The deadline for University Staff employees to use vacation carryover balances, personal holiday hours, and floating legal holidays granted for 2024 is Dec. 31, 2024. If this leave is not used by Dec. 31, 2024, it will be lost. Carried-over vacation hours that were granted in calendar year 2023 must be used or banked (if eligible) by Dec. 31. Leave balances can be found under “Time and Absence” in MyUW at my.wisc.edu. Employees who wish to verify their leave balances and the corresponding deadlines should contact their local human resources department.

As previously announced, starting Jan. 1, 2025, University Staff employees will begin the transition to receive vacation and personal holiday hours on a new leave schedule that starts on July 1 and ends on July 30. Additional information is available on the University Staff Leave Schedule Change website at go.wisc.edu/rb4ebg.

Universities must make digital resources accessible by April 24, 2026, under a new rule from the Justice Department. UW–Madison is already preparing for compliance. The Digital Accessibility University Coordination Committee is tasked with identifying barriers and resources needed for compliance. More updates will be provided in the coming months.

The 2024 Information & Technology Leadership Conference will take place on December 3, with virtual and in-person attendance options at no cost. Former University of Michigan CIO Laura McCain Patterson will be the keynote speaker. Fifteen sessions will address topics such as managing change, artificial intelligence, and team building. Attend in person at the Discovery Building (includes breakfast and lunch) or virtually via Zoom from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In-person space is limited; early registration is encouraged.

Applications for the next cohort in the Leadership in the Lab series, which will begin Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, are now being accepted. Leadership in the Lab is a semester-long, cohort program designed specifically for early-career STEM faculty who are, or will be, leading a laboratory at UW–Madison. The series consists of a one-day in-person introductory session, followed by virtual, 90-minute weekly sessions in which participants learn about leadership essentials, explore tangible strategies, and engage in peer networking. Seats are limited; interested faculty should apply as soon as possible, and no later than Nov. 25, 2024.