(a) The following employees shall be eligible for coverage under this plan:

1. (1) Full-time employees upon completion of one year of service and part-time employees upon completion of one year of service as follows:

   1. (i) part-time academic employees who teach two or more courses in any one semester (excluding those employees deemed casual); and
   2. (ii) part-time professional employees, part-time management/confidential employees, and part-time academic employees who are not assigned to teach courses, who are employed at a salary rate which would yield a total compensation of $8,000 or more between July 1, 1988 and June 30, 1989; $8,500 or more between July 1, 1989 and June 30, 1990; and $9,000 or more between July 1, 1990 and June 30, 1991 (excluding those employees deemed casual).
2. (2) Employees who, while in service, completed one year of service within the last five consecutive years.
3. (3) Any person who, as a covered employee, left university service, and who thereafter is reappointed as an employee within three years of the last day of such previous employment.
4. (4) Any employee, who, within three months prior to appointment to service, was insured by his or her previous employer under a group disability insurance program providing income benefits for a period of not less than five years during total disability due to sickness.

(b) The following persons shall be ineligible for coverage under the plan:

1. (1) Any person serving on other than a full-time basis, except as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section except further that a covered employee on leave at full salary, at reduced salary or without salary pursuant to Part 337 of this Title shall be continued as a covered employee for a period not to exceed two years from the date such leave commenced.
2. (2) Any covered employee who resigns, retires or whose employment otherwise ceases.
3. (3) Any covered employee who accepts appointment to a position other than a professional position as defined in subdivision (3) of section 355-a of the Education Law.
4. (4) Any covered employee who commences part-time employment, except as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section except further that (i) if ineligible part-time employment by an academic year employee commences during an academic year, coverage shall be continued until the 31st day of August next following as though such employees were continued in full-time service, or (ii) if such part-time employment by a calendar year employee commences during a calendar year, coverage shall be continued until the 31st day of December next following as though the employees were continued in eligible service.