Division of Finance & Administration News
Each week, we highlight the work being done in our departments. We appreciate the
efforts our staff members make that support UNT and make it a great place to learn
and work!
Spotlight on Facilities year end
The Facilities department in the Division of Finance & Administration encompasses
so many areas - custodial, grounds, maintenance, planning/design/construction, geographic
information systems, and more.
Each December, this department of more than 300 staff members comes together to celebrate
their work and the end of the fall semester. Santa Claus is always a huge hit with
staff, as are the door prizes. This year, new UNT President Harrison Keller joined
the annual breakfast by greeting and speaking with staff members as they took some
time off from their work to relax and enjoy food and friendship.
This much needed relaxation time comes after a fall semester where the department
completed hundreds of work orders for needs around campus. They also participate in
the annual Safety Walk each fall with the Student Government Association. That allows
their staff to walk campus at night to find any poorly-lit spots that need to be addressed,
as well as any other safety hazards.
Campus community members can fill out their own work order any time of the day or
night. Simply go to the
Facilities website and click the "Service Request" button on the home page. Service requests will be
completed during business hours and the person who filled out the service request
will receive emailed updates about the issue until it is completed.
During the winter break at UNT, from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1, Facilities has an on-call
crew. The UNT Police Department will help notify that crew in case of an emergency
need (such as a burst pipe). On campus facilities-related emergencies during winter
break can be reported to the police's non-emergency line, 940-565-3000.
Posted Dec. 16, 2024
Spotlight on parking citation forgiveness
This year, Transportation Services kicked off its second annual
Toys for Tickets program. The program is aimed at citation forgiveness by helping to also raise donations
for the WFAA Santa's Helpers program.
The way Toys for Tickets works is that those with citations -- some exceptions apply
-- can purchase a toy for half the cost of their citation. For example, if the citation
is for $25 then they can purchase a toy for $12.50. They bring the toy and the receipt
to the Transportation Services office and the entire citation is forgiven, as the
toy is added to UNT's Santa's Helpers donations. So far this year, the department
has received several hundred donations as part of the program. In 2023, they filled
up a whole Night Flight bus with the donations and they expect to exceed those donations
this year.
Encouraging donations while allowing those paying off citations to receive a discounted
rate is one way the parking and transit staff give back to the UNT community.
Posted Dec. 9, 2024
Visit with K-9 Clover!
When the UNT Police Department adopted (then) 8-week-old K-9 Clover in September,
they knew she'd be a great ambassador for campus.
In the weeks that followed, she embarked on a series of visits with small work groups
to begin her socialization process.
She has also been seeing a trainer weekly to learn the needed skills to become an
official therapy dog, a process that is ongoing until she can take her test at 1 year
of age.
Now that she has received some initial socialization and has updated vaccinations,
she will join President Keller's office for a monthly open house. This is time for
the community to come visit with her and the staff in the office. It's a casual come-and-go
event. K-9 Clover's partner, Cpl. David Causey, runs the UNT Police Department's Community
Engagement team and will be on hand to answer questions.
Upcoming times and dates for the open house at Hurley Suite 201:
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4-5 pm on Dec. 4
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1-2 pm on Jan. 13
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3-4 pm on Feb. 4
Follow the UNT Police Department's social media (@UNTPolice on Facebook, Instagram
and X) for updates on future open houses and other events that will feature K-9 Clover.
Posted Dec. 2, 2024
Spotlight on nighttime staff
Each semester, Vice President Clayton Gibson schedules time to visit with the nighttime
staff working in Facilities, Transportation Services and UNT Police Department.
These groups include custodial, Night Flight drivers and staff, and patrol and dispatch.
They work hard throughout the night to ensure campus is safe and clean.
Pictured clockwise from top left: Clayton speaks with the Night Flight drivers, most of whom are UNT students dedicated
to helping other students by providing safe rides on our shuttles between two points
on campus; Clayton checking in with custodial night staff who work overnight shifts
(not pictured: one team works and an early to mid-morning shift); Clayton with two
different police shifts - police shifts rotate out every few days and switch from
day shift to night shift every few months to allow officers and dispatchers to better
connect with the UNT community at different times.
