News for Employees
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National Bike Challenge begins this month
The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event from May 1 through Sept. 30, uniting thousands of current bicyclists — and encouraging many new riders. The 2017 Challenge is hosted by the League of American Bicyclists and supported by 3M. Join a UW-Madison team (Transportation Services has one: “University of Wisconsin-Madison Transportation Services”) or start your own. Find more on how to join by clicking here. -
Applications due soon for Blend@UW summer sessions
Blend@UW offers one-week sessions in May, June and August to provide instructors with the knowledge and peer support necessary to design blended courses that inspire active student engagement with content and facilitate deeper learning. Faculty and instructors can apply online by May 5, 2017, for these sessions, which are offered at no cost. The benefits of blended learning extend to students, instructors and the entire university. A recent Blend@UW participant noted: “By blending (my course), I have carved out time to work with my students to understand how I want them to think about the material, and we have meaningful discussions wherein they are creating their own understanding.”
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Employee Appreciation Ice Cream Social set for May 15
A letter from Chancellor Rebecca Blank to members of the UW-Madison campus community:
As we head into this spring season and wind up the semester, I’d like to invite all faculty and staff to gather on Bascom Hill, celebrate the close of another academic year, and sample a little bit of summer.
The annual Employee Appreciation Ice Cream Social is set for Monday, May 15, beginning at 1 p.m. on Bascom Hill. We’ll serve free ice cream until 2:30 p.m., or until we run out, whichever comes first.
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WRS annual statement of benefits is available
UW employees covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) in 2016 can view their WRS Annual Statement of Benefits in the My UW portal. Log in to the portal, go to the Benefit Information module and click on the Statement tab. Choose “2016 ETF Annual Statement of Benefits (WRS) Issued 2017” to view or print your statement. The WRS Annual Statement of Benefits provides you with information about your WRS account as of Jan. 1.
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Rec Sports to offer youth summer camps
This summer, UW Rec Sports is proud to offer a day camp for children ages 4-13. Students, faculty/staff, and community members can register their children to participate in a safe and fun environment. Age-appropriate activities will vary from motor skill development to introduction to basic skills of traditional and non-traditional sports. Weeklong sessions start June 19 and will continue throughout the summer months, with camp officially concluding on Aug. 25. The cost per child is $195 for each session. For more information regarding Summer Camp, please check out our website.
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University Housing hosts catering open house
University Housing Dining and Culinary Services is hosting a Catering Open House on Monday, May 1 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Gordon Dining & Event Center. Event planners and meeting organizers across campus are invited to attend and learn more about the wide variety of catering services offered by University Housing, from outdoor tailgaters to elaborate banquets. Free parking will be available on the Sellery Basketball Court. Please RSVP on the University Housing website by April 24 if you plan to attend.
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Libraries to hold master plan town halls
UW-Madison Libraries are prepared to embark on the next phase of the campus libraries facilities master plan process. They’ll look to the campus community for input in shaping what the future of libraries on campus could look like. The Libraries will hold two town halls for the campus, at 5 p.m. April 25 at Memorial Library, room 126; and noon April 26 at Steenbock Library. They’ll review draft scenarios for future campus library locations and seek input.
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Tornado drill scheduled for Thursday
This week has been designated Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin. On Thursday, April 20, a mock tornado drill will be conducted. A mock tornado watch will be issued for all of Wisconsin beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a mock tornado warning at 1:45 p.m. A warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated on weather radar, and you must move to safety. The drill ends at 2 p.m. At 6:45 p.m., the National Weather Service will issue a mock tornado warning for all of Wisconsin.
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New policy safeguards capital equipment assets
Effective Jan. 1, 2017, the Accounting Services Property Control Office within the Division of Business Services issued new policy and procedures regarding the acquisition, utilization and disposition of capital equipment at UW-Madison. Training on the new policy and procedures was held in January, February and March 2017 for campus personnel, including department property administrators (DPAs), financial staff and administrative staff. Future trainings will be offered monthly for all personnel involved with capital equipment.
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Ways to keep your browsing data (more) private
A new law means that Internet Service Providers can revert back to operating under rules they followed prior to Jan. 3, 2017. ISPs will be able to harvest your browsing data, and use it to sell targeted advertising services similar to Google and Facebook. However, you can protect your data in several ways — by using a VPN, using browser plug-ins and add-ons, or even opting out of targeted advertising programs. Click here for privacy tips from DoIT.