Planning for retirement and choosing the right plan for you and your family can be overwhelming. There is a lot at stake, and it is important that you understand all of your options, as well as the laws and regulations governing the distribution of your benefits once you leave Texas A&M University. Make plans to attend one of our group workshops for pre-retirement counseling. These workshops are not one-on-one sessions, but you will have the opportunity to ask questions. As a participant, you will receive information as to what forms you will need to complete to get you started and to better understand your retirement benefits. Registration is required through: Traintraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=11771) Find upcoming retirement events on the HROE webpage. (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html)

This Deep Dive session provides managers with essential knowledge and best practices for navigating leave policies, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws, and supporting employees effectively while maintaining departmental operations. (Facilitated by Employee Relations) Register HERE (https://tamu.zoom.us/meeting/register/aJTWhaOLRmWHWrqWN5s1Lw). Visit the Managers' Minutes website (https://employees.tamu.edu/talent-management/Managers-Minutes/index.html).

Meet with a Benefit & Retirement Specialist if you have questions about:Retirement Eligibility & Savings - We can help you figure out when you are eligible to retire and understand the resources offered to you through your employment to get you financially prepared for retirement. Beneficiary Designation - Need to update or add beneficiaries? Benefit & Retirement Services can help you set up life insurance beneficiaries in Workday. Additional Benefits - The Texas A&M University System health plan has a vast assortment of benefits available to you. Let us help you understand these benefits and decide which program is most beneficial to you and your family. Qualifying Life Events - Experience a life change? We can help you make the corresponding change to your benefits in Workday. All changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying life event. Upcoming Events - Benefit & Retirement Services strives to provide ample opportunities for education on our programs. Learn about our upcoming events! Other Benefit Related Items - We are here for you! If you have a question or just want to chat about your benefits, stop by! We would love to see you.

Join Kelly Wellman, Sustainability Director, for an update on sustainability at Texas A&M. At a large university, thousands of small daily decisions—from what we print to how we commute—add up to significant environmental and social impacts. Sustainability doesn't require major lifestyle overhauls; it begins right at your desk, in your office, lab, or vehicle. Join this session to learn about the university's sustainability performance and discover practical, easy-to-implement actions that not only reduce your environmental footprint but also improve efficiency, support university goals, and enhance well-being in your workplace.This will be aone-hour presentation before the USC Meeting. The series can be attended in person at the General Services Complex in Room 101A or via Zoom.Kelly Wellman is the Sustainability Director at Texas A&M University (TAMU), where she leads key initiatives, collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to advance a comprehensive sustainability program, oversees the Aggie Green Fund, and guides implementation of the university's Sustainability Master Plan. She holds a BS in Geography with an Environmental Studies emphasis from TAMU (1995), an MBA from the University of Phoenix (2006), and a Master of Jurisprudence in Environmental and Energy Law and Policy from TAMU School of Law (2023).

Planning for retirement and choosing the right plan for you and your family can be overwhelming. There is a lot at stake, and it is important that you understand all of your options, as well as the laws and regulations governing the distribution of your benefits once you leave Texas A&M University. Make plans to attend one of our group workshops for pre-retirement counseling. These workshops are not one-on-one sessions, but you will have the opportunity to ask questions. As a participant, you will receive information as to what forms you will need to complete to get you started and to better understand your retirement benefits. Registration is required through Traintraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=11750) Find upcoming retirement events on the HROE webpage. (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html)

Staff are encouraged to attend the next University Staff Council (USC) meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 9:30 a.m. (immediately following the Common Grounds Series) in person at the General Services Complex in Room 101 or via Zoom. The vision of the USC is to help staff feel supported, included and valued at Texas A&M University, where we live the Aggie Core Values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard or learn more about what the USC is doing for you. You may access full meeting minutes from previous meetings on the USC website.

