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Communication for the staff and faculty of
The University of Texas at Dallas |
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Wednesday, October 21, 2020 |
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COVID-19 Information, Resources
During the disruption of regular services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Communications is maintaining a collection of information and resources for staff, faculty and students. For the latest information, visit the COVID-19 website, which will be updated frequently with FAQs and the latest information.
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Attend HR Forum on Nov. 4; Join Campus Connection on Teams
The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10-11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Please install Microsoft Teams prior to joining. If you need assistance, contact the Help Desk.
Each participant will have the option to turn on closed captioning. Participation will be through a moderated Q-and-A forum. Email your forum questions in advance to [email protected].
Please refer to the agenda:
- Welcome: Colleen Dutton, chief human resources officer
- Standing items
- You Asked, We Answered
- Updates: Return to campus; Living Our Values Task Force, Rafael Martín, chief of staff
- Guest presentations
- Data center update: Brian Dourty, chief technology officer
- Purchasing updates: Lori Matthews, director of purchasing
- Employee relations
- Tuition benefits update: Ellen Ammons, employee relations lead manager
- Benefits and wellness
- HCM Fluid upgrade, Tina Sharpling, HRIS manager,
- Wellness update: Taylor Tran, employee health program manager
- Talent development
- Training updates: Jillian McNally, talent development specialist.
- Closing comments
To stay up-to-date on the latest news and information related to employment, immigration, wellness, benefits, talent development, as well as other Human Resources activities, join the HR Campus Connection in Teams. Use the code 4nstab6 to join.
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UTD Is Coolest UT System School in Sierra Club Ranking
UT Dallas was the top-ranked institution in The University of Texas System in Sierra magazine’s 14th annual Cool Schools ranking of more than 300 colleges and universities. Only Texas A&M University, Rice University and the University of Houston ranked higher in Texas for modeling sustainability in higher education.
“It is very cool, indeed, to be ranked as the top performing UT System institution in Sierra magazine’s ranking. These rankings reflect UTD’s prioritization of sustainability in all that we do,” said Gary Cocke, director of sustainability.
“I am especially proud of the breadth of impact that is recognized. The rankings consider the work we put in to operate a green campus, the work performed in classrooms and research labs, and everything in between,” Cocke said.
Cocke cited the University’s near-perfect score for campus engagement, with students leading the way in sustainability efforts such as Student Government’s Green Initiative, the Eco Reps program and the Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO).
The national ranking is based on data from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) STARS self-reporting tool that was scored by the magazine across 61 questions, including a new one about fossil fuel investments.
Sierra is the national print and digital magazine of the Sierra Club, the oldest and largest grassroots environmental group in the U.S.
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Sign Up for Frontiers of BrainHealth Lectures
Learn from the world's leading brain scientists at the Frontiers of BrainHealth Lunchtime Lectures. Registration is free.
The next lectures are:
Do Dogs Make Us Physically and Mentally Healthier? Dr. Nancy Gee, noon, Friday, Oct. 30 — Gee is the Bill Balaban Chair in Human-Animal Interaction, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Her primary research focus has examined the fundamental question of how and under what circumstances the presence or involvement of a companion animal may impact cognitive functioning in humans across their developmental lifespan. Register for Gee's talk.
Update on Autoimmune Encephalitis, Dr. Steven Vernino, noon, Friday, Nov. 13 — Autoimmune neurology is a quickly evolving field. There is increasing recognition that many cases of rapidly progressive dementia and other forms of new onset behavioral changes may be explained by autoimmunity against molecular targets in the brain. Vernino is a Distinguished Teaching Professor and executive vice chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Register for Vernino’s talk.
See the full lineup at the Center for BrainHealth site.
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Survey: Help UT Dallas Improve Its Social Media
The Office of Communications is seeking feedback from staff and faculty about its social media channels. Fill out a brief survey to share your social media interests and what UT Dallas information matters most to you.
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Set Your Sights on Financial Wellness This Month
October is National Retirement Security Month (NRSM), a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of saving for retirement. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted retirement savings and overall financial health and not surprisingly, many employees plan to work longer. The UT Retirement Program, in partnership with our five approved providers, are available to help employees.
For tips on where to start and resources available to you, download the NRSM flyer.
VOYA will host live webinars for UT System employees this month:
Lincoln Financial also will host a webinar series about the basics of financial planning:
For more information, visit the Employee Wellness website.
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UT System Resources To Offer Wellness Webinars
UT Dallas Employee Wellness invites staff and faculty to attend upcoming webinars:
- EAP Online Seminar: The Mental Strength Workout — Learn skills and strategies to exercise the power of your mind and increase your mental fortitude. Visit Deer Oaks EAP and enter utdallas for the username and password to access the online seminar. For additional tips, information and resources from Deer Oaks EAP, download the October EAP newsletter.
- Hinge Health Demo, noon-12:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29 — Struggling with chronic pain? Hinge Health is an exercise therapy program to help you conquer chronic back, knee, hip, neck, and shoulder pain. The program includes unlimited one-on-one coaching, personalized exercise therapy and free tablet and wearable sensors. Learn more about the home-based program during this webinar. Registration for the demo is required.
- MDLIVE: Are You Prepared for Flu Season? 12:30-1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29 — Learn how your telehealth benefit can help when you’re feeling sick. Registration for the MDLIVE event is required.
- Livongo: Diabetes Awareness Month, noon-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Learn ways to fit health into your life and manage diabetes. Registration for the Livongo event is required.
- Omada: A Whole New Way To Get Healthy, 12:30- p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Find out if Omada is a fit for you during this webinar for diabetes awareness month. Registration for the Omada event is required.
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UNT Professor To Discuss Teaching During a Pandemic
The Center for Teaching and Learning invites you to attend Teaching and Higher Education in the Era of COVID: Challenges & Opportunities, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29.
