Skyline News

A Publication of UHD Public Affairs

June 2, 2010

Submit news items to skylinenews@uhd.edu.

Please note deadlines for FY2010 purchase requisitions.

Register online for IT Training June 10 Lunch & Learn.

UHD Sports & Fitness has ongoing summer aerobics and fitness programs.

College of Business, MYOBusiness team up for Entrepreneurship workshop.

Changes to state employee benefits to take effect September 1.

UHD's year-end deadlines announced for FY 2010 purchase requisitions

Purchase requisitions to be processed against FY2010 funds must be submitted to the Purchasing Department by specific deadlines in June, July, August and early September. For a complete list of specific deadlines and explanations, please click here and print out the list.

Information on FY11 purchase requisitions will be sent out to the UHD community later this summer.

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Faculty invited to Lunch & Learn training session on Blackboard New Generation

Faculty members who would like to get a head start on the pending conversion to Blackboard Next Generation (NG) - which will replace Blackboard Vista in spring 2011 - are invited to an IT Training Lunch & Learn. Click here to reserve a spot for the 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 10, training in the TTLC training lab, Room A723. Click on the above flier to read an enlarged view.

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UHD Sports & Fitness will offer summer aerobics and fitness programs

UHD Sports & Fitness invites the University community to participate for free in aerobics and fitness programs, the first time these sessions have been offered during the summer months.

The Sneak Peek Fitness Programs, which include pilates, yoga, martial arts and a boot camp, is under way now through August with classes from noon to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. Click here for a summer schedule.

Aerobics classes also are under way through August 4, with a wide variety of classes offered at different times throughout the way. Check out the full schedule of exercise opportunities here.

For information or questions, contact Rhonda Scherer, assistant director of Sports & Fitness, at 713-221-8481 or schererr@uhd.edu.

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Entrepreneurship Workshop set for UHD College of Business June 25

UHD's College of Business and MYOBusiness have teamed up to offer a daylong workshop for entrepreneurs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, June 25, in Room B140 of the Shea Street Building. Dubbed "Mind Your Own Business Entrepreneurship Workshop," the session is designed for longtime business owners, those just starting out or those whose business remains in the dream stage.

Working entrepreneurs will share real-life scenarios, address critical issues, offer proactive marketing and sales strategies and information on best practices. Presenters include Ken Jones, director of UHD's Center for Entrepreneurship; Deborah Hroch, president of Hroch & Associates; and Scott Black, president of MarSell & Associates. The June 25 workshop is the first of an upcoming series of workshops; registration remains open for the July 23 session.

Admission is free to UHD students and alumni if they register using code STU0625 and using a student ID. Cost is $295 for other registrants.

Registration is available online. Additional information is available on the MYOBusiness website.

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Stories from previous Skylines

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

Employees and qualified retirees will continue to have fully paid health insurance.
Contribution rates for coverage of a member and spouse will increase by $16.02 a month (from $220.32 to $236.34).
Contribution rates for coverage of a member and children will increase by $10.74 a month (from $147.52 to $158.26).
Contribution rates for coverage of a member and family will increase by $26.76 a month (from $367.84 to $394.60).

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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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 website.

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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 website.

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Career Services plans upcoming events; has many job opportunities available

Career Services offers a host of upcoming activities and reminds readers to check their e-mails over the summer for more events. Included in the coming weeks and months are:

The Fall Career Expo will be Wednesday, September 29, so please mark your calendar and encourage students to start preparing now.
The new Resume and Interview Workshops calendar is posted on the jobs4gators home page. Please encourage students to register for one or both.
If you have ever worked with UHD career counselor April Klimkiewicz, come and wish her well as she is leaving Career Services next week.