload time in phases they determine. Any salaried employee who is at least 58 years old and has five continuous years of service is eligible. There are several incentives built into the program, including continuation of many employee benefits at full-time levels during the phased retirement period. The current Early Retirement Program will not be eliminated, but it has become expensive to operate and amendments are under consideration. The changes include increasing the minimum eligibility to age 60 (up from age 56). The new plan would have a two-year transition period to allow current employees time to consider their options.

Compiled by Statesman staff