Talent Development & Human Resources invites all UA employees to attend the 2013 Annual Service Awards on Wednesday, May 22, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Quaker Square Grand Station Hall. Come celebrate with us as employees with five to 45 years of continuous or combined service at The University of Akron are recognized.

For questions, e-mail hrevents@uakron.edu. To the headlines.

Beginning July 1, 2013, the following changes to the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio will be in effect:

• Employee salary contributions to STRS will increase by 1 percent. One percent increases will continue each year until the rate reaches 14 percent on July 1, 2016.

• For employees enrolled in the Alternative Retirement Program (ARP), the mitigating rate (contributions transferred to STRS) will increase from 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent of the 14 percent employer contribution.

• You can now elect to change your ARP vendor once per calendar month, rather than annually. For more information, see ARP Change Form.

• Defined Contribution Plan participants will contribute 11 percent (1 percent increase) of their salary and receive employer contributions of 9.5 percent (1 percent reduction). Overall 20.5 percent contributions remain the same.

For more information, please visit the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio online. To the headlines.

On Wednesday, May 22, through Friday, May 24, select HVAC equipment will be shut down in the West Tower of the Auburn Science and Engineering Center to continue the roof replacement project. During this shutdown, there will be no air conditioning on the first and fifth floors of the ASEC West Tower.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Vince Jansen, manager of physical facilities operations center zone maintenance, at ext. 2359. To the headlines.

To comply with Ohio's Smoke-Free Workplace Law, UA forbids smoking in any enclosed area, including buildings, parking decks and University vehicles.

To comply with the requirements of this law and to help ensure that tobacco smoke does not enter any area in which smoking is prohibited, no smoking is permitted within 25 feet of an entranceway, window or ventilation system of any University building or enclosed area. 

The law also requires that the University remove cigarette receptacles from areas on campus where smoking is prohibited. That means that smokers will have to fully extinguish their cigarettes when done and then place them in receptacles that are located at least 25 feet from the entrance of University buildings. 

The University is asking all smokers to be mindful of the restrictions in and around buildings, to be cautious and courteous when discarding cigarettes and to refrain from removing cigarette receptacles from their intended locations.

More information is available on the Ohio Department of Health's Web site. To the headlines.

In the last week the Office of Research Administration (ORA) has added 50 items to its online list of research grant opportunities, research related events, and professional development opportunities, including:

• DOD: Autism Pilot Award
• DOD: Gulf War Illness Innovative Treatment Evaluation Award

For details on these opportunities and others, visit the Office of Research Administration blog. To the headlines.

UA Adult Focus, which houses The Verna Trushel Displaced Homemakers' Scholarship, was one of three recipients of $2,500 donations from the Zonta Club of Akron, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls. The club presented the donations its annual service meeting May 15 at Fairlawn Country Club.

“This money assists unemployed and underemployed displaced homemakers in their efforts to attend college and reenter the workforce with skills which will allow them to improve their families' economic situation,” says Laura Conley, director of UA Adult Focus. “It is unique in that it recognizes both full-time and part-time students, and takes into account the factors outside of school which impact a student's academic success.”

Also receiving donations were Harvest Home, the women's division of Haven of Rest Ministries, and The Battered Women's Shelter of Summit and Medina counties.
Serving as Zonta ABC president is Terry Lueck, a UA professor of communication.

Zonta International, which was founded in 1919, is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. To the headlines.

The Beta Tau chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, along with the Akron Area Alumnae Association of Alpha Delta Pi, celebrated 75 years at UA over the weekend. The celebration on May 17 at The Tangier in Akron doubled as a benefit hosted for the Ronald McDonald House of Akron.  

“Due to the generous support of our sisters, we were so excited to present a $5,000 donation to the Ronald McDonald House,” says Alison E. Doehring, who serves as president of the alumnae group. Doehring is coordinator for civic engagement in the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Student Life. “We hope this is just the start in our fundraising support for the house as it begins its capital campaign to expand the home in the very near future.”

You can read more about the group's efforts in the May 19 Akron Beacon Journal. To the headlines.

COHORT 22 has been added to the offering of Quality Matters in Online Course Design and will run simultaneously with Cohorts 20 and 21.   

The three cohorts will begin on June 3 and will run for four weeks as an online workshop that is appropriate for instructors who are interested in developing fully online or hybrid courses. The course provides a foundation for planning, designing, producing and managing online instruction.

Use this opportunity to learn practical techniques for online teaching and how to implement quality standards for excellence in online course design. Learn more at Quality Matters in Online Course Design. Register at Training Seminars. To the headlines.

The Institute for Teaching and Learning has published the Spring 2013 Service-Learning Newsletter online. The newsletter contains faculty highlights, resources and news updates about service learning on campus.

Questions and comments may be directed to Dr. Theresa S. Beyerle at tsb4@uakron.edu. To the headlines.

eTutoring, an online tutoring service, will be available to students from May 20 through Aug. 9. eTutoring offers synchronous eChat sessions in math, calculus, statistics, accounting and chemistry. Students can submit up to three drafts of their assignments to the eWriting Lab and receive feedback from trained faculty tutors.

UA students just need to visit eTutoring online to register for the service. To learn more about eTutoring, please contact Laura Monroe at monroe4@uakron.edu or ext. 2363.

Subject tutoring and Bierce Writing Commons will open on June 10. To the headlines.

The season continues for two members of the women's tennis team as Prang Pantusart (at right) and Angelina Jogasuria begin doubles play on Thursday, May 23, at the NCAA Championship at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex/Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill. The schedule of times and match ups is not yet available.

The duo, which owns an 18-0 dual-match record and a 19-1 overall mark for the 2013 season, peaked at No. 41 in the national rankings on this year's Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. They are currently ranked at No. 42.

