Programs

Sam Houston State University is committed to providing programs that promote healthy work-life balances, professional growth, and financial incentives.

Employee Wellness

Name Details
Wellness Release Time

The Sam Houston State University Wellness Program consists of various voluntary wellness related activities that qualify as eligible for release time. Employees approved for participation in the Wellness Program shall receive a maximum of two and one-half (2.5) hours of release time per week, taken in increments of no greater than one (1) hour per day.

Eligibility

Only current full-time employees who have been with the University a minimum of six (6) months and are not currently approved for education or teaching release time are eligible to participate in the Sam Houston State Wellness Program. Wellness, education and teaching release time are mutually exclusive and a supervisor may not approve leave for more than one of these activities.

Activities

Activities that qualify for release time are:

  • Official Elevate Healthy Campus Initiative Events
  • Burnout Programming Events
  • Health Fitness Screenings/Assessments
  • Stress Management Classes
  • Smoking Cessation Classes
  • Weight Loss Classes
  • Nutrition Classes
  • Health Risk/Injury Reduction Classes
  • Exercise Activities

Approval

Approval from the appropriate authority must be secured prior to participation in the Wellness Program. The approval authority is the employee's current supervisor and department head. If the employee's supervision changes, the employee will need to request approval from the new approval authority.

Approval Form Read Policy
Sick Time

Full-time benefit eligible employees accrue 8 hours of sick time each month. Part-time benefit eligible employees accrue proportionate to their appointment. Sick leave begins with the first day of employment.

More about Time Off
Vacation Time

Full-time benefit eligible employees accrue at least 8 hours each month. Part-time benefits eligible employees accrue proportionate to their appointment. To be eligible to use vacation leave employee must have six months of continuous employment with the State of Texas.

More about Time Off
EAP Your Worklife Solution

A self-help website full of information to help balance work-life issues related to relationships, career and workplace, and other resources. Use “SHSU” for the username and password.

Login to Your Worklife Solutions
ERS Wellness Events

Being in good health is important to everyone. A healthy lifestyle can improve your quality of life and increase your longevity. The Texas Employees Group Benefits Program routinely hosts events to help you on the road to wellness.

Upcoming Events Past Event Recordings
Elevate Program

Elevate is the SHSU Healthy Campus initiative to prioritize the health and wellness of students, faculty and staff. Elevate promotes the “healthy choice as the easy choice” by utilizing the 8 dimensions of wellness model.

More about Elevate
Fitness Center

The Department of Recreational Sports and Activities offers a wide variety of recreational programming and provides facilities for students, faculty and staff.

More about Recreational Sports
Parent's Rooms

Sam Houston State University is pleased to provide multiple Parent’s Rooms across campus to meet the needs of parents with babies. Parent’s Rooms provide a private place to nurse, pump, bottle feed, and change a diaper.

Find a Room
Wellness Training on LinkedIn Learning

As an employee, you have access to the Linkedin Learning library that contains wellness related video courses. Once logged in with your SHSU credentials, you can connect your Linkedin profile. A few suggestions include:

Login to LinkedIn Learning

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Sam Houston State University contracts with the University of Texas Employee Assistance Program to provide assistance to faculty, staff and family members to help resolve issues related to marriage and family, stress and anxiety, grief or bereavement, finances, legal concerns, conflicts at work, and alcohol and drug problems to name a few.

Eligibility

EAP services are available to faculty and staff employees, their spouse, live-in partner, and eligible dependent children.

Cost

EAP provides up to five free counseling sessions per issue along with many other services and unlimited referrals.

Services

  • Legal

    Through the EAP, you have access to a free 30-minute face to face or telephonic consultation per issue with a network attorney. If you wish to retain the attorney after the initial consultation, you will receive a discount on the attorney's normal hourly rates. Many online resources are also available, including an interactive Online Will Program that provides you with a resource to create your own state-specific Simple Will privately in an online, secure environment.

  • Financial

    All employees are also entitled to a no-cost telephone consultation with one of the financial counselors. Typical matters include credit counseling, debt and budgeting assistance, tax planning, retirement, and college planning questions.

  • Family

    Consultation and referrals for a wide range of work-life referrals are available through the EAP. The EAP can help you find real solutions for child care, elder care, care for persons with disabilities, and other convenience and wellness issues.

  • Counseling

    EAP provides counseling sessions and support for all types of life concerns. Some of the most common reasons that employees contact the EAP are:

    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Alcohol/Drug Problems
    • Couples & Relationship Issues
    • Anger Management
    • Work Conflicts
    • Depression
    • Parenting & Family Concerns
    • Grief or Bereavement
    • Change & Life Transitions
    • Communication Skills

Request Help

Request an appointment online or call (800) 346-3549. The EAP is available to employees whether they participate in the ERS health insurance plan or not.

