Fridays with the Flock 5.29.26

Welcome to Fridays with the Flock!

Happy Friday!

Here's what's happening this week in Human Resources & Employee Experience!

Appreciating Our Dining Team!

For years now, the SU Campus has proudly observed Employee Appreciation Day, shining a light on the dedication of our staff. However, one exceptional group often goes unnoticed:

OUR FANTASTIC TEAM IN DINING!

These incredible individuals miss out on the festivities as they are essential to our campus on Employee Appreciation Day preparing tasty meals for everyone celebrating! This year, we surprised the Dining team with an off-campus celebration, treating them to their own Employee Appreciation Day at a Shorebirds game on Thursday!

It was a wonderful occasion where they felt valued and had the chance

to connect with their coworkers in a lively environment.

A huge thank you to the Shorebirds crew and everyone at SU for making this event possible!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US DINING TEAM!

Want to say thank you to the team in Dining?

Shoot them an email at Dining@salisbury.edu

Thanks for your commitment during Performance Review Season!

On behalf of the entire Human Resources Team, a huge shoutout to everyone for your participation and dedication during this year’s Performance Review Season! Your involvement really makes a difference in creating a culture of growth and excellence here on campus.

Just a quick reminder:

all performance reviews & discussions are due by the end of business

Monday, June 1.

Thanks again for all your hard work!

Women's Forum Scholarship Deadline June 15

Did someone say scholarships?

The Women's Forum commends and celebrates the achievements of students, faculty, and staff from across the system through award and scholarship programs. All awards and scholarships are open to any individual regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Simply complete a scholarship application for the opportunity to receive a financial award for University of Maryland student, staff, and faculty. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. The application deadline is June 15.

Student Scholarship Application

Staff Award Application

Faculty Award Application

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The University System of Maryland (USM) Women's Forum Student Scholarship (awards up to $1000) is open to any student who meets the following criteria:

Attending a USM institution.

Earned a minimum of 48 undergraduate OR 12 graduate credits (by June 1, 2026).

Plan to enroll as a student for the Fall 2026 term.

Currently has a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for undergraduate OR 3.25 for graduate at your USM institution (upload an unofficial university transcript).

Demonstrated financial need (upload FAFSA or explanation of financial need)

Students are eligible for only one scholarship per lifetime.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

The USM Women's Forum Professional Staff Development Award (awards range from $250-$1000) provides funding that can be used to pursue training and/or professional development activities to enhance current job skills and/or seek career advancement opportunities and for non-credit courses and conferences. The Staff Scholarship is open to any staff member who meets the following criteria:

Employed by a USM institution as a regular employee.

Completed at least 1 year of cumulative service.

Individuals are eligible for only one scholarship per lifetime.

FACULTY RESEARCH AWARDS

The USM Women's Forum Faculty Research Award (awards up to $1000) is designed to provide a funding opportunity for faculty who are pursuing research on women's experiences: social, scientific, economic, political, and health conditions that impact women. The Faculty Research Award is open to any faculty member who meets the following criteria:

Holds an academic appointment at any of the University System of Maryland institutions.

Only one research proposal per investigator will be considered.

Junior faculty members at the rank of assistant professor, research associate, instructor, or librarian I or II who are within five years of their appointment are highly encouraged to apply.

Not eligible to apply: Emeritus, part-time adjunct, visiting faculty, and post docs.

Faculty are eligible for only one research award per lifetime.

Maryland Supplemental Retirement Plans:

Featured Webinars

Take advantage of these upcoming Maryland Supplemental Retirement Plans (MSRP) webinars designed to help you build financial confidence, plan for retirement and better understand your benefits.

Building Better Credit: Habits that Make a Difference

June 15 at 11 a.m.

June 25 at 1 p.m.
Your credit impacts more than you may realize, from loan approvals and interest rates to future financial opportunities. Learn how credit scores are calculated, what influences your score and strategies to build and maintain healthy credit habits.

Getting to Know EMPOWER: Participant Technology in Action

June 17 at 1 p.m.

June 26 at 11 a.m.
Explore the tools, technology and resources available through EMPOWER to help participants make the most of their retirement journey.
(Presented by Empower, MSRP’s contractor for plan administration.)

Your MSRP 457(b) and 401(k) Benefits: A Smart Start to Financial Security

June 2 at 11 a.m.

June 15 at 1 p.m.

Learn how the State of Maryland’s 457(b) and 401(k) Supplemental Retirement Plans work, the advantages they offer and how they can support your long-term retirement goals as a public sector employee.

Your Pension, Social Security, and MSRP: Retirement Income for Life!

June 11 at 1 p.m.

June 25 at 11 a.m.

Learn how your State Pension, Social Security and MSRP savings work together to support your retirement income goals. This session will help you better understand benefit estimates, timing and planning strategies for retirement.

Wellbeing and Medicare Essentials: Plan for a Thriving Retirement

June 2 at 1 p.m.

June 11th at 11 a.m.

Whether retirement is right around the corner or still a few years away, this webinar explores Medicare essentials and how healthcare planning can support your overall wellbeing and retirement readiness.

Registration closes two hours before each webinar begins. Participants will receive a reminder email with the webinar access link one day before the event. Please make sure to enter an accurate email address when registering.

Register for webinars here
(Webinars are approximately 45 minutes long.)

Ready to enroll in MSRP today?

If you do not currently have an MSRP account or another retirement account serviced by Empower, follow these steps for first-time enrollment:

Go to mymsrp.com
Click “About Your Plan” and select “Enroll Now.”
Under “How to Enroll,” choose 401(k) or 457(b).
An Online Enrollment flyer will open to provide your Group ID/Plan Number and Plan Enrollment Code.
Follow the steps under “New Enrollment” to complete your enrollment.

Have a Great Weekend!

GO GULLS!

For more information about Friday's With The Flock,

contact Michael Taggart, Director of Employee Experience

Office of Employee Experience

Holloway Hall (HH) 130

humanresources@salisbury.edu

SU is an Equal Opportunity/AA/Title IX university and provides reasonable accommodation given sufficient notice to the University office or staff sponsoring the event or program. For more information regarding SU's policies and procedures, please visit salisbury.edu/equity.

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