University of Houston Human Resources

June 2008 - EMPLOYEE FOCUS

Help UH go GREEN

By electing to no longer have your paper direct deposit pay stub advice printed and delivered to you on payday, you help UH to become more paperless and do your part to make UH more GREEN

* Remember that when you make this choice you can see and print your pay statement any time 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week through PASS for every pay period since 09/01/01.

How do you make this Green choice? Follow the quick and easy steps below:

1. Log on to PASS.

2. Click on Payroll Information.

3. Click on Direct Deposit.

4. After you click on Direct Deposit, you will see your Direct Deposit information. Click on Paycheck Stub Print Option.

5. Select Do Not Print a paper copy of direct deposit paycheck stub option.

6. Click Save.

To learn more about PASS, go to http://www.uh.edu/adminservices/PASS/index.htm, or call the Administration and Finance Customer Service Center at 713-743-3988 where a friendly voice is ready to assist you.

Who’s Who on Campus

We’ve got a lot of great people on campus, and we thought you’d like to get to know more about them. These individuals have been selected by their colleagues as people you should know on campus.

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!

Who:
Dan Olivarez (Dan-O)
User Services Specialist 2

Years of UH Service:
12 Years

Department:
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

How to Contact Me:
713.743.1655 or dolivarez@uh.edu

Where to Find Me:
Agnes Arnold Hall, Room 604

When to Call Me (What you do):
When your computer is acting up you call me, your friendly tech guy.

Helpful Hint:
Never open up email attachments from someone you don’t know.

What I Like Best About My Job:
Being able to meet with people and hopefully help them with all their computer needs.

IMPACT: Understanding Diversity

HR Training is pleased to announce a new workshop that will be added to our training offerings beginning June 17th. Please share with your colleagues and staff:

IMPACT: Understanding Diversity

This workshop emphasizes the reality and importance of diversity in today’s workplace.
Through a variety of interactive activities, participants will gain an understanding of themselves, their beliefs about others and their role in creating a workplace that is accepting and appreciative of all employees.

Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of the changes in our demographics and the impact on our work.
• Learn the impact of personal thoughts, actions and experiences on diversity.
• Identify the benefits and potential impact of a diverse workforce.
• Explore strategies to utilize the advantages of diversity to make a positive impact on their work

teams.

To register:

(Course Code: HRDIV Session 001)

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES

CLICK HERE TO LOGON ON TO PASS TO REGISTER

Work/Life Survey Results

The 2008 Work/Life Survey conducted by Human Resources yielded great response and valuable feedback from faculty and staff members across the university campus. We received over 1,100 submissions that provided us with valuable statistical information and insight into what campus employees expect or desire from a Work/Life program.

Below is a brief sample of some of the statistical data gathered from the survey, it showed us that:

• 80% of the respondents were staff members, 20% faculty members
• 65% were female, 35% male
• The 2 largest age categories for respondents were 26-40 and 46-60 years old
• 58% of respondents state they work over 40 hours per week
• Over 80% of respondents drive themselves to work
• Almost half (48%) of respondents have an average round-trip daily commute time of 40
minutes or less

The four (4) winners of the gas card drawing were:

Wilbert O. Taylor, Jr., Facilities Planning & Construction

Tom Gavranovic, Office of Contracts & Grants

Margot Frye, Annual Giving

Alicia Garcia Valero, University Center

The feedback received on the services provided by the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and topics such as health and wellness, dependent care, and retirement provided great insight about employee awareness levels, desirability and availability of services, and likelihood of use for current and potential offerings.

You may be asking, “So what now?” We plan to continue with an in-depth analysis of the responses and comments received and to then move forward with several focus groups composed of campus faculty and staff members to help determine the best way to communicate, modify, and/or add to our current offerings.

We sincerely appreciate all of the responses provided and look forward to ensuring that our Work/Life offerings meet the campus’ needs. Please be on the lookout for future articles and updates in this newsletter or on the Human Resources website.

