Osprey Update for Students

Congratulations to the summer graduating Class of 2021! Today, we proudly celebrate our graduates with a Graduation Walk on campus. To see a full listing of graduates, special videos, recognitions and more, visit our celebration website. Congratulations, Class of 2021! SWOOP!

ITS will introduce several improvements to the myWings portal on Monday, Aug. 9. The new view includes a sidebar for high level menu items, a full-screen view ideal for desktop computers and improved single sign-on for easier use on the mobile app. Learn more about the upcoming changes by visiting the myWings updates webpage.  

Free, walk-in COVID-19 testing is available to all UNF students, faculty and staff now through Friday, Aug. 13 at Osprey Landing, Building W, in the courtyard outside Room 106, as follows:

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 1 to 3:30 p.m.

More information can be found via the website. 

The Osprey Update for both faculty/staff and students will have a new design and content submission platform. Important dates to note:

• Osprey Update will stop accepting submissions on Thursday, Aug. 5. The final Osprey Update under the current system will be sent on Friday, Aug. 6. 
• There will be no Osprey Updates sent the week of Monday, Aug. 9 to Friday, Aug. 13 to transition the system. 
• The new submission portal will open and being accepting submissions on Monday, Aug. 9. The first new redesigned Osprey Update will go out on Monday, Aug. 16. 

With the new system, we will no longer have access to the archive of Osprey Update submissions. If your department makes regular or annual announcements in OU and you want a copy of the text saved in the old OU archive, please email ospreyupdate@unf.edu with the title of the submission(s) you need. Content from archives will only be pulled if requested. The deadline to request old content is Thursday, Aug. 5.

Open enrollment for UNF's student health insurance program, a voluntary health insurance plan with low out-of-pocket costs provided by UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, is underway with two enrollment options: 

• Fall 2021 coverage for Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 through Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022 
• Annual coverage for Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 through Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022

A Healthcare Navigator is available to help you find an affordable plan that meets your needs; visit http://www.coveringflorida.org/ and scroll down to the “Get Covered Connector” to schedule an appointment. Students can enroll in a plan and pay online via the website. 

• President Szymanski encourages the Osprey community to vaccinate and UNF offering on campus vaccinations through Friday. Learn more on News4Jax and WJCT.
• Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, shark biology program director, discussed new shark attack deterrent devices with Action News Jax.
• UNF and Optimum Healthcare’s partnership to train healthcare IT workers is featured in Healthcare IT Today.
• Dr. Tracy Alloway, psychology professor, discussed the impact of social anxiety on “River City Live.”

Keep up with all the latest Osprey happenings in the UNF Newsroom and UNF in the News.

Kellea Roberson has been named the recipient of the Senior Service Award for the summer 2021 graduating class by the UNF Alumni Association for her outstanding service to the University and community through volunteerism. Roberson is graduating today from UNF’s College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minors in African American & African Diaspora studies and urban & metropolitan studies. While maintaining a 3.6 GPA, Roberson exemplified UNF’s spirit of civic commitment and servant-leadership through her continued aspirations to give back to the community. Read more. 

UNF welcomes Brian Verkamp as the University’s new vice president and chief information officer who will serve as a key member on President David Szymanski’s leadership team and will assume the position on Aug. 23. Verkamp will be responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the University’s information technology services and providing executive leadership and strategic vision for the institution’s technology infrastructure, assets, security and compliance programs and information services. Read more. 

Parking spaces will be reserved for a Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, Aug. 5, as follows: 

• Arena Parking Garage, Building 38, adjacent to the Arena, Building 34: Sixteen Blue Lot spaces will be reserved on the second floor beginning 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Other available parking is located in Lot 5, next to the Student Wellness Complex, Building 61, and Lot 18, next to Hodges Stadium, Building 46. Park accordingly to the permit linked to your license plate. 
• Lot 4, adjacent to Student Union, Building 58: Four spaces will be blocked off beginning 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is recruiting UNF students that are from, or currently reside in, Flagler, Volusia or Brevard counties to help launch the first MedNexus Innovation Challenge. The paid internship is for the fall semester and available roles include event coordinator, marketing, outreach, communications, and project manager. Applications are open until Sunday, Aug. 8. Learn more at UNF CEI Handshake or by emailing Kara Barber at kara.barber@unf.edu.

