Check out the latest issue of the Broncho Beat!

Published March 2020

• Feature Story: Broncho Barkers
• Broncho Brags
• Get-to-Know a Broncho: Kari Luttrell
• Employee Appreciation Day 2020
• Recruiting Resources: Find the Right Candidate
• Procurement Services Announcements: Travel and Copier Contracts
• Staff Senate Updates
• 24/7 D2L Support
• February New Employees
• March Years of Service
• March Birthdays

Carlie Deatherage is the assistant director of Health Promotion and has worked at UCO for 2 and a half years. Carlie received a master’s in public health from OU and a bachelor’s in kinesiology from UCO. Riley is our newest Broncho Barker, certified as a therapy dog in 2019. He is a 9-year old Australian Shepard and former farm dog. Carlie and Riley both enjoy going on long walks, road trips and peanut butter.

Broncho Barkers

In recent years, stores and restaurants have become more dog-friendly, accommodating our furry friends instead of turning them away. You might have noticed several dogs on campus lately and are wondering what that is all about. While there may be many dog-lovers on campus, there’s something special about these dogs and why they’re here.

Studies have shown that animal/human interactions have positive benefits for both animal and human. The Center for Counseling and Well-Being manages two therapy dog programs on campus – Stress Paws and Broncho Barkers. First of all, it’s important to note that therapy dogs are different from service animals, emotional support pets, etc. Learn more information about these classifications and accommodations on our website.

Stress Paws takes place each Thursday afternoon from 3-5 p.m. on the 4^th floor of the Nigh. Therapy dogs are brought in by an organization called HALO for students, and sometimes staff, to provide a moment of joy– a pause from the stress of the day if you will. Get it? Stress “paws”? See what we did there?

The Broncho Barkers program launched in 2018 and is still growing here on campus. The first Broncho Barker was the legendary Kevin the Greyt, a retired racing greyhound. He recently moved out of state (yes, we miss him too!), but his Broncho Barker legacy lives on in the program. The goal of this program is to enhance physical and emotional health, contribute to the success of staff and student well-being, retention and overall experience at UCO.

You can spot a Broncho Barker by their blue Broncho Barker bandana and official UCO name tag. Broncho Barkers are certified therapy dogs and have gone through an extensive interview process to be on campus. If you see one of these therapy dogs on campus feel free to say hi and show them some love with some pets and scratches! If you would like to request a Broncho Barker to come to your office, class or event please submit requests to https://uco.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/279723. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please email healthpromotion@uco.edu.

Broncho Barkers appreciates your love and support in helping our campus #BeWellBronchos!

As a reminder, only dogs specifically recognized by Broncho Barkers and service animals identified as service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act are allowed in campus buildings. Disability Support Services-approved emotional support animals are restricted to residential housing. Other than in the case of these limited exceptions, pets and emotional support animals are not to be in campus buildings.

Congrats, Rick Vega and Jennifer McCullough!

Rick Vega, director of campus enterprise services, and Jennifer McCullough, coordinator of immigration, have been selected to participate in Class VII of the Latino Leadership OKC Program (LLOKC). LLOKC is a six-month leadership program of the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Over the course of the LLOKC program, participants learn and practice the tools for being effective and engaged community leaders. Both Vega and McCullough are members of the Latino Faculty & Staff Association and have provided extensive leadership on campus and in the community.

Bravo, Professor Mohamed Bingabr!

Recently, Professor Bingabr helped prevent a student’s vehicle from rolling and crashing into the Math and Computer Science building by using his own personal vehicle as a barricade. Professor Bingabr could have easily driven away and allowed the student’s vehicle to roll through the parking lot, but instead risked damage to his own car to prevent a major accident. Thankfully, neither vehicle incurred any damages.  

Kari Luttrell, Payroll Specialist

What is your background?
I started my career as a payroll coordinator in the oil and gas field. I’ve spent the last few years in HR and payroll at HAC, Inc. I’m very excited to learn how payroll works within higher education! 

