During the disruption of regular services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Communications is maintaining a collection of information and resources for staff, faculty and students. Visit the COVID-19 website, which will be updated frequently with the latest information.

Staff and faculty soon will have the opportunity to provide their confidential opinions in the 2022 Employee Climate Survey. An email with a link to the survey will be sent Monday, Feb. 28. The survey will be open until Sunday, March 13. Your participation will help UTD enhance what is working well, find solutions to issues and challenges impacting the workplace, and assess current and future needs of a changing work environment.

The survey will be administered by Glint, a third-party vendor. Glint aggregates, or combines, ratings and comments to ensure participant confidentiality. Glint’s reporting does not identify individual responses, and numerical results are presented only in aggregate form.

When the survey is complete, the Employee Climate Survey Committee will receive the findings and provide recommendations to President Richard C. Benson on possible action items to address any concerns. Deans and vice presidents will receive a report specific to their school or division, and a public report will be posted on the employee survey website by early summer.

Your feedback and participation are very important. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey when you receive it. For more information, please visit the 2022 Employee Climate Survey website.

The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on sex in accordance with federal and state laws, including Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. The University's Sexual Misconduct Policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

UT Dallas also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internal or external to the institution. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking are forms of sex discrimination, which are prohibited under Title IX and by UT Dallas policy.

To report prohibited conduct, complete the secure online form on the Title IX website, or contact:

Marco Mendoza
Title IX Coordinator
Institutional Compliance, Equity, and Title IX Initiatives
[email protected]
972-883-5202
SPN 2.720

Crimes should be reported to the UT Dallas Police Department by calling 972-883-2222 or dial 911 in an emergency.

A person may also file a complaint with the appropriate federal, state, or local agency within the time frame required by law. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, the appropriate agency may be the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education, or the Texas Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division.

Confidential Resources and Support

Pursuant to Texas Education Code, Subchapter E-2, an employee of a postsecondary educational institution who, in the course and scope of employment, witnesses or receives information regarding the occurrence of an incident that the employee thinks constitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking and is alleged to have been committed by or against a person who was a student enrolled at or an employee of the institution at the time of the incident shall promptly report the incident to the institution's Title IX coordinator. UT Dallas policy extends this reporting requirement to resident life directors and advisors, as well as graduate teaching assistants.

Students and employees may share information confidentially with licensed counselors and health care professionals at the Student Counseling Center, Student Health Center, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

The Title IX Resources webpage lists additional resources for counseling, health care, survivor advocacy, legal assistance and other survivor services.

The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10-11:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 2, as a Microsoft Teams live event. Please install Microsoft Teams prior to joining. If you need assistance, contact the Help Desk. Unlike a traditional Teams meeting, you are not able to “dial in” to a live event. Audio will stream from your computer. Please ensure your speakers are on or use a headset connected to your device. Closed captioning is available, and there will be a moderated Q&A forum.

Please refer to the agenda:

• Welcome
• One UTD
• Campus COVID-19 management
• Guest presenters
• Academic Impressions overview
• Comet Cupboard updates
• HR updates
• RA/TA reminders
• Upcoming PA 7 and related employment training
• FY23 staff promotion/reclassification process
• Talent Development updates
• HR staffing updates
• Bright Leaders program update
• Campus climate survey update
• Q&A
• Closing comments

Join the HR Forum and share this link with your colleagues. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to [email protected].

Staff Council sponsors scholarships to support staff members pursuing academic and vocational programs. Scholarships are available for both UT Dallas and non-UT Dallas programs and are awarded twice annually. Applications for the spring scholarship are due by Tuesday, March 1.

For more information, visit the scholarships page or email [email protected].

Taking Classes as a UTD Staff Member

Staff Council encourages staff to pursue professional development via degrees and certificates available through UT Dallas. There are several resources available specifically for staff to help accomplish their academic goals.

• Balancing work and school: Employees are encouraged to discuss their academic plans with their supervisor prior to enrollment. UT Dallas has set guidelines to accommodate the completion of coursework during work hours. For more information, see policy UTDBP3088.

• Employee Tuition Assistance Plan: The University of Texas at Dallas offers eligible employees the opportunity to enroll in up to six hours of regular academic credit per semester at a reduced rate. For more information, visit the tuition assistance page.
  

