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News from the Council Fall 2020
UCSC members plan for FY21 at virtual retreat
BY JESSICA VANDERPOOL UTHealth leadership on behalf of staff members; publishes news-
Development Writer II the classified staff. This is done by letters throughout the year with in-
Office of Development making recommendations on exist- formative articles, feature stories,
ing and proposed policies; weigh- and activities; fosters personal and
New, current, and outgoing mem- ing in on procedures and programs professional development through
bers of the University Classified that impact the classified staff or UCSC Brown Bag Sessions; and
Staff Council (UCSC) came togeth- are of particular interest to them; raises funds for and administers
er on August 21 for UCSC’s Annual and voicing questions and con- the UCSC Educational Awards Pro-
Retreat, during which they planned cerns from classified staff mem- gram, a competitive, merit-based
for the upcoming fiscal year, con- bers. In addition, the UCSC holds
ducted business, recognized outgo- its Annual Workshop for classified See RETREAT on PAGE 4
ing members, and welcomed incom-
ing members. Like so many other
events in 2020, the retreat was held
virtually to protect the health and
safety of participants and comply
with regulations and best practices.
The UCSC is comprised of mem-
bers from operating units across
UTHealth whose mission it is to
advise the president and other
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Farewell from FY20 Chair.......2
Welcome from FY21 Chair.......3
UCSC Accomplishments............5
Educational Awards..................6
Former Member Spotlight.........7
Technology Corner....................8
Recycling Program....................9
HOOP Policy Updates..............9
Wellness Tips..........................10
Brown Bag Session.................11
New UCSC Representatives...13 UCSC FORMER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - Former UCSC member Bethany
Fall Word Search..................13 Roachell (second from right in front) sees transformative work of UTHealth
Annual UCSC Workshop.......14 impact her own family (see Page 7).
www.uth.edu/ucsc UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu
A Farewell from the FY20 UCSC Chair
Reflecting on progress despite a strange year
BY WILLIAM “BILL” SEVERSON from home environment. There will sions were very successful, bringing
Audio-Visual Specialist be three workshop sessions which development opportunities to classi-
McGovern Medical School Conference will be tailored to the role of clas- fied staff members regarding leader-
Operations sified staff in the work from home ship and wellness. A big thank you
model here at UTHealth. A big thank to Lexus Bradford for heading up
While it is hard to believe, Fiscal you to Jimaya Tates and Elizabeth this committee.
Year 2020 is already over! Your Vinson for all of their hard work in In our effort to keep more classi-
University Classified Staff Council switching this event to an on- fied staff members up-to-
(UCSC) has been hard at work this line event quickly. date on events happening
year to make meaningful change for I would like to congratu- at UTHealth, our Com-
you and to provide resources and late our Educational Awards munications Committee
educational sessions that expand Committee led by Beth delivered two newsletters
your understanding of certain topics! Watson on a phenome- this fiscal year, as well as
In light of the global pandemic nal year. We awarded just to regularly communicate
that has taken hold of our commu- over $27,000 in education- about other events. To
nity and our world, I want to express al awards to 22 applicants. William “Bill” that end, I would recom-
UCSC’s commitment to classified The Educational Awards Severson mend that all classified
staff members at UTHealth. We Committee has done an ex- staff members subscribe
have worked hard this year to en- cellent job of raising funds to the UCSC Mailing
sure that the Classified Staff have this year, teaming up with the Office List so that you can get the latest
been heard from in regard to all of Development to create a perma- announcements and news about
UTHealth decisions surrounding nent donations web portal. I would events here at UTHealth! Join here:
COVID-19. So many of us are now also like to thank the Selection go.uth.edu/UCSCMailingList. We
facing new challenges as we stay Committee for all of their hard work would like to thank Jessica Vander-
safe at home, take mandatory days in selecting the 22 finalists through pool and the Communications Com-
off, or continue to come in to provide the pandemic which forced the pro- mittee for producing newsletters this
essential services to the university. cess to take place entirely online. fiscal year and continuing the work
Whether it is juggling work-from- The Selection Committee this year of increasing the number of people
home responsibilities on top of car- was composed of five members: on our mailing list. Thank you, Jes-
ing for loved ones or perhaps navi- William ‘Wes’ Stewart, Dr. Pedro sica.
gating our community while dealing Mancias, Dr. Charles Beasley, Dr. UCSC has finished elections and
with your own health issues - know Allison Edwards, and Catherine the new elected representatives will
that UCSC is here for you. Please Doughty. Thank you for all of your begin their terms in September of
visit our website to contact us or hard work and dedication. 2020. We are happy to have all who
find other helpful resources as we At the time of this writing, our Staff have been elected on the Council
continue through these challenging Development Committee is working and many thanks to those who ran
times, together. on setting up our third Brown Bag but were not elected. A big thank
We recently held our virtual Work- Session for the year. This Brown you to Alainna Talton and Colin
shops. These events are designed Bag is about technology and how Dunham for their leadership on this
to enhance our understanding of we can use technology to better ful- important committee. I would also
what work from home entails as well fill our job duties and requirements.
as how to cope with the new work The previous two Brown Bag Ses- See FAREWELL on PAGE 4
2 News from the Council
A Welcome from the FY21 UCSC Chair
Looking forward as UCSC perseveres, TOGETHER
BY COLIN DUNHAM members at UTHealth. I promise portant information more promptly. If
HR Reporting Analyst to be here for you and support you you haven’t signed up for our mail-
Human Resources as we work together. I also want to ing list yet, we encourage you to do
challenge you to think outside the so at go.uth.edu/UCSCMailingList.
