In The Know – Issue 178
Posted in: In the Know
Montclair’s Middle States Self-Study: A Campuswide Reflection on Mission, Growth, and Resilience
The University’s self-study report has been completed and formally submitted to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The self-study has provided an invaluable opportunity to take stock of Montclair’s significant growth, examine how the institution continues to deliver on its mission and identify the ways we are strengthening institutional resilience for the future.
How the University’s Transfer Support Helped One Student Find Her Place and Her Purpose
Abigail Rodriguez’s journey from community college to Montclair inspired her passion for advancing educational policy.
HR Updates
Performance Management Key Dates and Reminder: AFT Professional Staff
2026 PARs Launched for CWA Employees
The 2026 Performance Assessment Review (PAR) is now live in Workday. Your Supervisor has received a task in their Workday inbox to complete the initial agreement. The initial agreement is due on January 31, 2026.
This year, we are providing all Civil Service employees with a self-guided employee-facing version of the Performance Assessment Review training.
If you have questions regarding the 2026 Performance Assessment Review or have not received your Initial Agreement, please email performance@montclair.edu. A ServiceNow ticket will be created on your behalf.
2025 W-2 Form Available in Workday
Effective Friday, January 23, employees have access to print and download their 2025 W-2 form in Workday.
How to Access Your W-2 Form
- From your Workday home page, please select the Pay Icon from your Apps list
- Then select My Tax Documents
- Once in My Tax Documents scroll down and you’ll see a table with available tax year W-2 documents that you can view/print
Paper W-2 Forms
In accordance with IRS Guidelines, employees who elected to receive a paper copy will have had their W-2 mailed out by Friday, January 30. Please note that if your W-2 is two pages, you will receive two envelopes in the mail.
If you have questions, contact Human Resources at askhr@montclair.edu or at x7700, option 1.
Updates
Faculty and Staff Commencement Registration
Montclair State University is excited to hold Spring 2026 Commencement exercises on Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12, 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, March 30, 2026. Due to event coordination needs, faculty and staff MUST register by this deadline. Late registrations will not be accepted. Visit the faculty and staff Commencement webpage for more information or email officeofspecialevents@montclair.edu.
World’s Fair Day 2026 Planning
Interested in helping plan World’s Fair Day 2026? Attend a planning meeting! World’s Fair Day will be held on April 23, 2026. Contact Casey Coleman for more information. Planning meeting schedule as follows at 10 a.m. on Zoom
- Friday, February 13
- Friday, March 13
- Friday, April 10
Help Donate to Create Recharge and Restore Kits for Students
The Red Hawk Pantry, CART Performance Operations and CAPS are partnering to distribute Recharge & Restore Kits to students at the end of the semester. These kits are designed to encourage students and support their wellbeing during this stressful time. Kits can include a mix of salty and sweet snacks, study supplies, stress relievers and/or self care items as well as personal notes to boost morale.
You can support this initiative by donating supplies for the kits from the Amazon Wish List.
Monetary donations can be made online via the TIX.com CART Donations page. Select “Red Hawk Pantry Care Kits” (see image below) to donate to this project. The cost of 1 kit is about $15.50. Our goal is to give out 150 boxes this first semester.
Reminders
Career Development Program
The Career Development Program (CDP) provides professional development support for employees represented by the AFT (membership not required), including librarians, tenure-track and teaching faculty and professional staff. The program is designed to help participants build new skills or areas of expertise through meetings, workshops, symposia, short courses and training programs. Applicants must submit a written proposal along with a detailed budget breakdown and are encouraged to submit one cohesive proposal centered on a common theme. Application due Monday, March 2, by 4:30 p.m.
Workday Strategic Sourcing
Procurement Services is pleased to announce that Workday Strategic Sourcing (WSS) is now live. WSS is a procurement contract management system that establishes a standardized electronic intake process for various requests. It provides transparent workflows, visibility into the status of procurements and contracts and a centralized repository of procurement-related contract documents with role-based permissions for all new contracts, making management easier. More information, including procurement training, is available.
Digital Printing and Photocopying Services Now a “Punch Out” Catalog
The University has rolled out a faster, easier way for departments to create brochures, event programs, posters, flyers and newsletters that look professional and comply with the University’s brand standard using customizable online templates. One Source Solutions will print the materials and deliver them to campus. Access this service by means of a “punch out” requisition in Workday. View the One Source Solutions Job Aid for detailed instructions. Printed materials that are not available in this system can be requested using UCM’s Digital and Print Design Request Form.
In The News
- Business Administration major Olga Mikutina, who was recently profiled for our Montclair Life series, is headed to Milan to skate in the Winter Olympics. NBC New York’s Bruce Beck paid a visit to campus to interview the Austrian national figure skating champion ahead of the Games.
- Arnaud Kurze (Justice Studies) participated in an interview with The Good Men Project about how hashtag campaigns can function as early warning signals and accountability tools in atrocity prevention.
- Dierdre Paul (Teaching and Learning) contributed an opinion piece to NorthJersey.com about New Jersey’s cursive writing requirement in schools.
Kudos
- To Stacy Gitlin (College of Communication and Media) and seven Montclair State students and alumni who are working behind the scenes at NBC Sports Studios in Stamford, Connecticut, helping bring the 2026 Olympic Winter Games to audiences nationwide. Gitlin, a feature producer on the USA overnight broadcast, is working her fourth Olympic Games and helped connect several recent graduates to production assistant roles across NBC’s Olympic coverage.
- To Christopher Parker (Classics and General Humanities), who received the 2026 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Finalist Award in the Literature in the non-fiction category.
- To Catherine Baird (University Libraries) on being elected as Interim Head for Reference and Research Services.
- To Carlos Flores (Center for Student Success and Educator Excellence), who joined Mayor James Solomon’s Transition Co-Governance Committee, serving on the Education & Youth Committee, to connect policy expertise directly to the voices and priorities of Jersey City residents.
- To Marilyn Davis (Network for Educational Renewal) who is the 2025-2026 National Co-Chair of the Association for Teacher Education (ATE), Educational Leadership SIG and 2026-2027 National Chair of the ATE Educational Leadership SIG. ATE represents teacher educators in colleges, universities, school districts, and state education agencies in 41 regional and state affiliated units and U.S. Territories.
Social Media Post of Note
Back-to-Back Regular Season Champions
Photo of the Week
Strategy in real time. – 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.