UAB continues to implement its Campus Master Plan through new facilities and renovations to enhance instruction, research, technology and student life. Some are under construction and others are in planning stages; these include an update to the Unity Park green space, seven new buildings and a new parking deck.

Share your thoughts on work and life at UAB and identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in an anonymous, online survey Feb.6-20.

Micromobility vehicles like rentable electric scooters and bikes make getting across campus quickly a breeze. But parking them improperly can prevent Blazers from accessing sidewalks, ramps, accessible doorways and more, according to Disability Support Services.

From innovative teaching approaches to research accomplishments, opportunities for artistic expression and more, there’s no shortage of stories to tell about what’s happening at UAB. Review some of the year’s best below, and visit uab.edu/reporter and uab.edu/news to read hundreds more.
 

The university achieved innumerable accomplishments this year, including two program 50th anniversaries, a milestone gift to the College of Arts and Sciences, and the announcement of a new conference for UAB Athletics.

Programs across the university, from athletics to academics to patient care and more, were recognized on the national and international level in 2022, highlighting UAB’s continued commitment to excellence and achievement as outlined in Forging the Future, UAB’s strategic plan.

Day after day during the World Games, contributions from Blazers made it possible to make athletes’ dreams come true and entertain fans while giving them a peek at the wealth of talent and creativity nurtured on UAB’s campus.

Each year, UAB’s official photographers capture thousands of images as they document the incredible variety of events and personalities that make up our community. Here are some of our favorite photos from the past 12 months.

Follow these tips to reduce the risk of stolen personal items, and alert UAB Police or UAB’s Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management team if someone in a public area is behaving suspiciously.

Training and other resources can help protect against campus violence and prepare students and employees for an active-shooter event.

UAB’s annual open enrollment for benefits will be held Oct. 21-Nov. 7. Eligible employees can choose among dental, vision and health insurance plans plus voluntary plan options and tax-deferred spending accounts for health and dependent care for 2023.

UAB’s campus is home to more than 35 statues or sculptures, and each trail takes about 30 minutes or fewer to walk. The trails can be viewed on a specialized Google Map, created by the UAB Reporter to provide additional details about the art and artists.

UAB employees also will have the option to select insurance to cover accidents and identity theft and/or participate in a pet-care discount program during the annual open enrollment for benefits Oct. 21-Nov. 7.

Nationwide, the cost of everything is rising, and UAB is working to balance the impact of these costs on its employees and the organization. Here are some things you can do to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

Employees can get $12 tickets to UAB Football vs. Charlotte Oct. 15 and score 20% off in-store purchases with a ONE Card during Fam Jam at the UAB Bookstore Oct. 14.

After several years in which premiums were essentially flat, there will be uniform increases this year across medical plans and tiers.

Beginning Oct. 5, the righ-thand turn lane from eastbound University Boulevard onto 18th Street South will be closed until further notice as renovations begin in Unity Park. The southern travel lane may also experience occasional, temporary closures during construction work periods; right-hand turns onto 18th will remain possible.

UAB offers vision benefits, and eligible employees of UAB, UAB Hospital and UAB Hospital Management LLC will have the option to choose or decline that coverage during the open enrollment for benefits Oct. 21-Nov. 7.

UAB will offer dental insurance during the annual open enrollment for benefits, and eligible employees must choose or decline that coverage between 7 a.m. Oct. 21 and 5 p.m. Nov. 7.

A benefit option that enables employees to pay lower monthly health care premiums in exchange for higher out-of-pocket expenses for covered services continues to grow in favor among eligible employees.

The 2022 UAB Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available on the UAB Police Department website, uab.edu/police, or in a downloadable PDF. For a print copy of the report, call 205-934-4649. The report contains resources, procedures, criminal statistics, a fire safety report and more.

Want to explore a corner of campus that’s entirely off the electrical grid? Join UAB Sustainability for free tours of the UAB Sustainable Community 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 1. Located at the corner of 11th Avenue South and 17th Street, the community features the UAB Solar House, which is powered by an adjacent microgrid, plus a monarch butterfly waystation.

This week, UAB begins rolling out information about open enrollment to provide benefit-eligible employees time to review upcoming changes and make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

Two Fridays, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, will be designated as paid holidays to enable UAB and UAB Medicine employees additional time to spend with their families and friends.

A pandemic-era exception to UAB vacation accrual policy, originally set to expire Dec. 31, now is extended through 2023.

UAB is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all Blazers. From mobile apps to bus escort services to B-Alerts and more, make sure you’re up to date on all the ways to stay safer on campus.

The Employee Assistance and Counseling Center is home to 13 clinical team members and a case manager, a variety of counseling options, and programming such as support groups, workshops and seminars, yoga classes, suicide prevention training courses and more.

The UAB Cares Suicide Prevention Initiative aims to support and assist the entire UAB community — no matter who they are — in finding the help they need and ensuring they know they are important and matter.

UAB will offer remote-work options and flexible scheduling to select Workgroup A employees following a successful pilot program.

Faculty, staff or students who perceive a threat to the campus community can file an anonymous report with UAB’s Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management team.

Experts continue to support mask-optional policy as cases in the UAB community remain steady despite Jefferson County’s ORANGE (high community level) CDC classification.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID Data Tracker, Jefferson County is now in the yellow category (medium community level). UAB public health and infectious disease experts continue to support the university’s mask-optional policy in non-clinical buildings due to several factors, including low hospitalization numbers, the UAB community's high vaccination rate compared to the community at large, and the wide availability and effectiveness of COVID vaccines and treatments.

Individuals interested in enhanced safety should consider extra personal precautions.