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August 11, 2020In this issue: Welcome Week events, fall semester updates, and more.
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Tips for Grads: Fall semester updates
The fall semester is less than a month away, and we all face uncharted territory in our return to campus. The university is working hard to make the return as safe as possible with the Smart Restart plan, and the last two weeks have brought more updates and details about what the fall will look like.
In a recent series of Instructional Continuity Town Halls, members of the UW–Madison community raised important issues related to teaching and learning this fall, and campus leaders provided answers and information. If you have questions about your return to campus that aren’t addressed on the Instructional Continuity website, you can view the recordings from the town halls to get caught up.
This week brings two new town halls, the first, Creating Your Wisconsin Experience Virtual Town Hall is today, August 11 at 5 pm CT and the second, Diversity and Belonging in the Student Experience is on Thursday, August 13. In her recent email, Vice Chancellor Lori Reesor encouraged undergraduate and graduate students to attend these town halls, gave health and safety guidance, and commented on equity, inclusion, and the Wisconsin Experience.
UW–Madison has also released more details on COVID-19 testing on campus. Unlimited no-cost testing is now available and is strongly recommended, but not required. Additionally, all students are encouraged to get tested before returning to campus and to self-isolate before returning in the case of a positive test. More information for students who have been exposed to COVID-19 or received a positive test is available on the COVID-19 testing webpage.
A testing site on Henry Mall is now open by appointment for drive-up, or bike/walk-up service. Students can log in to MyUHS with their NetID, confirm their campus contact information, get an appointment, and complete forms in advance of being tested. Priority will be given to those with symptoms and/or those with known confirmed contacts, as alerted by public health officials. Vice Chancellor Laurent Heller also recently shared guidance on reporting positive COVID-19 test results for students and employees.
Another recent update involves the requirement to wear face coverings on campus. The university will provide free face coverings to all students and employees, and instructors, TAs and LSAs will be able to obtain no-cost face shields. You can pick up your welcome kit, which will contain two face coverings, hand sanitizer, and important health information, from University Bookstore near the start of the semester. For updates, continue to monitor your email inbox for updates and check the Smart Restart website for the latest information.
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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Welcome Week Events for Graduate Students
All event times and deadlines are listed in Central Daylight Time (CDT).
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In this live webinar for graduate students, Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track will help graduate students discover how to build meaningful, robust relationships with a diverse network of mentors and how to draw on mentorship to achieve academic and career goals. Attendees will leave the workshop better able to identify potential mentors from the university and beyond, confidently build meaningful relationships with career advocates, and develop a professional presence.
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What are graduate certificates, and how can they add value to your graduate degree? In this virtual session, faculty and staff representing several graduate certificate programs (and their equivalent doctoral minors) discuss the multiple benefits that these programs provide to graduate students across campus—including expanding interdisciplinary knowledge, mastering new skills, creating community and networking opportunities, and building cultural competence. Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak with each certificate representative in smaller groups.
Want to make graduate school a time to thrive and not just survive? This workshop will focus on promotion of psychological well-being in graduate school. Topics covered will arm graduate students with strategies to thrive through the challenges of graduate school, including managing the transition/adjustment process, coping with stress, promoting work/life balance, and establishing habits to maintain or improve mental health.
In this interactive workshop, you will learn tips and techniques for staying on track and managing your time. We’ll cover goal-setting, minimizing distractions and staying focused, and overcoming some of the most common challenges to staying on task. Participants will leave with strategies that they can apply immediately. The strategies we’ll cover are appropriate for students in any discipline.
Building cultural competence is critically important for graduate students and professionals across all disciplines. This interactive talk introduces graduate students to the concepts of implicit or unconscious biases and assumptions about diverse groups of people by treating the application of such biases as a habit of mind. Students will learn how to uncover their own biases, discover the underlying concepts and language used in the psychological and social psychological literature to describe such processes, and learn evidence-based strategies for reducing the application of these biases as they cultivate relationships with people from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures.
Prepare to maximize your time and energy this semester by taking advantage of software available to UW-Madison graduate students that can help streamline your workflow. This virtual workshop, presented by Pete Valeo from Software Training for Students (STS), will introduce you to both basic and advanced software tools, including cloud storage services, notetaking apps, mobile scanners, research tools, tasks managers, password managers, lifestyle apps, and more.
Explore strategies to prepare to learn remotely, engage in your courses, and maximize your time. This module, from the Graduate School, is for grad students taking their first online course or those looking for some new resources on online learning. Enroll in the Successful Online Learning Canvas course at any time.
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- Excel 2: Data Visualization
- Photoshop 1
- InDesign
- Various workshops on Canvas and integrated apps
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Special Events & Symposia
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Tuesday, Aug. 11 | 5 - 6 pm
Online
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Explore diversity training resources for grad students
The Graduate School Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Funding has curated a list of diversity and inclusion training resources for graduate students at UW–Madison. These include trainings especially designed for graduate students in your roles as teachers and researchers, as well as online learning opportunities and resources to explore on your own. In addition, campus diversity officers are available to help you find more opportunities specific to your school or college.
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UHS services available remotelyUniversity Health Services is committed to supporting you as we navigate the rest of the summer term. Many medical, counseling, and wellness services are available by phone and accessible online. Find out more on the UHS Remote Health and Connection webpage.
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.
- UHS 24-hour Crisis Services. On-call crisis counselors can help address your most pressing concerns, address your safety, and help you connect with follow-up service needs. It’s available every day, including weekends, holidays, and semester breaks. Call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600. For situations that are immediately life-threatening, call 911.
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) has published an extensive COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide.
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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 Schmidt Science Fellows program provides the world’s best emerging scientists with new skills and perspectives to develop novel solutions to society’s challenges, become scientific and societal thought leaders, and accelerate ground-breaking discoveries. Schmidt Science Fellows are passionate about the potential of interdisciplinary science to accelerate discovery and solve the world’s most pressing problems. Applications to Schmidt Science Fellows are by nomination from your PhD program only. Contact your program to request a nomination. Nominees must receive their PhD from UW–Madison between April 30, 2020 and Sept 30, 2021 and have conducted their graduate degree in the natural sciences (astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics and Earth sciences), engineering, mathematics, or computing and all sub-disciplines therein.
The Energy Analysis and Policy (EAP) program announced a scholarship for students who apply to the EAP certificate/doctoral minor program in Summer 2020. EAP has awarded scholarships to two early awardees and in Sept will be awarding up to eight more $2,500 scholarships for well-qualified students who complete the EAP application form by Sept 5 and are accepted into the program.
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