Category: Employee News

Faculty and staff are reminded to please RSVP by accepting the calendar invitation for the Special Announcement Celebration taking place on Thursday, January 22, from 12:30–1:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Sueltenfuss Library.

This special celebration will recognize an important milestone in support of Our Lady of the Lake University. Lunch will be provided, and we encourage all invited employees to attend.

If you have not yet responded, please be sure to accept the calendar invite to help us plan accordingly. We look forward to celebrating this exciting moment together as a campus community.

Due to the upcoming Christmas holiday schedule, hourly staff employees are reminded to:

• Enter any paid holidays for the pay period 12/13/25 – 12/26/25, in Self Service Time Entry.
• Need to submit timesheets for approval before leaving for the holiday break, no later than Friday, December 19, 2025.

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Supervisor Approval Deadline:

• All timesheets for this pay period must be approved by Monday, December 29, 2025, at 9:00 AM.
• Supervisors are encouraged to approve timecards before departing on December 19 to avoid delays.

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Important:

Any missed entries or approvals will result in payment being delayed until January 16, 2026.

Please contact Payroll for any questions.

The SECURE 2.0 Act Roth catch-up mandate goes into effect January 1,2026.

What is the “Roth catch-up” mandate

• The mandate originates from the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. Under this law, catch-up contributions for older plan participants (e.g. 50+) — extra contributions beyond standard 401(k)/403(b)/457 deferral limits — may in certain cases have to go into Roth (after-tax) accounts rather than traditional pre-tax accounts.

• Specifically, the requirement applies when a participant’s “wages” (as defined for Social Security / FICA) from the prior year exceed a certain threshold, currently $150,000 (subject to inflation adjustments).

Recent announcement & timing (as of September 2025)

• On September 15, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS released final regulations implementing the catch-up contribution rules under SECURE 2.0, including the Roth-only requirement for eligible high-wage earners.

What changes for affected retirement-plan participants

• If you are 50 or older and eligible for catch-up contributions, and your prior-year wages exceeded the threshold (e.g., $150,000), then catch-up contributions in 2026 (or beyond) must go into a Roth account rather than a traditional pre-tax account.

• Employees making less than the threshold who wish to switch from deferring on a pre-tax basis to deferring on Roth basis, must make change on Transamerica Website.

Why the change — and what it means

• The shift is intended by lawmakers (via SECURE 2.0) to increase the share of retirement savings that are taxed upfront (Roth) rather than deferred — which can increase taxable revenue over time.

• For savers: this means paying tax now on your catch-up contributions — but qualified withdrawals in retirement (both contributions + earnings) will be tax-free under Roth rules (assuming the standard Roth-withdrawal rules are met).

Employees are encouraged to review their retirement strategy and consult a financial or tax advisor if they have questions about how this change may affect them.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, please take note of two important updates regarding vacation time and payroll processing.

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Annual Vacation “Use-It-or-Lose-It” Deadline – December 31

All employees are reminded that the annual deadline to use accrued vacation time is December 31. Employees may not carry over more than the number of annual vacation days for which they are currently eligible.

If work demands or medical circumstances prevent you from using your accrued vacation time before the deadline, your division’s chief administrator may request a one-time, one-year extension. Please keep in mind:

• Extensions may only be granted once and cannot be renewed.
• The chief administrator and employee must work together to ensure all extended vacation time is used within the following year.

For questions regarding vacation balances or policy, contact Human Resources at 210-431-3970.

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Payroll Reminders for Thanksgiving Week

To ensure timely and accurate payroll processing, please review the following:

For Full-Time Biweekly Employees:

• Enter holiday hours for November 26, 27, and 28 on your timesheet before the Thanksgiving break.
• If you plan to take vacation on Monday, November 24 or Tuesday, November 25, submit your vacation request prior to the break.

For Supervisors:

• Approve all leave requests for biweekly employees by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 28.
• Review and approve all timecards no later than 12:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain smooth year-end operations and timely payroll processing.

Payroll Department

The Information Technology Services (ITS) team invites all university Dialpad users to attend a series of virtual open meeting sessions designed to help you make the most of your Dialpad experience.

These sessions offer an informal, hands-on opportunity to ask questions, explore features, and receive one-on-one support directly from our Dialpad technical expert. Whether you’re wondering how to configure your account, manage your voicemail, or optimize call settings, this is your time to ask those “How do I…?” questions and get immediate answers.

The sessions are three consecutive Thursdays, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., beginning October 16, 2025. If needed, ITS will extend the sessions beyond the initial three weeks to ensure all user questions are addressed.

We encourage all Dialpad users—faculty and staff—to join, learn new tips, and strengthen your confidence in using this essential communication tool.

**Recording a voicemail greeting is now a required step for all employees and must be done by October 31.

Session Dates:

• Thursday, October 16, 2025
• Thursday, October 23, 2025
• Thursday, October 30, 2025

Time: 11-12 p.m.
Location: Virtual (join using the link below)

For questions about the sessions, please contact ITS Support.

The Athletics email signature has been updated to include the years OLLU has earned Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) championships. This update helps celebrate our teams’ accomplishments while maintaining a consistent and professional look across all university communications.

Please find the updated email signature on the SharePoint Brand Identity Guide:
https://ollusa.sharepoint.com/sites/OLLUBrandIdentityGuide/SitePages/Signature-Line.aspx