This a reminder to all current employees to go into UAOnline to confirm Veteran and/or Disability Status. All UA employees must complete the two part questionnaire by March 13.

The U.S. Department of Labor requires the University of Alaska to report employee Veteran and Disability status information. Due to recent changes, as set forth in section 503 regulations, www.dol.gov/ofccp/503Rule, employers need to begin using new reporting requirements effective 2015. In compliance with these new federal regulations the University of Alaska has modified its procedure for collecting information from existing employees.

To ensure that current employee data is reported accurately, we are requesting that employees update, by self-selection, veteran and disability information. Please do so by answering the two-part questionnaire under the Personal Information tab in UAOnline at http://uaonline.alaska.edu .

If you do not have a disability or are not a veteran we still need you to complete the two part questionnaire and indicate so. �

For further detailed instructions, please refer to the following URL: Current Employee Vets and Disability Instructions

Please respond by March 13, 2015. All information is kept confidential and will be used only for federal reporting purposes.�

If you have any questions regarding this self-selection process, please contact your campus listed below:�
��� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� UAA:� (907) 786-4608
��� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� UAF:� (907) 474-7700
��� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� UAS:� (907) 796-6273
��� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� SW:��� (907) 450-8216

In a move creating lasting long-term savings, the UA K-12 Outreach team (17 individuals) will be moving from leased space in the Bowers Office Building up to the Butrovich. The lease savings are around $110,000 annually.

In anticipation of re-organizing office and cubicle space to accommodate the additional department, the space allocation of all departments in Butrovich has been evaluated. In the years that have passed since initial occupancy, space allocation has been a relatively random process. The move offers a perfect opportunity to improve employee and department adjacencies, improve working relationships and reassemble teams of related employees in a thoughtful and beneficial manner. MORE...

In the October 2014 Voice, Statewide Human Resources shared a one page resource identifying a small sample of online courses, books and tools related to the competency area of “Communication.”

Additional one pagers are posted on the Human Resources website for employees interested in strengthening individual needs in the remaining factors found on the UA performance appraisal form. These include factors titled: Competency, Responsibility, Results, Character, and Leadership and/or Management. The UA performance factors are more thoroughly defined and described on the UA Performance Appraisal Form �

If you know of additional resources which support these performance factors and are available to UA employees, please send the details to ua-hrtraining@alaska.edu The most current resources will be posted online at the Human Resources website. � ��

The online Skillsoft courses and books are available to University employees 24 hours a day 7 days a week through January 30, 2018. The resource topics cover business, desktop (Microsoft Office 2010 and 2013, etc.) environmental, health and safety, workplace legal compliance, information technology (web development, networking, programing, operating systems), information security, etc. �

In addition, these Skillsoft resources may be used for recertification credits and preparation for certification exams. For those who need to demonstrate training hours on a topic, you may print the online course completion certificate and report your training hours on your exam application form, for example, when applying to the Project Management Institute. �

If you have questions, feel free to contact your regional Human Resources consultant or anne.sakumoto@alaska.edu

With the retirement of Donald Smith, Executive Director, Labor and Employee Relations will be reorganized under the Statewide Office of Human Resources. The Anchorage LER location has been closed and all operations moved to the Fairbanks campus. Day-to-day employee relations issues along with routine labor issues will continue to be addressed by each campus HR department. The following individuals will have primary responsibility for each of the union Collective Bargaining Agreements. Please contact them or their designated back up with any contract questions or issues at 450-8221 or 450-8200.

Please be aware that we now have gender neutral bathrooms in Butrovich.

What were formerly single stall bathrooms for either female or male on the 2nd floor by the President's suite, are now listed and marked as gender neutral restrooms.

These bathrooms have locks on them, so please make use of the locks when you are using the restrooms.

If you were unable to make the SAA budget forum, we are sorry you missed out on some great discussions. I would like to take the time to share some of the cost saving and efficiency ideas that your co-workers shared.�

Many times the point was made by fellow employees that staff needs to lead the change that Statewide is facing. SAA believes that a shift in culture starts with staff, not the administration. Please review the list below of the ideas generated from the forum. If you would like to add more ideas, please feel free to share with any SAA member or with Staff Alliance at https://www.alaska.edu/governance/staff-alliance/submissions/.

