February 2018 | En Español
Staff Appreciation Month
The month of March is designated as Staff Appreciation Month when UNT celebrates staff contributions with awards, celebrations, training sessions and employee perks. It is a month-long tribute to the excellent staff members who are the backbone of the university and it's a great opportunity to say thank you for all of your hard work, and to have a little fun! Staff Appreciation Month will kick off on March 1, 2018, with a Kickoff Breakfast from 9–10 a.m. in the University Union, Room 333, Jade Eagle Ballroom.
Come cheer on Mean Green Women's Basketball vs. UAB at 5 p.m. and Men's Basketball vs. UTSA at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 1, at the Super Pit. Full-time faculty and staff members get two free tickets and can buy more tickets for $5 each (no limit). Email the UNT ticket office or call 940-565-2527 to claim your tickets no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Check the Staff Senate calendar of events to view all of the Staff Appreciation activities scheduled throughout March. To view the learning sessions taking place during the month click here.
Staff Senate Nominations
Staff Senate will begin taking nominations on Feb. 26, 2018! Senators serve staggered two-year terms, and about half of the senate soon will be up for reelection for the 2018-2019 academic year. If you would like to nominate yourself or another staff member for Staff Senate, please fill out the online form. Elections will take place in April, and each elected member’s two-year term will being in August 2018.
Submit your Presidential Awards Nominations Today!
It is time to submit nominations for UNT’s Presidential Awards: UNT Community Award, Special Recognition Award and the Bob Rogers Service and Community Engagement Award. Nominations are being accepted through March 3, 2018, and will be presented to staff recipients at the Staff Appreciation Luncheon on March 30, 2018. Learn more about the three awards.
Staff Senate March Lunch and Learn
Join the Staff Senate for the March lunch-and-learn event, Making Financially Sound Decisions: Budgets, Health insurance and Investments. This event will take place on March 13, 2018, at noon in Willis Library, Room 250H. Panelists for this event will include:
- Justin C. Gibson, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch (Investments)
- Sarah Jenkins, HR Coordinator Health Insurance, 401K
- Paul Goebel – budgeting, money management, debt management – goal setting credit and debt management. Building a secure financial foundation and how to incorporate these skill into our finances.
- Laird Jenkins, Sr. Escrow Officer, K/V National – Real Estate/Title Services and more
Sign up to attend this event through the Learning Portal.
Employee Assistance Program, EAP
Did you know that retirement-eligible employees, household members and dependents have access to free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program? The program is available to help with family, legal or financial issues, substance abuse or other stressful events. Employees may self-refer to EAP, or managers may refer an employee. Through this program, you have access to up to six free and confidential EAP consultations per year. Read more.
New Online Learning Portal
The new online Learning Portal is available now! Click here to download a Navigation Guide so you can get started. The Learning Portal will be used to support professional development, learning sessions and training for faculty, staff and student employees at all of the UNT System institutions. The Learning Portal is mobile-friendly and can be used on all devices.
This system replaces the current EIS training module and consolidates professional development activities for employees in a single, online location that includes tracking and record-keeping functions for individuals and managers.
Talent Management's scheduled classes, including the popular Emerging Leader and Supervisory Building Blocks programs, will be available for registration through the Learning Portal. Additionally, campus departments, such as Risk Management/Safety, Compliance and Business Support Services, will use the Learning Portal framework for registration and record keeping for both face-to-face and online training for their areas. For the first time, training activities from all of these areas will be available through one learning system for all locations.
Drupal 6 Support Ends June 1; Training and Clinics Available for UNT Drupalers
Support for version 6 of the Drupal web content management system reached its end of life on Feb. 24, 2016, as announced by Drupal in 2015. UNT System IT Shared Services extended support for Drupal 6-users at UNT to give colleges and departments time to migrate to Drupal 7. Effective June 1, 2018, Drupal 6 support will end.
Drupal Clinics and training sessions for employees needing help migrating to Drupal 7 are available. Check the online Drupal Calendar for dates and times of upcoming clinic sessions. For more information, visit the UIT Drupal Help Desk or request training by sending an email to unt.uit@unt.edu and the name of the topic or skills you wish to learn.
What to do with Scam Emails
Have you been receiving an increased number of scam emails? If you have, it is important to report fraudulent emails to Information Technology Services. Correctly report suspicious email to help yourself and your colleagues.
Staff Senate Spotlight
Staff Senate will begin recognizing UNT staff members as recipients of a monthly spotlight award, which will highlight individual staff members who have shown exemplary work and dedication to their role in the UNT community. If you know of a staff member who has portrayed a sense of service to fellow staff members, students, faculty, or campus visitors outside of the job in which they serve, or if you would like to recognize a new staff member to your team, consider nominating them for the Staff Senate Spotlight. Nominate someone today!
You are Invited: Come to a Meeting!
Staff Senate meets once a month in the University Union, Room 332, at 3 p.m. The next meeting will be held on March 6 at 3 p.m. Meetings are open to all UNT staff members. Please come see what we are doing, and get involved!
Contact us!
If you have an article, announcement or suggestion relating to this newsletter, contact staffsenate@unt.edu to have it included.