Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to all our students! Here are this week’s updates from Academic Affairs as we begin the spring 2016 semester.
Kudos
– Professor Chia Youyee Vang, History, has been awarded the 2016 Board of Regents Diversity Award, for the Individual Category. The award comes with a $5,000 professional development grant. Congratulations, Chia!
– