Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 News for the staff and faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas

Announcing Comets United Day, Rescheduled State of the University

President Richard C. Benson recently announced Comets United Day for 2024 and offered an update on the postponed State of the University:

“As an expression of gratitude for your hard work, I am pleased to announce that Jan. 2, 2024, will be Comets United Day. Please enjoy the additional day of winter break to rest and recharge.”

“I look forward to sharing even more about our progress when we hold the State of the University after our return from winter break. Details about the rescheduled event are forthcoming.”

Read President Benson’s full statement.

Leaders in Inclusion Receive Awards from ODEI

The LEAD Awards Honoree Dinner recognized faculty, staff, student and community partners for their efforts to make UT Dallas a more inclusive and welcoming campus and workplace.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion honored the following individuals and organizations at the Oct. 30 event:

• Corporate Partner Award Winner: Chime Scholars Foundation
• Community Champion Award Winner: Ashley Sharp BA’09, MPA’11, executive director of Dwell with Dignity
• Student Award Winner: Mahesh Jajoo, marketing graduate student, vice president, Indian Students Association
• Faculty Award Winner: Dr. Kelli Palmer, professor and department head of biological sciences and Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science
• Staff Award Winner: Mark Powell, machine shop manager
• Inclusive Team Award Winner: Inclusive Excellence Committee, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
• Inclusive Leader Award Winner: Terry Pankratz, vice president for budget and finance

See photos, watch a video and get more information on the honoree dinner page.

 

Sign Up To Receive Your W-2 Electronically

The UTD Payroll office will be issuing W-2s by Jan. 31 to current and former employees who had wages in calendar year 2023. If you would like to receive your W-2 electronically instead of having to wait for it to be printed and mailed, please follow the steps below before Jan. 15. Your election remains in effect for all future calendar years, it does not need to be renewed each year.

• Log in to Galaxy > Gemini
• Click “NavBar: Navigator” in the upper right corner, under Main Menu select “Gemini HCM”
• Under “Self Service,” select “Payroll and Compensation”
• Select “W-2/W-2c Consent”
• Check the box that says “Check here to indicate your consent to receive electronic W-2 and W-2c forms”
• Click “Submit”

You will receive a confirmation email at your UTD email address when the change is made.

Benefits of the electronic W-2 include earlier receipt of the form and the ability to access and reprint the form at your convenience. If you will be accessing your W-2 from an off-campus computer, you will be required to sign up for NetID Plus. Former employees can still access Galaxy for up to three years from their last day of work to access paystubs and W-2 forms.

Please contact payroll@utdallas.edu with any questions.

Discounted DART Passes Are Available for Employees

UT Dallas Parking & Transportation Services and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) are partnering to provide affordable access to public transportation for faculty and staff who wish to purchase an annual DART pass.

A Local pass is available at the discounted rate of $360, and the Regional pass at the discounted rate of $1,080 for the 2024 calendar year. The discounted price for employee DART passes will be available until Friday, Feb. 16. After that date, faculty and staff may still purchase a DART pass via UT Dallas Parking & Transportation to receive a lower corporate rate.

To purchase an annual pass, log in and complete the 2024 Faculty & Staff DART Pass Application.

For more information, visit the Passes for Faculty and Staff page.

HR Forum Scheduled for Dec. 6

The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 6, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Closed captioning is available, and there will be a moderated Q&A forum. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to hrforum@utdallas.edu.

HR Forum Benefits Flash: Retirement Planning, Social Security

The Benefits Flash highlights benefits information to UT Dallas employees. It was started in response to employee feedback from the Climate and HR Forum Survey.

Learn about the latest topics on the Benefits Flash site:

• October topic — Demystifying the UTD retirement planning process
• November topic — Demystifying Social Security

A new Benefits Flash topic will be featured each month during the HR Forum, in the HR Campus Connection Teams Channel and in Intercom. Recommend a topic by emailing benefits@utdallas.edu.

Commencement Ambassadors Needed Dec. 18-19

Staff members are invited to sign up as Commencement Ambassadors for the Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremonies. Commencement Ambassadors are volunteers who assist with guest management and customer service during the commencement ceremonies and Grads on the Green.

The deadline to register is Monday, Dec. 4. The shifts for Commencement Ambassadors are:

Monday, Dec. 18: Activity Center

• 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• noon to 4 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 18: ATC Lecture Hall

• 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• noon to 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 19: Activity Center

• 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• noon to 4 p.m.
• 3:34 to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 19: ATC Lecture Hall

• 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

If your school has sent out a request for staff to help with commencement and you have signed up with them, please do not sign up for that shift using this form.

Year-End Giving to UT Dallas

As the end of the calendar year approaches, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations will accept gifts made to the University for 2023 income tax purposes. During the winter break, call the department at 972-883-3958 for information regarding on-call personnel.

