In The Know – Issue 172

Sheila Wooten Inducted into the CACC Hall of Fame

Deputy Director of Athletics and Recreation, Sheila Wooten, was inducted into the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame for her contributions as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. Wooten was a two-time All-American in basketball and a three-time CACC Athletic Director of the Year.

Research at Montclair Opens a New Path for Treating Persistent “R” Sound Challenges

Innovative visual biofeedback technology, developed by Elaine Hitchcock, speech-language pathology professor, is helping children with speech sound disorders and training future SLPs.

University to Open New Food Pantry on Bloomfield Campus

Opening in February, the new pantry will further expand support for students facing food insecurity and increase access to fresh, local produce.

LISC New Jersey to Lead Paterson One Square Mile Housing Plan

Paterson One Square Mile (OSM), a comprehensive, cross-sector collective impact initiative guided by Montclair State University, announced a significant expansion of its work by selecting LISC New Jersey (LISC-NJ) as the lead organization for its strategic housing component.

Editor’s Note

In The Know will return after the Winter Closings on Friday, January 9. Catch up on the latest events and happenings from this week’s events newsletter.

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

Montclair.edu Digital Transformation Office Hours
Thank you to everyone who attended the Montclair.edu Digital Transformation Office Hours last week. If you could not attend, feel free to book a slot to request updates to your program pages, ask questions about governance and responsibilities and preview both the upcoming Montclair.edu homepage and the draft of the Inside Montclair sitemap.

Campus Resources, Access and Maps
University Facilities is in the process of rolling out new informational signage to improve awareness and visibility of campus accessibility. These signs are intended to guide users to nearby accessible entrances and pedestrian routes. A total of 25 new signs were installed across campus last month with plans for additional signs in the works. University Facilities has also updated the Montclair Campus Accessibility Map, which now includes elevator locations and routes from accessible entrances.

Listen to Episode 5 of the MONTCLAIRconnect Podcast
The Recent Alumni Network (RAN) at Montclair brings together graduates from the past 10 years, and in this episode we’re spotlighting how those connections shape life after college. Nino DeNino ’25 sits down with Mike Wasik ’19, an active RAN member, to talk about building community at Montclair, staying connected as alumni and the value of professional and social networks after graduation. Catch this episode and more on Hawk Plus, YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Reminders

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.

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

• Sunhyung Lee (Economics) was interviewed by Arirang News, a South Korean international broadcaster, about global monetary policy.
• Gabriel Rubin (Justice Studies) was interviewed by CBS News in Los Angeles about Gen Z’s growing fears about the world.
• Patricia Matthew (English) is quoted in this Smithsonian Magazine article about the legacy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
• Joe Amditis (Center for Cooperative Media) contributed a piece to Nieman Lab’s Predictions for 2026 project, writing about why it’s imperative that professionals in the media industry learn to use digital tools.
• Carrie Brown (Journalism) also contributed to Nieman Lab’s Predictions for 2026 project, writing about fighting back against assaults on press freedom and free speech.
• Te Wu (Management) is quoted in this TechTarget article about how AI is transforming project management in 2026.
• Cortni Borgerson (Anthropology) is quoted in this New York Times article about how lemurs are facing a previously unrecognized and growing threat in their native Madagascar: city-dwellers with cash to spare who love to eat the endangered primates.

Kudos

• To Montclair State University for being featured as a 5-star reviewed school in the Celiac College Guide’s Instagram Wrapped. This recognition reflects the meaningful experiences of our students and families.
• To Dawn Meza Soufleris (Student Development and Campus Life) and Jean-Wilner Alexandre (Economics), who were accepted to the Fulbright Association Specialist Roster for a tenure of three years, ending in 2028. Acceptance provides eligibility to be matched with projects designed by foreign institutions in over 150 countries globally.
• To Peter Flynn (Theatre and Dance), who is directing the world premiere of the new musical adaptation MONTE CRISTO, off-Broadway next spring with Broadway stars Sierra Boggess, Adam Jacobs, Norm Lewis, and Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba among others. The new musical runs March 17 through April 5 at The York Theatre.
• To Warren Rigby (Civic and Voter Engagement), won third place in Conference 1 and third in the Community Engagement Competition of the 2025 New Jersey Ballot Bowl.
• To the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies for receiving the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Justice. The awards recognize outstanding environmental achievements, programs and projects across the state.
• To Pete DeSarno (Accounting), whose article “Educating and Inspiring Students: The Power of Providing Perspective” appeared in the recently released winter edition of the NJCPA Magazine.
• To Vincent Alfonso (College for Education and Engaged Learning), has been appointed to Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force. The group will offer insights to the Governor-elect and the respective Action Teams through multiple engagement opportunities.
• To Jaime Grinberg (Educational Foundations), who was quoted and cited in an article by Diario de la Americas on the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, as well as recent violent antisemitic events in the United States and abroad.
• To Peter DeSarno (Accounting) whose article “Educating and Inspiring Students: The Power of Providing Perspective” appeared in the recently released winter edition of the NJCPA Magazine.

Social Media Post of Note

Just like John Cena, we’re officially retired ✌️(until January). Take some time to rest, relax, and spend time with loved-ones! Enjoy your well deserved winter break Red Hawks! ❄️. It’s been a great semester, see you in the new year.

Photo of the Week

A quiet fall evening on campus. – University Photographer: John LaRosa

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.