Meet with a Benefit & Retirement Specialist if you have questions about:Retirement Eligibility & Savings - We can help you figure out when you are eligible to retire and understand the resources offered to you through your employment to get you financially prepared for retirement. Beneficiary Designation - Need to update or add beneficiaries? Benefit & Retirement Services can help you set up life insurance beneficiaries in Workday. Additional Benefits - The Texas A&M University System health plan has a vast assortment of benefits available to you. Let us help you understand these benefits and decide which program is most beneficial to you and your family. Qualifying Life Events - Experience a life change? We can help you make the corresponding change to your benefits in Workday. All changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying life event. Upcoming Events - Benefit & Retirement Services strives to provide ample opportunities for education on our programs. Learn about our upcoming events! Other Benefit Related Items - We are here for you! If you have a question or just want to chat about your benefits, stop by! We would love to see you.

Whether you are aware of them or not, emotions are intertwined in everything you think, do, and say each day on the job, in your career and throughout your life. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is how you handle yourself and others on the job. Organizations that embrace EQ development within their workforce experience:Better team collaboration and improved productivity Keen resilience and effective leadership More engagement and increased work satisfaction Improved organizational culture TalentSmart's Mastering EQ® Level 1 will take participants far beyond knowing what EQ is and how they score on their first EQ assessment.Learning ObjectivesDiscover what EQ is, why it matters in all aspects of life, and how to develop it to be more effective. Increase awareness of emotions and the fundamental role they play at work and in life. Explore the four EQ skills in action: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. Discuss real world examples and experience, what works and what doesn't work, and what to do moving forward. Understand their current level of EQ (strengths and weaknesses) and where to focus their development. Complete an EQ Development Plan to include one EQ goal and specific EQ practice strategies that will help achieve that. Register via TrainTraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=12166) by November 17th.

University holidays are established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The Qatar campus, School of Dentistry and School of Law, along with other campuses, agencies and universities within the Texas A&M System, have different holiday schedules listed on the Texas A&M System Holidays webpage (https://www.tamus.edu/hr/holiday/). For student-specific holidays and academic breaks, please refer to the Texas A&M Academic Calendar (https://registrar.tamu.edu/academic-calendar).

University holidays are established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The Qatar campus, School of Dentistry and School of Law, along with other campuses, agencies and universities within the Texas A&M System, have different holiday schedules listed on the Texas A&M System Holidays webpage (https://www.tamus.edu/hr/holiday/). For student-specific holidays and academic breaks, please refer to the Texas A&M Academic Calendar (https://registrar.tamu.edu/academic-calendar).

If you've ever questioned your leadership abilities, you're not alone. This session explores strategies for building confidence, quieting self-doubt, and owning your role as a manager. Additional topics include:SAP updates from Classification & Compensation Register HERE (https://tamu.zoom.us/meeting/register/aJTWhaOLRmWHWrqWN5s1Lw). Visit the Managers' Minutes website (https://employees.tamu.edu/talent-management/Managers-Minutes/index.html).

Participants will learn to understand the nature of difficult conversations and the seven stages involved in managing them. The course emphasizes the importance of empathy, preparation, and best practices for initiating and delivering conversations. Through interactive activities and real-life scenarios, learners will practice and refine their skills in a safe and supportive environment. This course is designed to:Understand the nature of difficult conversations and what it takes to handle them. Identify the seven stages of handling difficult conversations. Use empathy to minimize negative responses and strengthen relationships. Apply best practices for preparing, initiating, and delivering the conversation. Discover how to generate solutions and bring the conversation to a close. Register via TrainTraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=12256) by December 5th.If the registration deadline has passed or the date for this section doesn't work for you, please visit the Course Details (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/CourseDetails.aspx?cnum=2114894) page and click on the Upcoming Sections tab to explore other available options.

