Staff Senate Newsletter • June 26, 2020

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Staff Senate Black Lives Matter Open Letter
Photo cred: Spunout.ie

The UNT Staff Senate is committed to anti-racism. Read the open letter written by the Staff Senate Executive Committee and endorsed by other Senators in response to UNT's Action Plan for Improving Diversity and Inclusion on Campus. It is also posted on the Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity's Black Lives Matter webpage.

Keeping Each Other Safe

To help keep our community healthy and safe, it is very important to monitor your health prior to coming to campus so we can work to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Use this Self-Monitoring Form
• COVID Reporting Scenarios for Faculty/Staff
• COVID Reporting Scenarios for Students

Questions? Call the UNT COVID hotline at 1-844-366-5892 or send an email to COVID@unt.edu.

Staff Senate AHA 

To learn more and register for any of the following workshops and events, go to unt.bridgeapp.com. 

• June 30 at 1 p.m. — Build-A-Game Workshop
• Only on Wednesdays: June 10 to July 1 at 3 p.m. — Mean Green Book Buddies "A Man Called Ove"
• July 15 at 3 p.m. — The Handwriting Workshop: Techniques for Improving Adult Penmanship

Visit the Staff Senate Staff Development Committee web page to access recordings and documents from some of their past presentations.

ERS Summer Enrollment

The annual ERS benefits enrollment period for UNT is June 29 to July 11. During this time, you can make changes to your insurance. Changes will have an effective date of Sept. 1, 2020. If you do not need to make any changes to your insurance coverage, you do not have to do anything at all. Your coverages will continue as is for the new plan year.

The HR Benefits team has recorded an information session for employees to learn about what they can do during Summer Enrollment. The video includes helpful information about plan options and gives information on a few changes.

You can also find more information at the UNTS HR Summer Enrollment page. HR will be hosting open Q&A sessions during summer enrollment - check out the Q&A open enrollment schedule and mark your calendar to attend one!

Note: It is a good idea to check that your contact information is correct by creating or logging on to your ERS account. 

Project Estimating Updates

Due to COVID-19's potential impacts on UNT, for the remainder of the fiscal year, any new project requests for estimating require your vice president's approval prior to acceptance by Facilities Services. We encourage you to visit the UNT Facilities Estimating website.

Resources will help answer the following.

• What is an opinion of cost estimate and what can it do for me?
• Do I need an estimate or should I request a project?
• I requested an estimate. What happens next?
• What step in the process is my opinion of cost?

Built-in tools

• Create your own basic estimate using commonly requested services
• Use average higher education construction costs from around the state to create a square foot-based estimate

Questions? Send an email to Dallas Hogue, senior design manager, UNT Facilities Services.

UNT System COVID-19 Updates

As it relates to the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, the University of North Texas System and its member institutions are committed to the well-being and safety of our students, faculty and staff. For more information, read UNT System COVID-19 updates. 

Important Note: Effective June 25, 2020, face coverings (cloth face coverings, disposable masks, etc.) must be worn by all students, faculty, staff, contractors, tenants and visitors at all UNT System locations and campuses in the following areas:

• Indoor public areas, except where marked, even if you are alone. This includes all classrooms, non-private offices and common spaces in residential facilities.
• Outdoor spaces where six feet or more of physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Full details of the face covering requirement may be viewed on the UNT System COVID-19 website.

UNT COVID-19 Updates

• To stay up to date on UNT's response to COVID-19, visit the UNT Health Alerts website: healthalerts.unt.edu.
• Information for staff is available on the UNT Health Alerts for Staff web page.

Join Us at Our Next Meeting!

Meetings are open to all UNT staff members. The next meeting will be held via Zoom on July 14, 2020 at 3 p.m.

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Important note for newly elected senators: This meeting will include orientation for new staff senators. Please plan to attend.

For meeting agendas, minutes, and recordings, please visit the Agendas and Minutes page.

Contact Us!

If you have an article, announcement or suggestion relating to this newsletter, contact Lisa Cuevas or staffsenate@unt.edu to have it included.