Where does the time go? It’s a box and get creative. The programs Our Staff Development Committee
question many of us are asking and resources we provide are im- is already hard at work scheduling
more and more these days. For portant to our shared goals here at Brown Bag Sessions that will pro-
some of us, we blinked and March UTHealth. vide content to aid clas-
mysteriously turned into November. And now I turn to classified sified staff members as
For others, time seems to be barely staff at UTHealth. The global we traverse a more re-
creeping along. Nevertheless, it is pandemic we are enduring mote working environ-
now the new fiscal year, and I have together has changed almost ment, as well as other
the privilege of serving as the Chair every facet of our work and great topics! Our Staff
for the University Classified Staff society. Some of us are work- Recognition Committee
Council (UCSC). I wish to thank our ing remotely and have been is prepared either to of-
former chair, William “Bill” Sever- for months. Others have con- Colin Dunham fer an in-person annual
son, for his tireless efforts last year tinued to go into the office and workshop or again bring
and his dedication to classified staff perform essential functions for excellent content in a vir-
members here at UTHealth. I also the university. Regardless of where tual format should we be unable to
want to thank our outgoing UCSC we are working, there’s no doubt offer in-person events next summer.
representatives for their commit- that life has been challenging this Our Educational Awards Commit-
ment and hard work during their year. Know that you are valued. tee is excited to raise funds to sup-
time on the council. We continue Know that the work you do helps port children of classified staff and
to be successful due the efforts of further the mission of the universi- to oversee the selection process
these colleagues.To our new UCSC ty and that all our contributions help for these awards. Our Elections
representatives, I say, “Welcome!” bring success to all of UTHealth. Committee recently put on UCSC’s
Whether you are brand-new to the If you have any questions or con- first-ever virtual retreat. They will
council or have returned for anoth- cerns that UCSC can assist you have a short reprieve until it is time
er term, you have joined the council with, please contact us at UTHeal- to start the election cycle again and
at a pivotal time in our shared his- thUCSC@uth.tmc.edu. plan for next year’s retreat!
tory. The work we do this year is We look forward to a year full of I look forward to the meaningful
as important as ever. I have every activities in Fiscal Year 21. Our Com- work to be accomplished this year,
faith that you will help make this munications Committee is revamp- and I welcome your input and sup-
the best year yet for classified staff ing our website so we can share im- port as we begin another year!
Make your voice heard!
Do you have an issue you want to bring before
leadership? Email the
University Classified Staff Council
at UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu.
Fall 2020 3
FAREWELL goals are regarding diversity issues
here at UTHealth. I would also like
we as classified staff value and hold
as important.
Continued from PAGE 2 to note that the classified staff will At our core, UCSC exists to ad-
be represented on the new Diver- vise the President and the Exec-
like to introduce the next Chair of the sity and Inclusion Task Force at utive Council on matters of im-
University Classified Staff Council, UTHealth. portance to classified employees.
Colin Dunham. Have a great year! The UCSC welcomed Mr. Kevin We, as a council, do not take this
May and June of 2020 brought Dillon to our May meeting to discuss responsibility lightly. This year, we
about a new heightened awareness how the University is responding to have been able to present several
of Diversity and Inclusion measures the budget hits brought about by items of importance to classified
as well as discussions of how all can COVID-19 and what austerity mea- staff members to executive leader-
work together for a greater purpose. sures are being put in place. We ship here at UTHealth. While solu-
To that end, we invited the Office of appreciate the enhanced communi- tions do not always happen over-
Diversity and Inclusion to join us and cation provided by him during these night, know that your voice and the
answer questions we as staff had unprecedented times and his will- voices of your colleagues matter.
regarding the Diversity and Inclu- ingness to communicate with clas- We relish the opportunity to hear
sion efforts. A big thank you to Dea- sified staff members. from you and your ideas for im-
na Moylan, Dr. Latanya Love, and We would like to thank President provements. A list of our represen-
Dr. Asia McCleary-Gaddy for being Giuseppe Colasurdo for allowing us tatives is available on our website,
willing to join us and answer tough to have a voice and taking the time or you can reach us via email at
questions about what the vision and to listen and respond to items that UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu.
