This lunchtime seminar, offered by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program in partnership with the UM AHEC Quit Smoking Now program, addresses the challenges involved with smoking cessation and informs participants about vaping—the harmful effects of e-cigarettes. Attendees receive valuable resources, tools, and tips for coping with the quitting process. Certified tobacco treatment specialist Mohammad Asad, of the UM AHEC Quite Smoking Now program, will facilitate the seminar. The program’s design is based on others developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, the American Lung Association, and the State of Florida in conjunction with former smokers. Quit Smoking Now is available to UM students, employees, and the community at large at no charge.

Miller School of Medicine campus: Tuesday, August 12, from 12 to 1 p.m. at Dominion Tower, Room 301- C.

Coral Gables campus: Wednesday, August 13, from 12 to 1 p.m. at the McKnight Building, Training Room.

RSMAS campus: Thursday, August 14, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Library Media Room.

To register, go to ULearn. For help with ULearn registration, or to receive email announcements of upcoming seminars, please call the FSAP at 305-284-6604.

Special to UM News

Members of the ERG Steering Committee are, from left, Fabian Collazos, Charlton Copelan, Tariq Syed, Luevenia Sterling, Mindy Herris, Sophia Galvin, Amie Choy, Mitra Zehtab, Nanette Vega, Loren Blandon, Adrian Freeman, Susie Picar, and M. Brian Blake.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (July 25, 2014)—The University of Miami will join the ranks of top employers such as Google, Starbucks, and Disney with the launch of employee resource groups (ERGs) this fall. In a nutshell, ERGs are peer networks whose members have common interests. They are voluntary, member-led groups that meet in trusting, open environments.

The ERG initiative, executed by a steering committee chaired by Luevenia Sterling, director of professional development at the School of Law, is set to launch in October and will include groups for people with disabilities, LGBTQ, Asians, veterans, and millenials.

“It is such an exciting time to be at the University of Miami,” said Sophia Galvin, director of inclusion programs and steering committee facilitator. “Our aspirations of becoming a great place to work and an employer of choice become more of a reality when employees are able to authentically connect with the UM brand. Participants will have the opportunity to do just that, to build stronger bonds with the University through their interactions within these groups.”

To learn more about the launch of UM’s ERGs and how you can get involved, register for a 30-minute ULearn webinar at ulearn.miami.edu (keyword ERG). Webinars will be hosted at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, and Tuesday, August 12. For additional information click here or contact Sophia Galvin, director of inclusion programs.

This Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) seminar is offered monthly to explore the basic tenets of mindfulness, review the significance of mindful living, and guide participants through a mindfulness practice. Being mindful increases engagement with the present moment and allows for a clearer understanding of how thoughts and emotions impact our health and the quality of our lives. This month’s seminar will focus on the cultivation of presence and how it allows for a widening of our circle of compassion. Attend to awaken your innate capacity for mindful living and nurture a practice to positively inspire every facet of your life. The seminar will be facilitated by a UM FSAP consultant. FSAP Health and Wellness seminars are offered as part of the University of Miami’s Well ’Canes Program.

Coral Gables campus:  Tuesday, August 5, 12-1 p.m., McKnight Building, 2nd Floor Training Room

Miller Medical School campus:  Wednesday, August 6, 12-1 p.m., Dominion Parking Garage, room 155

RSMAS campus:  Thursday, August 7, 12-1 p.m., Library Media Room

All University of Miami faculty, staff, and retirees are welcome. To register, go to www.miami.edu/ulearn. For help with ULearn registration, call the FSAP at  305-284-6604.

A new 12-week Weight Watchers at Work session will begin on Thursday, August 21. Meetings will be held every Thursday at 12 p.m. at the Gables One Tower, sixth-floor training room.

As part of Well ’Canes, this taxable employee benefit provides first-time attendees with 100 percent reimbursement for complete attendance and continuing participants with 50 percent reimbursement for complete attendance. The cost is $156 for new members and $146 for continuing and lifetime members.

The cornerstone of the Weight Watchers program is nutrition, coupled with exercise advice and a very effective behavior modification program, which leads to new eating management skills, safe weight loss, and the ultimate goal of maintenance. For more information, click here or email sheri.lee@miami.edu.

Did you know membership to the Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center can extend to your family? Although membership is reserved for UM students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and members of the Board of Trustees and Citizens Board, the Wellness Center extends its range of  wellness programs and services to the broader UM community. Under the center’s family rate, a member’s spouse or domestic partner and all children under 27 also may join for a single, flat monthly fee—no matter how many eligible family members join. To learn more or sign up for a membership, email the Herbert Wellness Center’s sales office at wellnesscenter@miami.edu or call 305-284-5433.