Posted Nov. 25, 2024
Spotlight on professional development
Professional development opportunities are important, including training and sharing
our expertise with others here at UNT and elsewhere.
In October, International Risk Control Coordinator Sally Carne showed the
We Care part of our UNT Values by sharing her expertise with the Dallas Chapter of the Chartered
Property Casualty Underwriter Society (CPCU).
She and a group of fellow panelists were invited to speak about the paths their careers
have taken them in the field of Risk Management.
Sally works with our Emergency Management and Safety Services team, embedded within
Risk Management Services. Sally oversees the International Travel Registration and
Approval Process for faculty, staff, students, and guests traveling on university-related
international trips. She assists with coordinating insurance, reviewing safety information
and protocols at the various travel destinations, and tracking our travelers to provide
them with information for a successful and safe trip.
Providing opportunities for our talented staff to share their knowledge and learn
from their peers is important to ensuring UNT remains on top of best practices --
and continues to encourage learning.
Posted Nov. 18, 2024
Spotlight on police and community engagement
The Community Engagement team within the UNT Police Department hosts dozens of events
each semester. In the fall semester so far, they've held 26 events in August, 21 events
in September and 46 events in October -- 93 opportunities to work with UNT students,
faculty and staff.
Events include monthly programs, such as new hire training where new employees can
learn about the work done at the police department and how to contact the campus police
should a need arise.
Hands-on programming is another offering from the police community engagement team.
This includes a one-hour self-defense course, currently taught on Tuesdays at Pohl
Rec Center, as well as events such as Snack Chat, Pedal Cart, and Coffee with the
Cops. The next big event is Coffee with the Cops from 8 am to 10 am on Tuesday, Dec.
3.
Posted Nov. 11, 2024
Work Control in Facilities named Outstanding Department
The Facilities Work Control department recently received an Outstanding Department
award during UNT's fall Staff Luncheon.
This team manages all service tickets to ensure repairs are addressed in a timely
fashion. In the fall 2024 semester alone (as of Oct. 31), they successfully managed
and closed more than 4,500 service work orders. They are adept at handling a high
volume of requests efficiently and without letting the high pressure demands of their
job get to them. This team is always ready with a smile and eager to help.
Their dedication showed during Mean Green Move-In, which saw more than 10,000 students
moving into residence halls. They worked on proactive measures to help with last-minute
readying of the halls and through the first few days of move in -- 12 days straight
without a day off. This was coupled with an issue that led to multiple buildings losing
power. Throughout it all, the core team of three staff members continued to show their
commitment and calm.
This team previously has won the Teamwork Award for their efforts. They consistently
provide comprehensive support to our campus and remain deeply committed to our students,
faculty and staff.
Posted Nov. 4, 2024
Spotlight on Better Together
Each fall and spring semester, our entire division comes together for a picnic lunch.
That's roughly 300 daytime staff members. Separately, we host late-night luncheons
for the roughly 150 nighttime staff members who work for Facilities, UNT Police and
Transportation Services.
This year, at our daytime picnic, we also held a homemade dessert contest and a cornhole
tournament. Madelyn Schwartz with our Controller's Office won third place in the dessert
contest with her Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping. Ofc. Lahoma Vaughn won second
place with her cake bites, which were featured in four flavors: caramel apple, butter
pecan, pumpkin spice, and chocolate. And, Margarita Venegas, the division's communications
director, won first place with her Rocky Road cake pops. The Grounds team in Facilities
took home first place after besting our other cornhole teams from UNT Police, Equal
Opportunity/Title IX, Risk Management and the University Budget Office.
Taking time to spend with each other helps solidify our collaborative partnerships
and gives us all a chance to relax and get to know each other.