RETREAT ing committees about their accom-
plishments over the past 12 months
da “Dennie” Clemons, Educational
Awards Committee Chair; Qiana
Continued from PAGE 1 (read highlights from each commit- Allen, Elections Committee Chair;
awards program that offers finan- tee on Page 5). Laura Rademacher, Staff Devel-
cial support for higher education to In addition, the group conducted opment Committee Chair; Jimaya
selected, eligible children of classi- important business, including the Tates, Staff Recognition Committee
fied staff. The UCSC also helps with election of officers. Fiscal year 2021 Chair.
UTHealth activities and initiatives officers are: Dunham, Chair; Lexus In addition, Pauline Monseg-
and participates in select UTHealth Bradford, Chair-Elect; Kristina Fern, ue-Bailey was voted UCSC’s In-
and UT System committees and Secretary; Nena Fairbanks, Trea- terFaculty Council representative,
councils. surer; and Jessica Vanderpool, Par- and Susan Bell was voted UCSC’s
The retreat kicked off with words liamentarian. HOOP Advisory Committee repre-
from fiscal year 2020 UCSC Chair At the end of the day, members sentative.
William “Bill” Severson, and fis- were assigned to one of UCSC’s five To learn more about UCSC or find
cal year 2021 Chair Colin Dunham standing committees. These com- a list of representatives, visit uth.
(hear more from Severson and Dun- mittees then each spent time elect- edu/ucsc. To join our mailing list and
ham on Pages 2 and 3). ing a chair and making plans for how stay up-to-date on council news, visit
Along with hearing from Severson to serve staff in the upcoming year. go.uth.edu/UCSCMailingList.
and Dunham and recognizing new Committees and their chairs are as To bring your concerns to UCSC,
and old members, the group heard follows: Jessica Vanderpool, Com- contact us at our email address:
reports from UCSC’s five stand- munications Committee Chair; Wan- UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu.
4 News from the Council
UCSC accomplishments from FY2020
Elections Communications Staff Recognition
● Created a way to hold elec- ● Promoted UCSC, its events ● Created a new online model
tions for UCSC officers virtually and the Educational Awards Program for holding the UCSC Annual Work-
● Held a first-of-its kind virtual ● Shared news relevant to clas- shop virtually. This included holding
meet and greet to introduce classified sified staff through newsletters several sessions on separate days
staff to UCSC ● Grew the UCSC mailing list throughout the year to make atten-
● Hosted the first-ever virtual from 150 to 405 contacts (170% in- dance more feasible
version of the annual UCSC Retreat crease) ● Coordinated the distribution
● Maintained membership ros- ● Emailed 1,251 new hires with of goodie bags for randomly selected
ter throughout the fiscal year information about UCSC UCSC Annual Workshop participants
● Maintained the current web- and thank you gifts for speakers
site and began work on a new website
● Finished the previous year’s
Staff Development project to create and print 1,500 cop-
● Held the Journey to Leader-
ies of a two-sided UCSC brochure
ship Brown Bag Session focused on
● Helped develop a solicitation From your
the progression of career develop-
ment by selecting various speakers
request that was sent to upper lead-
ership to garner support for the UCSC
University
that have developed their career at
UTHealth
Educational Awards Program Classified Staff
● Held an informative Brown
Bag on Health and Wellness, which Educational Awards Council, thank you
provided information regarding
health services, healthy life choice,
● Awarded monetary amounts
varying from $200 to $4,600 to 22
for a wonderful
and Employee Assistance Programs qualified applicants year!
that UTHealth provides ● Educational Awards Commit-
● Planned a third Brown Bag tee held a fundraising campaign and
Session to focus on providing train- two silent auctions to raise money for
ing on e-learning technology such the Educational Awards Program Learn more about
as UTH-Share, Office365, Microsoft
Teams, and WebEx. (This session
● Organized a Selection Com-
mittee responsible for determining the
us at uth.edu/ucsc.
was rescheduled for October.) number of student award winners
Curious about the University
Classified Staff Council?
Visit the UCSC website:
uth.edu/ucsc
Fall 2020 5Educational Awards awarded to 22 students
BY BETH WATSON receives remarkable applications andfollowing colleges and universities:
Senior Program Manager this year proved no different! TheseBrazosport College, Tarleton State
Radiology children will be attending colleges University, Stephen F. Austin State
and universities this fall, and we are
University, Prairie View A&M Uni-
Each year, the University Clas- so happy to be able to award some- versity, The University of Texas at
sified Staff Council (UCSC) works thing to our winners. Austin, University of Houston, Texas
hard to provide support to classi- We extend our heartfelt appreci- Tech University, Houston Commu-
fied staff by providing Educational ation and thanks to our Selection nity College, Texas A&M Universi-
Awards to high school ty, Park Uni-
students who are chil-
dren of current, full-time
Congratulations to (in alphabetical order) versity, Woman’s Uni-
Texas
UTHealth classified em- • Natalia Buenrostro, daughter of Nereyda Buenrostro versity, Rice
ployees and pursuing • Elissa Cabral, daughter of Rose Mary Cabral U n i v e r s i t y,
higher education. This • Herbert Chen, son of Guocai Chen Texas South-
fiscal year, we had 22 • Kayla Crowley, daughter of Theresa Crowley ern Universi-
qualified applicants. • Alyana Dela Cruz, daughter of Joan Dela Cruz ty, and Sam
This competitive • Katherine Dycha, daughter of Darcy Dycha Houston State
award ranks the students • Alleecia Evans, daughter of Detric Evans University. We
based on their school- • Valle Kauniste, son of Lori Kauniste are excited to
work and well-rounded • Poorna Menon, daughter of Usha Menon be part of their
high school lives. Stu- • Taiya Mitchell, daughter of Candice Mitchell future.
