Fall Brings New Campus Facilities, Services

This fall semester, The University of Texas at Dallas will debut new facilities, including two apartment complexes and an alumni center, new parking and transportation services, and expanded on-campus dining options that will further enhance the campus environment. For more information, check out our back-to-school News Center page.

NetID Upgrade Arriving in September

NetID System Upgrade

An Office of Information Technology NetID system upgrade is scheduled for Sept. 9-10. The upgrade will enhance self-service and security features, including:

  • Improved self-service features plus out-of-band authorization, available 24/7
  • Password changes in real time
  • Less likely to get accidentally locked out
  • Passwords expire less frequently
  • No more sponsorship renewal for current employees

With the new system, your personal email address will become the primary mode of communication for password issues and unlocking accounts. Please update this information in Galaxy.

To learn more, visit the FAQ section here.

Comet Calendar Reaches Wide Audience for University Events

Comet Calendar Website

Need to promote an event on campus this fall? The Comet Calendar can help. As one of the most visited pages on the University’s website, the calendar is an online listing of UT Dallas events and announcements. To request access to add or approve events, email [email protected]. If your department is already set up to add events to the calendar, contact whomever is in charge (contact University Web Services at 972-883-4995 if you are not sure who this is).

Once your event is submitted to the Comet Calendar, you can make changes to the entry at any time, and edits will be reflected on the calendar immediately. If you register your event using the Student Union room registration form, it will automatically be added to the Comet Calendar.

Institutional Review Board to Hold Fall Workshops

The Institutional Review Board offers informal fall workshops on applications or protocols for IRB review, amendments, or annual renewals of projects. Walk-ins are encouraged. No registration or appointment is needed.

IRB staff can answer questions on the information required in each section of the protocol, reviewer questions and comments, informed consent forms and processes, and more complex research design issues.

Get hands-on, specific assistance for your applications for IRB review. All researchers are welcome to attend any session. The first two workshops will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 5, in ECSS 3.503, and from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Sept. 20, in ATC 1.201.

Check the Research event calendar for future workshop dates. Call Mary Beth Goodnight at 972-883-4595 for more information.

Join the Comets Care Task Force

Comets Care

Comets Care is the new faculty, staff and student giving program launching later this year. To help develop the program, a small task force comprised of faculty and staff from across campus will be created. Members of the task force will help with several small projects throughout the school year, from distributing information and answering questions to helping at events.

Comets Care is seeking 10 volunteers to join and make a difference for all of UT Dallas.

Contact Jill Arredondo, director of annual giving, at 972-883-5380 to sign up or for more details.

Women Leading in Diversity Networking Breakfast

The Office of Diversity and Community Engagement will honor five campus figures who have helped make UT Dallas an inclusive campus at its Women Leading in Diversity networking breakfast. This free event will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 8, in the McDermott Suite of McDermott Library (MC 4.4).

Honorees include:

  • Courtney Brecheen MPA’09, associate dean, Undergraduate Education
  • Dr. Salena Brody, lecturer, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
  • Monique Wedderburn, director, UT Dallas Asia Center
  • Mei Miao BS’89, vice president, regional multicultural markets officer, BB&T
  • Ayesha Ahmad, senior, biochemistry

Melanie Miller, lead facilitator at the Diversity Leadership Academy at the American Institute for Managing Diversity, will be the guest speaker. Tickets are available here.

OSV Back-to-School Drive Seeks School Supplies

Each fall, more than 3,500 children receive backpacks with age-appropriate school supplies and new uniforms from Community Partners of Dallas. Programs like these help ensure safety, restore dignity and inspire hope for disadvantaged children served by Child Protective Services in Dallas County.

The Office of Student Volunteerism will collect school supplies throughout the end of August. Markers, colored pencils, erasers, glue sticks and scissors are especially needed. Donation boxes are located in the OSV Office (SSA 14.431T), the Administration Building near the second-floor elevator, the Student Union lobby and the Teacher Development Center (Hoblitzelle Hall).

Celebrate National Payroll Week at Payroll Open House

The Payroll Office will celebrate National Payroll Week with an open house from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, in AD 2.224. Staff members will be on hand to answer payroll-related questions. Refreshments will be served.

Sips of Science Has a New Home in Downtown Plano

Sips of Science

Sips of Science, the monthly program featuring researchers talking about their work in casual and lively settings, moves to Angela’s at the Crosswalk in downtown Plano this fall. The series opens at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, with a Three Minute Thesis Road Show, where winners of April’s Three Minute Thesis Competition will discuss their work and answer questions. These events are free, open to the public, and usually occur on the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, email [email protected] or follow Sips of Science on Facebook.

The following are upcoming Sips of Science events:

 

Medical District Express Route Resumes Service

The Office of the Provost and Parking and Transportation have resumed the Comet Cruiser Medical District Express Pilot Route, which provides service to and from the main UT Dallas campus and the Center for BrainHealth, the Center for Vital Longevity, UT Southwestern, Parkland Hospital and Callier Center Dallas.

The route will operate Monday through Friday, with buses departing from the bus stop at Callier Center Dallas beginning at 7 a.m. each day. A full schedule, detailed route map and bus stop information are available online.

The shuttles are equipped with Wi-Fi, as well as GPS tracking to allow riders to locate where each shuttle is on the route. The route will run through the fall semester, at which time ridership numbers will be evaluated to determine whether the program will continue.

Reminders

Recycling Program Expands Services
The UT Dallas recycling program has expanded to include plastic film materials, Styrofoam packing peanuts and rechargeable batteries. To find a collection bin for plastic films, view the campus recycling locations directory. If you receive a package with Styrofoam packing peanuts, secure the peanuts in the empty box with tape, and send it via interoffice mail to Evan Paret at mailstop FM11. Rechargeable battery recycling is available through the Hazardous Waste program. Batteries must be taped on the ends and placed in designated battery recycling bins.

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.