Posted Oct. 28, 2024
Spotlight on charitable donations
UNT's Facilities department recently held a fundraiser for the State Employee Charitable
Campaign. Staff members created a variety of desserts -- truffles, cookies, pies and
more -- and other items -- breads, tamales, desk decor -- for sale. They raised $1,600
to assist agencies in need of donations through this campaign.
The State Employee Charitable Campaign is an annual workplace giving and fundraising
initiative authorized by the Texas Legislature. It usually is held in October for
UNT faculty and staff to donate a one-time payment or ongoing payroll withdrawal to
the charities of their choice. There are nearly 300 charities from which employees
can choose to support.
Posted Oct. 21, 2024
Learn to prep for winter weather at Nov. 7 online seminar
Join UNT's Emergency Management and Safety Services staff and the National Weather
Service to learn tips for staying safe during winter weather.
They will provide a briefing to campus on updates to new winter weather watch/warning
terminology, and detail emergency winter weather tips that will help you prepare during
winter weather season.
This seminar is presented on Zoom from 10-11 am Nov. 7.
Faculty and staff, please register for the session via Bridge. Students can go to the meeting directly on Zoom and enter the meeting ID: 834 3032
5577. If a passcode is requested, please input: 1111. Everyone must sign in with their
UNT EUID and password, as this seminar is exclusively for the UNT community.
This learning session is part of ongoing outreach by the Emergency Management staff.
They also conduct severe weather training, co-host the UNT Safety Fair and provide
many other business continuity and preparedness training sessions to students, faculty
and staff. For more information on training sessions they offer,
visit their training page and scroll to the bottom to find the menu under "Emergency Management and Safety
Services."
Posted Oct. 16, 2024
UNT Vice President for Finance & Administration Clayton Gibson and the UNT System
HUB Program partner every year to host a HUB Vendor Fair. This year's fair is from
10 am to 1 pm Nov. 8 (Friday) at the UNT Union, Room 314.
A Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) is one that is at least 51 percent owned
by Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific or Native Americans; women; or service-disabled
veterans (at least 20 percent service disabled). In addition, to qualify for this
event, Texas must be the primary place of business and the owner should be a Texas
resident for at least one year.
These State of Texas certified HUB Vendors will attend the fair to share information
and samples from the goods and services they provide. There will also be door prizes
for attendees.
Posted Sept. 30, 2024
Spotlight on One Team in action
Soon after UNT System Chancellor Michael Williams was appointed to his role, UNT's
Director of Asset Management, Jimmy Grounds, had a vision to encourage collaboration
with his team here at UNT and other asset management teams across the System.
Earlier this year, these teams met at UNT Health Science Center (HSC), then at UNT
and most recently at UNT Dallas (pictured).
The goals are to learn from other units, help increase efficiencies, trade tips and
best practices, and – most importantly – to reinforce the One Team concept.
At their UNT Dallas trip, these leaders in asset/property management and inventory
control took time to meet, tour the UNT School of Law and were even able to tour The
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
Posted Sept. 26, 2024
Spotlight on campus construction projects
During each academic year, UNT sees a variety of construction projects both on and
near campus.
Most of the construction happening around campus is roadwork or utility work from
the City of Denton or other partners. In 2024, UNT will also have a big construction
project as we build a new Science & Technology Building on the current site of Lot
7.
However, most folks don't know that our teams handle several other smaller projects
around campus each year. One example is shown at left, the Physical Education Building.
Old carpet and tile that was more difficult to maintain was replaced by brand new
flooring. This new flooring also added some brightness to the hallways as it replaced
dark flooring and carpet.
Another recent renovation was done to the Kerr Hall lobby area. The front desk area
was expanded to provide better service to students and give staff a bit more space. Flooring and furniture
were also updated to give students a more community-focused space.
Smaller projects are highlighted on the Facilities Department's social media platforms
(Facebook: @UNTFacilitiesDept; Instagram and X: @UNTFacilities). Follow their accounts
to learn more about work being done at UNT.
