August 2009  

• Day of Caring 
• VOIP Phone
• Graduate Student Health Insurance Orientations
• RF Grad Open Enrollment
• New Instructor Led Courses 
• Eat Well Live Well
• New Employee Orientation
• Workshops to Plan for Future and Learn About Adoption
• Dance Classes
• Weight Watchers

Make sure that you don’t miss an important phone call! If your phone number has recently changed due to the VOIP conversion, make sure to update your user supplied information in your online directory record.
Updating this information is quick and easy. First, look yourself up in the online directory at www.buffalo.edu/directory. Click on your name and then click on “Update Your User-Supplied Information”. You will be asked to log on using your UB IT name and password. Update the information and click “Save Changes.” The updates will take effect immediately.

For more information, contact University Human Resources Customer Service at 645-7777.  

University Human Resources will be holding mandatory orientations for the Fall 2009 semester for any State and Research Foundation graduate students who are eligible for benefits. These informative sessions offer a brief overview of insurance benefits, as well as the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

Open enrollment for the Research Foundation graduate student health insurance plan is August 15, 2009 through September 30, 2009. Information will be sent to graduate students who are currently enrolled in our health plan.
The purpose of Open Enrollment is to:

• Enroll in the plan if you have not already done so
• Add or delete dependents
• Cancel your coverage

Please note, all Research Foundation Graduate students are required to pay a double deduction from their first two pay periods to cover a 28 day continuation of health insurance from their termination date of employment.

For more detailed information regarding open enrollment, eligibility requirements and enrollment process please contact Sean O’Brien at 645-4485.

This summer, the Office of Organizational Development and Training has added four new classes to the catalog of courses. Courses are free and open to all UB staff and faculty members.

For information and to register for these and other courses, visit the University Human Resources website at www.hr.buffalo.edu/register.

The goal of the eight-week, competitive "eat well live well" challenge is to encourage individuals (through a team approach) to move more and increase the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed. Participants are asked to do two simple things for eight weeks:

1. Use a pedometer, count and record your steps each day.
2. Count and record the number of cups of fruit and vegetables eaten each day.

This past spring 3 buildings on campus participated in the Eat Well. Live Well. Challenge. Over the course of the competition all the participants walked a total of 121,891,264 steps and consumed a total of 59,795.9 cups of fruits and vegetables. The program is now being expanded campus-wide. To learn more about the Eat Well. Live Well program, visit their website at: www.eatwelllivewell.org.

Please contact Amy Myszka at 645-5357 if your department is interesting in participating.

In April 2008, University Human Resources launched a completely redesigned New Employee Orientation program (NEO). The program was initially piloted with employees from Student Affairs and the Administrative Services Divisional HR group, and has since been expanded to include employees from all campuses. This comprehensive orientation program continues to evolve and grow.

One of the next steps in the process is integrating the University-wide NEO program with orientations held within specific departments. Departments are encouraged to formalize their orientation processes so that they are both welcoming and productive, helping the employee to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Integrating these orientations helps to ensure that the employee gets off to the right start. While very challenging for an institution of UB’s size, this integration is necessary to ensure a more seamless process for all new employees.

Organizational Development and Training (OD&T) would like to assist any area in the planning of their departmental orientations. By working together, we can ensure that your orientation complements the University’s orientation and also provides the information vital to meet the individual needs of your department.

OD&T is currently consulting with two areas on campus to facilitate this integration with their existing departmental orientation. For further information on the NEO program, contact University Human Resources at 645-7777.

Get your groove on and join us for Ballroom Dancing classes starting this September. No prior experience is necessary and singles are welcome to join. Let our dance instructors show you how to do the Rumba, the Cha Cha, even the Hustle!

Classes are being offered every Tuesday on the North Campus, starting Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 6 pm and every Wednesday on the South Campus, starting Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 6 pm. Space is limited so make sure and register right away! Sign up today at: www.hr.buffalo.edu/register. Click on Workshops.

For more information, questions can be directed to Amy Myszka at 645-5357.