For more information please contact Cody Pelletier at (713) 743-5915 or at cpelletier@uh.edu

Staff Excellence Awards Winners

The University of Houston recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a high work ethic and continually go beyond their call of duty, reflecting the caliber of individuals that the University of Houston enjoys highlighting. This year the panelist reviewed all of the nominees, and while the competition was immense, the results were tallied up and a decision was made.

At this year’s Staff Excellence and McElhinney Award ceremony, seven of our constituents were recognized for their superior job performance, high degree of presidency, dedication, and loyalty. In addition, these individuals were recognized for their courtesy, dedication, and improvements to their departments that are cost efficient to the University. This year’s Staff Excellence Award winners come from Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Research Financial Services, University Center, and Physical Plant department.

Staff Excellence Awards Winners:

Michael Barnes, Carpenter Supervisor, Physical Plant – Building Maintenance

Linda Jauregui, Office Coordinator, University Center

Fred McGhee, Director, NSM Business Operations, Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Lois Shaw, Custodian Supervisor, University Center

Edward Sierra, Administrative Coordinator, Research Financial Services

Juanita Virgin, HR Data Control Clerk, Human Resources

The McElhinney award is the highest recognition an individual can receive with the prerequisite of having to be a recipient of the Staff Excellence Award in previous years. This year’s recognition went to Beverly Green, a Custodian Supervisor in Residential Life & Housing. Ms. Green’s nomination came with high praise and recommendation from her fellow coworkers and superiors. Her loyalty towards the University is unprecedented, working long hours, being active and never being idle, very dependable, and her knowledge and contributions have saved the University thousands of dollars just to name a few.

McElhinney Award Winner:

Beverly Green, Custodian Supervisor, Residential Life & Housing

Winners were invited to a luncheon with the president and are recipients of $1,500 and $2,500 for the Staff Excellence and McElhinney award respectively, as well as having a luncheon with the President. Congratulations to all the winners and their departments for this year’s Awards ceremony. Your hard work and dedication has certainly been rewarded, and is appreciated here at the University of Houston, and amongst your peers.

The department of Human Resources would like to thank everyone that participated in this year’s Awards ceremony, particularly those that were nominated for both the Staff Excellence and McElhinney. Your hard work and diligence is recognized and greatly appreciated:

Staff Excellence Award Nominees:

Nadeema Akhtar	Trina M. Johnson
Jorge Banda	Dr. Suzanne Kieffer
Stephen Bangerter	Melissa Mares
Sara L. Brown	Donald Martin
Elizabeth Bullock	Treina McCalister
Donna Butler	Lisa Meza-Duran
Esperanza Cabello	Barbara Murrary
Dr. Marjorie Chadwick	Callistus Nnabuife
Mary Douglas	Carol Ogura
Pamela Kay Draughn	Mary Ann Price
Lizetta M. Frederick	Fidel Ramirez
Wendy Gary	Denisse Vargas Sioss
Adalinda M. Guerrero	Ruth Sustala
Sherry Howard	Juanita Terrell

McElhinney Award Nominees:

Dorothy Barrera	Robert O. Marlin, IV
Nicole D. Beene	Sandra Marino-Rodriguez
Darcie Champagne	Betty Manuel
Renee Chang	Cecilio “Mike” San Miguel
Beverly Evans	Ana “Cuc” Nguyen
Javier Hidalgo	Floyd Robinson
Flor Garcia	Rebecca Szwarc
Keith T. Kowalka	Mary Volcy

Skillport Learning Classes

Even though the dog days of summer are upon us, it’s never too early to start planning for your child’s educational costs for next school year. You’ve got the necessary tools at your fingertips with Skillport eLearning.

Financing your Family’s education (Course Number PD0145), one of the courses offered in the Planning your Personal Finances series, gives you tips not just for college funding, but offers sound advice on how to finance private elementary and secondary school expenses as well.

Topics covered in this course include:

• Recognizing the benefits of understanding external sources of funding for future education.
• Matching different types of grants and scholarships to their characteristics.
• Participating in a work-study program.
• Matching different loan types to their descriptions.
• The federal college financial aid formula.
• Determining the impact of family gift planning on financial aid in a given scenario.
• Sources of funding for private education.

Learn how to make that educational dollar holler at Skillport eLearning.