dents are scored on the • Myranda Mondragon, daughter of Christina Rocha-Pena Through do-
difficulty of the courses • Kaleb Moore, son of April Laquinta Moore nations and
they took, their ACT or • Marisela Murray, son of Roberto Murray, Jr. two silent auc-
SAT score, their grades, • Samuel Nkrumah, son of Awurabena Poku tions, we were
and their grade point av- • Anya Pazhoor, daughter of Shwetha Pazhoor able to provide
erage. Additionally, they • Kristin Pfleger, daughter of Edward Pfleger $28,600 in
are scored on their vol- • Emily Ramos, daughter of Martha Uribe awards.
unteer work and extra- • Wendy Rossi, daughter of Susan Rossi Congratu-
curricular activities that • Allison Sokoloski, daughter of Frances Sokoloski lations to all
make them good citi- • Taylor Trinh, daughter of Linh Trinh of the win-
zens and team players. • Jessica P. Wang, daughter of Jianbo Wang and Ping Pan ners from the
Lastly, they are scored • Anthony Weeks, son of Christine Betters Educational
on two letters of rec- Awards Com-
ommendation that are mittee. We are
provided by their teachers or school Committee: William “Wes” Stewart, so proud of you and can’t wait to see
administration. Dr. Pedro Mancias, Dr. Charles Bea- you soar!
The UCSC Educational Awards sley, Dr. Allison Edwards, and Cath- Educational Awards Commit-
Program is a competitive award that erine Doughty. These five dedicated tee Members FY20: Beth Watson
provides various amounts of awards UTHealth colleagues donated their (chair), Bethany Roachell (vice-
to applicants based on the scoring time and attention and met several chair), Lt. Gaudencio Arenas, Tricia
from the Selection Committee. The times to assess the applications. Hill-Thomas, Dana White, Felicia
Educational Awards Program always Our winners will be attending the Davis, and Tracy Maclin.
6 News from the CouncilFormer Member Spotlight: Bethany Roachell
Witnessing the transformative work of UTHealth
BY JESSICA VANDERPOOL secretary for UCSC. In her role, she part of a team that redesigned the
Development Writer II helped raise more than $50,000 cu- look and feel of Learn2Succeed to
Office of Development mulatively in order to award finan- make it more intuitive for users.”
cial assistance for higher education Bethany has also served for sev-
Former University Classified Staff to selected, eligible children of clas- eral years as part of the HR Events
Council (UCSC) member Bethany sified staff. Committee, the goal of which she
Roachell personally witnessed the “I joined UCSC to be an advo- says is to “plan engaging activities
impact of The University of Texas cate for classified employees of that help build department-wide re-
Health Science Center at Houston UTHealth and to help make a pos- lationships.”
when her step-father received deep itive difference within the institution When she is not at work, she
brain stimulation surgery at the where possible,” she said. enjoys playing board games with
talented hands of UTHealth’s Dr. Bethany has worked in Human friends, putting her “green thumb”
Albert Fenoy. Diagnosed with Par- Resources (HR) at UTHealth for to good use with her many plants,
kinson’s disease, her step-father, five years, first on the Employee working on the merchandise team
AJ Dike, knew he needed medical Services team and now on the HR at her church, hiking, running, and
assistance so he opted for deep Technology team. Currently, she even participating in some races.
brain stimulation. The procedure serves as Senior HR Systems Sup- She also describes herself as an
was successful and helped control port Specialist. “avid reader.”
his symptoms, thereby improving “You’d know me as the person She enjoys spending time with
his quality of life. who works behind Learn2Suc- her tabby cat named Abraham
“It’s great to see firsthand how the ceed,” said Bethany, who has a and her Pembroke Welsh Corgi
work done here at UTHealth can Master of Science degree in Human named Lincoln. She said the co-
impact the everyday lives of peo- Resource Management. “When first ordination of names was a happy
ple,” said Bethany. “I love being a hired by UTHealth, I played a part in accident, as she named Lincoln
small part of something that, on a implementing the Learn2Succeed first and later met Abraham and
grand scale, literally changes lives system, and currently, I work with just knew she had to adopt him
for the better.” numerous departments through- due to his name.
