News for Employees
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IT Professionals Conference invites speaker proposals
Proposals are invited from speakers who would like to share their ideas with colleagues from across campus at the UW–Madison IT Professionals Conference. This year’s conference will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual sessions on May 30 and virtual sessions only on May 31. Conference organizers are looking for presentations about creative solutions to technical problems, innovative new tools or processes, and valuable lessons learned from a project or experience. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on March 29.
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Campus Communities of Practice offer sustained learning
Communities of practice (CoPs) are peer-organized learning communities that bring together people from across an organization to teach one another, share resources, and find inspiration in their connections and creativity. CoPs provide a cost-effective way to share information, solve problems collectively, innovate, and train new staff. Dozens of CoPS are active at UW–Madison, including groups with interests in communication and project management; education and outreach; human resources; leadership; research; technology; and workplace culture. Find a CoP or learn how to start a new community of practice online.
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Active Badger Day gets UW community moving
Recreation & Wellbeing (Rec Well) is hosting a full day of activities on Thursday, March 7, for Active Badger Day. UW–Madison employees are welcome to participate. Inspired by National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day, Active Badger Day is a full day of opportunities to get up, get outside, and get moving. Activities include healthy meal specials at campus dining facilities, sustainable commuting options, workouts, nutrition education, a donation drive for River Food Pantry, and more. View the schedule of events for the day at recwell.wisc.edu/activebadgerday.
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Coaching circles provide campus connections and support
Learning and Talent Development is inviting interested UW‒Madison employees to attend an introductory course on coaching circles. Coaching circle pods bring together 5‒6 people from different areas across campus to meet virtually once a month and share current challenges. Coaching circles are intended to provide connection and support, not advice. In the introductory session, participants will learn about the logistics, roles, and steps involved in participating in a coaching circle. Following the course, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for an ongoing pod. No coaching experience or special knowledge is required. Registration is open for introductory sessions through June.
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WIAA tournaments to affect campus parking and traffic
The 2024 WIAA State Tournaments kick off this week. The UW–Madison campus will host more than 125,000 visitors for individual wrestling (Feb. 22–24) and boys’ basketball (March 14–16). These events will impact parking and traffic around the Kohl Center. Permit holders who are asked to relocate will receive notification from Transportation Services. For details, visit transportation.wisc.edu.
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UW–Madison aligns spring recess with local school district calendars
The Faculty Senate has approved a change to UW–Madison’s academic calendar to better align spring recess with those of local K-12 school districts and provide greater consistency for the timing of the recess from year to year. This change will start in the 2024–25 academic year; it will not affect the 2024 spring recess. Under the new calendar, spring recess will usually occur the last full school week (Monday through Friday) of March. However, if the first day of Passover and Good Friday occur in the same week, and if that week is the eighth to the 11th week of the second semester, then spring recess will be held that week. The online academic calendars, beginning with 2024–2025, have been updated.
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Event to recognize Outstanding Women of Color
All members of the community are invited to join the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement for the Outstanding Women of Color Awards Reception on Thursday, March 7, from 5–7:30 p.m. in Varsity Hall at Union South. The honorary award recognizes some of the many faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members who go above and beyond in the pursuit of excellence and make important contributions to our community. The 2023 awardees were selected based on nominations by their colleagues and community peers. Those who are unable to attend can watch the livestream on March 7. Advance registration is requested.
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No-cost retirement resources available from UW–Madison and Employee Trust Funds
UW–Madison employees have access to free resources for retirement planning, including informational sessions, financial estimates, and personal consultations from UW–Madison Benefits Services and/or Wisconsin Employee Trust Funds (ETF). Employees who are preparing for retirement are encouraged to visit hr.wisc.edu/retirement to learn more.
UW–Madison retirement resources should not be confused with email solicitations from third party, lead generation services for financial consultants. These external emails offer free consultations to UW employees; however, they end up selling your information to an outside entity. We recommend that employees ignore emails from these lead generation services and instead use the free resources available from UW–Madison and ETF. Please examine any emails you receive carefully to determine whether they are legitimate.
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Partners in Giving co-chairs say thanks with an icy dip
In November 2023, UW–Madison Partners in Giving campaign co-chairs Jeff Russell and Jeff Novak made a promise to take an icy dip into Lake Mendota if university donors answered the call to help UW surpass the $1 million mark in donations raised for the 2023/2024 campaign season. Our community rose to the challenge, and Jeff and Jeff fulfilled their promise with a Lake Mendota dip captured on video in January 2024. There is still time to give to the causes you care about and join the 2,200+ UW–Madison employees and retirees who have already made a gift during the 2023/2024 campaign. Visit giving.wi.gov to donate through May 14, 2024.
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Professional development offerings foster organizational effectiveness
Beginning later in February, the Office of Strategic Consulting is hosting new virtual and in-person professional development sessions for spring 2024. All sessions are offered at no cost.
Ignite: Fueling Organizational Excellence features interactive workshops that focus on the tools and resources faculty and staff need to promote and sustain organizational excellence at UW–Madison.
In Scope: Managing Projects at UW–Madison is an online series designed for managers of small- to medium-sized projects at UW–Madison. In this series, project management experts address managing projects in the university environment, introduce project management methods and resources, and facilitate conversations around common problems and solutions. A valid NetID is required to access the Canvas module associated with each In Scope session.