Office of the Provost

Provost’s Update

February 2, 2024 Friday Update

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

I’d like to share the materials from last week’s Academic Affairs Administrative Summit more widely.

Summit pre-reading materials:

U.S. Department of Education. September 2023. Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education.
Inside Higher Ed. February 2023. Changing the Conversation.
The Chronicle of Higher Education. Recording of January 31, 2023. Virtual Forum: AI Tools for Student Engagement.

Summit presentations:

Student Success at UWM: Insights from a Peer Comparison Study and Data from the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE), by Jonathan Hanes, Assistant Vice Provost/Institutional Research Director, Office of Assessment and Institutional Research.
An outstanding presentation on Building Community in Classrooms by Student Association President Teresa Davis and Vice President Jeremi Lukos.

The summit featured a workshop session on inclusive excellence and student success by Dr. Aashir Nasim, Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President at Virginia Commonwealth University. The workshop generated great conversations on strategies to foster greater inclusivity on campus, using case studies as discussion prompts.

Participants also provided input on a draft of a refreshed 2030 Plan to Jennifer Haas and Suzanne Boyd, 2030 co-leads. As the plan is developed, presentations will also be given to governance groups. The refreshed 2030 Action Plan offers an important framework for units in aligning their actions with UWM’s strategic goals and priorities.

At the summit’s closing, I asked participants to recognize the urgency in increasing student success at UWM, from both a moral obligation and financial perspectives. UWM faculty and staff are highly committed to students throughout their UWM education. As part of that commitment, I encourage you to read the summit materials—in particular, the Student Association presentation, which offers concrete ideas to advance UWM as a student-centric university.

Appreciations

I would like to appreciate Emily Latch (Biological Sciences) who was interviewed by the Larry Meiller Show on Wisconsin Public Radio about her research on badger ecology and genetics. Listen to the interview. Congratulations, Emily!

I appreciate the College of Engineering and Applied Science and its newly renovated research labs, which were recently featured on Spectrum News 1. The story quoted Associate Dean for Research Andrew Graettinger, Assistant Professor Jerald Thomas, PhD student Zhiqin Quiang, and undergraduate student Alec Brooken. Well done, scientists!

I would also like to appreciate three UWM officials and numerous alumni who were recognized on the Milwaukee Business Journal’s list of top 100 power brokers in Milwaukee for 2024. Chancellor Mark Mone, Associate Vice Chancellor Makda Fessahaye, and Associate Vice Chancellor Phyllis King, along with 18 alums were listed among the area’s movers and shakers. According to the Business Journal, “They are the people who others turn to when they need to get something done, whether it’s a business deal, community project, or raising money for a great cause.” Congratulations, Panthers!

Mission Moments

School of Information Studies and Helen Bader School of Social Welfare student services staff hosted a “Rock Enroll” event to encourage students who had not yet re-enrolled to do so. More than 130 students attended and registered for their spring classes. Every student services staff member was present and assisting students! The staff also designed games and activities for students to learn about future career and graduate school opportunities.

Important Updates

Last week, UWM reached new agreements with four regional technical colleges that will guarantee admission for their graduates and make transferring credits to UWM a simple, stress-free process. The agreements are with Milwaukee Area Technical College, Waukesha County Technical College, Moraine Park Technical College, and Gateway Technical College. All associate degree holders from the four colleges are guaranteed a seamless transfer of at least 60 credits toward a bachelor's degree at UWM. Interested students will only need to complete a brief intent form – for free – rather than a lengthier, formal admission application.

Learn more about UWM's new agreements

Instructors are asked to please review their syllabi and adjust if needed to accommodate two policies passed by Faculty Senate at its meeting last week:

Prohibition of Class Recess Due Dates – This new policy prohibits instructors from setting course due dates that occur during class recesses or on legal holidays. We recommend if any due dates were set during Spring Recess, they be moved to shortly after the Recess ends.
Online Contingency Options in the Event of Cancellation of In-Person Classes – This new policy prescribes the options that are available to instructors in the event that in-person classes are cancelled.

Special Announcement

The Regents Academic Staff Excellence Awards recognize the dedicated, vital services and outstanding contributions of non-instructional academic staff at the Universities of Wisconsin. Two awards of $7,500 will be made to non-instructional administrative or professional academic staff members in recognition of their exceptional service to the university.

An additional award of $7,500 will be made to a program primarily staffed by non-instructional administrative and professional academic staff in recognition of the important role played by academic staff in supporting students and their success.

The nomination deadline is Monday, February 12.

More information on
Regents Academic Staff Excellence Awards

Advancing 2030 Plan Priorities

Student Success

A virtual forum on Title IX protections for pregnant and parenting students will be held on Friday, February 9 from 1-2:30 p.m. Hosted by the UW System Caregiving Task Force, the forum will explore new legal requirements designed to encourage proactive support for pregnant and parenting students and discuss what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for this important work. Registration.
Four career fairs will be held this semester – please share in your courses and Canvas sites to encourage students to attend. The fairs will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the UWM Student Union on the following dates:

Thursday, February 15 – Social Services/Justice, Health & Wellness Career Fair
Tuesday, February 20 – Software, Data Analytics, and IT Career Fair
Wednesday, February 21 – Architecture and Engineering Career Fair
Thursday, February 22 – Business and Communications Career Fair

Students can pre-register, see all employers attending, and get additional details on Handshake.

UWM’s student technology recommendations have been updated. These recommendations are meant to aid students in choosing a device for their coursework at UWM. The updated recommendations can be found on the Student Resources webpage under Purchasing Technology. Personal technology, including desktops, laptops, and accessories can be purchased online or in-person at the UWM TechStore.

Research Advancement

Join Chancellor Mark Mone in the UWM Union Alumni Fireside Lounge for his first Chancellor Chats event on Wednesday, February 14, where he and guest Karyn Frick, a UWM distinguished professor of Psychology, will discuss her breakthrough research on the impacts of estrogen in regulating memory and brain function. Light refreshments will be served. Registration.

Inclusion and Diversity

Screening of the documentary Ver Vet Blaybn? (Who Will Remain?) will take place on Wednesday, February 7 at 7 p.m. in the UWM Union Cinema. A talkback with Co-director Christa Whitney, Director of the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project and Joel Berkowitz, Director of the Stahl Center for Jewish Studies will follow the screening. More information.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year on February 7 at the UWM Planetarium. Learn how the Moon’s cycle determines the lunar new year. Join guest speaker Pu Chen as he guides participants through an immersive timeline of the celebration followed by food and activities. Information and tickets.
In Spring 2024, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be hosting a virtual book discussion on This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror, a collection of essays on everyday life and the cultural politics of being Muslim American by Moustafa Bayoumi. Registration.
The UWM Libraries diversified its collections with small press titles. This past summer, the UWM Libraries made great strides in fulfilling an important goal of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategic plan by acquiring a number of books from independent publishers who focus on historically underrepresented communities. For more information about this initiative or to suggest books to purchase, contact Chris Doll (cmdoll@uwm.edu).

Workforce and Community

In alignment with the 2030 Action Plan’s goal to align and engage the workforce, the Department of Human Resources is proud to announce the launch of a new Learning and Development website to highlight the various opportunities available to UWM employees in the areas of Leadership Development, Faculty and Instructional Staff Development, Technology Development, Individual Personal and Professional Development, and New Employee Development. The site will be regularly updated to include additional resources and opportunities for employees.
UWM Science Bag Returns for Spring 2024 – Making Science exciting for 50+ years! All shows are in Lapham Hall N103. The first show is on Friday, February 9 at 6 p.m. More information.
Volunteer at an upcoming career fair! Sign up links below:

A Well Wisconsin Health (biometric) Screening at the UWM at Waukesha campus will be held on Wednesday, February 21 from 8 a.m.-noon. The UWM benefits team will also be available for walk-in benefits consultations. Information and registration.
A FREE event for Eating Disorders Awareness Week, organized by the UWM Psychology Clinic (along with the Center for Discovery and Rogers Behavioral Health), will take place Wednesday, February 28 from 5:30-8 p.m. in the UWM Union Alumni Fireside Lounge. Dr. Ellen Selkie (UW-Madison) will speak about her research on social media and adolescent development. In addition, there will be fun, body positive activities, refreshments, and giveaways! More information.
Feeling Green: Touring UWM’s Gardens and Enhancing Your Own. Academic staff members are invited to take a lunchtime work break on Wednesday, February 28 from 1-2 p.m. Weather permitting, UWM’s John Gardner will lead a walking tour of UWM’s gardens and green spaces and discuss sustainability efforts across campus. Additionally, you can kick off your home garden with some flower or herb seeds. Registration.
The Office of Assessment and Institutional Research invites all employees to participate in its Spring 2024 Webinar Series. Sessions will feature presentations followed by Q&A. Information and Registration.
March 12 – Save the Date for UWM’s Length of Service recognition event. UWM’s Length of Service recognition event will be held on Tuesday, March 12 at 10:30 a.m. in the UWM Union Wisconsin Room. At the ceremony, employees reaching work milestones in 2024 will be honored. Look for the list of awardees and the official invitation in early February.
Wellness Wednesday Newsletter. Have you subscribed to the Wellness Wednesday newsletter? Campus Cares offers a weekly newsletter to share health and wellness tips and to highlight employees who are promoting a Culture of Care at UWM. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter here and share with your colleagues.