|
A Publication of UHD Public Affairs May 27, 2010 |
|
 Today at UHD.....
Changes to state employee benefits to take effect September 1.
Sports & Fitness will host Biggest Loser weight loss contest this summer.
Students inducted into UHD chapter of National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society.
UHD Cheerleaders and Chili's plan June 1 fundraiser.
GRE preparation DVDs available for viewing in Urban Education office.
|
|
Changes to state employee benefits will take effect September 1
The Employee Retirement System (ERS) Board of Trustees on May 25 approved several changes to the FY 2011 benefits for state employees and retirees, and all changes will be effective Sept. 1.
The approved changes include the following: The TexFlex account fees will be cut in half. The current fee of $2 will be reduced to $1, saving participants $12 a year for each health care or day care account. The TexFlex debit card one-time fee of $15 will remain the same. TexFlex helps manage insurance cost increases and helps participants budget for health and day care expenses.
Short-term disability coverage rates will decrease from 29 cents per $100 of monthly covered salary to 26 cents per $100. Long-term disability rates will decrease from 70 cents per $100 of monthly covered salary to 63 cents per $100.
HealthSelect
Premium Contribution Rate Changes
No Changes to Dental, Life, AD&D and SKIP Rates
The State of Texas Dental Choice Plan and Humana Dental DHMO underwent no changes. Active and Retiree Basic Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance rates for participants and dependents will remain the same, and voluntary AD&D and retiree dependent life insurance rates also will stay the same. In addition, Skip rates remain at either $15 or $25 per month for children coverage based on employees' income eligibility. The
annual Summer Enrollment period will be from July 5 to 30 for
employees to make changes to benefits. If you do not want to change your
benefits, you do not need to do anything. Your current benefits will continue
in Plan Year 2011. If you need additional information, please contact Van Le at
713-221-8443 or Betty Powell at 713-221-8072. Back to Top
|
|
UHD students inducted into National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society
The Psi Chi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society, inducted eight active members and three honorary members in the first such ceremony at UHD held May 4.
The new
members and their faculty advisers are, from left: Gustavo
Jacobo; adjunct Maria Del Carmen Garcia, (honorary member); faculty adviser William Nowak, associate professor; faculty adviser Raquel Chiquillo, associate professor; Maria Mather; Alba Herrera;
Alinee Castrejon; Mary Jane Smith; Michael Byrne; Edwin
Padilla, associate professor (Spanish faculty); Patricia Guerra; Marco Graniel; and adjunct Albert DeJesús Rivera (honorary
member).
Back to Top
|
|
UHD Sports & Fitness to host Biggest Loser competition for teams, individuals
UHD sports & Fitness will host the UHD Biggest Loser competition for teams or individuals who can compete to lose the most weight in 10 weeks, from June 9 to August 13.
Register by June 11 to participate in the campuswide competition designed to help people lose weight in a healthy and fun way. Click here for a registration form and flier on the Biggest Loser event. Cost is $5 per person to register.
The contest is open to UHD students, faculty and staff members. Teams must have at least five members, and all must work in the same University department.
Back to Top
|
|
Chili's Buffalo Speedway and UHD Cheerleaders team up for June 1 event
UHD Cheerleaders and Chili's will team up to raise money for the cheerleading organization during dinners sold at the Chili's Buffalo Speedway, 3215 Southwest Freeway, on June 1.
Please print out the attached flier and present it when you take your family and friends to dinner or get a to-go order and Chili's will donate 10 percent of the bill to UHD Cheerleaders.
Back to Top
|
|
DVDs to help prepare for GRE available for viewing at Urban Education office
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) preparation DVDs are available to students and non-students in the
Urban Education office in C-440 for in-house viewing between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
This DVD set is appropriate for anyone interested in becoming familiar with the GRE and gaining a quick overview of strategies that might be helpful to
pass the exam's three sections, which are Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing and
Quantitative.
The workshop shown on the DVD was conducted in December 2009 and was videotaped for the benefit of UHD students and others hoping to apply for
admission to graduate programs. The DVDs are produced by the UHD Information Technology department
and funded by the U.S. Department of Education through its Fund for the
Improvement of Post-Secondary Education.
For more information, you may contact Anjoo Sikka, professor in the Department of Urban Education, at 713-221-8156 or SikkaA@uhd.edu. To learn more about the GRE, please visit the GRE Web site.
Back to Top
|
|
O'Kane Gallery will host photo exhibit of Taiwan's diverse people and places
UHD's O'Kane Gallery and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) of Houston will present an exhibit of 33 photographs that feature Taiwan, starting with an opening reception at noon Thursday, June 3, and running through June 29.
The exhibit, entitled "Enchanting Taiwan," highlights the Pacific island's natural diversity and beauty and includes photos of unusual landscapes, like the example above that shows the thick mats of rich green seaweed
that grow on the fingers of rock reaching into the sea near Laomei in Taiwan's Northeast Coast National Scenic Area.
Other photos will feature Taiwan's folk customs, people, cities, temple festivals and holiday celebrations. The exhibit is part of a global traveling exhibition schedule and includes many of Taiwan's most accomplished photographers.
UHD and TECO plan another collaboration during the fall semester with an Ang Lee film festival. "Pushing Hands" will play Oct. 19 with a Tai-chi master giving a pre-show demonstration; "The Wedding Banquet" is planned for Oct. 20; and "Eat Drink Man Woman" is set for Oct. 21 followed by a reception and faculty panel to discuss Ang Lee's films.