Larger projects are detailed on the Facilities Department's website so that they can
continue to update the UNT community about every step of the construction. These updates
include progress reports received by the City of Denton and other partners about work
being done near the campus. Click here to view the Construction page on Facilities' website.
Keeping students, faculty, staff and visitors aware of these projects is important
to our team!
Posted Sept. 16, 2024
Spotlight on community service K-9 Clover
The UNT Police Department announced in August that they would be getting a community
service K-9. This puppy will be on campus to serve the UNT community by helping with
community engagement activities.
Not everyone feels comfortable interacting with police, so Police Chief Ramona Washington
wanted this dog to help bridge that gap by allowing others to feel more at ease with
campus officers. The puppy will also receive obedience training so that she can be
a comforting animal if a crime victim or survivor would like to hold her while they
speak with police.
To truly help the UNT community feel as if she is their dog, the police department
held a naming contest pared down from five names voted on by staff at the department.
The top vote-getter, Clover, won out over second-place Jazz by just 25 votes. Clover
is a reference to both the color green and UNT's unofficial mascot Lucky, the white
squirrel. Jazz, of course, being a reference to UNT's world-class music program. Other
names in the list were: Grace, Luna and Maple.
The UNT Police Department will need to get puppy vaccinations for Clover and have
her undergo several weeks of obedience training so that she can interact with the
community. They expect she will start making her rounds at community engagement activities
later this fall semester in October or November.
Posted Sept. 9, 2024
Business continuity receives top state recognition, as staff member graduates from
prestigious training
The University of North Texas has been recognized with a statewide award for exceptional
commitment to business continuity planning and execution.
The State Office of Risk Management’s (SORM) Continuity Preparedness Program Award
was received by UNT’s Emergency Management and Safety Services (EMSS) program, housed
in the Risk Management Services department.
To qualify, recipients must have a dedicated continuity practitioner with advanced
certification, a comprehensive and regularly updated continuity plan, and a proven
history of conducting exercises and after-action reviews.
“This is a very selective award, with only six recipients this year from across the
state. UNT and the University of Houston were the only two universities to receive
the award this year,” said Associate Director of Emergency Management & Planning Corey
Olszewski, who is pictured at left.
UNT’s program includes business continuity for critical areas – such as police, on-campus
housing – that have a significant role in student safety and support. The campus Continuity
Liaison Program also requires all major departments or divisions to appoint a continuity
manager. Olszewski, who is certified through DRI International, then works with those
areas to help train them on continuity planning and provide support.
“An important part of this program is that we also help our partners, so our program
provides support and collaboration across the UNT System entities and with other external
partners,” said Olszewski, who recently graduated from the National Emergency Management
Advance Academy offered by FEMA.
SORM reviews the framework of UNT’s plans and during the last review, the state organization
found that the university met all requirements with no changes needed. This framework
provides terms and definitions, identifies levels of criticality and response requirements.
Plans are implemented during major events, such as the COVID pandemic, and during
impactful events, such as extended power outages due to severe weather.
“We were the first institution in the state to take a framework approach that establishes
a base plan from which all others branch out into their own plans. This gives each
of our areas guidance, but with the flexibility to address their own needs,” said
Olszewski.
Smaller areas may not already have a business continuity plan, but Olszewski is happy
to work with any UNT group to help create one. Simply email him at emergency.management@unt.edu.
Receiving this state award reaffirms UNT’s position as a leader in emergency management
and business continuity. It validates the university’s proactive approach to safeguarding
its students, faculty, staff, and community. UNT will continue to prioritize continuity
planning as an integral component of its overall risk management strategy.
Posted Aug. 30, 2024
University of North Texas Renews NWS Storm Ready Designation
The University of North Texas renewed its Storm Ready designation from the National
Weather Service. This prestigious recognition underscores UNT’s unwavering commitment
to campus safety and preparedness in the face of severe weather.
