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Community members universitywide can take advantage of NJ ACTS Team Science Core’s education and training resources, such as general and project-specific consultations as well as Secrets of Successful Team Building Seminar Series, a free, virtual seminar series that features experts from a range of backgrounds and industries who share their perspectives on the ingredients for successful teamwork and how they translate to interdisciplinary collaborations and science. Each session’s speaker addresses a variety of topics, including: team rapport and morale; communication and conflict resolution; and leadership challenges. View past seminars on YouTube playlist and check back for updates on the next live session!

Today is Earth Day, but there are ways to make a difference in our everyday lives for the other 364 days, too! Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s “Earth Day, Every Day” educational webinar series returns, kicking off in honor of Earth Day with The Costs of Climate Change, a special live webinar with Robert Kopp, professor in the School of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and co-director of the Rutgers Office of Climate Action. Register to join this virtual discussion about what we know about climate change’s economic costs and how we can manage the risks climate change is creating on Monday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. View Earth-Day-On-Demand webinars and sign up for upcoming-programming notices as part of a commitment to making Earth Day, every day!

The Office of Career Exploration and Success (CES) at Rutgers–New Brunswick provides a plethora of free, online resources and tools to help students develop their career action plans. Available to all currently enrolled students, the range of topics covered in these resources include: resumé feedback, interview preparation and practice, self-assessment tools, facilitated networking opportunities, and much more! All interested in incorporating these resources into their curricula, please contact Barbara Thomson, director of career operations and strategic initiatives at CES, for additional assistance. Help augment the already formative roles that you as faculty and staff play in student development and success every day by checking out more ways to work together to build toward student career success!

The Office of Summer and Winter Sessions reminds all New Jersey residents with college students that attend other in-state or out-of-state universities that Summer Session is a great opportunity to take summer classes while saving money with in-state tuition! Choose from 2,500 course offerings with convenient schedules and formats to fit your student’s needs. Learn more and register for the Summer Session at Rutgers–New Brunswick today!

On select Fridays through the end of April, including next week on March 18, Cook's Winter Market at Rutgers Gardens is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This locally rooted marketplace features more than 20 vendors with a wide array of offerings. Join the Cook’s Market at Rutgers Garden Facebook Group or sign up for its enewsletter for the most up-to-date weekly list of vendors and wares. While you're there, take some time to enjoy and explore that more than 180 acres of beautiful natural surroundings at Rutgers Gardens, which is open to visitors Tuesdays through Sundays, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Check out more details to plan your trip to Cook's Winter Market at Rutgers Gardens!

Yes, employees can access discounts from thousands of local and national vendors via the University Employee Discount Program provided by Abenity, including university programs and services, banking, mortgage and real estate programs, restaurants, entertainment, retail, travel, hotels, and more! To get started, watch this brief tutorial and register on the Abenity website with your Rutgers email address.

Rutgers Digital Asset Library boasts an impressive collection of free university photos and videos accessible for download and use by faculty and staff. Powered by Merlin One and developed by the Department of University Communications and Marketing, this rich database requires NetID login and review of the guidelines for use (PDF) is strongly advised. Learn more about navigating and using database assets by registering for an upcoming virtual tutorial at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22.

As part of the Rutgers Employees First initiative several financial webinars have been scheduled this spring for employees universitywide. Hosted by AIG and Prudential through May and focusing on financial wellness, this free virtual series provides information and tools to introduce and encourage best practices in financial planning, management, decision making, and planning for the future. Employees are also encouraged to take advantage of additional wellness resources and previous wellness seminars via the Discover UHR Wellness website.

New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences has various resources available to all online, including its Home Composting Info and Keys to Successful Composting pages. NJAES Cooperative Extension also teams up twice a year with the Middlesex County Solid Waste Management Program to offer free, virtual backyard composting workshops with Rutgers experts. Recordings and presentation materials are accessible online anytime, as well as a composting bin purchasing guide (PDF) available to all county residents.

Yes, check out University Communications and Marketing’s 2021 Rutgers Holiday Shop as a fun, seasonal way for everyone to show their Rutgers pride while satisfying their gift-shopping needs. Choose from a variety of Rutgers-themed apparel and specialty items, from holiday sweaters to Yeti tumblers, priced for all budgets and perfect for family, friends, and even pets. Supplies are limited, so order now!

