MavWire 2014 Archive » MavWire — Monday, December 22, 2014

Safety zone: A Texas Department of Transportation contract will enable the Public Works Institute in the Division of Enterprise Development to train city and county crews on working in traffic safety zones.

Public Works Institute to deliver traffic work zone safety classes

UT Arlington's Public Works Institute in the Division of Enterprise Development received a $486,234 Texas Department of Transportation contract to train city and county crews on working in traffic safety zones.

Institute Director Bryan Sims says work zone safety is crucial in Texas with the number of miles of roads that exist in the Lone Star state.

“These training courses will lead to safer work zones in Texas,” Sims says. “Our focus will be to work with city and county departments that are in the road, traffic, water, sewer, and telecommunications areas.”

In addition to the five road and traffic safety training courses offered to local governments for free and at their convenience, the Public Works Institute also provides courses on workplace safety.

Read more about the road and traffic safety training program.

Turn on to winter break energy savings by turning off electrical devices

A few actions on your part can help conserve energy on campus during the winter break. The Office of Facilities Management suggests these steps to realize maximum energy savings:

• Turn off and unplug electrical devices. Many devices remain in a standby mode or use power even when turned off, including computers, monitors, scanners, printers, copiers, chargers, power supplies, appliances, and other electrical devices. If items are plugged into power strips, simply turn off the power strips.

• Lower the heating temperature and turn off air conditioning. Areas controlled directly by an occupant should have the air conditioning and fans turned off. Space heaters are not allowed, according to University policy. Heating and air conditioning in many campus buildings are controlled by a computerized energy management system that will set these areas to maximize energy conservation during the break.

• Turn off all lights when you leave. Parking lot lighting schedules have been adjusted where feasible, taking campus safety and security into consideration.

Clean up before winter break to prevent post-holiday surprises

The Office of Facilities Management suggests a break-room cleaning before the winter break.

• Wipe down and clean out break rooms or common areas of any food items or candy to keep from attracting insects.

• Empty the refrigerator and turn off the ice maker. Various buildings will have the power shut off during the winter break.

• Remove all perishable items from the refrigerator and freezer. Check all expiration dates and dispose if expired.

• Clean the inside of the refrigerator. Wipe down the drawers, shelves, sides, and floor of the fridge. Dry thoroughly.

• Place baking soda, a bowl of dried oats, or a shallow bowl of dry, fresh coffee grounds and crumbled newspaper inside the refrigerator to combat mildew, mold, and bad odor. When you return, remove newspapers and oats/coffee grounds and wipe down the drawers and sides.

Action packed See the Maverick men's and women's basketball teams in action at College Park Center. Don't miss the doubleheaders against Georgia Southern on Tuesday, Dec. 30, and South Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 3. Check the game schedules at www.utamavs.com. Individual tickets, season passes, and ticket packages are available online at utatickets.com. For now, enjoy a few action shots from the 2014-15 season.

Prepare for electrical outage set during winter break

Plan now to accommodate an electrical outage Friday-Saturday, Jan. 2-3.

Facilities Management has scheduled the outage to complete major electrical updates in Davis Hall, Fine Arts Building (Main Stage Theatre only), Central Library, Life Science Building, Physical Education Building, Preston Hall, Science Hall, Smart Hospital, Texas Hall, Trinity House, and University Hall.

For those buildings with emergency generators, power will be supplied to support egress lighting, life safety, UTA Police dispatch, and all research facilities currently connected to the generator. All buildings will remain locked during this time.

To prepare:

• Clean out all refrigerators and freezers before leaving today, Monday, Dec. 22.
• Turn off all electronic equipment including computers, scanners, and copiers before leaving today, Monday, Dec. 22.

If you have questions or concerns, special requirements during this time, or newly established research that must retain power, contact either Toby Buhrkuhl at 972-832-1490 or Jeff Johnson at 817-798-8456.

Paychecks available for pick up Jan. 2

The next monthly payday is Friday, Jan. 2, when the University will be closed for winter break. To accommodate employees who pick up their paychecks, Payroll Services will be open 8 a.m.-noon Friday, Jan. 2. 