UNT’s Emergency Management and Safety Services (EMSS) program, housed in the Risk
Management Services department, applied for the designation eight years ago and has
maintained it ever since.
The Storm Ready designation is awarded to groups that have created and implemented
emergency plans, public education methods, and warning systems that inform and protect
against severe weather hazards. UNT has consistently met and exceeded these rigorous
standards, demonstrating its dedication to the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
“A big part of this designation is the public readiness aspect and proving that you
promote severe weather preparedness,” said Senior Director of Emergency Management
and Planning Scotie Selman. “One example of this is our team’s consistent monitoring
of weather conditions. Our staff members rotate on-call assignments to monitor weather
for our Denton and Frisco locations 24 hours a day.”
EMSS staff members have found themselves in UNT’s Emergency Operations Center at 4
am – or all night – when monitoring weather.
“I’ve been in the office during times when I thought we might lose power at home due
to a bad ice storm. I’ve stay here to be sure I’m still able to monitor for the safety
of our UNT community,” said Selman.
The team’s work includes:
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Regular weather awareness and safety training for students, faculty, and staff
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Advanced warning systems and communication protocols
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Partnerships with local emergency management agencies
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Emergency response and recovery procedures
As they monitor situations, they use their judgment to share what is needed without
oversaturating communications so that the UNT community receives relevant information
that is actionable.
“We make sure we are communicating to Mean Green Athletics or other partners hosting
outdoor events if we think there is a high likelihood of a severe storm. We also share
regular posts on social media. We even worked with the Green Brigade Marching Band
to ensure they had information about heat-related conditions since they are out there
practicing in the Texas sun,” said Selman. “We spend a lot of time communicating because
we know how weather can impact our campus and we want our students, faculty, staff
and guests to be prepared.”
UNT is one of 32 universities/colleges in Texas to receive this designation and one
of about 300 universities/colleges nationwide. The designation is open to public and
private entities, including tribal nations, government/military sites, communities,
counties and municipalities, and commercial sites.
By maintaining Storm Ready status, UNT reinforces its position as a leader in campus
safety and emergency preparedness. The university encourages all members of the campus
community to stay informed about severe weather threats and to take necessary precautions
to eliminate or lessen the impacts of those threats.
Posted Aug. 30, 2024
Spotlight on better roads
Most of the roads surrounding UNT's campus are owned and maintained by our partners
at the City of Denton. Starting with this academic year, some of these roads are undergoing
utility expansion and paving roadwork. This work will not only help ensure our utilities
are carrying the load to sustain activity on campus but also that we will have smooth,
nice roads surrounding our beautiful campus.
Our own Facilities department acts as the primary partner with the City of Denton,
receiving updates and sharing information campus-wide so that students, faculty, staff
and visitors have a better understanding of the best routes to navigate campus.
If you need the latest information about roadwork -- or any of the construction impacting
campus -- then please visit the Construction page on the UNT Facilities website. They keep the site updated so that our community members have a better understanding
of what is going on around campus and can best prepare for their journey to or from
UNT.
Posted Aug. 26, 2024
Spotlight on Welcome Week
The first day of school, even for returning students can be very overwhelming because
UNT has a big campus with many supportive services. It's a lot like a small city when
you're here at UNT!
During the first week, Vice President Clayton Gibson enjoys spending time at the welcome
tents giving out goodies and answering questions for students. One of the questions
he heard the most this year was regarding wayfinding so it's important to note that
all UNT buildings and almost all parking lots are listed on Android and iPhone maps
(along with Google Maps). If you enter in your building name and "UNT" then you should
get a direct route to help you find the location.
Most of the departments in the Division of Finance & Administration do not have a
direct impact on education but all of the departments oversee efforts to provide supportive
services. We recommend our community members familiarize themselves with our social
media and websites to help them find information to make their experience at UNT a
bit smoother.
Click through the departments listed on this site to find their websites. You can
also find Facilities on Facebook at UNTFacilitiesDept, and on X or Instagram at UNTFacilities.
