In The Know – Issue 165

University and Essex County Join Forces to Shape Future of Public Health

The countywide Academic Health Department is the first of its kind in New Jersey, and will coordinate public health efforts, expand research and provide real-word experiences for students.

“The King Has Spoken” Exhibit Opens at Bloomfield College

The exhibit features the works of six artists whose work explores themes of identity, resilience and self expression.

Montclair Life: Driving the University Forward

Go behind the scenes with Monica Smith, Director of Transportation, to see how her team keeps the campus in motion.

HR Updates

Benefits Open Enrollment
The New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits (NJDPB) has designated Wednesday, October 1, – Friday, October 31, as Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment is your yearly opportunity to review benefits and make changes for the next calendar year. All changes made during the open enrollment period will be effective on January 1, 2026. Log into the Benefitsolver website by accessing a link on MyNewJersey portal or via mynjbenefitshub.nj.gov.

Enrollment

• No action is required if you do not wish to change or modify your medical or dental plans.
• Action is required to enroll and re-enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts.

Flexible Spending Accounts

• If you would like to participate in the Tax$ave Medical and/or Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) in 2026, you must enroll in the FSA plan(s) during Open Enrollment.
• Enrollment in the Tax$ave FSAs do not renew automatically from plan year to plan year. You must re-enroll every year.
• Enroll directly with Horizon online by visiting, HorizonBlue.com/enrollfsa or call 1-866-999-3531.

Support Center Update
We’re pleased to share the HR Support Center activity summary for the last 90 days. Below are key statistics that highlight how we’ve been assisting the University:

Support Requests Handled

• Total Phone Calls Received: 572
• Peak Call Times: 9:30-10:30am, 3:30-4:30pm
• Average Call Duration: 4.5 minutes

ServiceNow Tickets

• Tickets Opened: 2,350
• Same Day Aging: 82%
• Average Resolution Time: 7.52 hours
• Average Survey Rating (1-5): 4.2

Service Highlights

• Improved resolution time by 12% from July to August
• 84% satisfaction rate based on post-ticket surveys

We remain committed to providing responsive, high-quality support to the entire University. Thank you for your continued feedback and engagement – it helps us improve our services every day. For HR assistance, please continue to reach out to the HR Support Center at askHR@montclair.edu or by phone 973-655-7700.

Updates

New Building Entry Access Policy
Academic and administrative buildings will lock at 8 p.m. on weekdays and at 6 p.m on weekends. Cole Hall will follow a different schedule, locking at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Faculty and staff will continue to have 24/7 ID card access.
• Students may badge in until 11 p.m.
• Access resumes at 7 a.m. each day.

Please carry your University ID with you at all times. If you need a replacement or do not have an ID card, please visit the ID Card Office before Fall Break. This policy follows best practices for University security while ensuring access for teaching, research, and learning. For more information, visit the Access Control webpage.

Upcoming Changes to Sign-in Process
Information Technology will be disabling Google Sign In and Work Email sign in for Zoom for all users, and enforcing usage of SSO (Single Sign On) for all users. The changes to the sign-on process are necessary for the migration to Zoom Phone, which will occur over the next several months. More information will be shared in an upcoming Information Technology newsletter.

Reminders

Community Trunk or Treat – Tonight!
Join the Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships on campus for a safe, fun-filled fall celebration on Friday, October 24, 4 p.m., Lot 24 (next to Car Parc Diem). Wear your favorite costume and enjoy decorated trunks, candy, games, face painting and more. This event is open to all. Free parking is available in Car Parc Diem.

Faculty and Staff Commencement Registration and Regalia
Winter Commencement will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at Prudential Center in Newark. Advanced registration is REQUIRED for all faculty and staff attending Commencement. There are two registration forms depending if you are a staff member working the event or a faculty or staff member participating in the academic processional. Registration will close on Monday, November 17, 2025. Due to event coordination needs, faculty and staff MUST register by this deadline. Late registrations will not be accepted.

Faculty and staff participating in the academic processional must wear regalia. The deadline to order your rental regalia is Friday, November 7, 2025. Orders will not be accepted after the deadline. All orders will be shipped directly to the University Bookstore and MUST be picked up at the Graduation Fairs.For more information visit the Commencement webpage or email officeofspecialevents@montclair.edu.

Fall Pumpkin Painting Contest – Registration Date Extended!
Celebrate fall at the Fall Harvest Pumpkin Painting Contest hosted by Human Resources. Immerse yourself in autumn festivities with games, music, and the joy of painted pumpkins. Each division or college is invited to form a team and showcase their creativity. Register your team by Friday, October 29. Judging will take place on Wednesday, November 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Student Center Room 160. The Red Hawk Pantry will be accepting donations. Visit the Red Hawk Pantry webpage to view common items needed or donate funds/items via amazon.

Refer a Student to RADical Health! – Session 2 Begins October 27
RADical Health x Montclair is a dynamic 4-week program designed to support students’ well-being, foster peer connections and build valuable skills for health and resilience. Your referral can make a positive difference in a student’s experience, helping them thrive both personally and academically.

In The News

• NBC News Daily visited the Montclair campus for a story on our Mental Health First Aid training and how college students are learning to identify and support mental health struggles. Melissa Zarin and Jude Uy (Counseling and Psychological Services) were interviewed as part of the feature.
• Ethan Hein (Adjunct Faculty, Cali School of Music) wrote this MusicRadar article about late musician D’Angelo.

Kudos

• To Cristina Latino (Humanities and Social Sciences), who was honored as the 2025 Renaissance Woman of the Year by the Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade.
• To Denise O’Shea (University Libraries), on her appointment as Dean of University Libraries.
• To Natascia Boeri (Sociology), whose teaching materials for Clemson University’s Civic Engagement and Voting Rights Teacher Scholars Program are now published online. The program aims to strengthen civic and voter rights education by developing innovative and open-access pedagogical resources in the humanities and social sciences.
• To Brian Krist (History), who was named one of the 2025 Power Players in Education by PoliticsNY.

Social Media Post of Note

Autumn is our season #MontclairViews
Enjoy your fall break Red Hawks!

Photo of the Week

Photo Rewind: Richardson Hall in 2002. – University Photographer: Mike Peters

Quick Links

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.