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October 27, 2020In this issue: Digital body language, Ida Balderrama-Trudell conversation, and more.
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Tips for Grads: Digital Body Language
Digital body language may sound like an oxymoron, yet it is important to be aware of how it is imbued in every communication we send. Likewise, we all read into the cues and signals in the communications we receive from others. Sometimes, we read too much into others’ signals and are left feeling anxious or unsure of what someone may have meant. To avoid your correspondence having this sort of effect, keep these key principles of proper digital body language in mind:
- Shorter is not always clearer, and context is often important and worth including.
- Be explicit about what you mean to reduce room for confusion.
- Be patient when waiting for responses. Creative ideas and solutions require time to develop, so you should allow people adequate time to think deeply about topics that will benefit from a thoughtful response.
- Since waiting for a response can often be anxiety-inducing, try giving people a quick, courteous “read receipt” if it will take you longer to respond to an email.
- Assume the best intent and give others the benefit of the doubt. If an email conversation is derailed, know when to switch to a video call or phone call to get back on the same page. Sometimes, it is more efficient to have an actual conversation.
- Understand that people approach technology differently and try to accommodate peoples’ unique styles of using it.
- Digital natives are more comfortable with short, quick messages, while digital adapters prefer phone calls, in-person meetings, and longer but less frequent messages.
- Among people you frequently work with, like your advisor or a research group, establish when to use which tools to communicate. These ground rules will help create shared norms so that people know whether, for instance, a Teams chat needs to be answered right away but an email can wait a day or two.
- This can also be a useful strategy when teaching a course. If you are transparent about your style for answering emails or your phone, it will provide students some reassurance. Plus, it may help you receive fewer, frantic texts at midnight.
GradConnections Weekly is looking for fresh perspectives on the graduate student experience.
If you have advice, counsel, or tips for UW grad students, you’re invited to write a guest column for “Tips for Grads.”
If you’re interested, check out our infographic for details and email gspd@grad.wisc.edu to let us know.
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DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW–Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Review the nine facets of professional development, complete a self-assessment, and get a customized report and recommendations.
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Upcoming Professional Development EventsAll event times and deadlines are listed in Central Daylight Time (CDT).
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How do you engage yourself and others in self-care and wellness practice when you recognize strong emotions? How do you support others in their experiences? And how do you support yourself? In this session you will be encouraged to engage in self-reflection surrounding the impact of experiencing strong emotions in work and life. Ida Balderrama-Trudell, Interim Director of the Office of Inclusion Education, will use personal reflection and storytelling to further conversations about wellness as they relate to grief, gratitude, and grace. She will share and reflect on her experiences in higher education, including her own graduate education and current leadership role at UW-Madison, and answer questions from you. To hear an excerpt from a presentation Ida Balderrama-Trudell gave in September, watch this video.
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One of the greatest challenges of job searching – in academia, government, business, or the non-profit world – is simply getting noticed. Among hundreds of applicants vying for each job, how can you stand out from the crowd? One strategy to differentiate yourself in the job market is to cultivate a personal brand. A personal brand is your career persona, the image you present to potential employers in the online world and in real life. In this workshop, you will develop a personal brand and learn how it can be leveraged to showcase your strengths and build relationships. You will also see how to create an online portfolio of content that can help you rise to the top of any hiring list.
Grad School Chef: Convenient and Affordable Cooking for Graduate Students
Tuesdays, Nov 3 - Dec 1 in GradConnections Weekly Newsletter
Cooking Demonstration Video Series
Are you too busy to cook regularly? Spending too much on takeout? Bored of cooking the same meals? The time and budgetary constraints of graduate school can make cooking a challenge, but there are recipes and techniques that can help you to maximize convenience, value, and flavor when preparing food for yourself and others. The Graduate School has partnered with University Housing Executive Chef Paul Sprunger and Dietician Agnes Sherman to bring you Grad School Chef, a cooking demonstration of budget-friendly vegan recipes designed with graduate students in mind. Keep an eye on GradConnections Weekly from Nov 3 to Dec 1 for fresh installments of Grad School Chef.
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Creating an individual development plan (IDP) encourages you to think about what you need to do next -- and over the next few years -- so that you achieve your goals. In this virtual event we will discuss how to define achievable goals, identify resources, and develop strategies for implementing and sustaining your plans. Participants will begin to create a personalized plan that takes into account career interests and addresses the development of knowledge and skills for professional growth. This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development and the Delta Program.
You will learn about the Graduate School's requirements for completing your PhD and depositing your dissertation. Elena Hsu and Xania Walter from the Graduate School Academic Services Office will give a brief intro to the electronic process for submitting your dissertation and present information to help you make decisions about your thesis publishing options (embargo or not to embargo). This workshop is intended for PhD candidates preparing to graduate in fall 2020 or spring/summer 2021.
When presenting virtually, holding your audience's attention is even more difficult than when presenting in person. Whether you're presenting your research, teaching, or creating a presentation for a job, utilizing principles of effective design can be the difference between an engaged audience and one which is digitally multitasking or scrolling through social media. In this workshop, we will look at the DesignLab's "CAT" of designing presentations, that is the Conceptual, Aesthetic, and Technical aspects of your research/scholarly project. We will discuss how to structure your presentation for your audience, explore common mistakes/errors, and provide you with tools to communicate your desired message clearly and effectively.
