The DEIA team hosted its inaugural volunteer day on September 11th in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Volunteers represented almost all departments across the UMass President’s Office. David Asante, Denise Lindberg, Kristina England, Jacqueline Quinlan, Lisa Connor, Megan Momtaheni, Denise Barton, Jake Hewins, Jacob Sturtz, and Sara MacKenzie graciously volunteered to spend…
Type: Article
The per diem rates for federal travelers and those traveling on government-contracted business will be raised in 2025 by the GSA (General Services Administration) . The new fiscal year begins October 1st and includes a $68 standard meal/incidental allowance (up $9). Standard rates apply to all destinations in the US except for 292 areas labeled as non-standard, which have higher per diems.
Type: Article
In April 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a rule requiring public entities to make their digital content accessible by April 24, 2026. This rule applies to all public web content, mobile apps, and course materials. The following reflects UITS project team efforts so far:, Completed Activities, All departments have received an overview of the new legal requirements and were asked to complete a questionnaire to help the project team understand the overall state of Digital Accessibility in each department. The Digital Experience team has completed the development of three self-paced digital accessibility training courses. The first course on social media accessibility was rolled out to…, In Progress Activities, Kicking off the Digital Accessibility Liaison Program with recurring meetings, where the objective is to train liaisons on how to be the accessibility ambassador for their department, share best practices, and provide updates on their department’s digital accessibility activities. The General Counsel is working on converting all their legal advice PDFs into accessible web content. , What to Expect Next, We will work with each department to determine a timeframe for rolling out self-paced training courses. A third-party product testing strategy will be shared with leadership and then employees in the next two months. We will work with departments to define web content remediation strategies for meeting minutes, videos, articles, and other digital assets. These efforts are critical to ensuring…
Type: Article
On all UMPO-owned and managed laptops, there is an application that helps employees access company resources and apps on their devices. On Windows Devices, that app is called Microsoft Company Portal. On Mac laptops, the app is called Self-Service. Think of it as a central hub where you can find and install commonly used apps and/or the default applications for the President’s Office. You can…
Type: Article
The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Understanding and following emergency procedures at our offices minimizes risk during unexpected situations. Below are a few reminders for workplace emergencies and information about an upcoming fire drill at the Westborough office., Emergency Evacuation, In the event of a fire, drill, or other event requiring building evacuation,, when the alarm sounds, ALL employees must immediately stop whatever they are doing and exit the building., There are no exceptions to this. Familiarize yourself with all emergency exits. Evacuation maps are posted throughout UMPO offices. Follow EXIT signs to the nearest safe exit. Use the stairs – do not use the elevator. Move away from the building. Gather at designated assembly areas when applicable. Do not re-enter the building without an all clear. , Medical Emergency, In the event of a medical emergency: Call 911 or have someone else call 911. When calling 911 tell the operator: You are at the University of Massachusetts, Office of the President, and provide the appropriate office address: One Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108 50 Washington Street, Westborough, MA 01581 Someone is having a medical emergency. The exact location with floor and room number/name…, Safety Drill at 50 Washington Street , The UMPO at 50 Washington Street will hold a fire drill on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 11:00 am. All staff onsite are required to participate in the fire drill and evacuate the building. Westborough staff evacuating the building should gather at the UMPO assembly point in the grass area in front of the main building entrance. A sign noting the designated assembly point has been installed.…
Type: Article
We're excited to announce that on Tuesday, November 12th, UITS will be hosting a Boomi Day at our Westborough location. This event will have representatives from Boomi, including product engineers, who will provide a presentation on Boomi’s product roadmap and introduce their latest features, including AI capabilities. This is a great opportunity to: Learn about Boomi’s new features and…
Type: Event
Type: Event
This past month has been a busy and exciting time for UPST! We’ve been working hard to enhance our engagement with industry peers and stakeholders while showcasing our fantastic work. Today we’re sharing a sample of some of the conferences and panels we’ve been participating in. Join us as we reflect on our recent trips and experiences in the comments and photos below. If you’d like to stay in…, UPST Highlights Innovative Procurement Vision at Executive Track , Chief procurement officers from various industries gathered in downtown Chicago on October 22-23, 2024, for the Executive Track, an event focused on the future of procurement. Brian Girard, Director of Procurement Operations, represented UMass in a thorough panel discussion moderated by Chris Sawchuk from the Hackett Group. The discussion centered on the future of procurement and strategies and…, Transforming Higher Education: Innovative IT Spending Strategies Revealed at EDUCAUSE Conference , Anna Zuev, Manager of Special Projects at UPST, and David Cho, Chief Procurement Officer, presented their research at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference on October 23 in San Antonio, Texas. Anna skillfully engaged with attendees eagerly lined up to learn more about cost management themes. Their presentation, "Dollars and Sense: Strategic IT Spending that Transforms Higher Education," explored SPARC…, Leading the Charge: UMass Shines at NAEP Regional Conference , From October 21 to 24, an incredible gathering of 75 supplier representatives and 82 higher education leaders occurred at the Sheraton castle in Framingham. They engaged in enlightening discussions on supplier diversity, sourcing strategies, travel and expenses, and much more. UMass was proudly represented by Business Associate Garret Oliver and Business and Data Analyst Akshit Mehta, who…, Navigating Equipment Maintenance: Insights from Industry Experts at NERLSCD , Daniel Kouns, Category Manager for Research, Science, and Medical at UPST, took part as a speaker and panelist at the Northeast Regional Laboratory Staff & Core Directors (NERLSCD) event. He enthusiastically explored maintenance service agreements for lab equipment, sharing invaluable procurement practices for selecting the right service contract. Joining him on the panel were Susanna Perkins…
Type: Article
SAP Concur will be launching a refreshed home page experience on the web that features an intuitive design and user-friendly navigation. The Travel and Expense team is working on updating our job aids to reflect the new look. The timeline for when these changes will be available is as follows: Starting August 26, 2024, users will have the option to enable the new home page through a banner at…
Type: Article
On October 16th, Jacob Sturtz from the A&F Innovation team hosted a powerful DEIA event, delving into Queer Theory and the History of Pride. The event drew a crowd of around 80 participants, with a lively in-person turnout at the 50 Washington Commonwealth room and an engaged virtual audience on Zoom. Jacob guided attendees through significant chapters of LGBTQ+ history, from the pre-…
Type: Article
