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Communication for the staff and faculty of
The University of Texas at Dallas |
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Wednesday, March 11, 2020 |
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COVID-19 Travel Advisory Update, Including Spring Break
The rapidly spreading outbreak of COVID-19, the illness caused by a new coronavirus, has the potential to disrupt travel during the spring break period for UT Dallas (March 16-22) and beyond. Please monitor travel advisories and follow University guidance, since this situation continues to evolve.
For your safety and that of our University community, effective immediately, all faculty, staff and students of UT Dallas planning international travel are required to complete a Planned International Travel Report Form. This University-wide requirement, in effect until further notice, applies to personal or professional travel to any international location. Information provided through this form will also allow us to provide guidance on your reentry to campus.
Effective immediately, UT Dallas employees and students currently working or studying abroad in a country rated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as Level 2 or higher are asked to return to the U.S. To protect the campus community, we will follow CDC guidelines for returning international travelers, including, as appropriate, self-quarantine of travelers. The University will work with students to ensure that they are able to keep up with their coursework and make progress toward their degrees.
As of March 10, 2020, there are no restrictions on University-sponsored domestic travel, however new domestic travel requests will require the approval of the relevant dean or vice president.
Read more regarding this announcement and continue to check the UT Dallas COVID-19 Information website for updates as they become available.
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University Staff Member Selected for National Cybersecurity Fellowship
Dr. Jerry Perez, director of Cyber-Infrastructure Operations in the Office of Information Technology, has been chosen as a National Science Foundation Cybersecurity Trusted CI Fellow.
Perez is one of six researchers selected for the year-long fellowship. Fellows will receive recognition and cybersecurity professional development consisting of training and travel funding.
The vision for the Trusted CI Fellows program is to provide members of the scientific community with basic knowledge of cybersecurity and the understanding of Trusted CI’s services, and to empower them to serve as cybersecurity liaisons to their respective communities.
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UT Dallas, UT System Partnering for Shared Services Agreement
UT Dallas recently entered into a contract with the UT System to provide business services to the UT System Office of Shared Information Services. Approximately 125 employees will be transferred from the UT System to UT Dallas and then assigned back to UT System as contractors. The agreement allows UT Dallas to leverage our existing business processes to support this new unit, while relieving the UT System administration of responsibility for providing business services to employees based in Fort Worth and Irving.
The transfer of employees will take several months. The new employees will be part of the UT Dallas Department of Shared Services reporting to Scott Willett, executive director of Shared Information Services. Willett will report administratively to Terry Pankratz, vice president for Budget and Finance, with service responsibility to David Crain, UT System associate vice chancellor and CIO. |
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Submit Nominations for Student Employee of the Year
In conjunction with National Student Employment Week, April 13 - 17, UT Dallas gives staff and faculty the ability to nominate undergraduate or graduate student employees who warrant particular recognition for their performance on the job. This is a great opportunity to let the student assistants in your area know how much you appreciate their great work.
To be eligible for consideration, the student must have been employed part-time for a minimum of five months in your area (since October 2019). Nominations are open to all hourly-paid undergraduate and graduate on-campus student employees (designation S09996, S09997 and S09992 in the ePAR system). TAs, GAs and other benefits-eligible employees are not eligible for nomination.
Please complete all questions on the online nomination form and include detailed examples of your student’s contributions where applicable. You can edit/submit your nomination until 11:59 p.m. on March 23. Individuals may nominate only one student, and there should be only one nomination submitted per candidate.
All nominees will be announced during the final event of our Student Employment Week Celebration on Friday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Galaxy Room A.
Contact the Student Employment Office at ext. 2943 or [email protected] for more information. |
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Donate Books to Friends of Richardson Library, Campus Bookshelf
In honor of National March Into Literacy Month, help the Office of Student Volunteerism and Student Government collect new and gently used books for Friends of the Richardson Library, a nonprofit that promotes reading, literacy and education.
Books for any age reader will be accepted throughout the month, including textbooks, comic books, graphic novels, audiobooks and foreign language material.
