College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
CALS Federal Benefits Eligible Employees
Last Update 10/21/2003

 

CE - Federal (Schedule A) Appointments: USDA terminated all Schedule A appointments effective January 31, 2003 in accordance with SEC. 7220 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (known as the Farm Bill). A federal Schedule A appointment was a joint appointment by USDA and the Cooperative Extension organization in the Land Grant College/University. Even though Schedule A appointments were terminated, SEC. 7220 specifies that all Cooperative Extension Service (CES) employees with the companion Federal appointment, employed in an agricultural extension program on May 12, 2002, will be eligible to participate in the following Federal benefits programs as long as their university continues to offer the programs and they meet the employment conditions with the CES program, and they will continue to receive federal creditable service:

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)
Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)
Federal Employee Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

CALS has not offered Schedule A appointments to Cooperative Extension faculty for over 10 years unless they came from another institution where they already had such an appointment. Newly hired faculty who meet the requirements for federal benefits eligibility above may be able to continue their federal benefits but should verify this eligibility prior to accepting a position at the University of Arizona.

For more information:

CALS Contacts:
Kathleen Miller (520-626-8353, ukmiller@ag.arizona.edu)
Diana Froehlich (520-621-9420, froehlch@ag.arizona.edu).
Federal website: http://www.reeusda.gov/hrd/cesguide/index.htm

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Go to the CALS Home Page: http://ag.arizona.edu or

Go to the CALS Administrative Services Home Page: http://ag.arizona.edu/aas/home/