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News and Events
Announcements
Welcome Fran Shields Dedeian as Assistant Vice President of Benefits and Total Rewards
We are pleased to welcome Frances “Fran” Shields Dedeian as Assistant Vice President of Benefits and Total Rewards, effective August 3, 2026. In this role, Fran will report directly to Nila Bhaumik, VP Human Resources/CHRO, and will have direct oversight and responsibility over the areas of Compensation and HR Operations, Health and Retirement Benefits Administration, and Compliance. Fran brings extensive experience as a senior Human Resources and Total Rewards executive, with a proven track record of designing and leading comprehensive benefits, retirement, and employee well-being programs. Throughout her career, Fran has partnered closely with senior leadership teams to develop compensation strategies, align people initiatives with organizational goals, and strengthen the overall employee experience. Building on her deep expertise in benefits administration, Fran has also led efforts in compensation strategy, market benchmarking, workforce planning, and career architecture.
Fran holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. Thomas Aquinas College. She is a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS). In addition, she has completed executive and business leadership programs through Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, INSEAD, and the UC Berkeley - Haas School of Business.
Fran will be primarily based in the HR office at Goldstein Academics, Pleasantville campus and can be reached at fshieldsdedeian@pace.edu. Please join us in welcoming Fran to the team. We look forward to the expertise, leadership, and strategic perspective she will bring to our organization.
Summer Flex Days
The usage period for the five summer flex days will begin June 1, 2026 and extend through August 31, 2026 for all full-time staff (except Haub Law) and May 16, 2026 through August 15, 2026 for Haub Law school full-time staff.
As always, all requests for vacation and summer flex days are subject to supervisor approval and must be requested through the UKG-Ready system (UKG). Staff will be able to request summer flex time in UKG although the balance will currently show as “projected” and will load on May 16.
Additionally, please note that there is no payout for unused summer flex days, nor will any balance be paid out if an employee leaves before using their summer flex days.
Vacation Carryover
As a reminder we are continuing our practice of allowing a limited vacation carryover this year. Full-time staff who have accrued, unused vacation days as of June 30 (the end of the fiscal year) may carry over as many as five unused, accrued vacation days through October 31 of this calendar year. If you do not use the carryover vacation days by October 31 or leave the University prior to October 31, 2026, unused vacation carryover days will not be paid out.
For questions regarding summer flex days or vacation carryover, please email alert-hr@pace.edu.