News for Employees
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University Staff Congress Invites Nominations
University Staff are encouraged to participate in shared governance by representing their district in the University Staff Congress. The Congress meets once a month for discussions of campus policy with university administrators. Nominations to serve in the Congress are open March 1 through April 9, 2018. Interested University Staff can nominate themselves to serve a one-year term. Members serve without loss of pay. Elections will be held by mail. Learn more online at ous.wisc.edu or visit the Office of the Secretary, 271 Bascom Hall.
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Showcase 2018 Highlights Project Successes
UW–Madison faculty, staff, and students, as well as members of the public, are invited to learn about improvement efforts across campus at Showcase 2018, Wednesday, March 21, 8 a.m.–12:15 p.m. at Union South. This free, annual event highlights innovations and project successes on campus over the past year. The event features poster exhibits, breakout sessions, poster flash talks, and a keynote presentation by Mark Guthier, director of the Wisconsin Union. Continental breakfast will be available. Although attendance at Showcase is free, advance registration is appreciated.
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Upcoming Sessions Introduce Tableau
UW–Madison faculty and staff who need access to institutional data, reporting, and analytical content will be using Tableau, the software platform that is replacing the Query Library. Demo sessions will be held on March 20, 21, and 22 at various campus locations to introduce campus users to the university’s institutional Tableau workbooks.
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Check Your Beneficiary Designations
A beneficiary is someone you designate to receive benefits that are payable upon your death. Naming beneficiaries ensures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. You may change your beneficiary designations at any time. It is important to review your beneficiary designations regularly, especially when you have experienced a life event such as birth or adoption of a child, marriage, or divorce. To change a beneficiary designation, complete a beneficiary form for each plan in which you are enrolled. Forms can be found on the UW System employee benefits website. Keep a copy of each beneficiary form for your records.
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Collaboration Tools Add Efficiency
Employees can use their NetIDs to access the UW–Madison enterprise accounts for several free collaboration tools, such as Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive. These tools can help faculty and staff work efficiently with other campus users. Some of the benefits of using the UW–Madison accounts include protection of intellectual property, authentication of collaborators using their wisc.edu emails, and unlimited storage for your files and documents for Google and Box (OneDrive has a one-terabyte limit). DoIT offers a comparison of features for these different collaboration tools on their website, as well as free support for users from the DoIT Help Desk.
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Find Wellness Resources at YOU@WISC
UW–Madison has introduced a new online tool, YOU@WISC, that can help employees manage stress, set goals, and promote happiness and well-being. Although much of the content is geared to students, YOU@WISC offers helpful content for anyone who is seeking advice, inspiration and support. Resources include assessments, articles, videos and more on a number of wellness topics. The online tool is available to anyone with a NetID.
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Extension Units to Return to UW–Madison July 1
Several units within UW–Extension (Cooperative Extension, Conference Centers, and Wisconsin Public Broadcasting) are merging with UW–Madison as part of a larger restructuring of the UW System. Returning these institutions to the UW–Madison campus—where Cooperative Extension and public broadcasting were once based—is expected to strengthen existing partnerships and develop new collaborations that will serve all 72 counties in Wisconsin. The campus has established a steering committee and several working groups to ensure a smooth integration of these units. A website has been established to provide updates on their work and the status of the transition.
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Wisconsin Students May Be Eligible for Tuition Promise
UW–Madison employees and their families who are concerned about the costs of a university education may benefit from a new program called “Bucky’s Tuition Promise.” The university pledges to cover four years of tuition and segregated fees for any incoming freshman from Wisconsin whose family’s annual household adjusted gross income is $56,000 or less. Transfer students from Wisconsin meeting the same criteria will receive two years of tuition and segregated fees. Eligibility is based only on one line from a family’s federal income tax return called adjusted gross income, or AGI. There is no separate application process. The tuition guarantee begins in the fall of 2018. The goal of the program is to ensure that anyone in Wisconsin who is admitted to UW–Madison can afford to attend.
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Celebrate International Women's Day
A celebration of International Women’s Day will be held on Thursday, March 8, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at Varsity Hall in Union South. The event will feature keynote speaker Chief Kristen Roman of the UW Police Department. Dr. Nandini Pandey, an assistant professor in Classical and Near Eastern Studies, will provide a poetry reading. Food and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. University Staff may attend without loss of pay. This event is sponsored by University Staff shared governance through the Office of the Secretary.
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New Benefits Video Library Available Online
UW–Madison employees can learn about their benefits options by visiting the benefits video library on YouTube. The videos are designed for both new and current employees, offering information on health insurance, life insurance, income continuation insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts. More in-depth, recorded presentations are available on Benefits 101, benefits options for Graduate Assistants and Short Term Academic Staff, and Pre-Retirement. Visit the benefits video library at hr.wisc.edu/videos.