WAC 131-16-011   Definitions.  For the purpose of WAC 131-16-010 through 131-16-066, the following definitions shall apply:

     (1) "Participant" means any employee who is eligible to participate in the plan.

     (2) "Supplemental retirement benefit" means payments, as calculated in accordance with WAC 131-16-061, to an eligible retired participant in the plan prior to July 1, 2011, or designated beneficiary whose retirement benefits provided by the plan do not attain the level of the retirement benefit goal established by WAC 131-16-015.

     (3) "Year of full-time service" means retirement credit based on full-time employment or the equivalent thereof based on part-time employment in an eligible position for a period of not less than five months in any fiscal year during which contributions to TIAA-CREF were made by both the participant and a participating employer or a Washington public higher education institution or any year or fractional year of prior service in a Washington public retirement system while employed at a participating employer or a Washington public higher education institution: Provided, That the participant will receive a pension benefit from such other retirement system and that not more than one year of full-time service will be credited for service in any one fiscal year.

     (4) "Fiscal year" means the period beginning on July 1 of any calendar year and ending on June 30 of the succeeding calendar year.

     (5) "Average annual salary" means the amount derived when the salary received during the two consecutive highest salaried fiscal years of full-time service for which contributions to TIAA-CREF were made by both the participant and a participating employer or a Washington public higher education institution is divided by two.

     (6) "Plan retirement benefit" means the amount of annual retirement income derived from a participant's accumulated balances including dividends at the time of retirement: Provided, That solely for the purpose of calculating a potential supplemental retirement benefit, such amount shall be adjusted to meet the assumptions set forth in WAC 131-16-061(2).

     (7) "Salary" means all remuneration received by the participant from the participating employer, including summer quarter compensation, extra duty pay, leave stipends, and grants made by or through the participating employer; but not including any severance pay, early retirement incentive payment, remuneration for unused sick or personal leave, or remuneration for unused annual or vacation leave in excess of the amount payable for thirty days or two hundred forty hours of service.

     (8) "Designated beneficiary" means the surviving spouse of the retiree or, with the consent of such spouse, if any, such other person or persons as shall have an insurable interest in the retiree's life and shall have been nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the retiree's participating employer.

     (9) "State board" means the state board for community and technical colleges as created in RCW 28B.50.050.

     (10) "Appointing authority" means a participating employer's governing board or the designees of such boards.

     (11) "Plan" means the retirement plan sponsored by the state board and funded by TIAA-CREF.

     (12) "Participating employer" means an educational organization or agency operated by the state of Washington which is the employer of one or more eligible employees or former eligible employees and which is an employing entity designated by the state board to participate in the plan. The participating employers are listed in Appendix A of the plan document.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400. 11-19-065, § 131-16-011, filed 9/15/11, effective 10/16/11; 10-22-073, § 131-16-011, filed 10/29/10, effective 11/29/10; 05-24-051, § 131-16-011, filed 12/1/05, effective 1/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400 and chapter 28B.50 RCW. 98-14-033, § 131-16-011, filed 6/23/98, effective 7/24/98. Statutory Authority: Chapter 28B.50 RCW. 97-10-069, § 131-16-011, filed 5/5/97, effective 7/8/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400. 91-13-048 (Resolution No. 91-20, Order 129), § 131-16-011, filed 6/14/91, effective 7/15/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400(3). 86-22-027 (Order 111, Resolution No. 86-43), § 131-16-011, filed 10/30/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400. 83-20-042 (Order 95, Resolution No. 83-25), § 131-16-011, filed 9/28/83. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400(3). 82-11-014 (Order 91, Resolution No. 82-6), § 131-16-011, filed 5/10/82. Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.10.400. 79-12-069 (Order 80, Resolution No. 79-44), § 131-16-011, filed 11/30/79; Order 28, § 131-16-011, filed 7/1/74.]