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Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
News for the staff and faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas
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UT Dallas To Host Economic Development Summit
UT Dallas will host local business leaders, government officials and economic developers on Nov. 1 to discuss the economic state of our region with University leadership.
The Fifth Annual Economic Development Summit will feature a “fireside chat” between President Richard C. Benson and Ross Perot Jr., and a pair of timely panels: “Forging the Future in North Texas — How emerging industries can partner with economic development and higher education” and “Paving the Path to Success — Infrastructure and resource challenges and opportunities facing the region.” Learn how The University of Texas at Dallas can be a partner in driving the economic development of North Texas.
Register to attend the summit.
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Dallas-Fort Worth Labor Market Update
Occupational data for Dallas-Fort Worth experienced a net rise of 2,700 new jobs this August, with year-over-year growth totaling 154,800 new jobs since 2022. Hiring of educational workers was up, as schools prepared for the new academic year. Read the latest edition of the DFW Labor Market Update (PDF) for more details.
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 for the latest analysis and news.
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HR Forum Scheduled for Nov. 1
The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Closed captioning is available, and there will be a moderated Q&A forum.
Please refer to the agenda:
- Welcome
- Guest presentations
- Comet Cupboard updates
- First-Generation Celebration Week 2023
- Benefits Flash: Lincoln Financial
- HR updates
- Benefits reminders and wellness events
- March 1 salary changes
- RA/TA spring hiring reminders
- Temporary employees
- Fall employment deadlines
- Annual appraisals
- HR Food Drive in November
- Nonexempt employees and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Staff compensation study
- Bright Leaders Program
- Forum feedback survey responses
- Q&A and Closing comments
Join the HR Forum and share this link with your colleagues. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to hrforum@utdallas.edu.
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Research Days — Graduate Student Poster Competition, Research Showcase
Join the Office of Research and Innovation for the Graduate Student Poster Competition and Research Showcase on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Visitor Center and University Bookstore (VCB). Students will present their research during poster sessions held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. In this “people’s choice” competition, you will be able to vote for your favorite poster. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony immediately following the afternoon session.
Be sure to stop by to grab a snack and learn about research labs on campus, internship opportunities and cloud storage solutions from Amazon Web Services. Attendees also can participate in a community painting project.
The following webinars are also part of Research Days:
- Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CRPIT), 11 a.m. to noon, Monday, Oct. 23, Microsoft Teams — Learn the history of CPRIT and its role in fighting cancer. You also will hear about UT Dallas’ current CPRIT funding portfolio and opportunities.
- Hanover Research: Young Investigator Department of Defense (DoD) Awards, 1 to 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23, Microsoft Teams — Hanover will provide insights into the DoD Young Investigator Program (YIP) funding mechanism and developing a responsive and competitive proposal for the competition. Hanover also will provide recommendations for proposal development and discuss how proposals are reviewed against DoD YIP merit review criteria.
- Hanover Research: Team Science Best Practices, 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 27, Microsoft Teams — Hanover will discuss definitions of team science, the rationale for using team science in grant projects and critical factors for driving team science success. The webinar also will cover best practices for working with collaborative teams on grant projects, and how to address common pitfalls encountered when working collaboratively on grant proposals.
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Office of Research and Innovation Events
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Development Series, noon to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, through Oct. 26, Microsoft Teams — The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to conducting research in a scientifically responsible and ethical manner and expects all students and employees to follow relevant guidelines, policies and regulations. Students, postdocs, faculty and staff who participate in research at UT Dallas or any of its related centers or institutes may be required to participate in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training as part of their participation in federally sponsored research or as required in undergraduate or graduate research training programs. For more information, email Arietha Lafayette.
Getting To Know: Cost Share, 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, Microsoft Teams — What is cost share? Should we include it? How is it tracked once awarded? Why is it an audit priority? The Office of Research and Innovation will unravel the mystery surrounding cost share — both pre-award and post-award. For more information, email Arietha Lafayette.
RCR Professional Series Training: Research Ethics, noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31, CTL Conference Room (MC 2.404) — Why is it important to have expectations in place and follow proper protocol in the research lab? Dr. Fatemeh Hassanipour, professor of mechanical engineering, will answer this question and explain what happens when research ethics are violated. For more information, email Arietha Lafayette.
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UTD Gets Its Shining Moment on Amazon Prime Video Series
UTD is ready for its close-up. The University is being featured on an episode of the now-streaming Amazon Prime Video series “The College Tour,” allowing the school to reach a global audience. “The College Tour,” which has produced segments on other notable universities such as the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of California, Davis, and Tulane University, follows 10 UTD students on a 30-minute tour of campus and several academic programs. Along the way, viewers get a taste of UTD’s culture, its modern campus and connections to Dallas.
In addition to Amazon Prime Video, “The College Tour” UTD episode is available at the UTD College Tour page. There, viewers also can watch two web exclusives: “Coffee with the President,” an interview with President Benson, and “Ask Admissions,” an interview with Assistant Provost Ingrid London.