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 Residence Hall West lobby.
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2020 Comets Giving Day Reminders
Groups wishing to participate in this year’s extended, 1,969-minute-long Comets Giving Day must sign up online.
One new way you can make an impact this Comets Giving Day is through a payroll deduction option. You can set up a match or gift challenge, make a one-time gift for Comets Giving Day and/or set up a Comets Giving Day pledge taken out of your paycheck each month from April to August.
For more information on payroll deduction or setting up a challenge or matching gift, email Brennae Wright. |
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UTD Scholarship Golf Tournament
Faculty and staff are invited to sign up for this year's UTD Scholarship Golf Tournament, which raises money for three student scholarships:
- The Betty and Gifford Johnson Graduate Endowment, which helps graduate students attend and make presentations at national conferences.
- The Patti Henry Pinch Undergraduate Endowment, which assists undergraduates with research and travel expenses.
- The Academic Bridge Scholarship Endowment, which provides advising, mentoring and tutoring to first-generation college students.
Download the tournament brochure for all the details on this year’s special tournament celebrating the University’s 50th anniversary.
Need a new set of clubs? Bid on some great golf gear and other enviable items at the online auction.
For more information, please contact the Office of Facilities & Economic Development.
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Register for OIT’s Innovation and Technology Summit
The Office of Information and Technology invites staff, faculty and community members to attend its Innovation and Technology Summit, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, in the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center. Seating is limited to 350 attendees. Registration is required.
At the annual summit, innovators and consumers of information technology engage with attendees in enriching conversations and learning opportunities about teaching, community IT research, and collaborative partnerships. A variety of notable subject matter experts will make presentations and participate in leadership panels.
OIT hosts a variety of forums and lunch and learns throughout the year. For a complete list of OIT events, visit Comet Calendar. |
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Groundbreaking Marks Next Phase of Landscape Enhancement
Students, faculty and staff are invited to the groundbreaking for the third phase of UT Dallas’ Campus Landscape Enhancement Project (CLEP III) at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 25, in the Engineering and Computer Science West Atrium (ECSW 1.100).
Join University and civic leaders in celebrating a project that will make for a greener and more walkable campus.
For more information, email [email protected]. |
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Office of Research Seminars and Events
Budget Revisions, 2-3 p.m., Monday, March 23 (FO 1.206C - Brazos Lab) — Interested in learning how to re-budget funds in a project? Join the Office of Post Award Management as they share the process with you. You’ll have the opportunity to work with the revision form. No more emails needed! Registration is required and seating is limited. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby or call ext. 4577.
Assessment and Human Subjects Research Webinar: When Does Assessment Cross Over to Research, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Monday, March 23 — In collaboration with the Office of Assessment, the Office of Research is holding this webinar to provide an overview of the similarities and differences between program assessment and research and a brief introduction to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application process for staff and/or faculty who are interested in conducting research with UT Dallas students. We recommend this webinar to staff and/or faculty who participate in program assessment, as well as faculty/staff who are interested in doing research on teaching and learning. Registration is required. Instructions for accessing the webinar will follow prior to the event. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby or call ext. 4577.
Effective Method Development Techniques for High-Resolution Chromatography, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday, March 25 (AD 2.216) — The Office of Research Mass Spec Core Facility will host a guest speaker from Waters Corporation. Topics will include techniques for high-res chromatography including method development and liquid and high-resolution chromatography. The discussion is open to UT Dallas graduate students, staff and faculty. Registration is required and seating is limited. Lunch will be provided to those who register in advance. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby or call ext. 4577.
ORCID and SciENcv Training, 2-3 p.m., Friday, March 27 (FO 1.206C - Brazos Lab) — Faculty members are invited to join the Office of Research for hands-on training on SciENcv and ORCID. Learn how to get an account, import data and reduce the time needed to generate compliant documents. Registration is required and seating is limited. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby or call ext. 4577.
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Center for BrainHealth Events
The Center for BrainHealth hosts a variety of events and workshops throughout the year.