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- Excel 2: Data Visualization
- Illustrator 1
- Python Intermediate
- HTML
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Special Events & Symposia
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Take the survey by Nov 16; Help sustain and improve support for graduate students
Today graduate students will receive an email invitation from Graduate School Dean William Karpus encouraging them to participate in a brief questionnaire about their fall 2020 semester experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Check your inbox for your unique survey link, and complete the questionnaire by Nov 16. Your voice, experiences, and needs are important to the university, and contribute to our decisions about campus operations.
Winter commencement deadlines- Friday, Nov 6: Deadline to apply for your name to be included in the winter commencement program using the “Apply to Graduate” function in MyUW Student Center. See the full graduate checklist.
- Friday, Nov 13: Deadline to rent academic attire from UW Book Store without rush fee.
Spring enrollment dates- Week of Nov 9: Students receive an email with details on their enrollment appointment time. Check your email regularly for updates.
- Week of Dec 7: Graduate student enrollment begins for spring 2021.
Applications for January 2021 Dissertation Writing Camp due next week
Supported by the Graduate School and facilitated by Writing Center senior staff, the Camp is Jan 4 - 8, 2021 and offers an opportunity for dissertators to make significant progress on their dissertations by drafting a substantial amount of writing in a structured, collegial virtual environment. Develop writing strategies, receive feedback, build peer support, and reserve uninterrupted time to focus on your dissertation. Applications are open now and are due by Friday, Nov 6, and require an advisor endorsement. Visit the Graduate School Dissertation Help webpage for detailed descriptions and application information.
Nominations for Campus-Wide TA Awards due Nov 9
UW–Madison employs teaching assistants across a wide range of disciplines, and their contributions in the classroom, lab, studio, and field are essential to the University's educational mission. In order to recognize excellence on the part of campus TAs, the Graduate School, with administrative and financial assistance from the College of Letters & Science, sponsors four categories of awards for teaching assistants across the UW–Madison campus. These awards are open to all UW–Madison TAs. Department may nominate up to three TAs per year. Contact your DGS or graduate program coordinator if you are interested in being nominated. Read more about the TA awards.
Campus spaces available for virtual learning
The directory of on-campus spaces for virtual learning provides information about campus rooms and related resources that are available this semester to support students participating in remote courses and course activities. These activities may include remote collaboration, quizzes, exams and other assessments, including proctored exams. The dedicated rooms provide students with a variety of work spaces; reliable, high-speed internet; and campus computers to complete their coursework. Rooms are distributed across campus, and include a mix of drop-in rooms (no reservation required), special-request rooms (with or without computers), and day-of, on-site reservations (based on availability). Spaces will continue to be available after the Thanksgiving break.
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Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19
All members of the campus community should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 daily with the COVID Symptom Tracker. If you have symptoms, immediately get tested and quarantine. COVID-19 symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. COVID-19 Testing Information >>
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Virtual Care PackageUniversity Health Services’ Badger Virtual Care Package highlights ways to stay connected and healthy. Though it was made with people who are quarantined due to a positive COVID-19 test in mind, the resources listed here can be beneficial for anyone looking for some self-care ideas.
Mental Health Resources for Grad StudentsAccording to the 2019 Healthy Minds Survey, 93% of UW–Madison graduate students do not think any less of a peer who seeks mental health care, and 89% of UW–Madison graduate students who used mental health care found it helpful.
- SilverCloud. This online, self-guided resource provides treatment options 24 hours a day through evidence-based modules on anxiety, depression, body image, and stress. SilverCloud is designed to help students manage day-to-day stresses and improve resilience.
- YOU@WISC. This portal has tools and information to help you be well, with modules on stress management, self-care, social support, suicidal thoughts, mindfulness, academic wellness, and more.
- Virtual Lets Talk. An informal, confidential consultation with a counselor to help gain insight, support, and information about other resources. Virtual meetings are available daily and registration is required a day before the session.
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The Dean of Students Office provides resources to students struggling with a variety of issues, and can be your go-to spot for assistance as a graduate student. To contact the Graduate and Professional Student Assistance Specialist Elaine Goetz-Berman directly, email egoetz2@wisc.edu.
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Please note: Some graduate students may be ineligible to hold graduate assistantship appointments. Be sure to check with your graduate program coordinator about your eligibility before applying.
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The Office of the Provost is soliciting proposals from faculty, staff and students for the 2020-21 Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment grant competition. Proposals are encouraged for new outreach and public engagement activities that partner with community and off-campus organizations to extend and apply our research, education and clinical knowledge to help solve problems or take advantage of opportunities. This year, project leaders must demonstrate how the proposed project can make progress under current COVID-19 health and safety restrictions. The committee will consider funding approximately ten Seed projects of $4,000 or less, in addition to larger awards of up to $120,000. Several online information sessions will be held in October. For detailed pre-proposal guidelines and information session dates, see the Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment webpage.
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