February 16, 2015  |  News & Events, Provost's Updates

Good morning Colleagues. Here is this (rather busy) week’s update:

Budget update

– Just a reminder that there will be a second Campus Budget Meeting and discussion tomorrow, February 17, from 9-10 a.m. in the Student Union Wisconsin Room. The meeting will again be live streamed at https://uwm.edu/streamingvideo/universityrelations/. Here are links to important websites that I encourage you to visit: https://uwm.edu/ucnews/ and https://uwm.edu/budget. As you know, there have been a number of discussions in the media regarding the proposed budget cuts.  Today, Christine Evans (Assistant Professor, History) had an Op-ed in the New York Times. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/opinion/save-the-wisconsin-idea.html?ref=opinion&_r=1.

Here is the link to a recent PowerPoint on the budget (download):
https://uwm.edu/ucnews/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2015/02/Budget_proposal_information_v33.pptx.

And here is that PowerPoint in PDF format:
https://uwm.edu/ucnews/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2015/02/Budget_proposal_information_v33.pdf.

Kudos

– Last week’s A2S Beyond the First Year Summit was a great event focusing on student success. Congratulations to all involved in planning the Summit.

– WUWM journalists are being heard nationally! While much attention has been focused on the Keystone XL pipeline, a little known pipeline in Wisconsin might pump even more oil. WUWM’s environmental reporter, Susan Bence, shared the story with nation-wide listeners on the NPR program, “Here and Now.” Listen to it at: http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/02/13/wisconsin-oil-pipeline.

And a fun story about the resurgence of wallpaper in the home, from Erin Toner, aired this week on, “Marketplace.” Listen to it at: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/wallpaper-makes-comeback.

– School of Architecture and Urban Planning Professors in Practice, Brian Johnsen and Sebastian Schmaling, have been recently recognized in significant publications:  Architectural Digest selected Johnsen Schmaling Architects for their “Rising Stars” feature that spotlights ten “on-the-rise American architectural firms.” See: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2015-02/architects-on-the-rise-2015-slideshow?title=1; and Fast Company magazine named Johnsen Schmaling’s Topo House one of the “ten most ingenious residential designs of 2014.” It’s the only project from the United States included in the feature. See: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3039873/10-of-the-most-fabulous-housing-designs-of-2014.

– UWM’s new National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA Research Center) held a grant-funded national summit at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiatives conference last week. The event was featured in the WCET Frontiers blog: https://wcetblog.wordpress.com/.

– eCampus News interviewed Diane Reddy, CETL and Psychology, on the U-pace online instructional approach and how it reduces achievement gaps:
http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/student-achievement-gaps-387/.

Synopsis of the week

Monday
I begin the week with a meeting on Smart Manufacturing followed by a meeting on biomedical engineering. The Budget Planning Task Force, which I co-chair with Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administrative Affairs Robin Van Harpen, will also have its first meeting Monday morning. The Chancellor’s Cabinet has its regular Monday meeting followed by the bi-weekly lunch meeting with the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Michael Laliberte to discuss the agenda for the next CEMAT meeting.

Tuesday
We have the second all-campus budget meeting from 9-10 a.m. in the Union Wisconsin Room. Associate Vice Chancellor Phyllis King and I have a lunch meeting with MATC leadership to discuss collaboration. The School of Information Studies has its annual budget meeting and I have my weekly meeting with the Chancellor. In the afternoon, a number of us will meet with MCW on biomedical collaboration.

Wednesday
I have regular monthly meetings with Helen Bader School of Social Welfare Dean Stan Stojkovic, Secretary of the University Trudy Turner, and College of Health Sciences Interim Dean Paula Rhyner. I meet with School of Continuing Education staff in the morning, followed by a meeting with Jen Murray and Kate Ganski on the Academic Staff Awards Committee Professional Development Awards. In the afternoon I have several space-related meetings.

Thursday
The Academic Planning and Budget Committee meets and I will attend. I have regular monthly meetings with a number of my direct reports and the Faculty Senate meets in the afternoon and I will attend.

Friday
I meet with several direct reports, plus Lubar School of Business Dean Tim Smunt, and School of Freshwater Science Dean David Garman. The Budget Communication Task Force has its first meeting; I co-chair the Task Force with Vice Chancellor of University Relations and Communications Tom Luljak. The Peck School of the Arts has its budget meeting. In the evening I am planning to attend the Pan-African Community Association meeting in Milwaukee.