Pantusart and Jogasuria (at left) are the first Zips doubles team to qualify for the NCAA's individual tournament, but UA has been represented in the NCAA Championships in each of the last three seasons. In 2010, Zara Haurtyunyan was the first player in school history to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship, and the program earned the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Team Championship in 2011 and 2012 as the league tournament champion.

On May 16, Pantusart and junior Ksenia Berestetska, were named to the 10-person Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team. Jogasuria earned an Academic Honorable Mention. For Pantusart, who graduated cum laude on May 10 with a degree in finance, this was her third-straight year of earning Academic All-MAC. She maintained a 3.53 grade-point average through the 2012 fall semester.

You can follow the latest at GoZips.com. To the headlines.

Jared Alspach, benefits analyst in Talent Development and Human Resources, will present “Family Medical Leave Act – An Overview for Supervisors” on Thursday, May 23, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in Student Union 312.

To sign up for this seminar and future FMLA seminars, please visit Training Seminars to reserve a seat.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed in 1993 and revised, effective Jan. 16, 2009. It is essential for all supervisors to understand how to comply with FMLA. The purpose of this workshop is to address the requirements of FMLA in the workplace and to inform supervisors of their role in managing the FMLA leave process. To the headlines.

The deadline is quickly approaching for submission of your 2012 Health Equity Flexible Spending Account reimbursements. If you have medical or child care claims that were incurred prior to March 15, you have until May 31, 2013, to submit for reimbursement. After May 31, per IRS rules, the money will be forfeited. Claims forms can be found at Flexible Spending. 

If you have any questions, please contact Benefits Administration at ext. 7092 for assistance. To the headlines.

Bring your questions and course files to the evening sessions of the Springboard Open Lab during the week of May 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Springboard Open Lab is a facilitated lab in which participants are given support in managing active Springboard courses. There are 8 seats available for each session, which will be held in Computer Center 141.
  
The open lab offers you uninterrupted ‘quiet time’ to work on your class site and get technical assistance for your Springboard questions from a lab facilitator. In open lab, we will either answer your questions or connect you with someone who can answer them.

To register for the Springboard Open Lab, visit Training Seminars online.

Note: Springboard Open Lab is not a lecture-based seminar. For lecture-based seminars, please register for the Content, Gradebook-&-Dropbox, or Quizzes seminars offered at Training Seminars.

If you have questions, contact the Dean Shultz at rds@uakron.edu or ext. 7843. To the headlines.

Summer is right around the corner and the women's basketball team has scheduled its camp dates.

The Individual Camp is being held June 24 through June 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for girls ages 9-14. The regular single rate per camper is $140. The rate for faculty and staff is $40 per child for the individual camp — a $100 discount per child.

On June 25, there will be a Li'l Zips Day Camp for boys and girls ages 3 to 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. The cost of the day camp is $30.

Camp brochures and online registration are available at 2013 Women's Basketball Camp Information. Payment in full must accompany each camp application.

For more information on the camps and group rate pricing, please contact Candace Smith at ext. 8274 or clw23@uakron.edu. Spots fill up quickly so make sure to register today. To the headlines.

Players are sought for the first Sport Science Academy alumni golf outing on Saturday, June 15, at Maple Crest Golf Course. The academy is part of the College of Education's Sport Science and Wellness Education program. Outing details. | To the headlines.

Student Recreation and Wellness Services is offering training to faculty and staff at no charge in hands-only cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). These simple skills can help save the life of a peer or family member.

Please join us for one of the 45-minute sessions scheduled. You can register at Training Seminars. All classes will be held in Student Recreation and Wellness Center 245.

• Friday, May 31, 1 p.m.
• Friday, June 26, 11 a.m.
• Friday, July 26, 1 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m.

If your department would like a session, please contact Diane Weaver at weaverd@uakron.edu or ext. 7172 to make arrangements. If you have any questions, contact Weaver or Chuck Kunsman at kunsman@uakron.edu or ext. 5985. To the headlines.

Over the next several weeks, Johnson Controls will be working with Capital Planning and Facilities Management to survey the campus for energy efficiency measures, all geared toward saving energy dollars. Johnson Controls personnel will be properly identified with badges and numbers while they review lighting, water, mechanical and electrical systems. At times, they will be escorted by Physical Facilities personnel.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ralph Morrone, manager of university sustainability, at ext. 8116. To the headlines.

The Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling has provided counseling services to Greater Akron and its surrounding communities since 1986. The clinic provides counseling to individuals of all ages as well as couples, families and groups. 

Services include communication and relationship improvement; pre-marital and couples counseling; family development and parenting skills; career exploration and planning; academic improvement; resolution of grief/loss; anger management; stress reduction and relaxation; LGBT and lifestyle empowerment and advocacy; self-esteem and self-confidence building; and personal understanding and growth.

Groups being offered this summer include Anger/Stress Management and Co-Parenting groups.

If you or someone you know would benefit from counseling services, please contact the clinic at ext. 6822. The clinic offers day, evening and Saturday hours and operates on a sliding fee scale. No one will be denied services due to inability to pay.  The Clinic is located at 27 South Forge St. in the Chima Family Center. Please visit the Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling online for more information. To the headlines.

Caribbean and calypso music by the Steel Drum Band airs on Western Reserve Public Media (formerly PBS 45 & 49) at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.

"Hammer on Steel: Steel Band Paradise" features highlights from the band's April 2013 concert at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, including guest artists Calypso singer Keet Styla, master pan player Ray Holman of Trinidad, and percussionist Tom Miller, a 1984 alumnus of the Steel Drum Band.

"Steel Band Paradise" was produced by students from Z-TV at the School of Communication under the guidance of Z-TV general manager and Phil Hoffman, an award-winning documentary producer. Story continues online. To the headlines.