Spotlight on professional development

Spotlight on police and community engagement

Work Control in Facilities named Outstanding Department

Spotlight on Better Together

Spotlight on charitable donations

Learn to prep for winter weather at Nov. 7 online seminar

HUB Vendor Fair set for Nov. 8

Spotlight on One Team in action

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

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