Dr. John Ishiyama, professor of political science at the University of North Texas and president-elect of the American Political Science Association, will discuss how long-term trends have produced challenges for higher education, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges but also opportunities for higher education to rethink what we do as programs and in the classroom.
The session will be recorded and made available in the CTL Resources for Fall 2020 Teaching course and in the Graduate Teaching Certificate program in eLearning for on-demand viewing. Those who RSVP will receive slides and a recording.
For more information or special accommodations, please email [email protected].
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Enrollment, Employment Trends by UTD Program
The Economic Development team has released a set of interactive charts showing employment and enrollment trends over the last decade for all University programs. These charts allow visitors to filter the information and zoom in on particular details. The raw research data has also been made publicly available.
For more information, please contact Rachel Brasier.
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Dallas-Fort Worth Labor Market Update
While Dallas-Fort Worth’s August unemployment rates fell well below their peak in April, and were considerably lower than the national average, they are still nearly twice as high as they were in August 2019. See which jobs were in highest demand and which sectors still struggled in the Economic Development team’s Labor Market Update for August 2020.
For more information, please contact Rachel Brasier.
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Office of Research Events
UT Dallas Women’s Summit, noon-1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 20-Thursday, Oct. 22 — The summit will encourage women to chart their course in business, foster innovation, support aspiring entrepreneurs and inspire the next leaders in business. The first 200 attendees will receive a copy of Kara Goldin's book, Undaunted. Registration for the Women’s Summit is required. For more information, email [email protected].
Comet Corner Series: Patricia Evridge Hill MA '84 PhD '90, noon, Wednesday, Oct. 21 — UT Dallas alumna Patricia Evridge Hill, professor of history at San Jose State University, will present “Searching for Sources: Writing More Inclusive Histories of Dallas and San Francisco.” Registration is required. For more information, email Anricka Ziller.
IRB Training Series: Participant Payment, noon, Wednesday, Oct. 21 — This session will cover participant payment from the Institutional Review Board’s (IRB) point of view and provide guidance on considerations needed to ensure compliance of applicable regulations and policies that protect human participants. Registration for the IRB Training Series is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
Center Stage Seminar Series, 3 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21 — Dr. Howard Dover, clinical professor of marketing and director of the Center for Professional Sales, will showcase research taking place at the center. Registration for Center Stage is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
Cayuse IRB Training, noon, Thursday, Oct. 22 — The IRB Team will guide principal investigators, faculty sponsors, students and study personnel through the Cayuse platform. Registration is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
IRB Book Study: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, 4-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22 — This book study will cover the harm and controversies humans face historically and today in the name of research. Participants will read and discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, and examine racism, vulnerable populations, research ethics, patient rights and more. Chapters 21-24: HIPAA will be covered at this session. Registration for the book study is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
Research 101: How to Interact with Program Officers, noon, Friday, Oct. 23 — Getting to know program officers is worthwhile. It is a great idea to contact them to discuss your research and specific interests. These interactions often pave the way for future funding. Former program officers Dr. Mario Rotea and Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham will share best practices for interacting with program officers. Registration for Research 101 is required. For more information, email Anricka Ziller.
Lab to Launch Series: Fundraising for Commercialized Research and “Ask Me Anything” with Venture Capitalists, noon, Monday, Oct. 26 — During this panel discussion, you will learn the basics of fundraising and have a chance to ask questions. Registration for Lab to Launch is required. For more information, email Anricka Ziller.
OSPA Fall Training: How to Process a Budget Revision, 10-11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28 — The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration will lead a discussion about the revision process and attendees will interact with the online budget revision form. Registration for OSPA Fall Training is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
IRB Book Study: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, 4-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29 — This book study will cover the harm and controversies humans face historically and today in the name of research. Participants will read and discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, and examine racism, vulnerable populations, research ethics, patient rights and more. Chapters 25-28: Patent Law, Fiduciary and Financial Interests will be covered at this session. Registration for the book study is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
Research Compass Series: Institutional Review Board, noon-1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2 — This session is designed for investigators new to the IRB process and those needing a refresher course. You will learn general tips for success and have the opportunity to ask questions of the IRB staff; presentation by UTD IRB director Amanda Boone. Registration for Research Compass Series is required. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.
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Reminders
Register for Sips & Science Sessions
Join the Center for BrainHealth for its upcoming Sips & Science sessions this semester:
Each session will start at 7 p.m. and is free to attend.
State Employee Charitable Campaign Benefits Two UTD Programs
Last week, the University launched its annual State Employee Charitable Campaign. The campaign, which raises funds for local, national and international nonprofit organizations, will run through Thursday, Oct. 31. Two UT Dallas programs are eligible for support — the Academic Bridge Program and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
As in previous years, you have the option of setting up gifts online using payroll deduction. Check out this short video tutorial of how to make your online pledge.
For more information or to make a cash or check contribution, email [email protected].
Connect with Colleagues at Watercooler Wednesday
It's important to take breaks and stay in touch with colleagues as many staff and faculty work remotely. You are invited to virtually connect with colleagues on Watercooler Wednesday through a Microsoft Teams live event at 10-10:15 a.m. and 3-3:15 p.m. Each session will include a wellness activity. Join early or hang around after and visit with colleagues and meet new folks.
Visit the Campus Wellness Committee site for more information about Watercooler Wednesday and other virtual resources related to wellness.
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About This Newsletter
InterCom is the official University-wide newsletter for UT Dallas faculty and staff members. This periodic publication is designed to provide University employees with important information necessary for the workplace, as well as community news that supports the University's mission. Guidelines about content and submissions can be found here or contact Robert Tracy at [email protected] or ext. 3521. |
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