UHR News
University Human Resources
September 7, 2007
Questions? Please use the contact information found within each article for the fastest reply.
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UMCC Launches New Infant Care Program and “Throws a Shower"
 As part of the U-M Child Care Initiative, the Children’s Center on North Ingalls has been renovated through the summer and opened on Tuesday, September 4 with a new room for infants. The program can serve 8 infants in the mornings and 8 in the afternoons. Several families have signed up for each session, with more visiting every day. This program is part of a campus wide effort to expand support of faculty, staff and students who need child care on or near campus.
The UMCC renovation also upgraded other classrooms, created a new multi–purpose play space and children’s library, and upgraded the playgrounds. In celebration of this wonderful step forward, and in order to properly outfit the new infant program with toys and equipment, UMCC is holding a virtual “Baby Shower”. Please join in the joy and make a donation that will enrich the experiences of babies, toddlers and preschoolers in the program.
You can support the program, and the U-M Children's Center by making a gift to the Children's Center "Baby Shower" Fund.
Click here for details:
http://www.hr.umich.edu/childcare/giving/index.html
For more information on enrollment for children ages 3 months – 5 years, please contact center director, Ann Demare at 734-647-2668.
For information on all of the University’s Children’s Programs, please visit our web gateway at http://www.childcare.umich.edu.
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Candace J. Johnson Award to Honor Exemplary Staff Member
 The University of Michigan Office of the Provost wishes once again to recognize exemplary staff on the Ann Arbor campus and U-M Health System with the Candace J. Johnson Staff Award for Excellence
Established in 2004, the award is a memorial to a dedicated staff member, Candy Johnson. Candy's special blend of professionalism and personality was a positive influence in the workplace. Faculty and Staff are encouraged to recognize those staff members who truly make a difference by combining enthusiasm with excellence by nominating them for the Candace J. Johnson Staff Award for Excellence.
A $500 cash award and certificate will be presented in December by the Office of the Provost.
For more information and nomination forms, please visit the Candace J. Johnson Staff Award for Excellence website < http://www.hr.umich.edu/cjjaward/index.html>.
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NEW HRD Programs and Courses for Professional Development Now Online!
HRD is pleased to announce that the 2007-2008 Professional and Organizational Development course schedule is now available on our website: <http://www.umich.edu/~hrd>.
The website provides in-depth information for every course - including learning objectives, and benefits of taking the course. Online registration is also available, making it quick and easy to sign up. There is also a new U-M Organizational Competencies map, which groups courses that can help you develop specific skills that can be beneficial to your career development.
Choose Success by making a commitment to your own professional development. Click here to get started: <http://www.umich.edu/~hrd>.
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Save the Date! – Mental Health in the Workplace Symposium
If you attended last year’s Mental Health in the Workplace Symposium, you’ll want to join us again this October as we continue to address an important topic in today’s work environment. If you missed it, this is your opportunity to gain valuable information on how mental health problems affect the workplace.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Forum Hall in Palmer Commons for Mental Health Problems in the Workplace: Dispelling Myths, Addressing Stigma. The two-hour symposium includes presentations from John Greden, MD., Executive Director, U-M Depression Center; Laura Kohn-Wood, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology; and Lorna Hurl, MSW Ph.D., Faculty Counselor, U-M Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. The event will commence with welcoming remarks from Laurita Thomas, Associate Vice President for Human Resources.
If you are a person with a disability who may need an accommodation to participate in this symposium, please contact Carole Dubritsky, (734) 763-0235 (voice), (734) 647-1388 (TTY) or via Michigan Relay, no later than October 10, 2007.
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U-M Employee Weight Management Program: Healthy Habits at Work
MFit has created a weight management program designed exclusively for U-M employees who want to participate at their worksites. Convenience, affordability, a professional staff and a ‘whole person’ approach to developing healthy eating and physical activity habits for life are the cornerstones of this new program.
Designed to meet during regular working hours at a work location convenient for you and your team, this program can be subsidized by your department or paid for individually by a group of U-M employees. Our goal is to help empower healthy habits for life.
This 10-week program includes:
- Multidisciplinary team of experts in nutrition, physical activity and health behavior
- Weekly on-site group meetings, 45 minutes each
- Small, weekly steps to achieve lifetime strategies for success
- Weekly recipes
- Optional weigh-ins
For more information, or to find out how to start a program, call Erica Wald at 734-975-3048 or visit www.med.umich.edu/mfit/nutrition
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MHealthy GOOD CHOICE of the Month vending machine promotion kicks off in September
 It's easier than ever to make healthier snack choices at UMHS and campus vending machines. Michigan Healthy Community’s GOOD CHOICE program is launching its “GOOD CHOICE of the Month” promotion. Each month, a GOOD CHOICE vending machine item is selected and sold at a reduced price. It’s a perfect opportunity to try something new!
September’s item is Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bars in Honey Almond Flax, Peanut Peanut Butter and Trail Mix varieties – look for the “GOOD CHOICE of the Month” sticker on the package.
The GOOD CHOICE program has selected dozens of healthier food and beverage items, each identified with the GOOD CHOICE logo. MFit nutrition guidelines for fat, sugar, sodium, cholesterol and fiber are used to determine healthier choices in vending machines, at participating dining locations and through U-M Catering.
