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.

The Staff Council CARE Awards, (which stands for Celebrate Achievement, Reward Excellence), recognize staff who have demonstrated superior performance, offered outstanding customer service, and performed acts that have enhanced the image of the University. Congratulations to the fall 2021 CARE Award recipients:

• Amanda Pritchard, OIT
• Debra Greszler, OIT
• Franklin Foxworthy, Financial Aid
• Kim Warren, Office of Research and Innovation
• Rosalyn (Renee') Green, McDermott Student Programs
• Toby Glazer, Mechanical Engineering

Nominations for spring 2022 CARE Awards must be submitted by Thursday, March 31. To find out more or nominate a staff member, visit the CARE Awards page.

As a reminder, please give your confidential opinions in the 2022 Employee Climate Survey. The deadline to participate is Sunday, March 13. Your input 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.

You should have received emails from our third-party vendor, Glint, with a link to the survey. 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.

Your feedback and participation are important, so please take a few minutes to fill out the survey. For more information, please visit the 2022 Employee Climate Survey website.

The Office of Budget and Finance will host a virtual, two-day Professional Development Workshop March 17-18. There will be four sessions:

Thursday, March 17

• Cap and Gown Partnerships: Impact on Economic Development and Local Employment, 10 a.m. — Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker will speak about recent economic development in the community and future plans for areas targeted for growth, specifically the Richardson Innovation Quarter being targeted for growth in partnership with UT Dallas.
• Outreach, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at UTD, 11 a.m. — Join Dresden Goldberg from the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Kimberly Warren from the Venture Development Center to learn about campus initiatives and resources and how staff can get involved.

Friday, March 18

• Work-life Balance: How Home Organization Can Help Tame the Chaos, 10 a.m. — Jessie Carrillo, home organization consultant and owner of A Charming Home, will share life hacks for taming your physical and digital workspace.
  
• The Power of Numbers: Recognizing the Red Flags of Fraud, 11 a.m. — Dr. Kelly Pope is a forensic accountant, professor at DePaul University and filmmaker who analyzes corporate crime. She will share stories from her experience and strategies for spotting the red flags of fraudulent activities.

Register to attend the workshop.

The McDermott Library announces that it is offering free access to content on The New York Times website. UT Dallas students, staff and faculty may register for a personal account.

Each personalized account includes free access to U.S. and national news from The New York Times. Many other sections of the site are included, such as arts, leisure, book reviews, crossword puzzles and more. Archival access goes back to 1851 in fully searchable scans. You can also access the same content on your phone or tablet by downloading the New York Times App and then signing in with your registered account.

For more information or assistance, email [email protected].

Staff members are invited to sign up as Commencement Ambassadors for the Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremonies.

Commencement Ambassadors are volunteers who will assist with guest management and customer service during the ceremonies. The shifts are:

Sunday, May 15
All-University Commencement at the University Roundabout

• 6-8:15 p.m.
• 8-10 p.m.

Monday, May 16
Activity Center (AB)

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

ATEC Lecture Hall (ATC 1.102)

• 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tuesday, May 17
Activity Center (AB)

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

ATEC Lecture Hall (ATC 1.102)

• 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Wednesday, May 18
Activity Center (AB)

• 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Serving as a Commencement Ambassador is not the same as assisting your school with the execution of its ceremony. If your school has requested for staff to help with commencement and you have signed up, please do not sign up for that shift using the Commencement Ambassador form.

Join the UT Dallas Student Ambassadors and University Recreation on Friday, March 25, for the 18th Annual Oozeball Tournament.

Help raise funds for First-Generation Student Programs while participating in all-day fun for everyone, with sideline games like spike ball, Slip ’N-Slide, and log roll.

Cost to participate is $60 per team (six to 10 players).

Capacity is limited, so register to participate.

Celebrate Women's History Month with Eugene McDermott Library, ongoing — See an exhibit of books located near the new books on the second floor that exemplifies and celebrates women. You also can ask a librarian for recommendations.

All About H-Indexes, 2-3 p.m., Tuesday, March 22 — Hosted by the Office of Graduate Education, the McDermott Library will introduce you to the h-index, a powerful metric for assessing academic impact.

See a full list of McDermott Library events.

Good Anxiety, 7-8 p.m., Thursday, March 17 — Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University, will unpack the science to help people channel their anxiety for positive outcomes. This shift from bad to good anxiety accelerates focus and productivity, boosts performance, creates compassion, and fosters creativity. The event is sponsored by the Gratitude Fund at the Dallas Foundation.

Inside The BrainHealth Project, noon, Thursday, March 31 — Learn more about the BrainHealth Project and ask questions at this 30-minute virtual information session. This approach to brain training teaches you to focus on your strengths and performance, empowering you to become the best version of yourself.

How Grades Can Undermine Learning and Jeopardize Our Students’ Well-Being, Tuesday, March 29, noon-1 p.m., McDermott Auditorium (MC 2.410) — Dr. Joshua Eyler, director of faculty development at the University of Mississippi, will offer strategies for being more equitable in our classrooms by mitigating the damaging effects of grades. RSVP by March 22. Please understand that selecting a lunch indicates your commitment to attend this event in person to receive a box lunch. For more information or special accommodations, please contact [email protected].

Notice of Title IX Policy and Resources
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.

Lace Up for 5K That Benefits Students in Need
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 and $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.

Learn About IT Updates, Upgrades That Impact Campus
How is the Office of Information Technology enhancing the UT Dallas experience? Find out 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.