In The Know – Issue 91

Celebrating Black History Month

Join the African American Studies program, the African American Caucus, the Black Alumni Advisory Council and a coalition of campus partners for programs and activities all month.

Yogi Berra Stadium Receives Lighting Upgrade

As part of the larger renovation project, the new field lighting will have a significant impact on the University’s environmental footprint.

A Look Inside Bloomfield College of Montclair State University

In this new video from Communications and Marketing, see how Bloomfield opens doors to an affordable education and is committed to helping students achieve educational success.

In the News

• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in this NorthJersey.com article about the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.
• Dawn Meza Soufleris (Student Development and Campus Life) and Pebbles the Pupscot were featured in a Fox 5 New York piece about the benefits of emotional support animals on a college campus.
• Joel Penney (Communication and Media) is quoted in an Associated Press article about how Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have become the focus of baseless political conspiracy theories.
• Gabriel Rubin (Justice Studies) spoke to NorthJersey.com for an article about why Gen Z and their elders are split over the Israel-Hamas war.

Important Updates

• W-2 forms are now available for print and download in Workday. From your Workday home page, under “Applications,” please select the “Pay” icon, then select “My Tax Documents.” Once in My Tax Documents scroll down and you’ll see a table with available tax year W-2 documents that you can view/print. If you do not see this notation, that means your W-2 was delivered by mail. If you were employed by Bloomfield College during January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023, you will receive a separate W-2 for earnings during that time period. Questions? contact Workday Support at wccsupport@montclair.edu or 973-655-5000, Option 3.
• Spring Commencement will take place on Monday, May 13 at Prudential Center in Newark. There will be two ceremonies and graduates will be assigned a ceremony based on their college or school. Information will be updated via the Commencement website and via email in the coming weeks.
• The Executive Board of the University Senate is gathering feedback on making significant changes to the academic calendar. The survey links to a draft calendar to review. Responses will be collected through today, Friday, February 2.
• Do you identify as a first-generation college student? Apply for Tri-Alpha, which recognizes academic achievements, promotes leadership and provides support networks for first-generation college students/faculty/staff/alumni. To qualify, you must meet the definition of a first-generation student at the time you completed your bachelor’s degree. To be part of Tri-Alpha, faculty and staff must be willing to serve as mentors for current first-generation students. The deadline for applications is February 18.
• Red Hawk Pantry is accepting donations of reusable shopping bags through Friday, March 1. Donation bins are located in the Student Center Annex, Room 113; Cole Hall, Center for Community Engagement, Room 348; and the Overlook Corporate Center, 3rd floor, front desk.
• Connect with and hire students at the spring Part-Time Student Job Fair on Friday, March 1. Register for a table and post available positions via Handshake. Questions? Contact the Office for Experiential Education and Career Connections at careerconnect@montclair.edu.

Upcoming Events

• One Day for Montclair, our annual Giving Day, is scheduled for April 25, 2024. Interested in learning how you can participate? Attend a Zoom session on Friday, February 2 at 10 a.m. Learn about growing funding areas for campus, how to become a One Day champion, fun challenges and more!
• Attend the 2024 Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Zine Release Event on Friday, February 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy a talent and art showcase, refreshments and the opportunity to connect with others in the campus community.
• Attend the virtual Graduate Open House on Sunday, February 4. Hear directly from faculty, staff, admissions and others and explore programs with breakout sessions throughout the day.
• Register for the Innovative Design for Effective Assessments (IDEA) course, a three-week online course intended to provide faculty with a variety of innovative assessment strategies to improve student learning outcomes in online, hybrid or in-person classes. The next session will run from February 12 to March 3.
• Register for Occupational Health’s blood drive on Wednesday, February 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The blood drive will take place in Student Center Ballrooms B and C. Donors will receive a free lunch bag.

Reminders

• Take advantage of the State Employee Discount Program with access to discounts in various categories.
• Worried about a student’s well-being? Please fill out a CARE Report form to connect students to mental health support and resources. Faculty and advisors can complete an alert via Navigate for academic concerns.
• EMS has installed hemorrhage/bleeding control kits and Narcan in Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinets on campus and is offering training sessions on how to use the hemorrhage control and Narcan kits. If you or your department would like to participate in these training sessions, contact EMS at 973-655-7836 or ems@montclair.edu.
• Did you know the Center for Writing Excellence is open to all University employees? The center provides free, confidential appointments for feedback on all types of writing including professional documents, emails, memos and improving general writing skills. In-person and virtual appointments are available.
• Land on a broken link or dead end on montclair.edu? Report your experience here.
• The new University Calendar is here. Powered by the University’s room booking system, 25Live, all event listings should be entered here. Still need training? Register for online or in-person training.
• The email listservs “For Sale,” “Campus” and “Discuss” are now opt-in only. All members have been unsubscribed and to participate you need to re-subscribe. In addition to changing subscriptions from opt-out to opt-in, please see below for the purpose of each list.
  • Campus: employees may share University events and similar information of broad general interest to faculty and staff.
  • For Sale: employees may post items they want to sell or give away, but this list is strictly for occasional personal use. It may not be used to promote a private business.
  • Discuss: employees may use this forum for the open exchange of views on a wide variety of topics.

Support for Staff and Faculty

• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, view the CONCERN brochure.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

Kudos

• To Raji Sivaraman (Management), who presented his published paper “Sustainable procurement Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Groups” in Brazil for the International Association of Management Technology conference.
• To Sarah Ghoshal (Writing Studies), whose book chapter appears in the anthology, The Animated Dad: Essays on Father Figures in Cartoon Television, recently published by McFarland.
• To Daniel Jean (Special Programs, EOF and Academic Success) and Carolina Gonzalez (Education and Engaged Learning) who were featured in the cover story of the latest issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
• To Mike Peters (University Communications and Marketing), who photographed the cover photo of the February issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
• To Rachel Garver (Educational Leadership), who advised and mentored her graduate student Vinicio Quinteros who won the national AASA Educational Administration Scholarship.
• To Blanca Vega (Educational Leadership), who presented at the inaugural Migration and Health Summit hosted by the CUNY Institute for Health and Equity.
• To Pablo Tinio (Educational Foundations), who was invited to the University of St. Andrews as part of the Art in Conversation Series: Art in Museums – How People Interact with Museum-based Art.
• To Ely Santoni (Development), who earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation which recognizes expertise in philanthropic and legacy planning, tax strategies and charitable giving.

Social Media Post of Note

Breaking News! Our fan-favorite event “Crash-A-Class” is BACK! Take a sneak peek into what majors and programs you can explore this spring, where we’re bringing you 65+ different course options across campus! Registration is now open for this semester, which includes this inside look into @SCM at Montclair News Lab!

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.