July 2025 Flashpoints

Please consider nominating one or more deserving employees for the 2025 SAFE award.  The award was created to recognize staff who have performed significant service to the University of Nebraska at Kearney and each award includes a $1,000 stipend.  The deadline for nominations will be July 31st.  SAFE award winners will be announced during the Fall Convocation.

Additional information about the award can be found on the SAFE Award form. 

The University of Nebraska will recognize Independence Day on Friday, July 4, 2025 and will be closed for business.

Please consider donating to the crisis leave program.  This program allows any employee who earns vacation leave to donate up to five accumulated vacation days per calendar year.  The donated leave goes to a pool of crisis leave hours that are used to help an employee who is experiencing a crisis and does not have sufficient leave to cover their absence period.  Donation forms can be accessed through SAPPHIRE or the following link: https://sapphire.bravais.com/adminportal/document/38097

Please submit completed forms to the Human Resources Office.

The Finance Office will be sending all departments a request to prepare an Aged Accounts Receivable Listing as of June 30, 2025. Please return your department's list to the Finance Office by July 8, 2025. If your department does not have any outstanding accounts receivable, simply write NONE on the request, obtain appropriate signatures, and return it to the Finance Office. Please contact Jill Purdy at purdyj@unk.edu or Karen Labenz at labenzk@unk.edu with any questions.

Effective July 1, 2025, the University system is increasing the equipment capitalization threshold from $5,000 to $10,000.  Any new equipment received after June 30, 2025 will be recorded and tracked as an asset/capital equipment if it costs $10,000 or more.  Capital equipment GL accounts (553XXX) should be used for any equipment costing $10,000 or more, and supplies GL accounts (53XXXX) should be used for equipment costing less than $10,000.

A special circumstance exists if a Federal grant or Federal pass-through grant is used to purchase equipment between $5,000 and $10,000.  Please reach out to Ross Pierce when this occurs for additional guidance.

All existing assets/capital equipment between $5,000 and $10,000 will remain capitalized and continue to be tracked until disposal.

The Finance Office requests departments review any current outstanding purchase orders that may be affected by this change and update the GL coding on the PO accordingly.

Please contact Ross Pierce at 308-865-8007 or piercerl@unk.edu with any questions.  Thanks for your assistance.

Parking permits may be purchased online through MyBlue (either by payroll deduction, credit or debit card), by campus mail (with check), or in person (with check or cash). Permits will be mailed to the purchaser by campus mail, if ordered by August 15th. Permits ordered after the close of business on August 15th, will need to be picked up at the UNK Police office. Permits will not be sent via regular mail.

1. “MyBlue” purchases: Log into “MyBlue” (you can find the link at www.unk.edu home page), enter your NUID and password, on the next screen on the left click on “Tools”, then click “Police and Parking”, then “Order A Permit”, payment can now be made using payroll deduction or by card. (If you have not used “MyBlue” before, you can still access it by using your NUID and your Firefly password, the first time this process may take a while to load).
2. Payroll Deduction information: Only completed online. We will no longer accept paper forms.
3. Bi-weekly deduction will start on September 1, 2025.
4. Monthly deductions will start on September 30, 2025.
5. For in person or campus mail purchases you will need to fill out the vehicle registration:
6. View the vehicle registration form
7. Completed form and check can be mailed or brought to UNK Police - Parking Division, Facilities Building, 2501 19th Avenue, Kearney, NE 68849. (Please do not send cash through campus or regular mail.)
8. VEHICLE INFORMATION WILL BE REQUIRED: License Plate, Make Model Style (2dr, 4dr, SUV, etc), and color.
9. License plate types: PA – Passenger Auto, TC – Commercial Truck, FT – Farm truck, NP – Non-resident Passenger (Out-of-state)

If you have any problems, please feel free to contact us at parking@unk.edu or 308-865-8367.

2025-2026 Employee Permit cost:

Administrative: $243.00

Faculty/Professional: $155.00

Staff: $124.00

U.V. Safety Awareness Month is held during summer when most of us spend more time outside making the most of the warmer weather. The longer your exposure, however, the greater your risk of sun damage if you’re unprotected. While sunshine is essential for your body to process vitamin D, ultraviolet (UV) radiation can quickly damage your skin, no matter your skin tone.

The sun is at its peak between 10 am to four pm. Head indoors or under shade during these hours. If you stay outside longer for work or play, sunscreen with a high S.P.F. of at least 30, a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and breathable clothing that covers you up can offer the most protection. U.V. rays can pass through clouds. They also reflect off surfaces like sand, snow, cement, and water. That’s why sun protection is important in any season, all year round.

To protect your skin and reduce your risk of skin cancer, below are five common sunscreen mistakes — and how to avoid them:

1. Ignoring the label. There are a variety of sunscreens on the market. To effectively protect yourself from the sun, the AAD recommends looking for sunscreens that are broad-spectrum, water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or higher.
2. Using too little. Most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount of sunscreen. However, to fully cover their body, most adults need about one ounce of sunscreen – or enough to fill a shot glass. Apply enough sunscreen to cover all skin that isn’t covered by clothing. Apply the sunscreen 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours while outdoors or after swimming or sweating.
3. Applying only in sunny weather. Alarmingly, the AAD found that only about 20% of Americans use sunscreen on cloudy days. However, the sun emits harmful UV rays all year long. Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate your skin. To protect your skin and reduce your risk of skin cancer, apply sunscreen every time you are outside, even on cloudy days.
4. Using an old bottle. The FDA requires that all sunscreens retain their original strength for at least three years. Throw out your sunscreen if it’s expired or you’re unsure how long you’ve had it. In the future, if you buy sunscreen that lacks an expiration date, write the purchase date directly on the bottle so that you know when to toss it out.
5. Relying solely on sunscreen. Since no sunscreen can block 100% of the sun’s UV rays, it’s also important to seek shade and wear sun-protective clothing, including a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection, when possible. For more effective sun protection, select clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) label.

Sunscreen is the most important skin care product you can use, as it helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature skin aging, including wrinkles and age spots. However, to ensure the best protection for you and your family, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s directions before using sunscreen

Employees and Departments/Groups of Employees can be nominated for different awards. The awards are presented monthly during the Staff Senate meetings.

Please consider nominating a staff member or group who has demonstrated excellence. It’s time to show our colleagues how much we appreciate what they do and why we’re so very proud to be Lopers!!

Staff Recognition Awards