Bethany is one of UCSC’s out- out UTHealth to ensure their train- To Bethany and our other outgo-
going members, having served a ings are working properly and the ing members, UCSC would like to
two-year term. She served both employees who need to complete say thank you for sharing your time
years as a member of UCSC’s Edu- specific trainings on the system are and talents for the sake of classified
cational Awards Committee and as able to do so. In August 2019, I was staff.
Fall 2020 7Technology Corner
Part 3: Microsoft Teams
BY COLIN DUNHAM everyone together. can quickly find a file, conversation
HR Reporting Analyst A team is the group of people thread, or even type a command to
Human Resources whom you work with on a daily ba- expedite your workflow. Commands
sis or on a project. Create a team are shortcuts in MS Teams that al-
Imagine that you’re instant mes- and include everyone who will need low you to quickly do a multitude of
saging with a coworker about an access to the files you’re creating or useful things: check all your new no-
upcoming project. She tells you that the messages you’re sharing. tifications, set your messenger sta-
she has questions about the scope A channel is a specific section of a tus, or even see a list of keyboard
of the first objective and she is also team. Let’s say the team is working shortcuts!
curious about how to show the re- to put together a conference. One Each channel in each team has
sults of the third objective in a graph. channel could be “presenters,” and the possibility to have its own tabs.
You quickly look at the project out- another channel could be “food.” You The tabs could be a document you
line document, and then show her a would only post messages or files in are constantly using, a new web-
pivot chart that should work to com- the specific channels that have to do site, a OneNote notebook, a Mic-
municate outcomes about the proj- with that part of the conference. This rosoft Planner board, or a host of
ect. You set up a meeting to make makes it easier to break up the work other things. If something needs to
sure you and your coworker are on and make sure other channels don’t be close by for that team/channel -
the same page. get clogged up with posts about oth- make it a tab!
Now, pretend you did all that from er items. If you are the team owner, No more searching for emails with
one application. you even have the ability to create the correct attachments. No more
Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) is a private channel so only the folks files with names like V3, V4, FINAL,
the ultimate application for your work who need access to that channel FINAL_FINAL. All work can be done
group — a workspace for real-time have it — no one else will see it. together in real time and, even bet-
collaboration and communication, On your way to a meeting but ter, updates are saved automatical-
meetings, file and application shar- want to make sure you receive no- ly. If you feel like V3 was better than
ing, and even the occasional emoji! tifications of an important update? V4, that’s okay — feel free to restore
As a truly collaborative tool, you can Download the MS Teams app on that version from the automatically
set up a team and then create dif- your phone or tablet! The same saved version in the file’s history.
ferent channels so the correct com- functionality that exists on your com- Besides working in real time with
munication is shared in the correct puter also exists when you’re on the ultimate collaboration, you can also
space. Additionally, you can link var- go! Quickly check any important up- get someone’s attention by men-
ious Microsoft applications right to dates, make comments, or upload tioning them. Whether in a com-
your team so there’s never a need to files from your device as needed. ment, a reply to a post, or anywhere
leave the Teams application; all the The search bar at the top of the MS
work takes place in one location with Teams app is your best friend. You See TECHNOLOGY on PAGE 11
8 News from the CouncilRecycling program for tonor and cartridges benefits environment
BY VALERIE BUCHANAN the university in 2018. portion of rewards they receive on
AV & Conference Services Senior The program is an environmen- behalf of the school’s pickup sites
Manager tally preferred disposal of empty to support UCSC with donations
McGovern Medical School Conference cartridges. It is free and easy to for the Education Awards Program
Operations participate in. The annually.
focus is on collec- You can recycle
McGovern Medical School Em- tion, reuse, and re- all brands of empty
ployee Relations Committee be- cycling of cartridges printer cartridges
came partners in sustainability with that are remanufac- including original
TODAY’S Business Solutions and tured, remarketed, HP, Brother, and
Clover Environmental Solutions or recycled and re- Lexmark, as well
in July 2013 to reduce the waste sold through Today’s as used cartridges
stream by keeping ink and ton- Business Solutions. from other manu-
er cartridges out of landfills. Mc- UCSC uses re- facturers. Join the
Govern Medical School ERC wel- wards they receive from the pro- program and set up a toner col-
comed the University Classified gram toward the Educational lection box in your area. Contact
Staff Council (UCSC) as partners Awards Program. McGovern Med- Suzanne.J.Paramore@uth.tmc.
in the program to increase efforts ical School ERC continues to man- edu or Amity.Browning@uth.tmc.
supporting toner recycling across age the program and donates a edu for more information.
Updates to HOOP policies 28, 52, 116, 101
BY SANDY SOUTHERN HOOP 52 Reductions in Force form to current practices and some
Senior Administrative Coordinator was updated regarding employees new standards.
