Celebrating U-M inventions
Open Enrollment for 2023 benefits continues this week
Faculty, staff, retirees and benefits-eligible graduate students are reminded that they can change their benefits during Open Enrollment, which is now underway and continues through 5 p.m. Oct. 28. Changes can be made to health, dental, vision and legal plan enrollments. Faculty and staff also may add eligible dependents and enroll in a flexible spending account. No action is required during Open Enrollment for faculty, staff and retirees to keep their current benefits, except for flexible spending accounts. Employees who are eligible and wish to participate in an FSA for 2023 will need to enroll. For more information, go to hr.umich.edu/open-enrollment, and to make changes go to wolverineaccess.umich.edu and click on Employee Self Service and then Benefits. For answers to benefits questions, call the Shared Services Center at 5-2000 on campus, 734-615-2000 or 866-647-7657 (toll free) off campus, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. SSC is unavailable daily from 1-2 p.m.
Conference sessions encourage discussion of disability culture
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is hosting a virtual series of events to explore ways to create a university climate that works toward embracing disability culture. The conference, titled Toward an Anti-Ableist Academy, encourages open dialogue and discussion among faculty, staff, students and disability experts. Speakers will include members of the Council of Disability Concerns, current undergraduate and graduate students and disability rights activists. The two remaining virtual events open to the campus community are: Imagining a Disability Cultural Center at U-M, Oct. 27; and Faculty and SAAS: Accommodate, Testing Centers, and Accommodation Letters, Oh My!, Nov. 3. For registration information and links to the conference sessions.
‘For Whom the Bell Polls’ uses music to promote the vote
In preparation for Election Day on Nov. 8, all U-M community members are invited to vote on the music that will be played from campus’ two carillon towers. The most-upvoted music through the “For Whom the Bell Polls” project will be played Nov. 8 in two 30-minute recitals: Burton Memorial Tower on Central Campus at noon, and Lurie Tower on North Campus at 1:30 p.m. Vote using this online form. This effort is being organized by Carson Landry, a carillon graduate student in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, in partnership with the campuswide get-out-the-vote initiative, Turn Up Turn Out, to increase student voter engagement. Along with submitting song requests, campus community members are encouraged to make an Election Day voting plan.
Join the Blood Battle against Ohio State and help save lives
This year’s Blood Battle against The Ohio State University runs from Oct. 27-Nov. 23, and whether one has never donated blood before or donates every year, people are encouraged to consider the fight to save lives across the state and country. The annual Blood Battle is a contest to see which rival university can generate more blood donations. Make an appointment to donate at bloodbattle.org and click “Donate” on the homepage, or visit redcrossblood.org and insert the sponsor code “goblue.” The American Red Cross asks donors to use Rapid Pass — redcrossblood.org/RapidPass — which allows donors to complete their donation quicker by completing some steps before arriving at the blood drive. All presenting donors will receive a Blood Battle T-shirt and coupon for Washtenaw Dairy while supplies last. Donors will also be entered into a raffle for gift cards to local businesses and other prizes.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
