Employee Benefits You Might Not Know About

Employee Benefits You Might Not Know About

By Nick PrevenasUniversity Communications
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The UA's bike-share program, managed by Parking and Transportation Services, allows anyone with a CatCard to borrow a bike for up to a day at no cost. (Photo: Kyle Mittan/University Communications)
The UA's bike-share program, managed by Parking and Transportation Services, allows anyone with a CatCard to borrow a bike for up to a day at no cost. (Photo: Kyle Mittan/University Communications)
UITS provides 24/7 technology support for all UA employees' personal devices, including virus removal, basic troubleshooting and software installation.
UITS provides 24/7 technology support for all UA employees' personal devices, including virus removal, basic troubleshooting and software installation.

Working at the University of Arizona has its perks – even beyond the standard benefits package.

Every incoming UA staff and faculty member receives an overview of the University's available benefits during new employee orientation and through information offered by Human Resources. This is how most UA employees evaluate their options when it comes to health insurance, retirement plans, qualified tuition reduction, employee wellness programs and a variety of other benefits.

In addition, there are a number of other services and benefits UA employees can access by using their CatCard or email.arizona.edu address. Film lovers, tech-savvy creatives and cycling enthusiasts have plenty of opportunities available to them if they know where to look.

Technology Services

University Information Technology Services provides 24/7 technology support for UA employees' personal devices. Virus removal, basic troubleshooting and software installation are just a few of the services covered by UITS.

There is no charge for any call or visit. The 24/7 IT Support Center has been accessible to UA students, faculty and staff for more than six years.

Employees can bring their personal electronics to the UITS 24/7 IT Support Center for hands-on assistance – not just for UA-related technology issues – including general functionality and performance optimization.

"It's like our very own 'Geek Squad,'" said Lisa Stage, marketing specialist for UITS Communications and Marketing.

Employees can also call the 24/7 help line at 520-626-TECH or 877-522-7929, or chat online for remote desktop access at support.arizona.edu.

"We do a really good job at relieving that sense of the unknown for people," said Jeff Albano, senior information technology manager for UITS. "People often come to us without knowing why their machines are acting strangely, and we strive to put them at ease as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Employees also benefit from the UA's status as an Adobe Creative Campus with full access to Adobe Creative Cloud – including Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator and a host of other graphic design, film editing, sound recording and web development applications.

Campus units can download a Creative Cloud license for University-owned workstations that are shared by more than one person, including office workstations used by student employees. The Creative Cloud software can be installed on one workstation for use by anyone who uses the workstation.

Adobe Creative Cloud can be purchased by faculty and staff for home use as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud software package for $9.75 per year.

UA staff and faculty also have access to Microsoft Office 365 – including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more – both on their work computers and personal machines. All it takes is a NetID login and a couple of simple setup prompts and employees are granted access to free downloadable desktop and mobile versions for up to five computers, five smartphones and five tablets.

For UA employees looking to keep their personal machines running smoothly, the Sophos antivirus and antimalware program is available for free at the UA's software and license website.

Cat Wheels Bike Share

There are a number of services for UA staff and faculty cyclists, including campus bike stations, lockers, and the UA's bike-to-work program that enables free post-commute use of Campus Recreation's showers and lockers.

Those who don't own bicycles can still hop on two wheels through the UA's Cat Wheels bike sharing program and ride for a day.

Founded in July 2011, Cat Wheels is available for free to all UA students, faculty and staff. During the past two years, the program has seen 665 unique users and more than 6,200 checkouts.

"Cat Wheels makes it easy to add a bike ride to your lunch break," said Florence Dei Ochoa, the marketing and public information officer for Parking and Transportation Services.

Cat Wheels allows its users to move from point to point on campus on single-speed cruiser bikes with dual-pivot hand brakes and rear-mounted cargo baskets. There is no program registration fee, as all 55 bikes are subsidized by Parking and Transportation Services. Users must renew registration each time to maintain privileges.

Users must first complete the online registration form and take all necessary paper work to any garage cashier or complete the registration process at the garage cashier window.

Bikes can be checked out from any of the UA's six garage cashier pay stations between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed weekends and University holidays). Bikes can also be checked out at the Campus Recreation Outdoor Adventures Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from the Bike Valet Station between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Bikes are available on a first-come, first-served basis to all UA students, employees and faculty age 18 or older who have a current and valid CatCard and/or employee ID number. Bicycles must be returned to the same location they were checked out from.

For other benefits and privileges for UA employees, visit the UA Human Resources benefits page.

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