Pediatric Cardiology and Critical whose position was funded (50% It is our employees’ responsibil-
Care or greater) by expiring sources of ity to ensure our communications
funding or a project that has been that we create and send comply
The HOOP Advisory Committee cancelled or discontinued. Em- with Brand Standards.
met in August. ployees will be given as much no- HOOP 101 Disability Accom-
HOOP 28 Vacation was updat- tice as possible in this situation. modations with new animal
ed this spring/summer to conform Classified employees who are guidelines: HOOP 101 provides
to current practices. separated in a formal reduction of definitions for many terms within
As a reminder, each department workforce, can have their remain- the scope of disability accommo-
sets its vacation approval process- ing sick leave balance restored if dations. This HOOP policy also
es, but vacation requests still need they resume state employment describes the steps to request
to be completed. If you are trans- within 12 months of the end of the a workplace accommodation. It
ferring within state institutions, month of separation. also addresses the definition of an
you need to contact the prior state HOOP 116 Editorial, Graphic, emotional support animal and a
agency regarding transferring your Web, Signage: University Brand service animal and the situations
vacation time and years of service. Standards was updated to con- where they are allowed.
Got something on your mind? Contact UCSC at UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu.
Fall 2020 9Wellness Tips: Caring for yourself during a difficult year
BY MONICA GUIDRY also discuss mental health services can register online at www.yourmon-
Executive Director available through Blue Cross Blue eyline.com/uthealth.
UTHealth Employee Assistance Shield. UTHealth employees and For questions about these ser-
Programs their family members can access vices, call our main number at 713-
convenient and confidential services 500-3327 or go online at https://
This year’s challenges have im- at no cost. inside.uth.edu/eap/employee-assis-
pacted many UTHealth employees For staff: Employee Assistance tance/.
emotionally, physically, financially,
and spiritually. On a daily basis, we Mindfulness, Resilience, &
strive to be resilient for ourselves, Stress Relief
our families, our colleagues, and
Wellness
Studies show that meditation is as-
those whom we serve. During stress- sociated with improvement in a vari-
ful times, it may be difficult to know ety of psychological areas including
where to turn for support, guidance,
Series
stress, anxiety, addiction, depres-
and resources for yourself and even sion, eating disorders, and cognitive
your family members. Employee As- function among others. Other bene-
sistance Programs (EAP) and Well- fits include improved sleep, reduced
ness Services can help!
Here are some EAP and Wellness Part 3 blood pressure, and improved mem-
ory. As with any skill or new habit,
Services that many employees have practice is important. It takes repeti-
used to not just survive, but also to tion to train the mind and body to ad-
build a foundation of resilience. Program 713-500-3327* just to being still. In this time of social
For faculty: Faculty Assistance distancing, EAP offers free 15-min-
EAP Counseling and Program 713-500-3880* ute virtual meditation sessions every
Consultation Services Residents and fellows: Employee week to the UTHealth community.
Confidential individual, family, and Assistance Program 713-500-3327* We invite you to join your colleagues
group counseling are available to *24/7 for crisis calls virtually on Wednesdays and Thurs-
you and family members living in days. You can find the calendar of
your household. Depression, anxi- Debt, Spending, and events on Inside UTHealth.
ety, loneliness, fear, grief, and stress Financial Well-Being Be sure to check out this article
are normal emotions during these Your Money Line is a financial about the benefits of mindful medi-
difficult times. Our staff is available wellness program consisting of a live tation with quotes from Alejandro
for “in-the-moment-support” and can financial call-in helpline and an in- Chaoul, Ph.D., which might serve
be a confidential sounding board for teractive online financial dashboard. as a motivation to try this evidenced
what you are experiencing, even The program focuses on changing based resource.
to discuss work-related concerns. spending behaviors to promote fi- Additional resources and services
In addition, our goal is to help you nancial change, regardless of in- are available but are too numerous
identify options available to you. come. to mention. EAP is here for you as
Free EAP counseling appointments Financial questions can be emailed well as your department. Please
are available virtually or in-person to answers@yourmoneyline.com or visit our website (www.uth.edu/
through our network of EAP licensed by calling 833-890-4077. Available wellness) to learn more. Let us help
clinicians throughout Texas. We can in English and Spanish. Participants you and your family.
10 News from the CouncilTECHNOLOGY sation with someone outside of
the channel or even the team?
and utilize other collaborative op-
tions as well.
Continued from PAGE 8 Head on over to the chat app If you cannot wait to create your
else, all you have to do is type @ housed in MS Teams to contact own team and get started, contact
and then the person’s name to se- anyone inside the UTHealth orga- the Help Desk today and they will
lect them from a list! They will in- nization. Using the chat app, you create it for you.
stantly receive a notification that can have real time conversations Do you want some additional train-
will guide them to that file, com- using the instant messenger func- ing before you dive headfirst into MS
ment, post, etc. tion with one or even a group of Teams? Try Microsoft’s training as
Need to have a private conver- people. It’s also easy to send files well as Linkedin Learning!