Contact

Help Yourself

EAP offers a website, Your WorkLife Solution, full of information to help you balance your work-life. Information includes, but not limited to, managing your relationships, family, mental health, and career. To access the website, use “SHSU” for the username and password.

WorkLife Login

Monthly Reads

Monthly newsletters are available to help steer your growth.

Newsletters

Employee Emergency Fund

The Employee Emergency Fund (EEF), designed through Staff Senate and administered by People Operations (PO), is a donation-based fund that considers requests for a one-time payroll payment of $500.00 for full-time, benefits-eligible Sam Houston State University (SHSU) employees who experience qualifying pressing financial need.

To make a donation to the Employee Emergency Fund:

  • Donate online
  • Send to University Advancement, Box 2537, Huntsville, TX 77341-2537

  1. Purpose

    The EEF provides limited financial assistance to full-time employees of SHSU, who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to unexpected, unforeseen, or unavoidable circumstances. A temporary financial hardship is defined as one caused by a time-limited, specific event, such as natural emergencies, accidents, catastrophes, deaths, or illness. The fund is not intended to help employees with routine financial management.

  2. EEF Funding

    1. The EEF is funded through generous donations from individuals and employees interested in supporting employees in financial need due to unplanned circumstances.

    2. Donations may be made:

      1. Online through University Advancement,
      2. Payroll deduction by SHSU employees, or
      3. Through the mail campaign form.

  3. Eligibility

    To be eligible for the EEF, an employee must meet the following:

    1. be an active full-time, benefits-eligible, SHSU employee. Student employees are not eligible for the EEF but may be eligible for the Bearkat Emergency Fund.
    2. full-time continuous employment with SHSU for at least 12 months prior to the application date.
    3. experience temporary financial hardship due to an emergency or significant event.
    4. have exhausted other possible financial resources and must demonstrate an immediate need.
    5. provide appropriate documentation to verify the circumstances listed on the application.
    6. not received an EEF payment within the past 2 years.
    7. have a gross income of less than $75,000 annually, and
    8. have not provided notice of retirement, resignation, or otherwise separating from the university.

  4. Program Administration

    1. The program will be administered through SHSU PO.
    2. Emergency funding is not guaranteed and is contingent on fund availability, demonstrated need, short-term nature of financial hardship, and committee approval.
    3. Given the limited amount of funds (as the EEF is contingent on donations), not all requests, even when there is a clear need for assistance, will be approved. The EEF may be insufficient in the case of widespread disasters, community crisis, or war/terrorism.
    4. Funding is not immediate. Payment is processed through Payroll and is subject to federal taxation and appropriate deductions, as well as payroll deadlines (which could delay processing).
    5. Due to limited resources, the net award amount after taxes may not exceed $500.

  5. Application Process

    1. An online application is located on the following websites:

      1. Staff Senate,
      2. Academic Affairs, and
      3. People Operations Forms

      An employee will complete and submit the application to HRbenefits@shsu.edu with documentation of the circumstances.

    2. A PO administrator will be assigned as the EEF reviewer to verify applicant eligibility and review applications.

      1. Information submitted will be shared only with the PO personnel directly involved with the fund administration.
      2. To avoid any potential conflict of interest, should an employee assigned to a PO unit apply for EEF, the application will be verified for eligibility and availability of funds and then routed to the Controller for review and decision.
    3. Any application found to contain misleading or inaccurate information will be denied.
    4. Applicants may be contacted by the EEF reviewer for additional information and/or missing documentation, which may delay approval of funding.
    5. Applicants will be notified of the EEF decision within 10 business days after the application has been received. EEF decisions may be appealed to the AVP for People Operations.

    6. When approved, the EEF reviewer will process a one-time pay EPAF for payroll payment of the funds up to a net of $500.00 (after the award is increased to cover any federal or state taxes the employee may owe),

      1. The emergency fund payment will be taxable to the employee and the total award will be increased (grossed up) in an amount to cover applicable FICA taxes and federal withholding are deducted from the payment.
      2. Payments are made during the next available payroll processing.

Employee Education Assistance

The Sam Houston State Employee Education Assistance Program releases an eligible employee to take one course during regular work hours and waives local fees and tuition. The employee is only responsible for statutory (state) tuition.

Eligibility

This program is for full-time (1.0 FTE) benefits-eligible staff and faculty employees, through the rank of Professor, who desire to enroll in university credit courses at SHSU. Applicants must have a minimum of six (6) months full-time continuous employment at SHSU by the first day of class.