Announcements

Call for Educational Technology Fund Proposals
– The Advisory Committee on Educational Technology invites proposals from the campus for one-time funds in 2015-16 supporting projects in line with the intent of the Educational Technology fees. See: http://uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/edtechfee.cfm to learn more about the RFP. The deadline for proposals is March 6.

Academic Update Information
– All UWM instructors who are teaching courses that enroll first-year students, transfer students, students living in University Housing, Lawton Scholars, Academic Opportunity Center students, and Life Impact students are encouraged to complete Early Warnings/Academic Updates between February 9 and March 6. We ask that instructors put in place a means of assessing student performance to provide feedback to the student. See: http://uwm.typepad.com/news_from_academic_affair/2015/02/academic-update-information.html for more information.

On Public Health Lecture
– Chelsea Weirich presents, “Linking Limnology to Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water,” on Tuesday, February 24 from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Zilber School of Public Health, Room 590, 1240 N. 10th St., Milwaukee. See: https://uwm.edu/publichealth-news/event/on-public-health-chelsea-weirich-zilber-phd-student-in-environmental-health-sciences/.

Exploring Majors Fair
– Please share with your students: The UWM Exploring Majors Fair will take place on Monday, February 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Union Ballroom. More information is available at www.majorsfair.uwm.edu. Please direct questions to Lauren Lessac at lpeyton@uwm.edu.

FIND YOUR FIT!  9-week Fitness Challenge
– Find Your Fit is a 9-week fitness challenge (March 2-May 1) for UWM employees. Register by Monday, February 23 and schedule your pre-challenge assessment!  For more information or to register visit https://uwm.edu/thehub/find-your-fit/ or email thehub@uwm.edu.

From the Institute of World Affairs
– The Fireside Forum on Foreign Policy will be held on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge and is entitled, “Young, Frustrated and Mad: Global Youth Unemployment and Unrest.” More information can be found at www.iwa.uwm.edu.

– Dr. Boris Kagarlitsky, author of over a dozen books, including the Issac Deutscher Prize winning The Thinking Reed, presents, “Russia, the West, and Ukrainian Crisis,” on Friday, February 20 at 2 p.m. in Garland 104. For more information, see https://www.flickr.com/photos/66798555@N03/sets/72157648389568443/ or contact Jeff Sommers at sommerjw@uwm.edu.

From the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning
– The spring issue of the NWQ Active Learning at UWM newsletter is out. See
https://uwm.edu/cipd/Partners/upload/Newsletter2-9-2015master2.pdf.

From the Libraries
– This Thursday, February 19 at 12 p.m., Matt Russell, Co-director, UWM Digital Humanities Lab, presents, “Methods in Digital Humanities: Scalar,” in the Digital Humanities Lab, 2nd floor east wing, Golda Meir Library.  More information at: https://uwm.edu/libraries/dhlab/events/.

– Also this Thursday at 3 p.m., Stuart Moulthrop (English), Nathan Humpal (UWM Libraries), and Justin Schumaker (English) will lead a conversation on Twitch.tv, the future of gaming and game study in the UWM Digital Humanities Lab, 2nd floor east wing, Golda Meir Library. More information at: https://uwm.edu/libraries/event/of-twitch-we-speak-a-conversation-about-twitch-tv-the-future-of-gaming-and-game-study/.

– And Friday at 3 p.m., Stephen Q. Dornbos, Associate Professor, UWM Geosciences Department, will present an informal talk, “Exploring the Early Animal Fossil Record in SW China and Western Mongolia,” in UWM’s Academic Adventurers series in the American Geographical Society Library. More information at: https://uwm.edu/libraries/event/uwms-academic-adventurers/.

From UITS
– Anthem phishing scam: an insidious and ongoing threat: With the recent Anthem insurance company data breach, con artists have already developed a way to trick our community into divulging personal information. Please don’t fall for it! See:  http://www5.uwm.edu/news/2015/02/13/it-security-announcement-green-phishing-scam-related-to-anthem-blue-cross-identity-theft/#.VN4g5RF0x9A

– Office 365 Tip of the Week
Tired of rescheduling meetings because you don’t know when people are available?  Use the Scheduling Assistant to check availability before you schedule! For more information, see the UWM Knowledge Base: https://kb.uwm.edu/search.php?q=scheduling+assistant.

Other

– The World Cup Cricket tournament started over the weekend. My prediction: Australia versus South Africa in the final.

I wish you all a great week and take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs