George Washington University President Steven Knapp announced on Wednesday the members of a new task force on benefits for faculty and staff. Dr. Knapp initially announced plans to establish the task force during the December meeting of the Faculty Senate and provided further details at the Senate’s meeting on January 9.
Dr. Knapp said the task force is charged with reviewing the three major categories of GW benefits – health, retirement, and tuition – and comparing the university’s benefits in each of those categories with those offered by peer institutions. In addition to the trade-offs among different kinds of benefits, the task force will also consider the trade-offs between the salary and benefit components of compensation in light of national trends and available resources.
The task force will develop short-term recommendations focused on next fall’s open enrollment period by May 1 and multi-year recommendations by December 1. These recommendations will be presented to the administration and the Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC), a standing committee that provides ongoing feedback to the university’s Human Resources and Benefits Administration.
The members of the task force are:
Faculty representatives:
· Benjamin D. Hopkins, associate professor of history and international affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs
· Joseph J. Cordes, associate director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and International Affairs Public Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs
· Paula M. Lantz, chair of the Department of Health Policy in the Milken Institute School of Public Health
· Shawneequa Callier, assistant professor of clinical research and leadership in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
· Suzanne Jackson, professor of clinical law and director of the Health Rights Law Clinic in the School of Law
Staff representatives:
· Linda Brown, associate director of Colonial Central
· Deanah McLeod, senior associate director of development in the School of Engineering and Applied Science
· Sheneka Smith, office manager in Development and Alumni Relations
· Pallavi Rai Gullo, director of legal clinics, School of Law
· Alan Thompson, facilities operations
Medical Resident participant:
· Pooja Lakshmin, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington Hospital
The task force members join co-chairs Sara Rosenbaum, founding chair of the Milken Institute School of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy, and Erica Hayton, director of benefits strategy for human resources.
Ms. Rosenbaum is also the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy. With her expertise in health policy and Ms. Hayton’s understanding of benefits at the university, the task force is well-positioned to navigate the rising costs of health care and review how GW benefits compare to peer institutions, Dr. Knapp said.
The following also were named as special advisers to the task force:
· Jennifer Lopez, assistant vice president, Tax, Payroll and Benefits Administration
· Richard Weitzner, senior counsel, Office of General Counsel
· Michelle Stone, executive director of communications, Division of External Relations
· Donald Boselovic, senior advisor, Office of the Executive Vice President