All other payroll business or any payment issues will be handled when University offices open Monday, Jan. 5.

Email payroll@uta.edu for details.

Holiday, winter hours announced

The UTA campus transitions to holiday and winter hours for the next few weeks.

The P.O.D. Market in the E.H. Hereford University Center is closed through Sunday, Jan. 4. Hours are 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, Jan. 5-19, and 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays, Jan. 9 and 16.

The E.H. Hereford University Center is open 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through today, Monday, Dec. 22. Winter break closure is Tuesday, Dec. 23-Sunday, Jan. 4. Hours are 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, Jan. 5-8, and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Thursday, Jan. 9-15.

The Central Library is closed Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 24-25, and Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 1-3. Check the hours for the Central Library, Architecture and Fine Arts Library, Science and Engineering Library, and electronic libraries.

The Maverick Activities Center has its winter break schedule online.

Renew your locker at MAC

Renew your locker at the Maverick Activities Center by Monday, Jan. 5, to save the space for the spring semester. If you choose not to renew, please clean out the locker by that date.

For details, email Blair Schuyler or call 2-0207. Visit the Campus Recreation website for MAC programs and services.

MavWire will return in January

Today's MavWire is the last issue until after the winter break. The next issue is Thursday, Jan. 8.

Send your stories or photos for MavWire to mavwire@uta.edu to be considered for publication.

Find previous issues in the MavWire archives.

Coming up

Integrating the A380 Jumbo Jet at DFW Airport Two consulting engineers describe changes to DFW Airport facilities that were required to accommodate flights by airlines using the double-decked Airbus A380 jumbo jets, which can hold more than 800 passengers. Light breakfast provided. RSVP. Free. 7-8 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 7, Room 100, Nedderman Hall. Arlington Technology Association.

Human Resources Training Register online. Effective Delegation , 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13; Advanced Supervisory Skills, 9-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15; Managing Projects and Making Decisions, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21; Dealing with Difficult Employees and People, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27; Motivating Your Employees, 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Jan. 30. All in Room 200, J.D. Wetsel Service Center. Human Resources.

Faculty Peer Observation of Teaching Info Sessions Information sessions for faculty and academic administrators. 2-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, Room 601, Nedderman Hall, and 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16, Room 601, Nedderman Hall. Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Faculty Affairs.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Women's Basketball Mavericks vs. Georgia Southern. Tickets $7. 5 p.m., College Park Center. Also, vs. South Alabama, 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3. Athletics.

Men's Basketball Mavericks vs. Georgia Southern. Tickets $7. 7:15 p.m., College Park Center. Also, vs. South Alabama, 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3. Athletics.

Coming up

Friends of the Library Tour the Fabrication Laboratory—FabLab—with cutting-edge technology for research in digital and data visualization, including nine 3-D printers, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, 3-D scanners, and digital media software and hardware. Free. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, first floor, Central Library. Friends of the Library. 

Music Concerts and Recitals Free. Faculty Flute Recital with Terry Sanchez, Friday, Jan. 16; Tessitura Trio, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17; Guest Flute Recital with Christina Jennings, 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17; Faculty Bass Recital with Jack Unzicker, Thursday, Jan. 22; and Guest Violin Recital with Alessandra Jennings Flanagan, Monday, Jan. 26. All 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Fine Arts Building. Music.

Ongoing

Special Collections: The Price of Manifest Destiny Discover how maps and war interlocked in the 19th century. Hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, sixth floor, Central Library. Through Feb. 7, 2015. UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

Visual Resource Commons and Gallery The African Art Collection is a multi-dimensional collection of 11th-20th century art and artifacts. Free. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, Suite 2109, Fine Arts Building. Art and Art History.

Planetarium The winter schedule features Season of Light; Holiday Music Magic; Back to the Moon for Good; Experience the Aurora; One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure; Pink Floyd; and Spacepark 360 Infinity. The Planetarium will be closed Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, and New Year's Day, Thursday, Jan. 1. The spring schedule begins Thursday, Jan. 8. Planetarium.

(For an expanded list of events, see the UTA calendar.)