In addition, on-line resources are available to help answer questions about the transferability of staff fee privileges. For approval and domestic partner affidavit forms, an FAQ page and charts outlining UO tuition savings, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/staffratecontents.htm.

Approved in July by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the new benefit allows eligible Oregon University System (OUS) employees to transfer their staff tuition rates to qualified family members. All seven public universities—but not OHSU—are participating. Campus human resources offices are administering the program, outlined in OAR 580-022-0031.

"The expanded staff fees program is another way for the university system to create value for our current staff members, and also to attract high caliber individuals and their families to the Oregon University System," says Chancellor Joe Cox. "Employees have had the opportunity to take classes at reduced rates since 1978, and permitting them to transfer this privilege to family members is a big step forward for OUS."

"Authorizing this new program may be one of the better decisions we’ve made for faculty and staff of the Oregon University System," says Tom Imeson, who served as president of the State Board of Higher Education when the benefit was approved. "The new program clearly adds value to being a faculty or staff member at an Oregon public university. Plus, it offers new opportunity—and direct support—for family members who want to attend an Oregon university. That’s a win-win for everybody."

The expanded staff fee privileges program begins Fall Term 2000 and will continue at least through the 2001-2002 academic year. The Board of Higher Education will determine whether to continue the program after Spring Term 2002.

To qualify, an OUS employee must work at least half-time and meet other eligibility criteria. Under the program, one family member may take a maximum of 10 credit hours per term at staff rates. Staff fee rates are $15 per term credit and cost $22 per semester credit hour. Family members are required to pay all mandatory student fees.

The staff tuition benefit does not apply to selected programs as designated by individual OUS campuses. Excluded at the University of Oregon are self-support courses such as continuing education classes and other offerings with irregular fees.

Expanding staff fee privileges to family members is expected to increase cross-system enrollments, with employees increasingly taking advantage of staff fee rates at other universities for their dependents. This has required coordination among campuses, including the adoption of a standard OUS staff fees approval form for family members.

To participate, employees must complete a Staff Fee Privileges Approval Form for Employees and Family Members certifying their family member’s eligibility for staff rates. Available from either the Human Resources web site or office, the form is due at Human Resources, 463 Oregon, no later than the first day of classes each term the employee wants to transfer this benefit to a family member.

Human Resources will approve the form and forward it, if appropriate, to the OUS institution where the family member is taking classes.

The only thing that the family member must do is to register for classes. For UO class enrollment, family members must complete registration through UO Duck Call.

For information, call Miki Powers, 6-2950, or send e-mail to mpowers@oregon.uoregon.edu or call Stoop, 6-2967; hstoop@oregon.uoregon.edu.

The 2000-2001 edition University of Oregon Catalog is now published on the web. To consult this electronic version, visit http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~uopubs/bulletin. Call Frances Milligan,
6-2223, or send e-mail to pubfranc@oregon.uoregon.edu.

Modem connections and login procedures for the campus computer network, UONet, are undergoing big changes. Not only will modem users have 576 lines on which to connect—nearly twice as many as currently, but they also will have just one dial-up connection phone number to use, 225-2200. Old modem numbers—6-6520 and 6-3565—will go out of service Aug. 23. In addition, it is now possible to login to the UO modem pool using any UO e-mail address you prefer in the username field and the corresponding password for that e-mail account. Existing modem accounts with usernames such as "uo-jersmith" will continue for one month into Fall Term, but after that time, you must change to the new login method. If you do not have a UO e-mail account, you should acquire one before the modem accounts expire in October. For details and information, visit http://micro.uoregon.edu/modeminfo, send e-mail to microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu or call Microcomputer Service, 6-4412.

The free Duck Express shuttle service for football fans going to Autzen Stadium will resume Sept. 2 with continuation of service from the Shasta Middle School park-and-ride site and a new park-and-ride location at the Eugene Station, 10th and Olive. Duck Express is free for UO employees and students. Just show your ID card with current Lane Transit District sticker on it to the bus operator. A new Duck Express Shuttle Pass for other family members is available for $6. For details and to order passes, call LTD, 687-5555 or 1 (800) 735 2900 TTY; visit the UO Duck Athletics ticket office in CAC; or order on-line by visiting http://www.ltd.org.