Brown Bag Session focuses on technology uses
BY COLIN DUNHAM AND tablet, it is easy to see where you left real-time, with changes saving au-
JESSICA VANDERPOOL off and invite others to collaborate tomatically. Any time you want to di-
with you. You have plenty of stor- rectly notify someone of something,
G Suite for Education, Microsoft age space in your personal drive, you can include their name preced-
Teams, and Cisco Webex were the but another great feature of Goo- ed by the “@” or “+” signs. You can
center of conversation during the gle Drive is Shared Drives. Shared also customize the document with
Brown Bag Session on technology Drives allow you to create a place photos and other items or create a
organized by the University Classi- for teams to share documents, edit, table of contents.
fied Staff Council (UCSC). During and ultimately succeed in their tasks Other tools include, but are not
the virtual session, held Oct. 6, at- through cooperation. When creating limited to, Google Slides, which is
tendees heard from Gregory Orcutt, a Shared Drive, the owner can add similar to Microsoft PowerPoint,
senior learning management admin- team members and edit their per- and Google Forms, which is sim-
istrator, and Carly Walker, e-learning missions. For instance, you can give ilar to Microsoft Forms. Wth Goo-
technologist specialist and Google someone access to view or com- gle Slides, anyone can create and
Certified Trainer, about how these ment only, or you can make some- present beautiful, professional pre-
programs operate and can benefit one a manager with similar permis- sentations with ease. These pre-
employees in their work. sions to the Shared Drive owner. sentations can be customized with
The great thing about Shared Drives photos, videos, sounds, closed
UTH-Share is that if a team member leaves the captioning and more. The Speaker
UTH-Share is UTHealth’s imple- organization or for any other reason view allows you to see your notes
mentation of G Suite for Education. no longer has access to the drive, on each slide so you don’t forget
All faculty and staff members have all the files still remain in the shared to say anything you’ve rehearsed.
access to UTH-Share, but will need folder for the team. There is no need Google Forms allows you to create
to activate their account. UTH-Share to fear losing any work! items like polls, event registrations,
has several tools for online collabo- Another UTH-Share tool is Google and surveys that will display instant
ration and real-time work efficiency. Docs, which is similar to Microsoft results. Keep in mind never to use
One of these tools is Google Drive, Word and useful if you are co-writ- these forms for sensitive information
where you can store all your online ing something with team members. like passwords or patient data. Like
documents in an easily accessible You can share your document with Google Docs, both Google Slides
space. Whether you need to access others via a button in the top right
your files via computer, phone, or corner and work on it together in See BROWN BAG on PAGE 12
Fall 2020 11BROWN BAG somewhere. In Microsoft Teams ev-
erything is saved automatically and
self and turn your camera on and off
as needed.
Continued from PAGE 11 you see any changes as they are During a meeting, the host can
made. mute or unmute participants and
and Google Forms can be worked Aside from communicating within even record the meeting if it needs
on collaboratively, with changes be- the team as a whole, you can have to be shared at a later date. (Email
ing automatically saved. private conversations with a col- video@uth.tmc.edu to have this abil-
league or group of colleagues in the ity turned on for you.) Another fan-
Microsoft Teams “Chat” tab of the Microsoft Teams tastic feature is the ability to remind
Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) application. Here you can exchange individuals to attend from within the
stands out by being chat-centric, de- files, chat, and work together on a Webex meeting. Webex can even
signed to help people get organized smaller scale, similar to Skype for call someone for you and connect
with a specific focus on their con- Business. them that way!
versations. A “team” is considered The presenters did offer advice
an overall group of people working Cisco Webex on how to make your virtual con-
on a project. This could be an entire Cisco Webex is the principal sup- ferences run more smoothly. They
department or a diverse group from ported real-time conferencing tool advised not to use Webex if you
across the university brought togeth- offered by UTHealth to all faculty are on a Virtual Private Network
er to work on a collaborative project. and staff. All UTHealth staff have a (VPN) as it is more complicated
And it is entirely possible that you Cisco Webex account whether they and can slow down the bandwidth.
will have multiple teams for multiple know it or not. To update your pic- They also advised not to use We-
projects. ture and other settings, you can visit bex while remoting into a comput-
In order to start a team, you will https://uthealth.webex.com and sign er at another location. Webex will
need to contact the Help Desk and in with your single sign-on creden- try to use the computer audio and
have them set up your team. You tials. From here you can access your camera of the desktop you are re-
can read more about starting with Webex Personal Room, a virtual lo- moting in to and may leave you un-
MS Teams here. cation that retains the same, specific able to participate in the meeting.
