In The Know – Issue 166
Posted in: In the Know
Montclair Student News Productions Win 2 National Murrow Awards
College of Communication and Media student productions win for Video Hard News and Video Newscast.
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.
Updates
Graduate School’s Micro-Internship Program
Host a graduate student intern through the Graduate School’s Micro-Internship program. These short-term roles give graduate students hands-on experience, professional development, and new networking opportunities while supporting your team. The Graduate School will provide the intern’s compensation up to $5,000 for approved projects submitted by Monday, November 17. Questions? Contact gradstudentservices@montclair.edu.
Building Entry Access Policy – Montclair State University
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.
Reminders
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.
Get Research Help from a Librarian
Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can Ask a Librarian for research help in a variety of ways:
- 24/7 live chat
- In-person or online research appointments
- In-person or via phone (during librarian office hours Monday-Friday, 11a.m.-3 p.m.)
Request a Library Instruction Session for Your Students
If your students are working on research projects in their course (or in your lab), consider requesting a library instruction session. Librarians can teach students information literacy and other research-related skills such as how to efficiently find quality resources. Two weeks advance notice is preferred.
In The News
- Sunhyung Lee (Economics) appeared on South Korean news broadcaster Arirang TV to discuss global economic policy.
- Dan Geltrude (Adjunct, Accounting and Finance) appeared on Newsmax to weigh in on several topics related to the U.S. economy.
Kudos
- To Brenda Marshall (Nursing), who has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 New Jersey League for Nurses, Nurse Recognition Award for her leadership in the profession of nursing.
- To Anja Deitmer (Nursing), who was awarded one of the 2025 New Jersey League for Nurses scholarships towards completion of her Doctor of Nursing Education.
- To Brian Conway (Gourmet Dining), who has been recognized by Chartwell Higher Education as a 2025 Be A Star winner. This award honors the extraordinary team members who go above and beyond to make a meaningful difference.
- To Mayida Zaal (Teaching & Learning), who served on a panel for the American Association of University Women on Defending Equity in Education: Equity Rollbacks and Curriculum Bans.
- To Rachel Garver (Educational Leadership), who presented at the New Jersey State House on research about teacher performance assessment policy changes in New Jersey.
- To Jayda Brown (University Communications and Marketing) and Chavon Blount (Social Media and Communications, Bloomfield) who launched “Popped Culture”, a short-form video series where Bloomfield professors break down trending topics through an academic lens. Watch the debut episode featuring Grace Cook as she explains how TikTok utilizes informatics to build user profiles.
Social Media Post of Note
Our identity as an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), both at @montclairstateu and @montclair_bloomfieldcollege, mean a great deal to me.
One of my annual favorite traditions is our Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party, honoring the rich culture of our campus community.
Photo of the Week
“The Adequate Pumpkin” – 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.