Tell me how you first got involved at UCO.
I first became involved with UCO as a student and I’m a proud Broncho grad! When this opportunity became available it was a no brainer to want to come back to the university I called home throughout my college years. I look forward to giving back to such a wonderful community! 

What would you say your strongest beliefs are about your contribution to the university?
Don’t we all look forward to getting paid?! I truly enjoy playing a role in ensuring we all get what we deserve on pay day. It’s an exciting role, and at times creates significant pressure, but it’s all so rewarding when pay day rolls around and fellow employees are appreciative of your dedication. I believe the different industries I’ve worked in has broadened my experience within payroll and I’m excited to see where things go here at UCO! 

What do you do when you are not working?
When I’m not working I’m enjoying my life as a newlywed! I married my best friend of 12 years this past October and it’s been the absolute best thing! I’m very close to my family and spend time with them every weekend. My nephews are into every sport, so you can definitely catch me at the baseball fields this spring. I enjoy running when the weather is nice; my friends think I’m crazy when I run in the Oklahoma heat during the summer and actually enjoy it. If you see me running around campus feel free to join me, I love meeting new people!

Jill Robertson, Employee Experience Specialist

National Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, Mar. 6, 2020. This year will look a little differently than previous years. We will kick-off this year’s festivities Friday, Mar. 6 with a come-and-go event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Leroy Coffman Territorial Lounge in Old North. Come join us for popcorn, candy and swag as we unveil the 2020 Employee Appreciation events occurring later this month, from Friday, Mar. 27 through Thursday, April 2. Hint: You won’t want to miss any of it!

Paige Buchanan, Recruitment Specialist

With unemployment in Oklahoma at 3.3%, it can be tough to find good candidates who are actively looking for a new job. If you find that you are having trouble finding qualified applicants to fill your vacant position on your team, reach out to UCO’s recruitment specialist, Paige Buchanan. She can help you find the right candidate by utilizing LinkedIn Recruiter Lite.

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite is a sophisticated candidate search tool that is tailored to the unique needs of individual recruiters and hiring managers. With Recruiter Lite, we can zero in on ideal candidates using the specialized search filters. This product also gives us the ability to directly message these candidates to discuss career opportunities at UCO. 

Interested in learning more? Email pbuchanan@uco.edu

Sarah Castleberry, Assistant Director of Procurement Services

Travel:

Many are currently making plans for travel in FY21. Remember, any charges made using the UCO Travel Card in this fiscal year will automatically be allocated to the FY21 budget. As in the past, the travel office is only allowed to secure airline charges, (which can be allocated to FY20). For any questions please feel free to contact the travel department directly.

The new copier contract:

ImageNet representative Monica Nichols is available on campus every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Procurement Services, Adm109. Please be certain to schedule an appointment to discuss your copier replacement. If you are uncertain of your current equipment expiration date, please contact mnichols@imagenet.com or cwiles@uco.edu.

Dawn Kaiser, Manager of Inventory and Receiving

The UCO Staff Senate met Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020.

SSR 2019/2020-002: Staff Cost of Living Adjustment was presented to the Senate. This proposal will be debated and voted on at the March Staff Senate general meeting. You can view this proposal in its entirety on the Staff Senate blog. If you have questions or concerns regarding this proposal, please be sure to contact a senator from your division.

The Staff Senate will meet again Tuesday, Mar. 3, at 2 p.m. in the Forensic Science Institute, Room 106. The meeting is open to the public. Please ensure you stay up to date on your current senators. Contact any senator from your division with topics or concerns that may impact UCO employees so that the Senate can best represent and assist you.

For more detailed information regarding this meeting, or to learn who your Staff Senate representatives are, please visit the UCO Staff Senate blog.

New for the spring semester, Learn@UCO (D2L) support is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year through the new D2L support page located at: d2lsupport.uco.edu. 

UCO faculty, staff and students will now have direct access to technicians who can assist with basic D2L questions and technical support needs through chat, email, and phone. 

Visit the d2lsupport.uco.edu now to get started!

Meet the new faces you’ll be seeing around UCO.