Update on Autoimmune Encephalitis, noon-1 p.m., Friday, March 13, Brain Performance Institute — UT Southwestern’s Dr. Steven Vernino will be the guest speaker at this lecture. Vernino, a distinguished teaching professor and executive vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, specializes in evaluating, diagnosing and nonsurgically treating autoimmune neurological disorders, autonomic disorders, and neuromuscular disorders. Register to attend.
Risk Prediction for Contralateral Breast Cancer and Substance Use Disorders, noon-1 p.m., Friday, March 27, Brain Performance Institute — Dr. Swati Biswas will be the guest speaker at this lecture. Biswas is a professor of statistics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her current research interests include statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, cancer genetics and risk prediction models. Register to attend.
Frontiers Lecture: Dr. Brendan Kelley, noon-1 p.m., Friday, April 10, Brain Performance Institute — Dr. Brendan Kelley is with the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern. His clinical focus is on memory disorders. More information coming soon. Register to attend.
For a complete listing of BrainHealth events, visit Comet Calendar. |
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Reminders
Employee Schedule for FY21 Has 14 Holidays
The Office of Human Resources has announced the Fiscal Year 2021 University Employee Holiday Schedule. The Texas Legislature sets the number of holidays each year and allows universities the flexibility to set a holiday schedule compatible with the academic calendar.
Complete Annual Compliance Training by April 7
All employees are required to complete Annual Compliance Training by Tuesday, April 7 to ensure awareness with pertinent University polices and relevant state and federal laws. To complete your training:
- Log in to eLearning with your NetID and password.
- Select “FY20 Annual Compliance Training” from the “My Organizations” section.
- Complete all the training modules assigned to you in “Training Content”
For more information or assistance, contact the Office of Institutional Compliance, Equity, and Title IX Initiatives at [email protected] or ext. 2306.
Translation Studies to Host Writer, Poet Balaban
The Center for Translation Studies invites you to attend two free readings and conversations with writer, poet and translator John Balaban. At noon, Wednesday, March 11, in the Special Collections and Archives (MC 3.504), Balaban will read from Ca Dao Viet Nam, his translations of Vietnamese folk poetry. At 5:30 p.m., on March 11, in the Jonsson Academic Center (JO 4.122), the poet will read from Empires, his new book of poetry.
Use Weather Station Site To Monitor Campus Conditions
The Office of Emergency Management & Continuity Planning (OEMCP) reminds the campus community use the campus weather station, the Brain Performance Institute weather station and live weather cameras to receive current and localized weather information. For more information, call OEMCP at ext. 4355.
UTD Upgrading from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams
The Office of Information Technology is upgrading the Skype for Business communication client that you currently use to Microsoft Teams. Teams offers a new way to work by bringing together new and innovative tools that will be available to use if you desire. Beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, March 16, Skype for Business users will be upgraded to Microsoft Teams.
OIT will provide in-person training for Microsoft Teams and Office 365 to ensure you have the skills and resources you need to be successful, while minimizing any disruption to your daily routine. Register for trainings or request departmental trainings at [email protected]. Read more
Help UT Dallas Win RecycleMania Competition
UT Dallas is participating in a nationwide competition that encourages college campuses to reduce landfill waste and recycle more mindfully. The goal is to increase our recycling rate and decrease overall waste. From Feb. 2 to March 28, the Office of Sustainability will report the amount of recycling and waste campus-wide. UT Dallas will be ranked among other participating schools.
Learn how to recycle on campus. For more information about the competition, visit RecycleMania.
Plan to Attend Book Club Discussion on March 31
Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are invited to discuss the second book of the 2020 Reading the World Book Club series: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori.
The brown-bag discussion will be from noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, in the conference room of the administrative suite in McDermott Library (MC 4.2).
The book is available for loan from the UTD library and will be available for purchase from the campus bookstore. The book club is free.
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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 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 Robert Tracy at [email protected] or ext. 3521. |
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