Care Award Recipients

Staff Council Honors Employees with Spring CARE Awards

The Staff Council honored six staff members with CARE Awards during a ceremony May 2 in the Eugene McDermott Library.

The recipients (pictured from left with UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson) included: Volya Helm, Callier Center for Communication Disorders; Frances Branham, Recreational Sports; Ashley Willess BA'11, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Matt Johns, Galerstein Gender Center; and Catherine Ranta, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Raul Hinojosa, Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, also received a CARE Award.

The council bestows the award — short for Celebrate Achievement, Reward Excellence — each spring and fall to exemplary staff members who have been nominated by faculty, staff, students or visitors. The nomination deadline for the fall awards is Oct. 31.

Breathe Easy Celebration Set for June 1

Breathe Easy

UT Dallas will celebrate becoming a tobacco-free campus with a Breathe Easy event at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 1, on the North Mall. Faculty, staff and students are invited to enjoy light refreshments and giveaways.

Information about the new policy and tobacco-cessation resources will also be available. For more details, visit utdallas.edu/tobaccofree.

Registration Now Open for Summer Chess Camps

The Chess Team will host camps this summer for players of all skill levels. The camps, which will be held in the Naveen Jindal School of Management, are scheduled for June 12-16, June 19-23, July 10-14 and July 17-21. Camp tuition includes a souvenir T-shirt, chessboard and pieces, scorebook, group photo, certificate of completion, and snacks. There are special discount rates for faculty, staff, students and alumni. For more information or to register, visit the camp website.

Staff Appreciation Day Will Be May 19

Staff Appreciation Day

The Staff Council will host Staff Appreciation Day from noon to 2 p.m., Friday, May 19, at the Plinth. There will be food, games, karaoke and giveaways while supplies last. To sign up for karaoke, click here. If your department is interested in setting up a table, email Andy Helgeson.

Educational Technology Service Seeks Feedback

The Educational Technology Service department, consisting of the eLearning Team, Media Services and Video Services, wants input from faculty, staff and students about its service. The department’s goal is to provide you with the best service possible. The survey is available online.

Save the Date: Annual Benefits Enrollment Begins July 15

My UT Benefits

During the annual benefits enrollment period — Saturday, July 15, to Monday, July 31 — you will be able to:

  • Make changes to your benefits.
  • Enroll or re-enroll in UT FLEX (employees only; enrollment does not automatically renew).
  • Add or remove dependents from your coverage plan.

An email containing a summary of your coverage and a link to the annual enrollment website will be sent to all benefits-eligible employees by Saturday, July 15. After you receive the email, log in to MyUTBenefits and follow the on-screen instructions to make your selections. You will receive an email confirming your changes in approximately 24 hours. If you don’t receive the confirmation email, contact UT Dallas Office of Human Resources - Benefits Services at [email protected] for help.

Enrollment must be completed before midnight on Monday, July 31.

The UT System Office of Employee Benefits will announce any changes to the FY 17-18 benefits plans in the A Matter Of Health newsletter in early July. Please monitor your University email account for this information and for campus-specific details.

For assistance or more information, contact the UT Dallas Office of Human Resources – Benefits Services staff via email at [email protected]. Benefits-eligible employees may also attend the UT Dallas Benefits Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 17, in the Student Union Galaxy Rooms (SU 2.602) to learn more.

Reminders

International Travel Lunch-and-Learn
Faculty and staff who travel abroad on University business are invited to attend a Travel Wellness Lunch-and-Learn from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, May 19, in the Student Union Faculty and Staff Dining Room. Representatives from the Benefits Office, the Employee Assistance Program and the International Center Risk and Safety Office will discuss assistance and benefits available to employees while they travel. Please RSVP and reserve your lunch. Seating is limited.

Summer Meal Membership
Dining Services is offering a Faculty and Staff Summer Meal Membership, which includes any 10 meals in Dining Hall West from Thursday, May 25, to Tuesday, Aug. 8, for $85, plus tax. Memberships can be purchased at utdallas.edu/dining and are loaded directly to your Comet Card within one business day of purchase. Additional memberships can be purchased if you run out of swipes, and multiple swipes can be used at each visit if you want to pay for a colleague or guest. In addition, Spirit Fridays will continue throughout the summer with lunch for $5 plus tax if you wear orange and green.

Facilities Management Has New Online Tools
The new Facilities Management website now offers tools that allow users to make a work request and report a problem online. Simply log on with your NetID and password and fill in the appropriate online form as prompted. Once the form is submitted, Facilities Management will send a confirmation of receipt and contact you with any questions. Note: Facilities Management and its departments will be closed Friday, May 19, for an internal workday to perform safety checks, maintenance and inventory updates. If an emergency arises, it will be addressed promptly. All other requests will be resolved the following business day.

Mindful Eating Lunch-and-Learn
The Office of Administration and the Employee Wellness Committee will host What Are You Hungry For? A Mindful Eating Exercise from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 25, in the Student Union Galaxy Rooms (SU 2.602). The session will be led by Angela Lovell from Nutrition Therapy and Wellness. Please RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday, May 18, to reserve your lunch.

Office of Research Seminars and Events

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 Stephen Fontenot at [email protected] or ext. 4405.