FAQ

Employees are required to take training to remain in compliance with state and federal law, CSU Excutive Orders and policies, and other regulations.

Some trainings are required of all employees, others are assigned based on job related information or duties, or other roles held on campus such as Procard Holder. For questions on why a particular training has been assigned, email ssutraining@sonoma.edu and Learning and Development will connect you with the appropriate Campus Partner/Subject Matter Expert.

Once you finish a course for the first time, the CSU Learn system logs it as complete. When the training is required to be retaken, employees should click "RETAKE/RESTART" to earn the new completion credit and satisfy the training requirement.

Yes. All active employees, regardless of their assignment end date, are required to complete the training.

No. All notifications emails instruct employees to complete training when they return from leave.

Due to settings inherent to CSU Learn, Learning and Development is unable to pause or reset due dates for training while an employee is on leave. This may result in some trainings becoming "overdue" while the employee is out, however Learning and Development understands there are extenuating circumstances. We encourage employees to consult with their Appropriate Administrator and make a plan to complete training as they are able. Learning and Development is also unable to pause notification emails, however employees on leave are generally not expected to be checking email while on leave. For specific questions pertaining to training, email ssutraining@sonoma.edu.

This error message means that your profile in CSU Learn is not currently active and you do not have access. You could be seeing it for several reasons.

If you are a new employee, your account hasn't become active yet as it can take 24-48 hours for new employees gain access once they have become active. Please reach out to ssutraining@sonoma.edu if more than 72 hours have passed and you still do not have access.

You may be seeing it because your employment status recently changed from active to inactive, and you're attempting to access training via an old notification email. Training is required of active employees only.

You may be seeing it because you are a faculty member on a short work break. In this case, you will regain access once you return from the break.

For additional assistance, contact ssutraining@sonoma.edu.

Employees can access training assigned in CSU Learn two ways.

1. Follow the instructions and link provided in the CSU Learn notification email(s).

2. Log directly into CSU Learn via the SSU Online Services page by clicking on the purple “CSU Learn” tile and then clicking on “Assigned Learning” on the CSU Learn homepage. All training assignments and their due dates will be listed under “Assigned Learning.”

Withholding changes can be made through the State Controller's Office portal Cal Employee Connect. Employees must first register and then enable MFA before being able to make changes. Select Employee Services from the top navigation bar and follow instructions within the application. These steps are outlined on our website or you may refer to the CEC Withholdings Change User Guide. 

Note:

• CEC processes Withholdings change requests by close of business Monday through Friday; please allow 24 hours for submitted changes to reflect in your CEC account. If the change is submitted Friday evening through Sunday, the changes will be processed the following Monday and changes may reflect in your CEC account as early as Tuesday morning.

• The CEC Team is a technical team and unable to advise on withholdings change. If you have any questions regarding your withholdings change, please refer to the IRS website.

• Log into PeopleSoft using your LDAP login and password.
• In the Menu bar, click on Manager Self Service.
• Select Time Management
• Select Approve Time and Exceptions
• Select Approve Reported Absences
• Select an employee by clicking the select checkbox
• Or click on the “Select All” button to view absences for all employees
• Then click on “Continue”
• Select the approve checkbox to approve the absence for one employee, or click on “Select All” to approve all entries
• To change the review status, select from the drop down
• Submit the approvals or save the change to review status by clicking “Submit” then “OK” on the Approval Confirmation page

Please refer to the Manager Absence Approval Quick Reference Guide (pdf)

Business Process Guide for Manager Self Service in Absence Management (pdf)

Absence Management Manager Report Processing (pdf)

Once you have completed your enrollment in Cal Employee Connect, direct deposit usually begins approximately 30 to 60 days later.

While most financial institutions post funds to accounts at the beginning of the bank business day, this is not a universal practice.  Some institutions post funds in the afternoon instead of the morning.  It is strongly recommended that you check with your financial institution to determine when your funds will be available.

