With most Wisconsin residents staying "safer at home" during the COVID-19
With most Wisconsin residents staying

April 7, 2020

In this issue: Online teaching workshops, Wellness Wednesday discussion groups, and more.
PhD Comic

Tips for Grads: Working productively from home

Personal Effectiveness
By Kirby Livingston, PhD student
With most Wisconsin residents staying “safer at home” during the COVID-19 pandemic, many graduate students are adjusting to working (and doing everything else) from home. Grad students often have multiple roles to juggle on top of their own research and scholarship, and some are facing increased responsibilities caring for children, pets, or partners. In the face of this global crisis, it’s normal to experience anxiety and other difficult emotions. While many graduate students are feeling pressure to be productive, be sure to give yourself time for mental adjustment and permission to put your mental health first. And when you are working on your research, scholarship, or job duties from home, use these tips to support your productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance:
Dress for productivity – While you don’t have to dress formally, the act of putting on relatively professional clothes as part of your morning routine can help to signal that the workday has begun and put you in a productive mindset.
Communicate and set boundaries – If you live with other people, communicate when you have meetings and what your expectations are about when and where you will be working.
Reserve spaces for work and relaxation – If possible, set up a dedicated space as your “workstation” to serve as a clear signal to yourself and others that you are working. It’s also recommended to designate some spaces as work-free to reinforce the separation of work and life.
Keep consistent hours and schedule breaks – Having clearly defined hours will help you to mentally prepare for your work. When possible, align your remote work hours with your typical work hours. It’s also critically important to take breaks often and especially beneficial when you schedule your breaks in advance.
Build in transitions – Commuting allows you to get mentally prepared for the workday and signifies the separation between work and life. While you aren’t physically commuting, you can still be intentional about your transition into and out of working time. Whether it’s reading a book, listening to music, meditating, or spending time with pets, partners, or children, choose an activity that you can use as a transition into and out of work, and try to be consistent.
 
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.
DiscoverPD: Your guide to professional development
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.

Upcoming Professional Development Events

New faculty members commonly describe working long hours but making little progress on their research and writing; a sense of loneliness that stems from limited mentoring and community; feeling unsupported in their desire for work-family balance and without the skills to achieve it; and wondering whether the academic path is the right career choice.
This webinar is specifically designed to address these issues and provide participants with concrete skills to successfully transition from graduate student to professor. Specifically, participants will learn the three biggest mistakes that new faculty make in managing their time; why and how to align work time with institutional and personal priorities; how to create time for academic writing and research; and how to organize a network of support and accountability for writing productivity and balance. To sign up, first activate your National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity account through the UW–Madison institutional membership. 
Job Search Tips/Strategies
Wednesday, April 8 | noon - 12:45 pm
Online
Beyond the Professoriate's 7th Annual Online Career Conference
May 2 | 11 am - 4 pm
May 9 | 11 am - 4 pm
This conference will provide graduate students with support and advice on job search strategies to launch non-faculty careers through one-hour instructional webinars and panel discussions with PhDs who have launched successful non-faculty careers. Special consideration will be given to job searching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Registration is free for UW–Madison students.

For Future Faculty

Preparing for success on the job market and beyond.
Find a full list of events on the For Future Faculty website.
Writing a Diversity Statement
Wednesday, April 8 | 11 am - 12:30 pm 
Online
Panel: Exploring Careers in Higher Ed Teaching
Thursday, April 9 | noon - 2 pm
Online
Virtual Lab: Improving the Remote Student Experience
Wednesday, April 8 | 10 - 11:30 am
Online
Virtual Lab: Better Asynchronous Collaborations
Thursday, April 9 | 10 - 11:30 am
Online
Virtual Lab: Lecturing and Alternatives
Friday, April 10 | 10 - 11:30 am
Online
Virtual Lab: Lecturing and Alternatives
Tuesday, April 14 | 10 - 11:30 am
Online
A Writer's Retreat
Wednesday, April 8 | 5 - 9 pm
Online
A Writer's Retreat
Saturday, April 11 | 9 am - 1 pm
Online
SBIR Ready Bootcamp
Applications due May 8
This bootcamp (offered online for 2020) teaches graduate students and early-career scientists the secrets to articulating a business case for your team’s innovation. The 4-week program begins May 26 and will help you tap into federal funding for small business innovation research and technology transfer.
Deadlines & Announcements

COVID-19 Updates

For the latest information for graduate students regarding campus operations, visit covid19.wisc.edu/graduate-students.
Details of Spring 2020 special grading option announced
Provost Karl Scholz has announced details of the spring 2020 special grading option due to disruption caused by COVID-19. At the end of the Spring 2020 term, instructors will submit a standard grade to the Office of the Registrar. After the grade is received, students may choose to convert their letter grade in any course to one of two new grades: SD (Satisfactory-Disruption) and UD (Unsatisfactory-Disruption). The SD grade will count for all University General Education, degree/major, certificate, and PhD minor requirements and will satisfy future course prerequisites. For graduate students who convert to an SD grade, the course will count toward the Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence, degree, and graduate coursework (50%) credit requirements, and the minimum or maximum credit load per term requirements. The UD will not count for any credit. Neither of the new grades will be included in GPA calculations. Details are available on the Registrar’s Office website.
Information on Graduate School policies related to credit requirements are available in the Academic Policies and Procedures.
COVID-19 leave policy updated; applies to grad assistants
The Office of Human Resources has developed a new leave policy in light of COVID-19 and the changes to campus operations. The policy provides a paid leave benefit to support impacted employees through May 1. This provides additional paid leave if an employee is unable to work due to COVID-19 related issues, including the inability to work remotely, when an employee is ill, or providing care for an immediate family member. It also applies to teaching assistants, research assistants, and program assistants.
The original policy provided an 80-hour leave bank for employees to use for COVID-19 pandemic related leave. This policy extension now provides leave until May 1 and is no longer limited to a certain number of hours. Please see the full revised COVID-19 Pandemic Employee Work Location and Leave Policy for details. Please note that graduate assistants are not eligible for vacation carryover and this COVID-19 leave policy does not change that eligibility.
Summer term to be online-only
To minimize the risk to our community as much as possible, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Summer Term will proceed with online-only instruction, while in-person courses will be suspended due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read more about the Summer Term shift to online only.
Bursar’s Office will not charge late fees for segregated fee payments
If you were unable to make your payment by last Friday, the Bursar's Office will not charge late fees for the rest of the semester.
Wellness
Helpful Daily Shelter-in-Place Questions
Wednesday, April 8 | noon - 1 pm
Online
Mom-Dad-Docs: Teleworking with Kids
Tuesday, April 14 | noon - 1 pm
Online
Mental Health Resources for Grad Students
According 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.
  • 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. If you are concerned for your own well-being or the well-being of someone you know, call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600. For situations that are immediately life-threatening, call 911.
  • Healthy Minds Program. Translating pioneering neuroscience into tools for everyday life, this program utilizes a unique framework to guide you through the four pillars of the science of training the mind. You can access lessons and practices through the app.  

For more mental health resources, visit the UHS website on mental health.

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.
Funding Opportunities
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.

Campus Employment

Fellowships & Grants

Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Application due September 17
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program (FUSP) is designed to give recent BS/BA graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Most grantees plan their own programs.
An online info session will be held on Thursday, April 16 at 4 pm.
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