UA Newsletter April 4, 2025

Be Aware & Careful - Payroll Theft Rising at UA

Be Aware and Careful - Payroll Theft Rising at UA! Over the past several months, the university has seen an increase in requests for employee information, and wants you to be aware of vital information to protect you from direct deposit fraud.

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Systemwide Town Hall April 15, 2025

University of Alaska systemwide staff, students and faculty are invited to a virtual Town Hall with UA President Pat Pitney and other university leaders on Tuesday, April 15, from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Maximize Your Education Savings: Join Alaska 529 Fridays!

These quick, 30-minute sessions provide valuable insights on 529 plans, payroll direct deposit options, and other savings benefits available to UA employees.

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Coming Soon: Upgrades to UAOnline Login and Student Experience

We previously shared that changes are coming to UAOnline on April 14th and promised more detail as we inch closer to that date. We're excited to announce new updates to the login process and navigation within UAOnline.

The Word is Out! UA Employee Experience Survey Results are Published

The University of Alaska has released the initial results of the Employee Experience Survey conducted last fall.

Empower Alaska Incentive Program Launched

UA has launched the Empower Alaska Incentive Program -- a new pilot initiative offering financial recognition for employees who go above and beyond.

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Spirit, Nook, and Spike Celebrate the Generosity Displayed During Giving Day 2025

A special thanks to the nearly 200 challenge and match donors who participated to inspire and amplify the contributions made and the 2,500+ donors gave more than $1.3 million.

Google Photos Access Ends May 31, 2025

After May 31, 2025, any photos or photo backups to Google Photos accessed via your UA Google account will be lost.

The front steps of the Alaska State Capitol

Capitol Report April 4, 2025

The legislature wrapped up another busy week in Juneau as the start of April brought a stretch of sunny spring weather to the capital city.

Human Resources News

UA HR Anchorage Relocates to1815 Bragaw, Suite 211

The Anchorage office of UA Human Resources has relocated to 1815 Bragaw Street, Ste. 211, effective April 1, 2025.

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Employees should plan now to avoid losing their Annual Leave!

UA HR annually provides notice to employees who are in jeopardy of forfeiture of time off hours. This week, staff members were notified via email of their current Annual Leave balances as of March 31 to those that might risk forfeiture.

Planning an FTO Cash-In? Here's What to Know First...

As you consider your Faculty Time Off (FTO) plans, we'd like to share a quick and friendly reminder about the FTO cash-in process.

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TouchCare Webinar - Preventive Health Checklist

TouchCare will walk through a preventive health checklist to help members stay on track with annual checkups, screenings, and key wellness habits throughout the year.

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April TIAA Webinars

Join TIAA for their scheduled webinars in the month of April. You do not need to be a TIAA participant to attend!

Personal Use of Vehicles 2025

An employee's personal use of university vehicles is a taxable benefit to the employee and must be reported on the employee's W-2.

Webinar: Helping Children Cope With Grief (Apr. 10th)

This workshop will explore how children of different ages respond to loss and how parents or caretakers can best respond to a child's grief.

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Master the Mindset, Skills & Strategies to Turn Change into Opportunity

Designed to help employees and leaders embrace change, adapt with confidence, and turn challenges into opportunities for growth.

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Updates to Premera's Login

Premera is upgrading the member sign-in experience to increase account security and enhance user experience.

TouchCare - Your personal health concierge

As a reminder, all UA employees have access to TouchCare to assist with any questions on their UA Choice plans. Read this article to learn more about TouchCare.

FY26 Open Enrollment

Check here for all updates on Open Enrollment and our FY26 plan year!

Personnel News

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Rachael Ball named vice provost for student success and dean of the UAA Honors College

Ball has been serving in this role in an interim capacity in January 2024. In her role, Ball oversees the Office of Student Success, which supports students through Academic Advising, the Learning Commons, Navigate360 and initiatives like textbook affordability and peer mentoring.

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Provost Anupma Prakash to retire on May 31, 2025

Provost Prakash joined the UAF faculty in 2002 as an associate professor of geophysics. Prior to her appointment as provost, she served as associate dean and interim dean in the College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the director of the National Science Foundation's Alaska EPSCoR program.