Ready to Retire This session offers a general review of Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits for employees approaching retirement. Topics include eligibility requirements, tiers, benefit calculations, retirement plan options, death benefits, and rules regarding employment after retirement.Registration (https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=44HzaNpGuUe6V28yK48NoZLwlS7KAvRMnfXuU0gtI6hURFVXVzhGM1pDS1hDNFFMMUc3TkJVR01STC4u) is required. Visit Upcoming Retirement and Financial Planning Events (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html) to see a full list of events and resources.

Meet with a Benefit & Retirement Specialist if you have questions about:Retirement Eligibility & Savings - We can help you figure out when you are eligible to retire and understand the resources offered to you through your employment to get you financially prepared for retirement. Beneficiary Designation - Need to update or add beneficiaries? Benefit & Retirement Services can help you set up life insurance beneficiaries in Workday. Additional Benefits - The Texas A&M University System health plan has a vast assortment of benefits available to you. Let us help you understand these benefits and decide which program is most beneficial to you and your family. Qualifying Life Events - Experience a life change? We can help you make the corresponding change to your benefits in Workday. All changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying life event. Upcoming Events - Benefit & Retirement Services strives to provide ample opportunities for education on our programs. Learn about our upcoming events! Other Benefit Related Items - We are here for you! If you have a question or just want to chat about your benefits, stop by! We would love to see you.

This course provides participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to create and implement a personalized Learning & Development (L&D) Plan. Participants will learn how to assess organizational needs, evaluate their current competencies, identify future roles and aspirations, and develop a structured plan to achieve their professional goals. In addition, the course provides step-by-step guidance on how to enter L&D Plans into Workday, ensuring easy access and visibility for both employees and their managers. Designed for both employees and managers, this course supports individuals in building their own L&D Plans while also equipping managers with strategies to effectively guide and support their team members through the development process.Register in TrainTraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=12254) by December 8th.

Staff are encouraged to attend the next University Staff Council (USC) meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 2:30 p.m. in person at the General Services Complex in Room 101 or via Zoom. The vision of the USC is to help staff feel supported, included and valued at Texas A&M University, where we live the Aggie Core Values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard or learn more about what the USC is doing for you. The USC Common Grounds speaker series will return in January. You may access full meeting minutes from previous meetings on the USC website.

Meet with a Benefit & Retirement Specialist if you have questions about:Retirement Eligibility & Savings - We can help you figure out when you are eligible to retire and understand the resources offered to you through your employment to get you financially prepared for retirement. Beneficiary Designation - Need to update or add beneficiaries? Benefit & Retirement Services can help you set up life insurance beneficiaries in Workday. Additional Benefits - The Texas A&M University System health plan has a vast assortment of benefits available to you. Let us help you understand these benefits and decide which program is most beneficial to you and your family. Qualifying Life Events - Experience a life change? We can help you make the corresponding change to your benefits in Workday. All changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying life event. Upcoming Events - Benefit & Retirement Services strives to provide ample opportunities for education on our programs. Learn about our upcoming events! Other Benefit Related Items - We are here for you! If you have a question or just want to chat about your benefits, stop by! We would love to see you.

University holidays are established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The Qatar campus, School of Dentistry and School of Law, along with other campuses, agencies and universities within the Texas A&M System, have different holiday schedules listed on the Texas A&M System Holidays webpage. For student-specific holidays and academic breaks, please refer to the Texas A&M Academic Calendar (https://registrar.tamu.edu/academic-calendar).

University holidays are established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The Qatar campus, School of Dentistry and School of Law, along with other campuses, agencies and universities within the Texas A&M System, have different holiday schedules listed on the Texas A&M System Holidays webpage. For student-specific holidays and academic breaks, please refer to the Texas A&M Academic Calendar (https://registrar.tamu.edu/academic-calendar).

University holidays are established by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The Qatar campus, School of Dentistry and School of Law, along with other campuses, agencies and universities within the Texas A&M System, have different holiday schedules listed on the Texas A&M System Holidays webpage. For student-specific holidays and academic breaks, please refer to the Texas A&M Academic Calendar (https://registrar.tamu.edu/academic-calendar).