Please visit the Year-End Giving page to learn about proper handling for year-end gifts made by various payment types.

For more information, email gifts@utdallas.edu or call Gift Services at 972-883-3958.

Dallas-Fort Worth Labor Market Update

Dallas-Fort Worth saw a spike in job growth this September with the addition of 25,600 new jobs. Government topped the list with 6,300 new positions. The consumer price index for the area also came out and points to a large spike since the last observation in July. To learn more about these trends and other activity, read the latest edition of the DFW Labor Market Update (pdf).

For information on how UT Dallas and our local economy affect each other, please contact the F&ED Economic Development team. You also can subscribe to biweekly updates with the latest analysis and news from the Economic Development team.

Wellness Events

Eliminate Tobacco Use Day

The Student Wellness Center, Employee Wellness and the Center for Students in Recovery are hosting Eliminate Tobacco Use Day from 2 to 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17, at Chess Plaza. This event promotes healthy living and eliminating smoking and tobacco use by the students, faculty, staff, and families of our campus community. Join us in celebrating our tobacco/smoke-free campus!

National Family Caregivers Month

Providing care and support to our loved ones can be taxing. It can lead to physical tiredness along with feelings of loneliness and depression. Learn to Live mental health programs teach members how to replace negative thoughts with positive ones and set boundaries to allow us to better care for ourselves and others.

You’re invited to the Learn to Live webinar Caring Without Crumbling: Tools to Prevent Burnout. Learn how to navigate the complex emotions that come with caregiving. Register by clicking one of the links below and entering the access code (BETTERME).

• Thursday, Nov. 16, noon to 12:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 28, 4 to 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 8, noon to 12:30 p.m.

In addition, read about Support for Caregivers: Your New Role in the November EAP newsletter (pdf) or view the on-demand seminar Caring for the Caregiver starting Tuesday, Nov. 21. Visit Deer Oaks EAP and enter utdallas for the username and password to access the online seminar.

To all the strong caregivers out there, you have a big impact on the lives you touch. Remember to take care of yourself along the way.

RSVP To Attend Women ERG Meeting

The Women Employee Resource Group (WERG) invites UTD employees to its first general meeting of the semester. Reconnect with colleagues, get to know one another, share ideas and enjoy time together before the holidays.

The come-and-go event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 29, in Artemis Hall II (SU 2.905B). WERG will provide lunch. Please RSVP by Monday, Nov. 27.

For more information, email Solara Simpson. Stay up-to-date on WERG activities by joining the WERG mailing list (pdf).

UEMR To Host Blood Drive, Ambulance Tour, Emergency Training

University Emergency Medical Response (UEMR) will host the following events during Collegiate EMS Week:

• Richardson Fire Department Ambulance Tour, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15, Safety and Grounds (SG) — Richardson firefighters and paramedics will lead the tour.
• UEMR Blood Drive, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 16, Student Union Artemis Hall (SU 2.905) — Help save lives by donating blood. Register to donate.
• UEMR Mass Casualty Incident/Emergency Management Training, 3 to 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17, SG Classroom (SG 1.214A) — Learn how to respond in a mass casualty incident. Patient assessment, triage and treatment will be discussed. There will be an interactive drill to practice the skills.

For more information, email Sheila Elliott.

Office of Research and Innovation Event

Research Days 2023: Amazon Web Services, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Nov. 28, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center — During his presentation “Enabling Researchers & Accelerating Research,” AWS research expert John Paul Laverde will share how AWS can complement and enhance an institution’s research capabilities. There will be two breakout sessions: “AWS White Glove Service for Academic Researchers” and “Research on AWS Hands On Workshop.” Arrive early for a networking opportunity filled with pastries, coffee and conversation. For more information, email Arietha Lafayette.

Reminder

BBS Research Program Seeks Applicants

Faculty are encouraged to invite undergraduate and graduate students to submit their posters for the Supporting Outstanding Academic Research (SOAR) Mini-symposium held by the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

The goal of the SOAR program is to recognize outstanding young scholars who have identities or perspectives that are underrepresented in science and/or have research interests in diversity-related issues in brain or behavioral sciences; and it aims to create a lasting school climate that supports and retains scholars with diverse perspectives and equity-focused research programs.

There will be a $500 award for the best poster. The deadline to submit a poster is Thursday, Nov. 16. The mini-symposium will be from 1 to 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1, at Callier Center Richardson (CRA 12.110).

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 valuable information necessary for the workplace, as well as community news that supports the University’s mission. Visit the Intercom website for guidelines about content and submissions.

The University of Texas at Dallas

800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas 75080-3021
972 883-2111

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