College Update 10/1/24

Message from Dean Zvonkovic 

I always say October is the month everything happens in the academy! I’m keeping my remarks short since there are so many announcements of meetings and events.  

I do want to give a special shout-out to the College Assembly on October 25 in the Poultry Sciences Auditorium room 0014 at 1:30 p.m. You know you want to see inside the Poultry Science building! And we chose the topic for the meeting based on what we have heard from faculty and staff: Safety. Dan Silk, Associate Vice President for Public Safety, will be engaging us in an interactive session involving several safety-related scenarios. It certainly seems like events over the past 6 months have demonstrated that we can increase our knowledge and feelings of comfort with how to respond to a variety of emergencies and unexpected events.  

Speaking of unexpected events, our colleagues across the state and the region continue to be on our minds, with the damage wrought by Hurricane and Tropical Storm Helene. Please continue to keep these folks on your minds, as well as the students who may have been affected. Our advisors in the SSAC are here to be a listening ear for students and to let them know of resources that may be useful.  

Lastly: in addition to reading over and marking your calendars to attend the events below, please continue to keep an eye on our social media and our events page on the FACS website landing page. We have made it easier to enter events and made the events more prominent on the page. I really encourage you to attend and to post pictures and descriptions of these events using #WeAreFACS. Such activity really helps to demonstrate the breadth and impact of our college, beyond what can be done centrally.  

Soft Close for Associate Dean for Research position – October 17, 2024  

The UGA Search Firm is managing this process and has advertised the position widely and followed up on many contacts. Thank you for the engagement you have already had in this process. Please continue to send them names of colleagues you’d like to nominate or who would provide good ideas about candidates. The timeline we have established has on-campus visits in November and early December. I also want to thank the search committee for the work they have done and recognize the work they will be doing: Chair Allisen Penn, Hamida Jinnah, Rob Pazdro, Margaret Caughy, Yoo-Kyoung Seock, Kandice Mitchell, and Orion Mowbray. 

FACS Teaching-Focused Faculty Learning Community 

Our college is starting a teaching-focused Faculty Learning Community! We will meet about once a month to 'nerd out' about teaching and be a support to one another.  Topics will be selected by the group, but could include: how to best utilize eLC to streamline your teaching; how to incorporate AI into your teaching; ways to represent your teaching efforts on your dossier/promotion materials; etc. The first meeting is on Oct. 15 from 12-1 p.m. in 216 Dawson.  Please contact facsassocdeans@uga.edu if you are interested!    

Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) is celebrating 20 years during the 2024 Fall Retreat at the Georgia Center, October 15 – 17. 

Love and Money Center 

We are excited to invite you to the official launch of the Love and Money Center! Please join us for a lawn reception, guided tours of our updated facility and program and experiential learning information.  

Convocation Regalia 

Faculty who plan to attend any of the commencement ceremonies should register here: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8e1whKNReuIKASO 

Regalia Rental 

Faculty regalia rental forms are due to the UGA Bookstore by October 25. Regalia costs are only covered for faculty participating in the institutional ceremonies on Friday, December 13. Regalia rentals requested after that date are not guaranteed and may incur a personal rush fee of $20 or more. Once faculty register to participate in one or both of the ceremonies, they will receive a confirmation email with a link to the regalia form. 

2025 Open Enrollment  

The 2025 Open Enrollment period will be Oct. 28 through Nov. 8. This is the only time each year that UGA employees can enroll in health insurance programs and update their selections. Learn more at the UGA Benefits & Well-being team's webpage.  

This is an active enrollment year, meaning all employees must complete the tobacco use and working spouse certifications. If you take no action during Open Enrollment, you will default to the $150 monthly surcharge for each item, which will not be refunded by USG.  

The Open Enrollment period is also your only opportunity to enroll in and make donations to the Shared Sick Leave Pool for 2025, which allows UGA employees to donate paid sick leave to a shared leave pool for fellow employees who meet the eligibility provisions. To learn how to join, visit the Human Resources webpage on Shared Sick Leave.  

All faculty and staff are invited to attend the UGA Benefits Fair on Friday, Oct. 18 at the Georgia Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more about the USG benefit programs, changes to benefit plans for 2025, and all the resources available to you! To learn more about the event, visit the Benefits & Well-being team’s webpage.  

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to visit the Mobile Flu Clinic on 10/25 on Myers Quad from 1:30-4:00. Go to the College Assembly and then get your flu shot!

Staff Core Competencies 

Each month we focus on staff competencies as part of the UGA Journeys transition for staff development. I encourage everyone to read over the competency selected to be profiled each month.  

It is also highly recommended that all staff and supervisors of staff attend the UGA Journeys Training Sessions offered by University Human Resources through the Professional Education Portal (PEP): 

Training for staff:   UGA Journeys: Understanding Your Connect to the Staff Competency  

***Additional information regarding supporting and non-supporting behaviors can be found here: UGA Staff Competency Model: A Practical Guide*** 

Please check the upcoming events page for FACS events. We have some new and exciting events on the calendar. Don’t forget to add your event! 

Sincerely,  

  

Anisa M. Zvonkovic, Ph.D. 

Dean and Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences