Office of the Provost

Provost’s Update

August 23, 2024 Friday Update

Good morning, colleagues. Here is the update from Academic Affairs.

I’m reposting an excerpt from my Fall welcome message for the entire Update distribution list (read the full message):

Welcome to the Fall 2024 semester! As you know, summer is winding down and instruction begins on September 3; I’m excited to see you and our students back on campus.

At the August 7 Deans’ Retreat, I shared that metrics and benchmarks without purpose can create activity, which feels like busy work and can be draining. However, expression of work towards a shared, noble, extraordinary, and aspirational purpose is action, which is uniting and energizing. We are at a key transition point in the future of UWM where it will be critically important that we lean even further into our shared, noble, extraordinary, and aspirational purpose, which is reflected in our 2030 Strategic Plan. This year, we will create renewed action around the four pillars of our 2030 plan:

commitment to students’ engagement and their academic and personal journey;
commitment to positive employee experience;
commitment to research, innovation, and community impact; and
commitment to fiscal sustainability and economic anchoring of southeastern Wisconsin.

I am sure that we can all agree that the most important of these is the success of our students. To that end, this will be a crucial year of action for UWM to ensure that resources are aligned to amplify student success. I am looking forward to working with you to advance this core mission, and I appreciate all that you do to support our students.

Appreciations

I appreciate Distinguished Professor Paul Roebber (Atmospheric Science) who was named a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Election to the grade of Fellow serves as recognition of outstanding contributions to advance atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Dr. Roebber’s award will be formally presented at the 105th AMS Annual meeting to be held January 2025 in New Orleans.

Much appreciation for Dean Kaushal Chari who will serve as a panelist on the WisPolitics luncheon panel at the Madison Club on “State government policy on AI: where do we go from here?” on Thursday, September 26. The panel will review recommendations from two state task forces and discuss possible legislation and regulation to come.

I appreciate UWM’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) as they hosted the 50th anniversary of the international Improving University Teaching conference from July 31 to August 2. Record conference attendance included participants from Australia, England, Israel, Jamaica, Scotland, Spain, the United States, and more. More details.

Mission Moments

Spotlighting community engagement, the College of Engineering and Applied Science was awarded a $5.7M grant to boost the number of Industrial Training Assessment Centers (ITAC) in the Midwest. These centers provide workers with skills in energy assessment, allowing the manufacturing sector to step up its use of technologies to reduce energy consumption. Dr. Ryo Amano (Mechanical Engineering) will direct the initiative and work with nine community college partners across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Special Announcement

It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news that long-time UWM employee, Union leader, and University Staff President Stan Yasaitis passed away on August 11, 2024. Read what Stan had to say about his time at UWM. A service will be held for Stan tomorrow, August 24, at Milwaukee Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 2229 N. Terrace Avenue, Milwaukee. The Service will be at 5 p.m., preceded by a visitation from 3-4:45 p.m. Read memories shared by Stan’s colleagues.

Advancing 2030 Plan Priorities

Student Success

Join the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) on Thursday, August 29 from 1-3:30 p.m. in a celebration of disability, diversity, and inclusivity at the grand opening of their new Student Hub and Sensory Spaces in Mitchell 295. If you need accommodation to participate in the Open House, please contact Shannon Aylesworth (aylessr@uwm.edu).
The UWM Graduate School’s New Graduate Student Orientation will be held virtually on Monday, August 26 from 1-4 p.m. Register here to receive your link to the event.
September is National Student Parent Month and UWM is celebrating more than 1,300 student parents that attend UWM! Events taking place this month that celebrate Student parents include:

September 5 – Family Movie Night in the Union Cinema
September 11 – Student Parent Coffee Hour at the Women’s Resource Center
September 26 – Family Yoga at the Children's Learning Center

More information.

Inclusion and Diversity

After many months of reassessing its work, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has changed its name to the Division of Community Empowerment & Institutional Inclusivity (CEII). Its mission is to collaboratively facilitate efforts that advance individual and collective agency, foster a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community, and support them in reaching their full potential. More details on its programs and resources.

Workforce and Community

Classroom Services will host two online lecture capture training webinars this fall. These one-hour training sessions will cover: what lecture capture is; how to use UWM’s Kaltura Classroom lecture capture software; and how to sign up for automated lecture capture. You will also have the opportunity to speak with a member of the Classroom Services team to have your audio, visual, and lecture capture questions answered before the semester begins. More information.
UWM TechRepair is now permanently closed. This change is part of the recent closure of the UWM TechStore. For information on installing antivirus software on your personal devices, please review UWM IT’s Cybersecurity webpage.