News for Employees
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Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Testing at Kohl Center
UW–Madison has expanded its COVID-19 testing capacity with a new site for rapid antigen testing at the Kohl Center beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 and running through Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. This site will be open only to UW–Madison students and employees. The rapid antigen tests complement PCR tests currently available for students and employees through University Health Services (UHS). Rapid antigen testing from Abbott BinaxNOW delivers results in as little as 15 minutes. A positive BinaxNOW test result will require a confirmatory PCR test, available from UHS at the Kohl Center.
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Respond to Employee Survey by November 23
UW–Madison will be ramping up its COVID-19 testing program in the spring semester. UW leaders are asking employees for information that will help shape the details of the testing program. Many employees received a link to the survey via email on Monday, Nov. 16. The survey is open through Monday, Nov. 23, and employees are urged to respond as soon as possible. Most employees will be able to complete the survey in five minutes or less. Find the survey at this link: go.wisc.edu/64niks.
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Update on Dane County Public Health Order
A new public health order taking effect Wednesday from Public Health Madison & Dane County prohibits off-campus indoor gatherings of any size and limits off-campus outdoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. As part of the order, higher education institutions may determine their own policies and practices for safe operations and UW–Madison continues to emphasize its own safety protocols and procedures. Campus operations, including in-person instruction ahead of the Thanksgiving recess, continue as planned.
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Video Highlights Partners in Giving Campaign
Dr. Corey Pompey, director of the UW–Madison Marching Band, calls on UW employees to support the Partners in Giving campaign in a new YouTube video. Dr. Pompey reminds the university community that social, environmental and charitable causes need funding now more than ever. Gifts of all sizes will make a difference. Online pledges can be made through payroll deduction or by credit card at giving.wi.gov. Other giving options can be found at giving.wi.gov/about-us/2020-options-for-giving. The “Stronger, Together” campaign runs through Nov. 27, 2020. Contributions are welcomed through May 15, 2021.
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Expanded COVID-19 Testing Coming in Spring
To accommodate more regular and frequent COVID-19 testing in the spring semester, UW–Madison will partner with Shield T3. This will ensure that all undergraduate students who are in Madison are tested twice each week. Employees and graduate students working on or visiting campus will also be required to be tested regularly. UW–Madison will establish additional testing sites on campus where students and employees will submit saliva samples for quick results. More details about how the campus testing plan will affect employees will be provided at a later date.
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Reduced Cost Parking Options for Some Employees
UW–Madison employees with a salary of less than $35,000 per year in base wages, as well as graduate and professional students, are now eligible for reduced and low-cost parking options. These changes have been made in response to the current public health situation. Although Madison Metro Transit and campus bus routes are following safety procedures, some in the UW community prefer not to use public transportation at this time. Reduced prices are available on monthly, semester, and annual base lot parking permits on a temporary basis during the 2020–21 parking year (Sept. 1, 2020–August 31, 2021). More information about these and other parking options can be found in the reduced cost parking options chart (PDF) available at transportation.wisc.edu/smart-restart-hub.
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Thanksgiving Meals Available for Pre-Order
The Wisconsin Union is offering Thanksgiving To Go this year, with a variety of meal options and a-la-carte items available. All meals are cooked and packed in reheatable containers. The Wisconsin Union and Dean of Students Office will provide a free individual-size meal to UW–Madison students in need. Customers can add a donation to their orders at checkout to help provide a meal to a student. Order by Friday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. for pick-up on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at the Memorial Union, either inside the building or curbside. Customers must wear face coverings for pick-up. For details, visit union.wisc.edu/thanksgiving.
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Information & Technology Leadership Conference Registration
Registration is now open for the seventh annual Information & Technology Leadership Conference (ITLC). The conference will be held virtually all day on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and will bring together information and technology leaders at all levels for shared learning and collaboration. This year’s conference theme focuses on leading through transformation.
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Campus COVID-19 Update for Employees
Over the past two weeks, an increase in employee COVID-19 case counts and employee test positivity rates has been observed. Contact tracing suggests this is mostly due to activities and events in employees’ personal lives, rather than their on-site work. In a message to campus, Jake Baggott, executive director of University Health Services, urged employees to follow all campus safety protocols, avoid gatherings with anyone not in one’s immediate household, and take advantage of no-cost COVID-19 testing on campus. The full message is available online in multiple languages at go.wisc.edu/88h760.
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Volunteers Sought for COVID-19 Surveillance Testing
UW–Madison is conducting surveillance testing among employee volunteers to monitor for the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus, compare campus cases to cases in the broader Madison and Dane County community, and limit the spread of disease. The School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is seeking employees who are willing to volunteer for free COVID-19 testing once a week as part of a research study. Volunteers will collect their own samples using nasal swabs and bring their samples to one of three campus locations for drop-off at their assigned times. UW faculty, staff, post doctoral fellows, and graduate students working on campus are eligible to participate. For details, visit covidresponse.wisc.edu/surveillance-testing.