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex experienced a net gain of 13,900 jobs in December for a total count of roughly 3,952,000 jobs in the region. While December has had noticeably slower job growth and posting activity than previous months, the trends are still moving the region in an overall positive direction. For more details, see the latest DFW Labor Market Update.

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

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends are invited to run or walk in the UT Dallas Homecoming Virtual 5K in March. The cost to register is $20; $10 of every registration fee goes to the Student Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which supports UTD students who are facing financial hardship.

Every registrant will be shipped a thank you kit, the first 50 of which will include this year's UTD Homecoming Nighttime 5K T-shirt. Registration for the 5K is open through Thursday, March 31.

For more information, email Melanie Depoian.

Find out how the Office of Information Technology is enhancing the UT Dallas experience at the next IT Forum, 9 a.m., Thursday, March 24.

OIT departments will provide updates on the development of creative tech solutions. Learn about infrastructure upgrades that will supply additional coverage across campus and improve user experience. Listen to project updates, such as web chats built for the International Students and Scholars Office and forms developed for the Office of Student AccessAbility, and hear how they enrich the student experience.

Register online for this Teams Live event.

CTL Office Hours: Ethical Dilemmas and Ethics of Inclusion, 4-5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 24 — Interim Director Karen Huxtable-Jester will lead a discussion of ethical dilemmas commonly faced by instructors and TAs. The meeting also will address the moral and ethical requirements to teach inclusively to promote the success of all students. Talking points will include students' rights, accommodation expectations and requirements, and student privacy. Join the CTL Office Hours meeting on Microsoft Teams.

Reclaiming the Joy in Teaching: Fostering Resilience Through Asset-Based Thinking, noon-1 p.m., Friday, March 4 — Learn how to foster resilience in your teaching and learning practices through asset-based thinking approaches. Explore strategies for creating opportunities where we prioritize positive emotions by reflecting alongside students on character strengths, gratitude, hunting the good stuff, rejuvenation, and optimism. For more information or special accommodations, please contact [email protected].

Brain Aging & Alzheimer's Disease: New Insights from New Technologies, 4:30-7 p.m., Thursday, March 3, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center (DGA) — The Center for Vital Longevity is partnering with the Texas Instruments Alumni Association to bring Dr. William Jagust to Dallas. Jagust, professor of public health and neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s leading experts on Alzheimer’s disease. Please RSVP to secure your seat.

Broader Impacts: Sustainability, Environment, Equity and Economy, noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23 — Join the Office of Research and Innovation as it partners with the Office of Sustainability, RCE North Texas and the RCE Global Network to share the importance of education for sustainable development and an overview of sustainability resources for researchers. For more information, email Tiffany Willoughby.

Complete Annual Compliance Education by March 3
All employees must complete Annual Compliance Education to ensure awareness of pertinent University policies and relevant state and federal laws. Due to substantive content updates, it is necessary for all employees hired during this fiscal year to participate as well. The deadline to complete assigned education modules is Thursday, March 3.

Instructions:

• To access the assigned modules, log into the KnowBe4 platform, or

• On the Galaxy homepage, you will find a link to Compliance & Security Education, which will allow you to log into the KnowBe4 platform.

• Complete all training modules assigned to you.

• For the best experience, please use the Firefox internet browser.

If you are waiting on confirmation of FERPA/HIPAA module completion, refer to the User Resource Access Lookup tool for immediate updates. You will need to be connected to the VPN or on campus to access the tool.

For more information or assistance, contact the Office of Institutional Compliance, Equity, and Title IX Initiatives at [email protected] or 972-883-2233.

Volunteers Needed for Golf Tournament
The UTD Scholarship Golf Tournament is a yearly event run by UT Dallas volunteers and organized by the Office of Facilities & Economic Development to raise money for student scholarships.

This year’s tournament will be Friday, April 29, at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland.
If you would like to volunteer for the tournament, please contact Shirley Dial at [email protected] or call 972-883-2256.

Callier Center FLASH Lecture Series
The Callier Center for Communication Disorders will host several virtual events during its FLASH Lecture Series — Friday Seminars in Speech, Language and Hearing. Speakers from all areas of the field, local and from other institutions, will present their research and expertise with discussion following each presentation. The lectures are part of the Bruton Conferences, sponsored by the David Bruton Jr. Endowed Lecture Series on Communication Disorders. These lectures are held on designated Fridays, from noon-1 p.m. For more information, visit the FLASH Series listing or email Lynne Perler.