• Cost saving ideas
• Efficiency ideas

The "Time to Move" wellness challenge will run from March 15-April 11 and require participants to get at least 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week. Activity will be tracked through the new Connected! feature of Healthyroads.com that will go live on March 1.

Enrollment will be available from March 6-13^� for all employees, spouses and FIPs currently enrolled in the UA Choice plan. All entrants who successfully meet these guidelines will be entered into a prize drawing sponsored by UA as well as earn 1 credit towards the wellness rebate incentive plan.

Be on the lookout for additional information regarding the challenge, as well as an invitation to attend a presentation presented by Sara Rodewald, Healthyroads wellness program manager. She will provide a live demo of the Connected! feature and discuss how the ‘Time to Move’ challenge will be tracked. The presentation will be accessible remotely as well as recorded and shared for those who are unable to attend.

For any questions please contact Sara at: sararo@ashn.com

Nominations are now open for the 2014 Outstanding Employee and Department Peer Awards.

These awards annually recognize employees who consistently contribute to University of Alaska System by carrying out the responsibilities of their jobs in an exceptional manner. Nomination Packets are due by March 13, 2015

The award winners will be announced during annual service awards ceremony on April 21, 2015 at 2 p.m.

Please visit the SAA awards web site for nomination forms and information,
http://www.alaska.edu/governance/saa/awards

In early February the UA Foundation began an experiment using a social-based intranet.� Unlike normal web-based intranets and wikis, the Foundation's intranet relies on social-based sharing of information similar to LinkedIn and Facebook. The goal is to create an online environment that promotes information sharing and group collaboration between the Foundation and our 150 active users across the UA System.� The new service is called TESTnet. TEST stands for TEAMWORK-EXCELLENCE-SERVICE-TRUST, the Foundation's organizational values. The service has already resulted in staff engaging with each other and actively collaborating in ways in which a normal web environment cannot.�

Please direct any questions to ua-foundationhelp@alaska.edu for more information.

You spoke, we listened! In an effort to be more sustainable, the University of Alaska Foundation is transitioning from paper receipts to electronic receipts beginning July 1, 2015. In addition, the electronic receipts will be sent out annually instead of after each gift is made.

This change aligns with the Foundation’s efforts to find efficiencies in our operations.

The Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network was formed to address systemic issues that impact access and success in postsecondary programs in the state. One of the first steps in this process is to share more broadly the current state of postsecondary success in Alaska.�

The Completions Crisis Infographic details and discusses Alaska’s postsecondary education completion rate. For some, this information is not new. What is new are the steps the state, the university and other agencies are taking to combat this crisis.

https://acpe.alaska.gov/Completions_Crisis_Infographic

More information on the Network can be found here. http://acpe.alaska.gov/access

Need a new headshot for your Web page, a picture for your portfolio or just need a picture to send home to mom? You can get a portrait for free this Friday, Feb. 27 in the Board of Regents conference room foyer, Butrovich 109.

Monique Musick of Public Affairs is donating her experience as a portrait photographer to take a studio-quality portrait for any statewide employee who needs a new picture. Come by between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

The digital photo file will be e-mailed the following workday. Print service is not included.

Looking for help with your computer?� Don’t have time to take a full class?

OIT Training and Development Group has two new ways for you to get help when you need it.

Short Video tutorials are on our site at http://www.alaska.edu/oit/services/faculty-staff-training/resources/

You can find videos on specific Roxen components, Archives of our collaborative Third Thursday sessions with E-Learning, and links to the Google Applications Learning Center.

You can also self enroll in a Blackboard course containing several short videos on Microsoft Office Applications. The video instructions for signing up are on the resources page.

If you would like to request a video on a specific topic, or have additional questions feel free to email us at ua-oit-training@alaska.edu or stop in on our open walk-in sessions shown on our training calendar at http://www.alaska.edu/oit/services/faculty-staff-training/calendar/