University Honored for Organizational Development, Training

Ivor Robinson
From left: Marco Mendoza, Colleen Dutton, Karen Casey, David Gleason and Terry Cartwright.
The Human Resources' Organizational Development and Training team was recently recognized by the Dallas chapter of the Association for Talent Development for having one of the top change management programs. The Catch Comet Pride Service Excellence Series was one of only two programs to receive the honor at the chapter's AXIS Awards.

In spring 2010, the University launched Catch Comet Pride to promote a service culture among employees. Results have indicated an improvement of 10 to 20 percentage points in service areas such as trustworthiness, responsiveness, empathy and overall satisfaction. Through the program, the University has created a much broader and deeper awareness of and appreciation for the commitment to a service excellence culture.

Since its inception, more than 1,400 faculty and staff members and 400 student workers have completed the training program. The next Catch Comet Pride series begins Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 1:30 p.m. To sign up or view all upcoming trainings, log in to Galaxy, go to Staff Tools > LEO > Find Available Training.

Comet Cruiser Adds Medical District Express Route

Parking and Transportation and the Office of the Provost have launched a new Comet Cruiser Medical District Express Route. The shuttle 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 pilot service will operate Monday through Friday until the end of the spring semester when ridership numbers will help determine whether it will continue. A full schedule and route map are available online.

Assistant Athletic Director Wins National Award

Angela Marin
Angela Marin

Angela Marin, assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator for UT Dallas, received the Emerging Athletic Administrator Award from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators.

The award is given to a professional with seven or fewer years' experience as a titled athletics administrator at the Division III level. It recognizes involvement and leadership roles on an institution campus or in a conference office. Read More.

Stationery, Greeting Card Drive to Help Senior Citizens

Angela Marin

The Office of Student Volunteerism is collecting blank stationery and assorted new greeting cards this month to help low-income senior citizens stay connected with family and friends.

Collected items will be dispersed by Senior Source, a Dallas-based nonprofit that assists and connects older adults to resources, opportunities and independence.

Collection bins are in the OSV office (Student Services Addition, 14.431T), the first-floor lobby of the Student Union and the Administration Building's second-floor lobby near the elevators.

Dining Services Offers Specials, Cookie Cakes

Dining Services has several events this month, including two special Valentine's Day offers for students, faculty and staff.

Dining Services is taking orders for custom-decorated, 7-inch Valentine's cookie cakes throughout the month. Order forms are available in Papa John's and the entrance of Dining Hall West. The cookie cakes will be ready for pickup at Papa John's on the date customers specify.

In addition, Outtakes in the Student Union will feature a “Dinner For Two” meal special Feb. 9-14. Customers can select from one of three menus featuring a salad, entrée and dessert. For more information, go to the Dining Services website.

Valentine's Gifts to Help Support Staff Scholarships

The Staff Council's Valentine's gift sale has returned. Orders for Valentine roses and teddy bears will be accepted through Monday, Feb. 13. The proceeds help support staff scholarships. Prices are $3 for each red long-stem rose and $30 for a dozen. The bears are $8 to $14. Orders will be ready for pickup in AD 3.202, starting at 2 p.m. on Feb. 13. Purchase online at alumni.utdallas.edu/staffvalentines.

Compliance Training Must Be Done by End of Month

The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance has assigned fiscal 2017 compliance training modules for employees to complete by the end of the month. Staff and faculty members are required to complete all of the annual training modules, as well as any job-specific training assigned to them, in eLearning by Tuesday, Feb. 28. If you have questions regarding compliance training, call Institutional Compliance at ext. 2233.

Police Offer Free Self-Defense Classes

Angela Marin

The UT Dallas Police Department will offer three-day Rape Aggression Defense classes for women this semester. These free courses, which are taught on campus by nationally certified instructors, are open to students, faculty and staff members. The classes are from 5 to 9 p.m. Registration is required. Participants must attend all three days. The upcoming schedule is as follows:

  • Feb. 16-18, March 13-15, April 17-19, May 24-26 and June 10-12

Dates for the Resisting Aggression with Defense classes for men will be announced soon. For more information or to register, email Officer Somer Fernandez at [email protected].

Nominations Needed for Honors Convocation Awards

The Office of Undergraduate Education is seeking nominations for the Provost's Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research, the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award and the Undergraduate Alumni Achievement Award. The awards will be presented this spring at Honors Convocation. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, March 3. To submit a nomination or for more information, go to the convocation awards website.

Annual Performance Appraisals Due April 7

Annual employee performance appraisals must be returned to Human Resources by Friday, April 7. Appraisals for new employees — those who joined the University between Jan. 1 and April 15, 2017 — are due June 30. Questions or concerns may be directed to the Employee Relations staff. Training opportunities are also available to assist supervisors and employees.

Reminders

Booster Fuels Service Available
Faculty, staff and students can now get their vehicles fueled up on the University's main campus through the app Booster Fuels. Service hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday. Fuel service can be completed within a five-hour delivery window at no additional charge. Request service by 4 p.m. to ensure free delivery. To request service, download the Booster app and follow the instructions. Vehicles must be parked in a surface lot. For questions, email [email protected].

RecycleMania Continues until April 1
UT Dallas is participating in RecycleMania, a competition and benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction and increase recycling on campus. Email [email protected] if you need additional recycling or shredding bins. In addition, remember to recycle your toner and ink cartridges in the Staff Council collection bins across campus. Each donated cartridge raises money for the Staff Council Scholarship Fund.

Heart Walk
There will be a UT System Heart Walk on Friday, Feb. 10, in recognition of National Heart Month and the importance of heart health. Faculty and staff are invited to meet at 10 a.m. at the Plinth for the 10-minute walk. Groups also will meet outside the Synergy Park North building's main entrance; the lobby reception desk in the Center for BrainHealth; and the main lobby of Callier Center Dallas.

Community Appreciation Day
The Office of Administration and the Department of Athletics will host Community Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Activity Center (AB). Faculty and staff are invited to bring their families for free lunch and two Comets basketball games. Both teams will play UT Tyler. The women's game begins at 1 p.m., and the men's game starts at 3 p.m. RSVP with your name and number of people in your group to [email protected] by Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Green Zone Training Set for March 10
The Green Zone program works to establish a University-wide network of staff and faculty members who can help shape a military-friendly campus culture. Training topics include military terminology and culture, transition challenges, classroom considerations, and campus and community resources. The next training session will be from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, March 10, in the Student Services Addition, Room 14.245. Register online. Email Archie Nettles or call ext. 4916 for details.

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 Marc Johnson at [email protected] or ext. 4996.