Find help sharing the story of your department, unit, or school with Brand Aid Tips and Tools from University Communications and Marketing (UCM), accessible for free online and via the quarterly email newsletter to faculty and staff universitywide for use in communications and marketing. The resources available for download and use include the online photo gallery with beautiful images from across the university, social media strategy toolkits, department-specific signature packages and templates, various guidelines and policies for websites, and much more! Increase the visibility of your Rutgers projects and programming and amplify engagement by seeking UCM’s Brand Aid today!

Faculty and staff universitywide can now save up to $300 on previous generation iPad Pros at kite+key, Rutgers Tech Store. In addition to offering payroll-deduction plans as low as $30 per paycheck, kite+key has also partnered with Rutgers Federal Credit Union to provide technology loans to students, faculty, and staff. Visit kite+key at any of its campus locations including the Piscataway location in The Plaza at Livingston Campus or online to take advantage of this and additional deals while supplies last!

To increase ease of access, cost efficiency, and sustainability through reduction of waste relative to equipment and supplies universitywide, the Office for Research invites members of the Rutgers community to join Rheaply Asset Exchange Manager (AxM), Rutgers’ new reuse marketplace. Rheaply AxM provides an online platform for students and staff to connect and explore listings of surplus products, rental equipment to borrow, and even make requests for desired supplies to find and place free equipment across campuses. Moreover, by using your AxM account to create a listing between now and the end of October, Rheaply pledges to donate one tree for every item reused on the platform through the 1 Trillion Tree initiative as part of Campus Sustainability Month. Learn about creating your profile, FAQ's, and more to start the sharing today!

UHR's LinkedIn-Learning-powered Returning to Rutgers Learning Series helps support individual and team well-being and growth as we continue to transition back to campus. Employees may complete a short, four-question survey to subscribe to regular emails spotlighting courses tailored to your return to the workplace. The My Wellness App has also been updated and continues to provide easy-to-use support that’s accessible via mobile devices.

On September 1, University Procurement Services (UPS) replaced its old HDRT ticketing system with a new ServiceNow helpdesk ticketing system, which anyone can use to submit requests or questions about purchasing, accounts payable, travel and expense, suppliers, and more by completing a new UPS Helpdesk Intake Form. This new, user-friendly ticketing system is intended to improve response and resolution times through transparent communications and streamlining efforts among UPS teams and contacts. Please note that the procure@finance.rutgers.edu email will no longer be monitored.

The Student Success Steering Committee has developed the Resources for Student Success website (Success.Rutgers.edu) to help students find resources and services to succeed. The site is easily searchable and includes “How To” instructional videos and guides related to course scheduling, add/drop period and process, technology systems and terms, and more!

Institutional Planning and Operations (IP&O) has made key supplies for safety, awareness, and cleaning available in IP&O’s punch-out catalog in the Rutgers Marketplace. Buyers can easily view available items—ranging from hand sanitizer to floor decals and signage—by logging in, clicking on carts icon on left toolbar, selecting "View Favorites" under "Shopping," and then finding "2021 COVID-1 IP&O Warehouse."

As the end of the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) approaches, University Procurement Services has posted FY21 year-end guidance and scheduling on its website. Upcoming deadlines include Friday, June 4 for all requisitions over $50,000 to be approved and Friday, June 11 for all expenses and travel to be submitted and approved. Also, remember that all requests for closing or canceling a PO in Marketplace must be submitted via a PO Line Close/Cancel form to be processed.

The Current is a biweekly newsletter distributed via email to Rutgers–New Brunswick and RBHS faculty and staff. Submissions for consideration must be received by noon on Thursday the week before the issue is distributed. Review updated list of distribution dates and corresponding submission deadlines, including the upcoming summer hiatus, on The Current webpage, and remember to submit your news and events for consideration in a future issue of the newsletter.

Through Friday, April 30 members of the Rutgers community have the opportunity to submit advertising content for goods, programs, and services to Rutgers Magazine for consideration for inclusion in the upcoming spring/summer issue. Published twice a year and showcasing developments, news, and stories universitywide, Rutgers Magazine promotes university activities, efforts, and programs throughout its readership of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Rutgers. For more information about space reservation, specifications, and cost of placing an ad, interested departments and units should email April Coage, senior project administrator of university branding and marketing in the Department of University Communications and Marketing.