If an employee wishes to cancel direct deposit, they must complete the Direct Deposit Enrollment Authorization form and submit it to the Payroll and Benefits Office.  Additionally, if the State is legally obligated to withhold any part of an employee’s wage or salary payment for any reason, the State Controller’s Office may terminate the employee’s enrollment in the direct deposit program. The State Controller’s Office also performs a purge of inactive pay.  They may cancel the direct deposit enrollment automatically if the employee has no pay issued in six (6) months.

You should receive your health plan identification card in approximately 10-14 business days from the date you submit your enrollment forms. Identification cards will be mailed to the address indicated on your enrollment form unless otherwise stated. There is no card for either the dental or vision plans.

If you or any of your covered dependents need a prescription before you receive your identification card, you will need to pay for the prescription in full at a participating pharmacy, save your receipt, and then file a claim for reimbursement with your insurance carrier once you receive your I. D. card.

If CalPERS eligible prior to 12/31/12, you are required to pay 5% of your gross salary in excess of $513. If CalPERS eligible after 12/31/12, you are required to pay 8% of your gross salary (as of July 1, 2022).

You are vested with 5 years of CalPERS service and are eligible to retire at age 50 or 52 depending on your CalPERS plan. Vesting for health benefits in retirement may differ. Contact the Payroll Office to find out your specific vesting period.

You can enroll within 60 days of your eligible appointment, or qualifying family status life event, and during our annual open enrollment period (normally the month of September). The effective date of when your coverage can begin is based on the date your sign your enrollment authorizations and submit these documents to Payroll and Benefits.

If you were covered by another group policy by your former employer, you may be eligible to continue under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), a federal law that allows for continuation of group health coverage. This coverage will cost you at least 102% of the group premium. You will need to contact your former employer for additional information.

You may consider an individual policy offered by several health insurance programs. Check the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s (CalPERS) web site for information regarding the health plan options. You will need to contact the health plans directly to determine provisions and available benefits. However, these programs may have pre-existing conditions and increased co-payments. (Covered services will vary from Plan to Plan.)

Currently, your spouse, your domestic partner, your natural-born children, adopted children, stepchildren, and economically dependent children who reside with you in a parent-child relationship and who are under the age of 26. Eligible dependent children do not have to maintain student status.

To enroll a domestic partner you must register the domestic partnership with the Secretary of State and provide a Declaration of Domestic Partnership. Effective January 1, 2020, any couple over the age of 18, and those younger who qualify under the requirements set forth in section 297.1 of the Family Code, are eligible to register with the Secretary of State.

Providing a copy of the documents for the initial DRV cycle will enable a more direct process for your campus benefit office to re-verify your family members. Benefit offices will keep all documents used in the DRV process in your benefit file without a purge date. In subsequent re-verifications, you need not provide birth certificates for natural-born children or adoption certificates for adopted children again. You also need not provide the marriage certificate, domestic partnership registration, and birth certificates for stepchildren or domestic partner children if the marriage or domestic partnership remains current.

You should contact your benefit office immediately if you wish to remove a dependent due to a "permissive qualifying event" (e.g., family member obtains non-CalPERS health benefits, family member enters military, custody change for child under age 18, or child reaches age 18). The dependent should be removed due to a qualifying permissive event rather than ineligibility found during the re-verification process.

Notify your benefit office immediately of any qualifying event that occurs during the re-verification period, such as divorce or termination of domestic partnership. In these situations, the dependent should be removed due to the qualifying event rather than ineligibility found during the re-verification.

Yes, it can be used at any CSU campus for state funded courses.

Deadlines depend on the registration schedule at each CSU campus. You should immediately submit your Tuition Waiver Application Form after you have registered. To view SSU’s registration schedule, go to Admissions Dates & Deadlines.

The Tuition Waiver Program provides the opportunity for eligible staff, faculty, dependent children, spouses or domestic partners to take classes at any CSU campus at significantly reduced rates, during the current academic semester.

Yes, if otherwise eligible.

Each employee is entitled to one Tuition Waiver per semester for use by the employee, dependent children, spouse or domestic partner.