Coursework

Coursework must relate directly to the employee’s current or prospective job duties within their department. Participants must meet all admission and registration requirements and maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for undergraduate courses. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Approval

Each semester, staff employees seeking release time must submit an Employee Development Participation & Teaching Request Form to their department head for consideration. Department heads will complete the approval section and retain the form in department files. Submission deadlines are as follows:

Fall Semester – August 1st

Spring Semester – December 1st

Summer Semester – May 1st

Request Approval Read Policy

Employee Dependent Undergraduate Student Scholarship

The Sam Houston State Employee Dependent Scholarship Program provides undergraduate tuition scholarship assistance to the eligible dependent children and spouse of full-time, benefit eligible employees.

Eligibility

An eligible employee is a full-time (1.0 FTE) benefits-eligible staff or faculty member employed at SHSU for at least one year. The eligible employee must have a minimum of one-year full-time continuous employment at SHSU by the dependent’s first class day.

Assistance Amount

Program participants will receive a scholarship in an amount equal to the undergraduate designated tuition incurred for their enrollment in the term. Program participants are responsible for payment of all other institutionally assessed charges related to their enrollment.

Program participants may receive up to a maximum benefit not to exceed successful completion of an undergraduate degree or 150 undergraduate semester credit hours attempted, whichever occurs first.

Application

The dependents of eligible employees must first apply for undergraduate admission, and be accepted through SHSU’s student admission process. An employee applying for dependent scholarship must complete a separate application form for each dependent participant each semester. Forms must be submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than the following deadlines:

Fall – 20th Class Day

Spring – 20th Class Day

Summer – 15th Class Day

Apply Read Policy

Employee Discounts

The vendors below offer discounts to you as an employee of Sam Houston State University! A few discount programs are exclusive to employees that works at least 20 hours a week (0.5-1.0 FTE) and elects ERS coverage.

Name Eligibility Details
HealthSelectShoppERSSM ERS Eligible Employees

HealthSelectShoppERSSM is an incentive program that allows you to save money and rewards when shopping for certain medical services and procedures. This program allows you to

  • compare costs for many health care services and procedures,
  • estimate your out-of-pocket costs and
  • earn incentives for shopping for certain medical services and procedures.
Program Details
BENEPLACE ERS Eligible Employees

The BENEPLACE Discount Purchase Program is the exclusive savings and discount benefit site for Employees Retirement System of Texas participants. This program is an online marketplace administered by Beneplace and offered to employees and retirees participating in the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP).

See Discounts
Apple & Dell All Employees

You can purchase laptops, tablets, and desktops at a discounted rate through education discount programs provided by Apple and Dell. Navigate to our online education store to view pricing and checkout.

Apple Dell
Fast Park All Employees

Enjoy Special Savings for the Relax for Rewards program from Fast Park.

See Details Program Enrollment
NeonSigns.com All Employees

Neonsigns.com provides the highest quality custom neon light products. Receive an extra 10% off on all products when shopping online. Use promo code SHSU10SAVE at checkout.

Explore NeonSigns.com
PerksConnect All Employees

The PerksConnect program is a lifestyle product and service discount savings program enabling employees, retirees, and their families, to find great deals on items and services they need and use every day. Perks users have access to: local discounts, national retailer discounts, discounted gift cards, daily deals and more.

Activate Your Accounts

Click "Activate Your Account Now" on our PerksConnection site and use group code “SHSU”. A Printable Card is available for download after you complete your registration under your account icon at the top right corner of the page.

See Perks
Price 4 Limo All Employees

Get $100 off all rentals using the promo code SHSU100 at checkout.

Explore Price 4 Limo
SHSU Merchandise All Employees

Enjoy 10% off regular-priced SHSU products and apparel at the campus bookstore. To redeem, shop in store and show your faculty or staff Bearkat OneCard at checkout. This discount is exclusive to swag with the SHSU logo such as shirts, lanyards, and hats.

Find Store
SHSU Dining All Employees

Enjoy 10% off your meals when you eat at an official on campus dining hall or restaurant. Show your faculty or staff Bearkat OneCard at checkout.

*SHSU Faculty and Staff lunch is discounted to $7.50 on Wednesdays.

Find Food
Spot Pet Insurance, LLC All Employees

Enjoy 10% off on all pets and additional 10% multi-pet discount on all added pets.

See Details Explore Spot Pet

New Featured Discount Vendors

Vendors seeking to offer discounts/services to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) employees and to have such offers featured on the SHSU website must submit an application for review. Download instructions for eligibility, deadlines, and more.

New Discount Vendor Application Featured Discount Vendor Instructions