For more information on the GOOD CHOICE program, visit www.mhealthy.umich.edu.
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Changes on the Horizon at Mediation Services
Sally Johnson, Senior Manager, Building Great Places to Work and Senior Manager, Mediation Services for Faculty and Staff intends to retire from the University in summer 2008. Johnson has made tremendous contributions to the University. She has set a long-range retirement date, which will allow seamless transition of services under the new manager of Mediation Services, Linda Winkler.
Winkler has a long and impressive record of mediation, including having worked for the “Dispute Resolution Center of Washtenaw County” for over ten years, and serving in the role of Coordinator for the Michigan Special Education Mediation Program. She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Northeastern University. She is a member of the Michigan Bar and is trained and experienced in several types of mediation.
More about MSFS
Mediation Services for Faculty & Staff at U-M first opened its doors in May, 1995. Its mission has been to provide an off-the-record, informal avenue for exploring and resolving work-related disputes. Professionally-trained mediators facilitate neutral, interest-based mediation, without cost to the individual or the department, and with confidentiality as our primary value. The service has already assisted close to 2,000 members of the University’s faculty and staff, and has been one of the most if not the most active such service on university campuses nation-wide.
Mediation at U-M is defined as voluntary. Anyone may request mediation with another party, and anyone may decline to participate in mediation, for any reason, without penalty. It is confidential. No case files or name-linked records are kept, and there is no connection between Mediation Services and an individual’s faculty or staff record. The service is integrated with both faculty and staff grievance procedures, so that if a grievant wishes to suspend the grievance long enough to try mediation, that is always appropriate.
The office will continue to provide
- Professional mediation for employees of the University (faculty, staff, student & temporary) who choose to meet to work out mutually satisfactory solutions to work-related disputes.
- Conflict resolution coaching – one-on-one coaching for individuals who want to address a dispute or disagreement on their own.
- Conflict management education – various short lectures, HRD workshops, etc., as requested/needed for groups of faculty and staff.
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Reminder: Appropriate Handling of Sensitive Data
As an employee, and steward of University information resources, you have a responsibility to handle sensitive data appropriately. This means you may only access such information on a strict need-to-know basis as it relates to the performance of your job duties. You must not disclose such information with other employees unless they have a job-related or legal need to know.
If you are a manger, it is important to periodically remind your staff and ensure they not leave forms/reports that contain sensitive data “in the open” making the data easily readable by others. Irresponsible use of sensitive data is a serious offense and should be part of performance evaluations.
Do's:
- Do ensure all employees have read and signed appropriate forms regarding use of sensitive data.
- Do use the shredding bins to dispose of papers with sensitive data.
- Do “cover” forms or reports that contain sensitive data so only those who need-to-know have access.
- Do inform others of the appropriate use of reports.
- Always have a “need-to-know” question before generating a report containing sensitive data.
Don’ts:
- Don’t leave files or forms with sensitive data uncovered or in the open.
- Don’t share information with a coworker unless there is a business reason.
- Don’t transmit forms or data via emails without appropriate warnings/reminders to the recipient.
What’s considered Sensitive Data?
Name |
Ethnicity
|
Birth date |
Address |
Gender |
Phone |
National ID (i.e., SSN) |
Leave of Absence Reason |
Country of Citizenship |
Disability Information |
Citizenship Status |
Marital Status |
Grievance Information |
Criminal Record |
Discipline Information |
Date of Death |
Visa/Permit Data |
Military Status; Veteran’s Information |
Driver’s License |
|
For more information download the quick reference (http://www.mais.umich.edu/access/policies.html) and click on the "Administrative Data Access and Compliance Overview -- eLearning Course)."
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Fidelity Investments: Look Forward with Confidence to Retirement Day
Knowing you can reach your retirement goals. That’s retirement readiness. And you can begin taking the steps to achieve your goals when you meet with a Fidelity Retirement Counselor. These sessions are designed to help you become better informed and more confident in planning for your retirement.
Please join Fidelity Investments for a confidential consultation. You will learn about investing for retirement and get a better understanding of the steps you can take to ensure your retirement readiness.
Consultations are conducted at:
- Michigan Union
- Michigan League
- Medical Professional Building
- Medical Inn Building
- North Campus-Pierpont Commons
- University Hospital
- Flint Campus
- Dearborn Campus
To schedule your confidential consultation call
1-800-642-7131, Monday – Friday, 8:00AM-midnight, ET, or reserve your space at: http://www.fidelity.com/atwork/reservation
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Get More Help on Your Retirement Plans – Anytime – with TIAA-CREF
In Person
TIAA-CREF has a consultant who is available to meet with you individually to discuss your investments needs and to conduct retirement planning workshops at many different U-M locations including Campus, Health System, Flint and Dearborn. To view upcoming dates and locations and to register for an appointment or seminar, please click here http://www.tiaa-cref.org/umich or call the TIAA-CREF Ann Arbor office at 866 842-2949, extension 6804.
Online
Two of the more popular Financial Education Seminars (Pre-retirement and SRA/IRA) created specifically for U-M employees continue to be available for viewing 24/7 by clicking here: U-M Web Presentations http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/tiaa-cref .
On the Phone
You can talk to a TIAA-CREF representative about investment choices, income options, pre-retirement illustrations and other ways to help get the most from your retirement plan, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET at 800 842-2776.
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