News for Employees
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Madison Metro Transit Seeking Public Input
Madison Metro Transit is conducting a survey and holding community information sessions to gather public feedback on their new network redesign draft plan. The draft plan proposes changes to the city’s bus system, including routes serving campus. Learn more about the network redesign plan and ways you can provide feedback at transportation.wisc.edu.
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Campus Forum to Provide COVID-19 Update on Thursday
An online forum for the campus community will be held on Thursday, Feb. 24, from noon–1 p.m. Campus experts will provide updates on where we are and where we are going with regard to COVID-19. The forum will be streamed live on YouTube at go.wisc.edu/spring22. Questions for the panelists may be submitted in advance at go.wisc.edu/s22questions. The presentation will be captioned and interpreted. A recording of the event will be posted on covidresponse.wisc.edu.
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WIAA State Tournaments Will Impact Parking and Commuting
UW–Madison will host WIAA Individual Wrestling (Feb. 24-26) and Boys’ Basketball (March 17-19), bringing more than 125,000 visitors to campus. Expect heavy traffic on and around campus on tournament days. Permit holders in Lots 46, 78, 87, 91, and 94 will need to relocate from their assigned lots on the tournament dates. Permit holders who are affected will receive information about where they can park during the tournaments. For parking details and tips for commuters, visit transportation.wisc.edu.
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Academic Calendar Includes Religious Observances
The Office of the Secretary of the Faculty offers a Religious Observances Academic Calendar that includes dates of religious observances representing various faiths, along with election dates. The calendar is designed to support UW–Madison’s Religious Observances Policy for students and instructors. It is not a comprehensive list of all significant religious observances, but may also be useful to anyone on campus when planning events, celebrations, and more. The calendar is available online and is also provided as a shared calendar in Outlook named “SoF Academic Calendar & Religious Observances.” Religious observances for future semesters will continue to appear on the Outlook calendar until those dates are finalized about three weeks prior to the start of the semester. The calendar, as well as instructions on adding the calendar to an Outlook account, can be found at secfac.wisc.edu/academic-calendar.
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America Saves Week Supports Financial Well-Being
UW–Madison employees can take advantage of free financial resources during America Saves Week, February 21–25. America Saves Week encourages individuals and families to set a goal and make a plan to achieve financial stability. The week-long campaign features webinars on a variety of financial topics, credit checks from UW Credit Union, and other resources. All events are free, but some events and individual consultations require registration or an appointment. Visit wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/americasaves for a complete schedule.
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Protect Yourself from Scams and Fraud
The UW–Madison Police Department (UWPD) is reporting that online scams and fraud are increasing on campus. Scammers and fraudsters are constantly coming up with new ways to steal money from people. You can protect your finances and your identity by following the tips offered by UWPD. If you are in doubt about an email, text, or phone call, contact UWPD. An officer or a dispatcher can help you determine whether it is legitimate or a scam. And remember: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Find helpful advice about staying safe at uwpd.wisc.edu/online-scams.
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Informational Sessions on Becoming a Volunteer Tutor
The Volunteer Tutoring Program matches tutors with UW–Madison employees who have individual learning goals such as practicing English conversation, improving reading and writing skills, understanding culture, or learning basic computer skills. Participating learners are UW–Madison employees and J-1 visiting scholars. Tutors can be UW employees, students, or community members. Cultural Linguistic Services is offering free online informational sessions about becoming a volunteer tutor. Upcoming sessions will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 10–11 a.m., and Wednesday, March 9, 1–2 p.m. Advance registration is not required.
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Active Badger Day Offers Something for Everyone
Rec Well will be offering a full day and evening of fitness activities for faculty, staff, and students on Active Badger Day, Thursday, March 3. Highlights include both virtual and in-person fitness classes, self-guided tours of the Chazen Museum, special menu items at Gordon Lakes Market and Four Lakes Market, yoga, meditation practice, and more. Learn more at recwell.wisc.edu/activebadgerday.
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Where to Get COVID-19 Antigen Tests and Masks
UW–Madison is making at-home antigen test kits available to employees and students, with a limit of one test kit per person each week, supplies permitting. A valid Wiscard and access to MyUHS are required. Pickup is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Memorial Union on Mondays and Fridays and at Union South Tuesdays through Thursdays. (Go to the Campus and Community Information Desk.) PCR testing remains available by appointment on weekdays at the University Club.
Free N95/KN95 masks continue to be provided to instructors and other front-line/public-facing employees. For employees in non-public-facing roles, surgical masks are available. Masks are being distributed to employees through their department or unit. Off-campus, free N95 masks are now available at many pharmacies and community health centers. Antigen test kits are also available off-campus, including four free kits offered by Covidtests.gov and up to eight free kits per person per month covered by health insurance. For ongoing campus updates, go to covidresponse.wisc.edu.
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Survey Seeks Employee Feedback on Administrative Services
UW–Madison employees — including faculty, staff, postdoctoral and graduate assistants — are encouraged to participate in the Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey. This survey asks participants for feedback about their experience with eight categories of administrative services: communications, facilities, finance, general administration, human resources, information technology, research administration and student services. UW–Madison has partnered with HelioCampus, a third-party organization, to distribute the survey, support analysis, and keep responses confidential. Employees received an email from Provost Karl Scholz and Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Rob Cramer via HelioCampus on February 3, with a link to complete the survey. Details about the survey, including frequently asked questions and answers, can be found at vc.wisc.edu/aqss.