In her latest blog post, Chancellor Rebecca Blank addresses how the university has adapted to deal with COVID-19 and provides an overview of the newest campus actions to support health and safety. The blog post also provides answers to commonly asked questions about testing, online instruction, and protective masks. All employees are encouraged to review the recently published details about campus plans for the spring semester, and to view a recording of the town hall that was held on Friday, Jan. 21. Links to these resources, FAQs, and other important information about the campus response to COVID-19 can be found at covidresponse.wisc.edu.

The federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program has enabled thousands of student loan borrowers to qualify to have the reminder of their federal student loan balance forgiven. Due to a program expansion, available through October 31, 2022, additional UW–Madison employees with federal student loans may qualify to have their loan balances forgiven. UW has partnered with Ascendium to present a 90-minute webinar that will share details about the program, how to qualify, and how UW employees may benefit from the temporary expansion. The webinar will be presented twice, once on Thursday, Jan. 27, from 5–6:30 p.m. and again on Thursday, Feb. 3, from 1–2:30 p.m. Register online to receive information about joining the meeting.

Charter Street between University Avenue and Lathrop Drive is open as of Tuesday, Jan. 25. Traffic lanes and pedestrian routes are open, and Madison Metro Transit has resumed regular service along Charter Street. Nearby construction will continue to impact motor vehicle, bike, and pedestrian traffic through spring 2022. For more details and a map, visit transportation.wisc.edu.

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring offers a range of professional development programs, from the basics of teaching at UW–Madison to deep-focus explorations of important course design and teaching topics. Faculty, instructional academic staff, and graduate student instructors of all experience levels are welcome to participate. Visit the center's website to view and register for upcoming workshops, webinars, and courses, or to request a one-on-one consultation.