Arts4All Florida and UNF have partnered to present "Exceptional Creativity," a juried exhibition featuring multimedia artists of all abilities across Florida. The exhibition will be on view until Thursday, Aug. 26. A closing reception from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and award announcements between 5 and 6 p.m. will take place on August 26. The mission of Arts4All Florida is to provide, support and champion arts education and cultural experiences for and by people with disabilities. Their vision is to create a world in which the arts are universally accessible. 

In connection with Art, Art History, and Design summer course- Art and Feminism- the UNF Gallery of Art presents Kaleidoscope Projections: Women Artists from the UNF Collection. Artwork includes painting, photography and printmaking within abstraction and figurative works; notable artists include Frida Kahlo and Louise Nevelson. The exhibit is on view through Friday, Aug. 13 at the UNF Gallery of Art in Founders Hall,  Building 2, Room 1001. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday by appointment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our normal routines, blurred the lines between work and home, and required us to adapt to new cycles. The Routine Maintenance Exhibition portfolio offers a document of this upheaval. Each artist was assigned an hour of the day and produced a print in response to that time. These 24 images represent one day, fractured and reconfigured, reflecting the diversity of experience in how we now conduct our days. The exhibition is on display at the UNF Art Gallery's second room in Founders Hall, Building 2, Room 1001. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Watch the 2021 Florida Data Science for Social Good (FL-DSSG) Big Reveal event to hear student interns present their data-driven findings and insights to improve important social issues to Florida nonprofits including the Barnabas Center, League of Women Voters of Florida and Jewish Family and Community Services. The event will be hosted via Zoom webinar. For more information, visit the website. 

ITS will give a sneak peak at the enhanced functionality of the new myWings portal. The new portal launches on Monday, Aug. 9, and features a sidebar for high level menu items, a full-screen view ideal for desktop computers plus improved SSO integration to make authentication easier on the mobile app. Learn more and register. 

Applications are open for the LGBTQIA+ mentoring program Club Can Do. If you're an LGBTQIA+ student looking for educational and professional development opportunities during the upcoming school year, apply to be a mentee here. If you're an LGBTQIA+ faculty or staff member looking for opportunities to pass on your knowledge and experiences as an out LGBTQIA+ professional, apply to be a mentor here.

UNF launched the #UNFBetterStronger “I Got Vaccinated” social media campaign to encourage UNF faculty, staff and students to get vaccinated and return to a better and stronger campus. If you would like to participate in the campaign and share your reason for getting vaccinated, contact Jessica Wingate, assistant director of social media, by emailing social@unf.edu.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, Dr. Doreen Perez has led UNF’s COVID-19 healthcare efforts on the University’s COVID Response Team. While Dr. Perez has recently stepped out of this role, her leadership and experience has had an enormous positive impact on the health and safety of our campus throughout the pandemic. The entire Osprey community is truly grateful for all that Dr. Perez has done on our behalf. Going forward, the campus community is asked to direct all COVID-19 healthcare communications to UNF Student Health Services at (904) 620-2900 or studenthealth@unf.edu.

Federal Student Aid's Financial Literacy Guidance is designed to help students develop the skills necessary to make informed financial decisions, in particular with regard to the student loan process, by providing information on key concepts of managing personal finances as well as establishing and formulating a plan to reach financial goals. Watch the Responsible Borrowing video to learn about obligations as a borrower and how budgeting can help manage finances. The Budgeting video will help build decision-making skills to reach financial/academic goals.

Market Days are returning this fall with opportunities for businesses to interface with the UNF community, clubs to fundraise and departments to spread the word on events and programs. If you are interested in participating, apply online.

Students who are looking for a new opportunity and additional way to be more involved on campus are encouraged to join the Student Conduct Board. Students must be enrolled at UNF for at least two semesters, have a 2.5 GPA or higher and be in good academic and conduct standing with the University. Apply online.