San Jose State University
 
 
 
February 2024 Edition
 
Volume 7 Issue 1
 
 
 
Image of laptop and coffee cup with text: from the desk of joanne wright
 
 
 
Happy 2024! The Spring term is already in full swing and it won’t be long before we’re congratulating our May graduates.

University Personnel had another busy year in 2023. We welcomed some new employees, but saw a few long-timers retire; did some internal reorganization to better align our services to support our employees; held three Town Halls; held our first Spartans Elevating Leadership Fluency (S.E.L.F.) cohort for MPPs; and continued to collaborate with our colleagues across campus.

We have a lot on the horizon this year including Celebrating Spartans: Honoring Faculty and Staff, an event for all of us to come together to celebrate our dedicated colleagues. As announced earlier this year by President Teniente-Matson, this event will be held on Thursday, March 28 and will honor our faculty and staff who have reached milestone years of service, as well as the winners of our faculty and staff awards. It’s sure to be a great time, and I’m looking forward to celebrating with you. You can find more information about this event on our website and later in the newsletter.

We are currently running a Customer Satisfaction Survey; please take a moment to let us know how we are doing. Your input is greatly appreciated as we strive to do our best to serve our constituents. As always, if there is any way I or my management team can support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Please click View Entire Message at the bottom of this email to see the entire newsletter.
 
 
 
 
 
Image of spartan head logo on blue background with words Celebrating Spartans: Honoring Faculty and Staff
 
Our new celebratory event, Celebrating Spartans: Honoring Faculty and Staff, will be held in-person on Thursday, March 28, and will honor our Faculty and Staff who reached milestone years of service in 2023, beginning at 10 years. This new event combines the previous Faculty Service Recognition & Awards Lunch and the Staff Service Celebration, bringing our campus community together to collectively celebrate these great achievements. In addition to recognizing service honorees, we will also present the Faculty and Staff awards.

View the honoree names on the Celebrating Spartans webpage.

The program will be held from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom with a reception immediately following.

As we continue our preparations for the event, we are asking you to R.S.V.P. now so that we can get a general idea on attendance numbers.

Please note, there is no cost to attend this event.

If you have any questions about the event, please email up-org-development@sjsu.edu.
 
 
Spartan Stepping Beyond Snippit.png
 
The Spartans Stepping Beyond program, a beacon of appreciation and recognition, continues to illuminate the exceptional efforts of Spartans. In Fall 2023, the program not only thrived but also showcased the remarkable individuals who go above and beyond in making our community truly exceptional.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to recognize and honor fellow Spartans. Your thoughtful nominations are the foundation of this celebration, and they highlight the incredible spirit that defines our community. Let's applaud the outstanding individuals who were honored in the Spartans Stepping Beyond program in Fall 2023:
  • Kirk Nguyen
  • Mi Duong
  • Owen Ellis
  • Sky Kerstein
  • Marie Garcia
As we move forward, let's continue to celebrate the exceptional individuals who make our community shine. If you know someone who embodies the spirit of Spartans Stepping Beyond, recognize them! Your recognition can make a significant impact on their day and inspire others to celebrate the excellence within our community.
 
 
 
W-2 Form with a black calculator on top of form along with two pennies, one dime, nickel, and quarter.
 
 

Form W-2 Frequently Asked Questions

When was my Form W-2 mailed?
Forms were mailed by the State Controller's Office on or before January 31, 2024. Please note, if you elected to receive a paperless W-2 through Cal Employee Connect, you will not receive a hard copy in the mail.

I opted to receive paperless W-2s through Cal Employee Connect. Will I still receive a paper copy?
No. If you opted in to receive a paperless W-2 you will not receive a paper copy in the mail.

When should I expect to receive my W-2 through Cal Employee Connect?
Your 2023 Paperless Form W-2 is now available on Cal Employee Connect (CEC)! Employees who opted-in to use the W-2 Paperless Statement feature are able to view and download current and previous years’ Form W-2s using any internet-connected device.

Employees who did not opt in by November 30, 2023 will receive their 2023 Form W-2 via U.S. mail. However, you are now eligible to opt in for W-2 Paperless Statements, which will give you the ability to download PDF copies of all Form W'2s listed within CEC.

If you haven’t yet registered with CEC, please do so today at Cal Employee Connect. It takes less than five minutes to sign up. You will need to use SJSU’s agency code 260 and have access to a recent pay stub. For registration help, please email payroll-services@sjsu.edu.

I didn't receive my Form W-2 by mail, what should I do?
If you have not yet received your Form W-2, please visit Cal Employee Connect where you can view and download an online version of the form. Form W-2s that are undeliverable by the post office will be returned to University Personnel.

See our website for more information on Cal Employee Connect.

Who should I contact if my Form W-2 was damaged or not sealed?
Visit Cal Employee Connect where you can view and download an online version of the form.

Who should I contact if I have additional questions about my Form W-2?
Please contact your Payroll Representative.
 
 
Image of cut out sillouhetted people, 5 in tan, 1 in blue being held by a hand; words in the image include S.E.L.F. and Spartans Elevating Leadership Fluency
 
Last fall we piloted our new training program for MPPs, Spartans Elevating Leadership Fluency, or S.E.L.F. We had 16 participants who completed eight weeks of training and discussion on a variety of topics including the fundamentals of supervision as outlined in the CSU’s Principles of Supervision curriculum. We salute those who completed this first cohort and thank them for their feedback. We are now ready to embark on our next cohort and invite interested managers (MPPs only) to complete a short interest form in order to be considered.