The hallmark of Microsoft Teams is URL, enabling you to give it out to However, you can always attend
threaded conversations, which ap- friends or use it to schedule meet- Webex meetings from your internet
pear on the front page of each team ings. You can also schedule meet- browser on whatever device you
you have set up. These threaded ings that generate a one-use virtual are using at your current location.
conversations allow you to follow meeting room using a unique URL. Lastly, if you receive a low band-
messages and reply as necessary. Meeting attendees can either at- width error message, keep in mind
Additionally, if you need assistance tend online or via phone, though that it could be due to your network
from a specific person, you can men- they will need to enter a special code connection or another attendee’s
tion them by using the “@” sign and when calling in on their phones. In network connection. To minimize
their name. They will receive a notifi- fact, you can combine the two and any potential issues, you can try
cation and respond to your mention. use your computer for video and turning off your video to help re-
This also works for the entire team phone for audio. Each time you en- solve the problem.
or channel! ter a Webex meeting, you are pre- Attendees left the virtual webinar
Microsoft Teams is built for col- sented with a screen to test your vid- with many helpful tips and ideas for
laboration. You can upload a file, eo and your audio. This is important new ways to use technology.
start a new one, and work together and allows you to verify your settings A recording of the Brown Bag Ses-
in real time. No longer do you have before actually entering the meeting! sion will be online soon at the UCSC
to worry if you got the latest version Keep in mind, you will usually retain website for all who would like to
of a document hiding in your email the ability to mute and unmute your- learn more about these programs.
12 News from the CouncilUCSC welcomes 2020-2022 representatives
Every year, a new group of representatives joins the University Classified Staff Council (UCSC) to fill the posi-
tions of those rotating off the council. Each representative serves for a two-year term during which they help repre-
sent the needs and concerns of UTHealth classified staff to leadership. In addition, every representative serves on
one of UCSC’s five standing committees: Staff Development, Staff Recognition, Communications, Elections, and
Educational Awards. We are excited to welcome this year’s incoming members, who began their two-year terms in
September. We look forward to the contributions they will make.
Mariamma Abraham Meagan Everett Akilah Moy
Brenda Adams Nena Fairbanks Diane Ortiz
Teshana Alexander Amanda Fields Laura Rademacher
Michelle Balderas Regina Gallardo Dana Richard
Kevin Banks Trudy Jacobs Natasha Shoaf
Susan Bell Nikita Jones Daphne Sigaran
Deb Blesener Pamela Lewis Frances Sokoloski
JR Bright Rachel Lowry Jessica Vanderpool
Miguel Chavez Catherine March Dana White
Joan Dela Cruz Lariza McBean Dennie Clemons
Cora Duhon Priscilla Meyers
UCSC Fall Word Search
Baseball Binge Watch
Camp Family
Garden Home Office
Mask Online
Parks Sunshine
Takeout Task Force
Travel Vacation
Webex Webinar
Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com
Fall 2020 13UCSC holds Annual Workshop virtually COMING SOON
All classified staff are
BY JESSICA VANDERPOOL conferences and workshops, hope-
invited to attend UCSC
Development Writer II fully allowing listeners to better soak meetings! We welcome your
Office of Development in information. thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
The theme for the workshop was
For more than a quarter century, “2020 – Get a Clear Vision” and November UCSC Meeting
the University Classified Staff Coun- included four sessions spread be- November 11, 2 - 4 p.m.
cil has held Annual Workshops to tween June and September. WebEx - visit uth.edu/ucsc for
promote professional and personal • Session 1 explored the topic: login info
development among classified staff “Staying Sane and Being Safe:
December UCSC Meeting
members at UTHealth. This year, Self-care Strategies for Man-
December 9, 2 - 4 p.m.
however, there were no streamers, aging Mental Health During WebEx - visit uth.edu/ucsc for
balloons, or confetti lining a confer- the COVID-19 Crisis.” login info
ence room, but that did not stop the • Session 2 explored the topics:
council from planning a one-of-a- “LinkedIn Learning” and “Who
kind event. is in Charge of Your Career?” Silent Auction
Due to restrictions on public • Session 3 presented UCSC to support students!
gatherings because of COVID-19, Educational Awards Program
UCSC’s 26th Annual Workshop went winners (see related article on
Bid Here!
virtual this year! Taking full advan- Page 6)
tage of the opportunity, the commit- • Session 4 explored the topic: go.uth.edu/ucscauction
tee that planned the event decided “The Importance of Making
Holiday basket, coffee basket,
to spread what is usually a one-day Self-Care a Priority” custom cake, and more!
workshop over multiple days. This In all, the series of sessions of-
allowed people to more easily at- fered bite-sized opportunities for Auction ends Sunday, Nov. 8.
tend the workshop since they did not classified employees to get re-en-
have to take an entire day off work ergized through helpful advice pre- Proceeds support the UCSC
to attend. It also prevented the fa- sented for the first time in a virtual Educational Awards Program
tigue that often accompanies all-day setting. (see Page 6).
The University Classified Staff Council looks forward to working
with you and being your voice during fiscal year 2021!
Colin Dunham Communications Committee members:
2020-2021 Chair Deborah Blesener
University Classified Staff Council Cora Duhon
UTHealthUCSC@uth.tmc.edu Meagan Everett
Valerie Buchanan
Kristina Fern
William “Bryan” Hillier
Karen Hunter-Frierson
Trudy Jacobs
Priscilla Meyers
Diana Pecina
For additional information about the Sandy Southern
University Classified Staff Council, visit us at: Jessica Vanderpool
www.uth.edu/ucsc
14 News from the Council Christina VillarrealYou can also read
