Comprised of Division features, accolades and achievements, as well as valuable "In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)" news you can use, each edition of the newsletter highlights key information and resources across the Division's departmental, operational and service unit areas. Subscribe to the A&F listserv.

Dear Colleagues:

I hope everyone is safe and well after the recent challenges that our city and campus faced with impacts from Hurricane Beryl. I am so thankful for our divisional ride-out team members and divisional employees who quickly arrived on campus following the storm and prepared the campus within one week to re-open fully for faculty and staff, summer classes, and new student orientations.

July is an important month for UH employees as it allows them to make changes to their benefits during the open enrollment period. To aid UH employees in learning more about their benefits and available services, Human Resources held its annual Wellness & Benefits Fair in late June. Read the recap to learn more about HR’s efforts to inform employees of their benefits.

Also, in this month’s newsletter is a feature story on UHPD hosting its first badge pinning ceremony since 2020, as well fall semester dates for their Coffee with a Cop events, and CRASE Active Shooter training.

I am grateful to all of you, and all that you do to support the division in serving our UH community of students, faculty, and staff. I hope that all of you will find some time this summer to rest, relax, and recharge to prepare for the start of fall classes in August.

2024 Spring Satisfaction Survey Yields Positive Results for A&F Departments and Services

Every spring, UH students receive a survey to gauge their satisfaction with the university across 13 different areas of their experience. In February, the survey was sent to students enrolled at UH, UH at Sugar Land, and UH at Katy, with 5,644 students completing the survey at a 12.9% completion rate, the second highest ever. Students were asked to rate their satisfaction on a 5-point scale, with one being the lowest and five the highest. The survey ran from February 5 to 18. Learn more about how A&F departments fared in the Spring Satisfaction Survey.

University of Houston Employees Surf the Benefits and Wellness Wave at Annual Fair

More than 1,000 University of Houston benefit-eligible employees attended Human Resources’ 2024 Wellness & Benefits Fair in late June to learn more about the benefits available to them.

The annual event provided employees the opportunity to converse with health and wellbeing vendors such as Fidelity, VOYA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AFLAC, and university departments like Human Resources, the University of Houston Police Department, UH Staff Council, Campus Smiles, Campus Safety, and UH Family Care Center to name a few. Read more about the Wellness & Benefits Fair.

Stay Cougar S.A.F.E.

	UHPD Holds First Badge Pinning Ceremony since 2019 The University of Houston Police Department held its first badge-pinning ceremony since 2019, with 21 officers being pinned. The department planned to hold a badge-pinning ceremony in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to those plans. The department has grown significantly since 2019, with new officers joining and others promoted to higher ranks. This led UHPD to hold the badge pinning ceremony to honor the officers and continue this important law enforcement tradition. Read more about UHPD's badge-pinning ceremony.
	Behind the Badge set for August 28th Save the date for Behind the Badge on August 28th, 2-6 p.m. at MD Anderson Library. The event allows the campus community to meet and talk with local law enforcement agencies plus safety partners from UHPD, Office of Emergency Management, EHS, Fire Marshal, Houston Police Department, and Houston Fire Department.
	UHPD Set Fall Dates for Coffee with a Cop Coffee with a Cop returns to campus this fall semester. UHPD has released the dates for their upcoming meet and greet event that sees officers set up at the Student Center South food court for an hour-long event that provides campus community members an opportunity to meet and talk with officers.  The department bills the event as “no agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers on your campus.” Attendees can get free coffee and baked goods while meeting the officers that keep them safe.  The Coffee with a Cop Dates are August 21, September 10, October 9, and November 6 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
	CRASE Training Dates for Fall Semester UHPD has released fall dates for its CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events) Training for students, staff, and faculty.  The training course is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, and Defend (ADD) strategy developed by ALERRT in 2004. Attendees can also expect discussions on the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options, medical issues, and considerations for conducting drills. The fall semester CRASE training dates are August 30, September 4, October 9, and November 12 at M.D. Anderson Rockwell Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Cougar Cudos

To nominate a fellow staff member, fill out the Cougar Cudos Nomination Form.

Parking Team Recognized at Conference for APO Designation

Team members of the Parking and Transportation Services Department at the University of Houston were recognized for becoming an Accredited Parking Organization (APO) by the International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI). Members from Parking & Transportation attended IPMI’s annual conference in June where the department received the honor.

The APO designation is awarded to parking organizations that show excellence in areas like customer service and professional development in parking, transportation and mobility operations. Parking and Transportation Services are taking steps to achieve APO with Distinction designation for 2025.

Grubhub Campus Dining Ordering Available at UH

Grubhub Campus Dining revolutionizes on-campus meal ordering, allowing users to preorder from top brands like Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Asado, Melt Lab and more! The user-friendly app lets you browse University of Houston dining options, customize your meal, and select a convenient pickup time or delivery via robot.

This collaboration between Grubhub and the university offers fast, customizable service, freeing up time for studying, socializing, and campus life. With the app, students, faculty, staff, and visitors can order and pay ahead at on-campus dining venues using either ShastaBUCKS or personal payment methods. Learn more about Grubhub Campus Dining at UH.

Human Resources to Host Exclusive Seminar

HR is hosting an exclusive seminar for Executive Directors and Directors with at least three direct reports. The guest speaker will be Professor Randy Webb from the Bauer College of Business. If you're interested in attending, please seek approval from your respective Vice President. For any questions, email ulearn@central.uh.edu.

Cougar Card Office Call for Volunteers

Sign up to help the Cougar Card Office distribute Cougar Cards and educate customers on the Photo Upload and the Appointment/Virtual Line processes for Residential Move-in and semester startup. Assistance is needed August 14-16 and August 19 and 20. To register, sign the Cougar Volunteer Interest Form. If you have any questions, please contact Daisy Del Fierro at 713-743-6027 or via email at dkdelfierro@uh.edu.