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Team UTD Wins 16 Medals, Raises Funds for Special Olympics Texas
Thank you for being a part of Team UTD in the 2023 City of Richardson Corporate Challenge! Your participation in the games and support of Special Olympics through donations and raffle tickets sales are truly appreciated. UTD’s $1,000 fundraising total will support Special Olympics athletes in Texas.
Congratulations to Team UTD members who won medals:
- Billiards: Bronze – Men
- Bowling: Gold
- Cornhole: Silver – Women; Gold – Mixed; Silver – Overall
- Dominos: Gold – Team 1; Silver – Overall
- Golf: Gold
- Horseshoes: Gold – Mixed
- Miniature Golf: Silver – Mixed; Bronze – Overall
- Pickleball: Gold – Men; Bronze – Overall
- Table Tennis: Silver – Women
- Tennis: Silver – Mixed; Bronze – Overall
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First-Generation Celebration Week 2023
The Office of Undergraduate Education invites the UT Dallas community and guests to participate in First-Generation Celebration Week.
This year’s events are:
First-Generation Visibility Walk, noon, Monday, Nov. 6, the Plinth — Join this student-led, 30-minute procession around UT Dallas to celebrate First-Generation Comet Pride. Pick up or wear your first-generation student supporter T-shirt. The walk will begin at 12:15 p.m. and end with music and snacks at the Plinth.
Using Pop Culture to Engage First-Generation Students, noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 8, GR 2.302 — Anyone, even people who can’t name a single Marvel character, can use pop culture to enhance course content and programming to engage first-generation students. Special guest Bert Gervais, co-founder of Genius Potential, will lead a discussion on how to incorporate pop culture into courses, programming and individual support for first-generation students. Lunch will be provided. Arrive early to get the latest First-Generation Student Supporter T-shirt. RSVP for Using Pop Culture.
Resource Fair, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10, VCB Atrium — Campus departments, academic programs, research groups and corporate partners may reserve a table to share information with first-generation students. Individuals also may register to volunteer for various event activities or engage with student attendees. Register your group or RSVP as an individual.
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Center for Translation Studies Event
New Poetic Horizons Series Presents: Not What It Means, But How It Means, 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2, Jonsson Performance Hall (JO 2.604) — Join pianist Logan Skelton, poet John Biguenet and poet/pianist Dr. Rainer Schulte as they engage the audience in a conversation about what it means to read — in the fullest sense — a poem or a musical composition. They will discuss the liberation to be found in learning to ask not just what something means but how it means.
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Reminders
Review Oct. 2 Paycheck for Correct Benefits
The annual benefits enrollment period for UT Dallas benefits-eligible employees ended July 31. Elections made during annual enrollment went into effect Sept. 1, with deductions starting Oct. 2. New hires and newly eligible employees have 31 days to enroll in benefits from their employment or benefits eligibility start date.
Your Oct. 2 paycheck will reflect benefit deductions for the coverage you selected during the 2023-2024 annual benefits enrollment. New hires and newly benefits-eligible employees: benefits enrollments or changes made after Thursday, Sept. 13, may not be reflected on your October paycheck. As applicable, you will have retroactive contributions on your November paycheck. The Office of Human Resources strongly recommends you compare your paycheck deductions with the benefits confirmation available to be printed or viewed through My UT Benefits.
You must report any discrepancies to the Office of Human Resources – Employee Benefits Services by Oct. 31. Discrepancies due to clerical/administrative errors that are reported by this date will be reviewed and may be changed in accordance with the UT System administrative policy and requirements. All requests for error correction submitted beyond the 31-day period must include explanation and appropriate documentation, as applicable, from the employee. The request may be forwarded to the UT System Office of Employee Benefits (OEB) for determination. If approved, OEB will determine the effective date based on the specific circumstances. All OEB decisions are final.
Nominate Colleagues for Staff Council CARE Awards
The Staff Council CARE Awards — short for Celebrate Achievement, Reward Excellence — acknowledge and honor the exceptional contributions of staff members at the University. These awards are given to individuals who have exhibited outstanding performance, provided excellent customer service and undertaken actions that have positively impacted the University’s reputation.
If you’re interested in nominating someone (PDF) for the 2023 CARE Awards, here is some essential information:
- Nomination deadline: Nominations for the 2023 CARE Awards must be submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 31.
- Nominating a staff member: If you know a staff member who has demonstrated excellence and deserves recognition, you can nominate them for a CARE Award. To do so, you can visit the CARE Awards page for more details and the nomination process.
Help UT Dallas Reach Its Goal for Employee Giving Month
You and UTD make a difference every day! Throughout October, UT Dallas faculty and staff are encouraged to support the University or other local, regional and national nonprofits via payroll deduction. UT Dallas’ goal is to have 350 UT Dallas employees participate in employee giving.
There are four ways to donate:
With so many areas to support on campus and beyond, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations hopes everyone chooses to donate to their preferred cause(s).
For more information about employee giving or assistance with your SECC pledge and/or a UT Dallas payroll deduction gift, please email Aisha Dibaki.
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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 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.
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