Dear faculty colleagues,
I hope the start of your semester is going well. On February 1st the university will return to holding hybrid undergraduate classes as planned. This weekās update is packed with important updates and resources and is longer than our usual messages. Please keep in mind what might be relevant to you, those you mentor and fellow colleagues.
Provostās Faculty Leadership Fellow in Faculty Affairs Selected
The Faculty Affairs team is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Amanda Hager as our inaugural Provostās Faculty Leadership Fellow. Dr. Hager is an associate professor of instruction in the department of Mathematics. This spring semester and for some of the summer session, Dr. Hager will be collaborating with the Faculty Affairs team as we continue to find ways to enhance professional / non-tenure-track faculty experiences at UT.
Accepting Submissionsā Faculty Authors Recognition
The Faculty Authors Recognition (formerly Faculty Authors Reception) was created to highlight the breadth of scholarship taking place across the university. Given the public health concerns with COVID-19, we will not be holding an in-person event this year as we have in the past. However, we want to continue celebrating published works from faculty. We are now accepting submissions for this yearās Faculty Authors Recognition.
Eligibility
- Published works including scholarly monographs, creative works (e.g., novels and anthologies of poetry), exhibition catalogs, and edited collections.
- Books must have been published between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020.
- Current UT Austin faculty member.
Accepting Nominationsā Sidney E. Mezes Awards
Each year, the Sidney E. Mezes Faculty Donation Committee recommends awards from the trust fund created by former UT Austin President Sidney E. Mezes and his wife. This award is given to faculty who have experienced hardship in circumstances such as illness, accident, or other calamity. Faculty experiencing a hardship may self-nominate, and/or their colleagues are encouraged to submit nominations. Please include in the nomination information as to how their absence has created a significant loss to the department or unit. Please submit recommendations no later than Friday, April 16, 2021, to facultyawards@utexas.edu.
Back-Up Child and Elder Care Benefit now includes Crisis Care
If you need additional child or elder care support, please remember that faculty have access toĀ Bright Horizons Back-Up Care.Ā This program will help arrange high-quality care with an in-home care provider or in one of our centers with enhanced COVID-19 protocols. Each eligible employee receives 10 days of Back-Up Care per year. You also have the option to secure care from within your own personal network (a neighbor, friend, or babysitter) with a reimbursement of $100 per day up to the 10 days of care available per year. More information on how to register appears below.
Register & Reserve Care
Employer Username: utaustin | Password: care4you
Questions? Call 877-BH-CARES (242-2737)
*Be sure to select Crisis Care during the back-up care reservation process.
Seminar on Retirement
If you are considering or about to retire, view these videos from a previousĀ Seminar on RetirementĀ held by the Provostās Office. You can also find links for other retirement resources such as theĀ Pre-Retirement ChecklistĀ andĀ Retired Employee Resources. The next seminar will be held in Fall 2021.
Faculty Leaves ā Recap
Our team recently held a Faculty Leaves Discussion about the different leave options available to faculty. For those of you who were unable to attend, you can find the full presentationĀ here. You can also visit the Faculty Leaves page for more information.
Zoom Update
There will be new security measures added to Zoom. Starting Monday, Feb. 3, Zoom will require all users to upgrade to the newest available version. For instructions, please visit the ITS/Zoom website.
If you have any faculty-related questions, concerns, and solutions please feel free to contact theĀ Faculty Affairs team. Weāre here to support you in any way we can.
Stay well,
Tasha Beretvas