Committee Charter
PURPOSE
The Benefits Advisory Committee (Committee) serves in an advisory capacity to the President, the Director of Human Resources, and the VP/Chief Financial Officer. It is a resource of knowledgeable faculty and staff assists in the analysis of existing health benefits, and advocates for comprehensive benefits which meet the needs of a diverse workforce with appropriate financial contributions from both the institution and the employees.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- To study existing health benefit programs and their impact on faculty, staff, and College goals;
- To help define the alternatives for benefit improvements that should be considered during the budget development process;
- To recommend employer/employee contribution rates for existing and/or proposed programs
- To improve the quality of information available to faculty and staff and to contribute to an understanding of their needs by conducting or supporting surveys of employee opinion on benefits as needed;
- Carry out other such duties within the scope of its primary purpose or as the President may delegate.
HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PREMIUM PHILOSOPHY
New in 2026, in response to health premiums increasing significantly nationwide, the college has adopted a revised philosophy for determining the employee and employer share of premiums for health and dental plans. This approach is outlined below.
The college contribution to health coverage will be a fixed dollar amount, regardless of which health plan an employee selected (e.g., CORE Traditional, High-Deductible, or Higher-Deductible plans). For employees at 0.75 FTE or greater, the 2026 college contributions are:
Health
- Individual: 90% of the total cost of the lowest-cost plan
- Employee + Child(ren): 85% of the total cost of the lowest-cost plan
- Employee + Spouse: 75% of the total cost of the lowest-cost plan
- Family: 76% of the total cost of the lowest-cost plan
Dental
- 50% of the total cost of any dental plan at 0.75 FTE or above
For employees between 0.50 and 0.74 FTE, the college contribution toward health insurance, health savings accounts, and dental insurance will be 80% of the contribution provided to employees at 0.75 FTE or above.
This philosophy has been reviewed and endorsed by the Benefits Advisory Committee. It provides transparency and consistency in how rates are determined and supports greater equity by contributing the same dollar amount toward each health plan, allowing employees to choose the plan that best fits their individual financial and coverage needs (e.g., lower premiums with higher out-of-pocket expenses, or higher premiums with lower out-of-pocket expenses).
These new categories may provide families with access to more cost-effective premiums when there is a second source of employer-provided health coverage.
COMPOSITION
At a minimum, the Committee shall consist of:
- Three (3) Faculty, to include a representative from the Faculty Life Committee
- Two (2) Non-exempt staff
- Four (4) Exempt staff
The Director of Human Resources and the VP/Chief Financial Officer are ex-officio members of the Committee. The President appoints the members of the Committee. Committee members shall serve for a three (3) year term, renewable to a total of nine (9) years. Committee members shall elect the Chair. The Benefits Specialist shall serve as staff to the Committee. While no special skills are required of Committee members, members should have an interest in the benefits package and represent the diversity of the College’s workforce.
MEETINGS
The Committee meets as necessary. Agendas are determined primarily by the Committee Chair in consultation with the Director of Human Resources and others as needed, i.e. Associate Director of Benefits and Compensation, Benefits Broker, etc. Staff is responsible for preparing minutes of each meeting.
MEMBERSHIP
Roz Eaton – Dean of Students (chair)
Christopher Atzinger – Faculty in Music
Stacey Argabright – AAA Team South
Nick Hoverstad – Advancement
Takashi Maie – Faculty in Biology
Natalie Mogren – Buntrock Commons
David Walmsley – Faculty in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science
Jenna Weber – Financial Aid
Mike Berthelsen – Chief Financial Officer (ex-officio)
Travis Grant – Human Resources (ex-officio)
Angie Mathews – Finance Office (ex-officio)
Amanda Weber – Payroll (ex-officio)
Mikayla Brenna – Human Resources (ex-officio)
Last updated November 2025