Back to Top
|
|
UHD students inducted into local chapter of History Honor Society
Several students recently were inducted into the UHD chapter of Phi Alpha Theta (PAT), the History Honor Society. The students and their faculty advisers include, from left, James McCaffrey, professor of social sciences; Hilda Miranda; Cyril Kring; Dale Ghere; Jose Alvarez, associate professor of social sciences; Anna Hamilton; Jesse Gorostieta; Spiro Svoronos; Sandra Hernandez; Tiffany Devereux; Chris Boone; Soren Scribner; and Gene Preuss, assistant professor of social sciences.
Back to Top
|
|
Listen to what UHD graduation means to a handful of spring graduates
Graduation means many different things to the 1,052 graduates who walked across the platform at Minute Maid Park May 17 in UHD's 48th commencement ceremony. To most, it's a significant life milestone and the beginning of a great new adventure. Hear what several UHD grads from across the disciplines say about what graduation means to them in the attached graduation video.
Above, College of Business graduate Cheryl Chodaniecky delivered the keynote address to an appreciative
crowd of family members, friends and visitors.
 Chodaniecky, a non-traditional student who worked full time and raised her two sons while completing her bachelor in business administration degree, encouraged fellow students to find their passions and take risks. "As we close this chapter of our lives, have confidence in your ability to accomplish what you seek out to do," Chodaniecky said. "Find your passion, remember your values and most importantly, maintain your integrity."
President Bill Flores, UH System Board of Regents Chairman Welcome W. Wilson Sr. and UH System Chancellor Renu Khator congratulated graduates for their perseverance and determination and urged them to go out and change the world for the better.
See UHD's Facebook page for more photos.
Back to Top |
|
UHD students, staff and faculty forming team for Impact a Hero 5K June 5
UHD students, staff and faculty are invited to join a UHD team that will participate in the June 5 Impact A Hero 5K in Sugar Land to raise funds for wounded and disabled U.S. veterans. Walkers and runners are invited to join the UHD team.
The race starts with a 7 a.m. Saturday, June 5, pre-race ceremony, followed by a 7:25 a.m. wheelchair race, the 7:30 a.m. 5K run (3.1 miles) and an 8:30 a.m. Kids 1K race, all of which start at Mercer Stadium, 16403 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land. Registration is $20 per person before May 28. For UHD community members unable to participate June 5, donations can be made directly to the Impact a Hero organization.
See UHD's team page to sign up to participate or to make a donation. A flier also is available. For more information on the event and the Impact a Hero organization, visit the group's Web site.
Back to Top
|
|
UHD ranks 33rd in nation for graduating Hispanics with bachelor's
degrees
UHD ranks 33rd in the nation for
graduating Hispanic students with bachelor's degrees, according to an
annual study released by Hispanic Outlook Magazine.
Some 729
Hispanic students earned bachelor's degrees at UHD in 2009, putting UHD
in the Top 100 nationally. The study uses data from the U.S. Department
of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
UHD is
one of 400 federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions in the
country.
Florida International University earned top honors in
the study with 3,555 Hispanic graduates in 2009.
Back to Top |
|
Reminder of ongoing fire protection system testing through Friday
Facilities Management isl performing semi-annual testing and
maintenance of the campus fire detection/notification/suppression systems
(and related elevator fire service re-call, air handler shut-downs, fire-door
hold-open devices and stair pressurization controls) through Friday, May 28. All campus buildings will be addressed during this period.
Due to the size of the systems, the contractors involved and the
cost of the labor required to do the work, this testing must be performed
during normal business hours. Please consider this an opportunity for the
university community to become familiar with these fire and life safety systems
and the campus emergency public address system.
An announcement will be made over the PA system prior to the
alarms being sounded to inform the occupants of the test. The alarms and strobe
lights will then be engaged briefly and certified by the technicians. An
announcement will be made after the conclusion of each segment of the audible
and visual alarm testing.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Questions can be sent to:
Chris McCall
Assistant V.P. - Facilities
Facilities Management Department
University of Houston - Downtown
713.221.8030
mccallc@uhd.edu
Back to Top
|
|
Commerce Street Building elevator project to continue through Friday
UHD Facilities Management is performing
modifications to elevator 53, which serves the south portion of the Commerce
Street Building, through Friday, May 28.
No access to elevator 53 will be available during the work. The two passenger elevators located in the front of the
Commerce Street Building will operate normally and won't be affected
by this project.
Once the modifications are complete, elevator 53 will have an additional set of doors on the first floor to make the Commerce Street Building more convenient and accessible. The new
elevator doors will be located on the first floor adjacent to the stairs and
student study area in the south end of the building.
Questions should be addressed to Eric Reimer at 713-221-8234 or reimere@uhd.edu. Facilities Management thanks the UHD community and Commerce Street Building visitors for their cooperation during the project.
Back to Top
|
|
IT Training for Faculty-Staff-Alumni
Register for IT training
opportunities at the links below. To schedule a one-on-one appointment or other
assistance, please call 713-221-8200.
Blackboard Learning Management
Today
10 to 11 a.m. - Blackboard: Managing Course Content
Microsoft Office
Friday, May 28
9 a.m. to noon - Microsoft: Open Lab
See all current IT training available |
The Skyline eNews is produced daily by the Office of Public Affairs and
you will receive the Skyline eNews via email while you are a UHD
employee. We update our email list weekly. The eNews is a University faculty and staff newsletter and is designed to keep employees informed of university activities, policy changes, human resources issues, business office information and security information.
The deadline for submitting items is 9 a.m. the day before publication. Past issues are archived on UHD's Web site. The archive link is in the lower right column.
We are always interested in your activities. Let us know at least 24 hours in advance so we can include your event in the Skyline eNews. We also try to photograph University activities, but we need to know when and where your event is taking place. Email skylinenews@uhd.edu or call Public Affairs at 713-221-8010. | |
|
|
|
| Join us on Facebook |  |
UHD is on Facebook at facebook.com/uhdowntown. Become a fan and connect to other University Facebook pages and groups. |
|
|
