Benefits Enrollment for New Full-Time Faculty and Staff

As a new full-time, benefits-eligible employee, one of your first tasks is to enroll in your benefit options and complete the paperwork required of new employees. This page includes the processes required by the Benefits Office to enroll you in the university's benefit programs.

• Medical, Life Insurance and Disability Benefits
• Retirement Benefits

Medical, Life Insurance and Disability Benefits:

You must enroll in or opt-out of health care, life insurance and/or disability benefits coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents no later than 31 days from your benefits-eligibility date. To enroll or opt-out of coverage, please do the following:

1. Review the Benefits Workbook for Domestic Full-Time Employees (.pdf)
2. Connect to HR Connection. (Enter your Andrew User ID/Password to authenticate, then enter your date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy) as your HR Connection password.) Follow the prompts to select your benefits in each category.
3. If you are in a same- or opposite-sex domestic partnership, review the Benefits for Domestic Partners of Full-Time Faculty and Staff Registration Packet (.pdf) and complete any of the appropriate forms.  You cannot use HR connection to process benefits for your partner until the Registration Form has been submitted and accepted.

Retirement Benefits:

The university contributes to a 403(b) retirement plan account on your behalf at no cost to you. You are automatically enrolled in the university’s plan (with no waiting period), in an age-appropriate TIAA-CREF LifeCylcle fund. You can, at any time, change the TIAA-CREF default enrollment. 

You can also enroll in a Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) to contribute your own money toward your retirement.  University and personal contributions can be invested in a variety of TIAA-CREF or Vanguard annuities and mutual funds.

To enroll in an SRA or to change your default university enrollment, please do the following:

1. Review the Enrolling in Your Carnegie Mellon Retirement Benefits (.pdf) overview.
2. Access the retirement carrier websites or enrollment guides to research their funds and products:
   • TIAA-CREF Web site or TIAA-CREF Carnegie Mellon Investment Guide (.pdf)
   • Vanguard Web site or Vanguard Enrollment Guide with Fund Recommendations (.pdf)
   • Roth 403(b) Information: Announcement (.pdf) and Roth 403(b) Brochure (.pdf)
3. Complete the appropriate university and carrier enrollment forms:
   • Supplemental Retirement Account - Salary Reduction Agreement (.pdf) - to initiate a Supplemental Retirement Account
   • TIAA-CREF Faculty and Staff Retirement Account (GRA) enrollment application (.pdf) - for university contributions
   • TIAA-CREF Supplemental Retirement Account (GSRA) enrollment application (.pdf) - for personal contributions
   • Vanguard Enrollment & Change Form (.pdf) - for university and personal contributions

Other Required Forms and Notices