The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seeks nominations for its 12th Annual Diversity Awards to recognize the contributions of students, student organizations, staff, faculty and community champions who have committed to embracing, enhancing and celebrating diversity and inclusion at UT Dallas and in the broader community.

Nominees should be current students, staff, faculty, and student organizations, community members, and community organizations. The recipient of the student award will receive a $1,000 scholarship and the student organization winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship contingent on approval of a diversity project proposal. The staff and faculty recipients will each be awarded $250.

Nominations will be evaluated by a committee that includes representatives of the Student Diversity Advisory Council, Staff Council and the Academic Senate Committee for the Support of Diversity and Equity.

Winners will be recognized at the 12th Annual Diversity Awards Honoree Dinner on June 9 at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center.

Submit nomination forms and all accompanying documents by Monday, May 9. For more information, visit the Diversity Awards webpage.

President Richard C. Benson welcomes staff members to join him for coffee and conversation. This in-person event will take place from 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 in the Galaxy Rooms (SU 2.602). Limited seats are available, and registration is required.

The Office of Human Resources will host its next HR Forum from 10–11:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 4, as a Microsoft Teams live event.

Please refer to the agenda:

• Welcome
  • One UTD
  • Diversity video
• Campus COVID–19 management
• Guest presenter
• Office of Information Technology updates
• Announcements
  • Flock Safety license plate reader system
  • Staff Ideas Competition
  • New Teams groups available
• HR updates
  • Appraisals
  • Percipio
  • Immigration information
  • Proactive recruiting and hiring efforts
  • Annual Enrollment and Benefits Fair
  • Changes in voluntary retirement program
  • Accrued leave annual carryover balances
  • Campus climate survey
  • Bright Leaders program
  • Q&A
• Closing comments

Closed captioning is available, and there will be a moderated Q&A forum. If you have questions for the HR Forum, send them to [email protected].

The Staff Ideas Competition is designed to engage our outstanding staff in UT Dallas' culture of innovation. The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship encourages staff and clinical faculty to submit their early-stage ideas for a startup or small business to compete for cash awards. The application period starts at 9 a.m., Thursday, May 26.

If you are interested in applying, register to attend the Staff Ideas Competition Information Session and Lunch, noon-1 p.m., Thursday, May 26, at Blackstone LaunchPad (Parking Structure 3). Learn about the application, requirements and process, and ask questions at the information session.

For more information, email Dresden Goldberg.

The Office of Facilities and Economic Development invites you to celebrate the start of the first phase of a new arts facility. The groundbreaking ceremony will be from 10:30–11:15 a.m., Wednesday, May 11, in Lot M East.

RSVP to attend by Monday, May 9. For more information, email [email protected].

6th Annual Public and Nonprofit Management Conference: Advancing Social Justice and Equity, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday, May 13, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center (DGA) — Organized by the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, the conference brings speakers from the community and UT Dallas to discuss the challenges of attracting and retaining a diverse work force and issues of community well-being in a changing world. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Doug Kiel, emeritus professor of public and nonprofit management. There will be a luncheon and awards presentation. Register to attend the conference.

Fiscal Year 2023 Employee Holiday Schedule

In fiscal year 2023, Texas state agencies and universities will observe 13 national and state holidays. The number of holidays observed can vary from year to year because the state does not grant time off for holidays that fall on weekends. See the University Employee Holiday Schedule on the Office of Human Resources website.

If you have any questions or need additional information about the UT Dallas holiday schedule, please refer to the holiday policy or email [email protected].