In The Know – Issue 171
Posted in: In the Know
Montclair Launches Online Doctoral Program – Doctor of Nursing Practice
The new online DNP offers working RNs a flexible pathway to advanced clinical leadership amid rising demand for DNP-prepared nurses.
Montclair Life: Teaching Students to Think for Themselves in the Age of AI
Professor Freddie Harris uses writing, community research and a deeply human approach to help first-year students navigate – and thrive in – a world transformed by artificial intelligence.
Inside the Nursing Peer Mentor Program at Bloomfield College
Learn how the tight-knit mentor group is shaping the next generation of nurses.
HR Updates
Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Deadlines
Applications must be submitted by Thursday, January 1 for the spring semester. Applications must be submitted to the Division of Human Resources through Workday. For step by step instructions, visit the Tuition Waivers webpage. If you have any questions, please contact askHR@montclair.edu or 973-655-7700.
Performance Management Key Dates and Reminder: AFT Professional Staff
- Employees and Immediate Supervisors of employees with First Year or 1-2 Year contracts should have completed their required evaluation steps in Workday prior to Wednesday, December 10. Please log into Workday to review and complete key steps if you have not done so.
- All steps for AFT Professional Staff with the above contracts, including Unit Head and Division Vice President steps, must be submitted to Human Resources before Wednesday, January 14.
- Please review the upcoming key dates and actions required by viewing the AFT Professional Staff Evaluation and Reappointment Schedule 2025 – 2026.
Final PAR Submissions Due for CWA Employees
On November 3, the Final PAR was launched in Workday for Civil Service employees. If you have a direct report who is CWA, please complete your evaluation as soon as possible. All Final PARs are due by Friday, December 19.
Your Partner in What’s Next
- For questions regarding 2025-2026 Performance Evaluations, please email performance@montclair.edu. A ServiceNow ticket will be created on your behalf and routed to the Learning and Talent Development team.
- To review AFT Professional Staff contracts, please visit the Collectively Negotiated Agreements webpage.
- View the full 2025-2026 AFT Professional Staff calendar for a printable version of additional key dates and actions per contract type.
W2 Paperless Option
To avoid waiting for your 2025 W2 to arrive by mail, you can opt to go paperless and receive your W2 electronically via Workday. To opt out of receiving your W2 by mail, please log into Workday to elect the option to go paperless (you will not receive a paper version of the W-2). The deadline to choose the paperless W-2 option for the 2025 tax year is Friday, January 9, 2026. Any paperless elections made after this date may not apply until the following tax year.
How to Go Paperless
Visit W-2 Printing Elections or visit the Employee Self-Service section on Workday Quick Guide for HR for instructions on going paperless. If you selected to receive an electronic copy in a prior year, you do not need to make the selection again. However, we do encourage you to review your selection to make sure it is correct.
Qualified Overtime Compensation
Under the OBBB passed in July 2025, eligible employees can deduct up to $12,500 of qualified overtime compensation from their taxable income, with a higher limit of $25,000 for married couples filing jointly with income limitations. Employers are required to report qualified overtime on the 2025 W-2. In Box 14 on your W-2, you will see the reporting code OT Prem. This will contain the “half time” portion of your overtime compensation for 2025 which is the amount eligible for the deduction.
For more information on the OBBB provisions, please visit the IRS Website.
We also encourage employees to speak to their tax accountants on any specific questions related to their eligibility for the deduction. As a reminder, Montclair State University cannot give out any tax advice related to individual employees and their annual tax returns.
Updates
Presidential Excellence Awards – 2026 Nominations Are Now Open
The Presidential Excellence Awards honor individuals and teams who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to Montclair’s mission, excellence in their work and service to our community. These awards are intended to highlight achievements from all members of our Red Hawk community, including faculty and staff, full-time and part-time, long standing and newly arrived. Together, we will continue our mission to make Montclair an inclusive and accessible University that creates transformative educational opportunities for students across the globe. Nominations close Thursday, January 15 at 5:00 p.m.
Advancing the Common Good at Montclair
Montclair is launching two initiatives to fulfill our mission to advance the common good:
- The University Community Engagement Council will consist of faculty and staff that engage in community-based work to ensure community-engaged activities are coordinated, impactful, and aligned with the institution’s values and mission. For more information contact Bryan Murdock, murdockb@montclair.edu. To be considered for the council, fill out the UCEC application by Friday, January 9.
- The Civic Participation and Public Purpose Council includes faculty and staff that promote civic participation, civic education, and political involvement. This Council is charged with: enhancing our existing partnerships with civic organizations; promoting and coordinating civic participation; and delivering what was promised in the Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose elective classification. For more information contact Mark Allman, allmanm@montclair.edu. To be considered for the council, fill out the CPPPC application by Friday, January 9.
Reminders
Vote for the Charles J. Muth Museum for Best New Museum
The Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchliffe Stadium has been nominated for Best New Museum in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. Your vote can help bring national recognition to this historic treasure! Voting is open until Monday, December 22 at 11:59 p.m. You can vote everyday until voting ends!
In The News
- Bond Benton (Strategic Communication) and Daniela Peterka-Benton (Justice Studies) have been quoted in Rolling Stone Magazine and The Chicago Tribune on the dramatic increase in content containing the “R-Word” slur on X after Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day Truth Social post used the word. Benton and Peterka-Benton recently published research on the topic for the Center for Strategic Communication.
- The Daily Mail published an article about research published by Gabriel Rubin (Justice Studies) on Gen Z.
- Prudence Jones (Classics and General Humanities) is quoted in this Live Science article about how history would have unfolded if Antony and Cleopatra had defeated Octavian.
- Becky Ofrane (Public Health) is quoted in this U.S. News and World Report article explaining the role of a doula.
- Joel Penney (College of Communication and Media) is quoted in this Vox article about how politics negatively impact movie watching.
- Ethan Hein (Adjunct Faculty, Cali School of Music) wrote one MusicRadar article about Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” and another reviewing an AI-powered transcription tool.
- Kirsten Tripodi (Summer/Winter Sessions, Early College and UCNJ Partnership) offered U.S. News and World Report insight into college winter and summer terms.
- Michael Bixter (Psychology) is quoted in this NJ.com special report about a New Jersey woman who was scammed out of millions.
- Daniel Geltrude (Adjunct, Accounting and Finance) appeared on Newsmax to weigh in on several topics related to the U.S. economy.
Kudos
- To Rosita Rodriguez (Nursing), has been selected for the prestigious Minority Fellowship Program from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
- To Lucy Takagi (Social Work and Child Advocacy), has been selected as the only clinical psychologist to provide up to ten hours/month of professional emergency telehealth services to Brazilian citizens living in the following jurisdictions under the purview of the Brazilian Consulate in Washington DC: District of Columbia, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. In addition, she will also be developing educational videos on mental health disorders and consulate services.
- To Erin Kang (Psychology), who received the 2025 Outstanding Mentor Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Autism Special Interest Group, in recognition of significant contribution and personal development of mentees in the Autism field.
- To Stephanie Navarro Silvera (Public Health), who will serve on two of Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Transition Action Teams. She will be a part of The Affordable Healthcare: Addressing Washington’s Medicaid Cuts Policy Action Team, and to the Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force.
Social Media Post of Note
Something new is coming … Future home of the new Interdisciplinary Science Building
Photo of the Week
Finals prep! – 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.