The spring program will run from February 27 through April 23, 2024 and will include weekly courses, online prework (approximately 30 minutes per week), and additional discussion with an accountability partner outside of the planned schedule (typically about 30 minutes per week). This program is a big commitment, but your time will be well-spent as you dive into topics ranging from Managing Yourself to Motivation and Engagement to Managing in a Union Environment, all designed to heighten your leadership skills and awareness to best support your work and staff. You will also get to connect with your management colleagues across campus. Our goal is for all MPPs to go through this program so that our entire leadership team is connected through a shared mission, vision and understanding of what it means to be a leader at SJSU.

If you’re interested in the program but aren’t able to participate this time around, that’s okay. Please complete the interest form and we’ll keep you up to date when future cohorts are announced.
 
 
Image of sunflower against blue sky; words Well-being Corner in the bottom left of the image
 
The heartbeat of San José State University is its people, and cultivating mental and physical health is our shared commitment. As we announced in the first Well-being Wednesday newsletter of 2024, we are shifting from a biweekly to a monthly newsletter. This will allow us time to host wellness events throughout the year. While we work to coordinate these events, we’d like to remind our community about the resources available to them to support mental and physical well-being.

Mental Health:
Physical Well-being:
    Visit MyWell-being on the UP website for more information and additional resources including:

     
     
     
    Reflections of 2023.jpg
     
    So Long 2023, Hello, 2024!

    Reflecting on the past year is a journey we'd love to take with you! What were your highlights, challenges, and unique experiences in 2023? Share a glimpse of your year with us in just a few words or sentences. Your stories will take center stage in our upcoming May 2024 newsletter.

    Please complete this short Google form to share your story. This form is anonymous unless you wish to provide your name.
     
    		 
    Copy of Feedback.png
     
    Your Feedback Matters:
    Help Us Shape Our Newsletters!

    We value your opinions and want to ensure that our newsletters meet your needs and expectations. Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve the content and delivery of our communications.

    Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey. Your input will guide us in tailoring our newsletters to better suit your interests and preferences. We appreciate your time and honesty.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    image of blue and gold geometric shapes with the words welcome new spartans in gold text
     
     
    Navreet Atwal
    Maurelle Bagus
    Grace Barbieri
    Siddharth Bhindi
    Mark Buenaventura
    Johnathen Bueno
    Gregory Burns
    Hilary Carlson
    Cecelia Caro
    Kelly Cayabyab
    Urmi Chatterjee
    Joseph Coe
    Lamin Conteh
    Israel Costales
    Ismaila Diallo
    Frank Dinozzi
    Ismaila Diallo
    Kristin Dukes
    Teribel Felix

    		 
    Maria Fuentes-Martin
    Jennifer Hastings
    Hyokung Hwang
    Michael Judge
    Gurpreet Kaur
    Maneesha Khandekar
    Robert Kitchens
    Avalisi Lapuaho
    Genevieve Lau
    Daniel Lechuga
    Nathaniel Leonard
    Gui Ru Liu
    Stephanie Liu
    Wayne Marsh
    Julianne Miyashiro
    Maria Moore
    Silbestre Montejano Villa
    Gisselle Munoz Romo
    Shayna Olarti
    Annastatius Olson
    		 
    Maureen Pasag
    Jamie Reid
    Melissa Retana
    Lin Ru
    Julian Santacruz
    Ulises Serrano-Valenzuela
    Amandip Singh
    Craig Stutzmann
    William Stutzmann
    Gabriella Sugerman
    Filisonuu Tafisi
    Marcus Thomas
    Sean Tsao
    Emiliano Vidal Velazquez
    Danielle Vielle
    Melissa Vierra
    Garrett Wolfe
    Hanna Woodman
    Linda Yav
     
     
    image of brown building blocks on gray background with white lettering above reading UP Staffing Update
     
     
    We are delighted to welcome the following staff into University Personnel:

    Anthony Hilton - Tenured and Probationary Faculty Analyst
    Julianne Miyashiro - Director, Academic Employee Relations
    Michael Pan (previously a student employee in UP) - Benefits Services Analyst
     
     
    Visit Our Teams or our Organizational Chart to learn more about our staff and structure.
     
     
     
    image of the words "don't forget" on a white piece of paper tacked to a corkboard
     
     
     
    Employee Discounts

    Faculty and staff have access to a variety of discounts. Visit Employee Discounts for more information.
     
    		 
     
    UP Group Emails

    UP has a variety of group emails that you can use to contact various units.
     
     
     
     
    UP is on Social Media!

    Follow us on:
     
    		 
     
    Where to Find Past Newsletters

    You can find past issues of The UP Side newsletter on the UP website under Resources.
     
     
     
     
    Unless otherwise indicated, all newsletter images were designed in Canva.
     
     

    Contact University Personnel via Phone or Email

    408.924.2250 or university-personnel@sjsu.edu

    Subscribe to the Blog - Visit the Website
     
     
    linkedin     instagram     youtube  
     
     
    San Jose State University
    One Washington Square
    San Jose, CA 95192

     
    Last Updated Mar 1, 2024