To optimize efficiencies the Office of Information Technology’s Software Licensing Committee maintains an inventory of software used throughout the university. For questions about, or to evaluate the feasibility of specific enterprise software offerings at Rutgers, contact OIT’s software team or complete this Software Licensing Funding Request Form to request a new or renewal of a University site license.

Take advantage of OIT's webconferencing security resources, tips, and tutorials. Also, some additional security features limit access to "authenticated users," so remember to activate your Rutgers Zoom account to ensure your access to events and meetings universitywide.

Rutgers does not currently have vaccines nor are we authorized to vaccinate our community. However, as the federal and state programs evolve, we will continue to work with the state in the hopes of implementing our own inoculation program, and we anticipate being able to provide details over the coming weeks. Keep updated on the university’s COVID-19 vaccine information by visiting rutgers.edu/covidvaccines.

The January 2021 issue of University Procurement Services (UPS) News & Updates contains a list of essential supplies available to purchase using RU Marketplace IP&O punch-out catalog, including masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. To ensure that all purchases abide by pricing and safety standards, please contact your Emergency Operations Center Procurement liaison (XLS) for assistance. Also, remember to refer to UPS discretionary spending guidance and resources for any anticipated expenditures.

Rutgers continues to evolve plans for repopulating our campuses safely in accordance with state and federal guidelines. Check out the Universitywide COVID-19 Information page to stay abreast of the most recent universitywide developments and updates, such as last week's President’s Monthly Update: Returning to Campus This Fall, and Vaccine’s Critical Role. Answers to popular questions regarding the Spring 2021 semester, travel, testing, future plans, and additional universitywide updates, can be found on the site's FAQ page.

To avoid cyber threats and phishing scams remain, the Office of Information Technology encourages members of the Rutgers community to stay vigilant and to report any suspected attempts to the appropriate authorities, including either Rutgers University Computing Incident Response Team (RU CIRT) and/or the OIT Helpdesk, depending on the type of cyber threat encountered. Below are some more quick tips from OIT’s Phish Bowl to help you avoid phishing scams and don’t forget to watch out for these telltale signs of phishing emails!

• Never open emails or click on links in emails that come from unknown sources.
• Hover over links in emails with your mouse to see if you are being re-directed outside of the university domain.
• Never provide your network credentials (NetID or password) to any source via email.
• Verify requests to purchase gift cards, products, or services with your personal funds in exchange for reimbursement.
• Always verify changes to wire transfer and vendor payment instructions.

Resources for Student Success was created as a collection of how-to videos and guides to help navigate the various online platforms. Although designed specifically to help new students using these systems for the first time, these resources can be accessed and used by the whole Rutgers community. Resources include instruction videos and guides for WebReg, Degree Navigator, Canvas, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom, and more!

Rutgers community members can sign up to receive text and email alerts during emergencies from the Office of Emergency Management's Emergency Notification System (ENS). Review the University’s Emergency Action Plans for additional information and follow RUPD on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates.

All state residents are encouraged to join the local fight against the pandemic by downloading the COVID Alert NJ app on their phones. Designed to assist in the contact tracing process, this free mobile app, securely and anonymously alerts users if they have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and provides users access to a user-friendly symptom checking tool and up-to-date information. Read the COVID Alert NJ app FAQ and download the app today!

Institutional Planning and Operations (IP&O) has made key supplies for safety, awareness, and cleaning available in the Rutgers Marketplace. Buyers can easily view available items by logging in, navigating to their carts, and finding "2020 COVID-1 IP&O Warehouse" under "View Favorites."

University Communications and Marketing (UCM) has launched the new Rutgers Digital Asset Library, a new resource to provide thousands of high-quality university images and a growing number of video assets. Developed using UCM's rich collection of photography, most of the library's assets are available for direct download with some images available by request. Faculty and staff universitywide have secure access through direct login using their NetID. Explore this free, self-service system's deep photography collection as well as additional resources and tools, including a Quick Start User Guide (PDF) and Webex tutorial recording.

This new section is dedicated to answering your burning questions. So ask us anything. We mean it!

• How do I stay stress-free during the pandemic and the new semester? We recommend perusing this list of mental and physical wellness resources from OneSource.
• What's the difference between tuition remission and tuition reimbursement? OneSource explains the differences. (NetID required)
• How do I reset my NetID password? Visit the NetID Management website to reset your password. Still need help? Contact the OIT Help Desk at 833-OIT-HELP.