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Van-Pooling

METRO offers a non-UH affiliated ridesharing vanpooling service (METROVan) for commuters who live near each other and work at UH. Routes presently in existence include:

• The Woodlands/Spring to UH (Mon-Fri, leaving the Woodlands/Spring at 6:45 a.m. and returning

from UH at 5:00 p.m. - contact Anne Sherman at ext. 39240 or Chuck Sikes at ext. 39193)

• Hwy 249/Tomball/Spring to UH (Mon-Fri, leaving Kroger on Hwy 249 and Cypresswood Dr. at 6:45

a.m. and returning from UH at 5:00 p.m. - contact Brooke Newman at ext. 32071 or Shivaughn

Batiste at ext. 30764)

• Katy/I-10 to UH (Mon-Fri, leaving Katy/I-10 between 6:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. and returning from

UH at 5:00 p.m. - contact Juanita Broughton at 713-743-8723 or jmsouth@central.uh.edu)

For additional details and information on METROVan or other commuting solutions offered by METRO, visit METRO’s website at http://www.ridemetro.org/Services/CarVanPool/Van.aspx.

JUNE CALENDAR

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
2 8:30 New Hire Orientation Monthly Payday Run Bi-Weekly (B052708) Final Run Leave Accrual CDA P-Card & Travel Card Billing Cycle Review Run P-Card & Travel Card Liability Balance Queries	3 9:30 TeamWork	4 Off Cycle Payday 9:30 Dealing Effectively With Conflict	5 (B061008) PAR's Due in HR Last Day of June P-Card Billing Cycle Deadline to Scan & Upload the P-Card Signed May Billing Cycle Expense Report to the Finance System	6 Bi-Weekly Payday Payroll Reallocations Processed by Noon Begin Entering June Billing Cycle P-Card Transactions in SDOL Target Date to Close May (9) Accounting Period (Wait for Listserv Announcement)
9 8:30 New Hire Orientation	10 9:00 Basic Finance Last Day of June Travel Card Billing Cycle	11 Off Cycle Payday 9:00 Journal Entry Bi-Weekly (B061008) Timesheets Due in Payroll by Noon Monthly PAR's Due in HR Begin Entering June Billing Cycle Travel Card Transactions in SDOL	12 Run Bi-Weekly (B061008) Trial 2:00 Query 8.9 Deadline to Scan & Upload the T-Card Signed May Billing Cycle Expense Report to the Finance System	13 Bi-Weekly (B061008) Corrections Due in Payroll by Noon Payroll Reallocations Processed by Noon
16 8:30 New Hire Orientation Run Bi-Weekly (B061008) Final 12:00PM Deadline to Update P-Card & Travel Card June Billing Cycle Transactions in SDOL for AP Analysis	17 1:30 IMPACT: Diversity Awareness	18 Off Cycle Payday 9:30 Travel Forms and Rules Run Monthly (M03008) Trial 2:00 Voucher Creation and Workflow Results of P-Card and Travel Card June Billing Cycle SDOL Analysis Distributed	19 9:30 Outstanding Customer Service (B062408) PAR's Due in HR	20 Bi-Weekly Payday Monthly (M063008) Corrections Due at 12:00PM Payroll Reallocations Processed by Noon June Billing Cycle P-Card and Travel Card SDOL Corrections Due by 5PM
23 8:30 New Hire Orientation Run Monthly (M063008) Final July Accounting Period opens	24 9:00 Basic Finance 1:30 Essentials of Time Management, Part 1)	25 Off Cycle Payday 8:30 Coaching, Discipline & Documentation Bi-Weekly (B062408) Timesheets Due in Payroll by Noon 2:00 Customer Service Best Practices	26 9:30 Communicating at Work Run Bi-Weekly (B062408) Trial 2:00 Query 8.9	27 Bi-Weekly (B062408) Corrections Due in Payroll by Noon Payroll Reallocations Processed by Noon
30 8:30 New Hire Orientation Run Bi-Weekly (B061008) Final May Billing Cycle P-Card & Travel Card Compliance Analysis Distributed to CDAs Submit Journal Entries with June Journal Dates to General Accounting by 5:00PM