Announcements

The next installment of the Block 82 speaker series will feature Mike Thompson, who has beat cancer four times with treatment from UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. During his presentation, Culture after Cancer: Life and Leadership through a Survivor’s Eyes, Mike will talk about his personal journey and provide advice about overcoming obstacles. The presentation is scheduled for Monday, April 23, beginning at noon in the 2^nd floor multipurpose room.

As part of its development of Block 71, the site bordered by West Seventh, Colorado, West Sixth and Lavaca Streets, Trammell Crow is scheduled to demolish Ashbel Smith Hall (ASH) by implosion this Sunday, March 25, beginning around 8 a.m. (the date and time could change due to weather or other events). The UT System Building and garage will be CLOSED all day. Vehicles must be out of the garage by 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. UT System will not be responsible for damage to any vehicle left in the garage.

To ensure everyone knows how to evacuate safely in case of an emergency, a fire drill will be conducted in the UT System Building on Tuesday, April 17, beginning at 10 a.m. Since this is the first drill in the new building, plans were announced in advance to give everyone a chance to learn where the exits are and to wear comfortable shoes if desired. After the drill, refreshments will be served in the multipurpose room on the second floor.

System Administration staff have the option of visiting a telemedicine clinic on the 19^th floor, thanks to a pilot launched by the Office of Employee Benefits. The partnership with The University of Texas Medical Branch and The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing provides remote consultations with UTMB healthcare providers who are assisted on-site by UT Austin nursing staff.

IRS Form 1095-C will be printed and mailed to current and former UT System employees, retirees and other covered individuals on March 2. The form is not required when filing personal income tax returns, but does provide information that may be needed regarding the number of months enrolled individuals and family members had qualifying health coverage from UT System during 2017. By law, all Americans are required to maintain minimum essential health coverage or pay a penalty when filing their tax returns.

The Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Innovation and Strategic Investment, and the Office of Human Resources are excited to host System Administration staff on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 12 p.m. for the next installment of the Block 82 speaker series.

Staff Council's Leadership Speaker Series continues on April 12 (rescheduled from March 22) with a presentation by Dan Sharphorn, UT System Vice Chancellor and General Counsel. All System Administration staff are invited to attend and learn more about the Office of General Counsel and Dan's role as chief legal advisor to the Chancellor, Presidents, Executive Officers, and UT institutions. The session is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the second floor multipurpose room. Bring your lunch to enjoy as you listen!

The Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Innovation and Strategic Investment are excited to host you on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 12 p.m. for our next installment of the Block 82 speaker series.

Dr. Carrie Barron, director of the Dell Medical School Creativity and Resilience Program, will lead an interactive conversation focused on resilience and creativity entitled: Developing Resilience with Love, Purpose and Play. Dr. Barron will draw upon insight, action and human connection to help others with stress, anxiety and depression.

Staff Council is introducing a new Leadership Speaker Series to help all staff learn more about the work of UT System Administration offices. The first session is scheduled for Thursday, February 1, from noon to 1 p.m., in the multipurpose room on the second floor. Bring your lunch and learn more about the Office of Risk Management. Phil Dendy, Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, will talk about the response to Hurricane Harvey and other important work performed by his office.

System Administration employees are invited to attend an All Hands meeting on January 12 beginning at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held in the UT System Building multipurpose room on the second floor. Staff can also join virtually at http://videoportal.utsystem.edu/Mediasite/Play/d9a5483f5406493e96b31931870ac8291d; you'll be asked to provide your SNAC credentials. The video should start broadcasting automatically once the meeting begins but if it doesn’t, please click the refresh button.

In May of last year, HR launched a pilot program that eliminated the need for exempt employees to submit weekly timesheets unless state compensatory time was earned or leave (comp time, vacation, sick, etc.) was taken. Approximately 118 (18%) of System Administration staff opted to participate in the pilot by completing an exception-based time reporting agreement developed by OGC. HR tracked reported leave from May 2014 to November 2017 and determined there were no significant variances in leave reporting during that time, including since the beginning of this pilot.

The University of Texas System Administration offices will be closed for the holidays on December 25-26 and January 1. Skeleton crews will be on duty in every department on December 22 and December 27-29.

If you need assistance during this time, please call 512.499.4200 and select "4" to be directed to the Help Desk. To reach the Office of Human Resources, please call 512.499.4587. If an HR emergency occurs after hours, that number may also be used to contact the on-call HR representative.

Happy Holidays!

The Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Innovation and Strategic Investment are excited to host you on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at 12 p.m. for our next installment of the Block 82 speaker series. Drs. Robert Duke and Art Markman of the KUT radio show, Two Guys on Your Head,will discuss how to take advantage of psychological principles in order to maximize success and happiness, as well as other related topics.

UT System Administration Offices in Austin will exercise a 2 hour delay on Friday, December 8, 2017 due to inclement weather. Please use caution on the roadways.

If you have any questions, please contact OTIS helpdesk at 512-499-4357.

The UT System@Worknewsletter was launched in November 2016 to provide System Administration staff with useful information, critical updates and helpful tips. The newsletter has evolved over the past year, and it's time to ask readers what they think. Please take a few minutes to complete the online reader survey to share what you like, what you don’t like, and what you’d like to see more or less of in future issues.

On November 13, Block 82 welcomes Patricia “Trish” Young Brown at noon in the multipurpose room. Together, we'll attempt to answer the question: How do our experiences shape our leadership style? Trish will explore this question with insight from over 20 years of experience leading multiple healthcare and community-based organizations.