UNT Police Department is on Facebook, X and Instagram at UNTPolice. Transportation
and Parking is on Facebook and Instagram at UNTTransit. Risk Management Services is
on Facebook, X and Instagram at MeanGreenReady.
Posted Aug. 19, 2024
Spotlight on UNT Police K-9 Watson
In May 2024, K-9 Keegan retired after six years of service with the UNT Police Department.
The department then chose Ofc. Cioffi to be the next K-9 handler for their explosive
detection dog. In July 2024, he returned from training with K-9 Watson, shown at left.
The duo can be seen at home games and large events on the UNT campus. Watson is trained
as an explosives detection dog using the Vapor Wake system, in that and his looks
he is almost identical to K-9 Keegan. He sniffs the air to detect scents and follows the scent of explosives to their
source. When you see him on campus or at events, you may see him raise his face as
he sniffs the air. He may also seem to be wandering, but that is a sign that he is
tracing a scent.
K-9 Watson is almost 2 years old and has been extensively trained in detection. He
and Ofc. Cioffi will also be on-call for assistance to other police departments, as
needed.
If you see K-9 Watson on campus, he may be friendly but please refrain from petting
him unless the officer says it is OK -- because he may be working and we don't want
him to get distracted.
Posted Aug. 12, 2024
Spotlight on public partnerships
Many students who attend UNT live within the Denton city limits. To make it easier
for them to navigate campus, UNT has a partnership with Denton County Transportation
Authority (DCTA).
DCTA is the service provider of buses that run routes internal to UNT's campus and
externally within the city to allow commuters to leave their cars at home and still
get to class on time.
The fall 2024 bus route and service schedule was recently posted on DCTA's website.
Find it by clicking here.
As a supplement to DCTA's routes, UNT's Transportation Services department also offers
a Night Flight program. This allows students to get a safe ride between two points
on campus by calling for a Night Flight shuttle. Find out more about the Night Flight
shuttle (formerly E-Ride) and other transit options on campus by clicking here.
Posted August 5, 2024
Spotlight on the 'Wild Women'
In 1982, the self-proclaimed "Wild Women" were a group of friends who lived in Clark
Hall while attending UNT. They gathered for a reunion during homecoming in 1992 and
buried some sentimental items in a storage bin “time capsule” near Clark Hall.
On July 10, 2024, a UNT Facilities work crew was repairing a sanitary waste pipe when
they discovered the bin. This led to a social media post and, ultimately, the Wild
Women were identified! You can read about our discovery and the social media responses
of the Wild Women in news media stories linked on this page.
Kudos to our staff for identifying the sentimental value of their discovery and taking
steps to preserve it as best they could. Please note that UNT does not recommend burying
your own time capsules as digging on the grounds may disrupt utility lines.
Posted July 29, 2024
Spotlight on team strengths
The University of North Texas takes pride in living Our Values. These values have meaning and can be seen in our every day activities.
For example, Risk Management Services, shown at left, explored the "Be Curious" value
as they conducted an exercise to learn about the strengths of each team member. Developing
a better understanding of each other also supports the "Better Together" value as
the team learned how each member could use their strengths to support each other,
the department, and the mission of UNT.
Taking time to learn and grow is important in our roles here at UNT. It supports our
own professional development while keeping us connected back to our community.
Posted July 22, 2024
Spotlight on the UNT Controller's office
The staff in the UNT Controller's office handle many of the daily accounting duties
that keep our university fiscally responsible and on track to achieve our budgeting
goals.
They also make time to help others. At left, a member of the UNT Controller's office
explains financial accounting processes during an open house help session. The University
Budget team hosts these monthly sessions in collaboration with the controller's team
so that staff at UNT can get their questions answered directly from our experts.
The UNT Controller's office includes four areas of concentration: accounting & financial reporting; student accounting;
cash; and state. These teams offer support for all of our campus needs.
Posted July 15, 2024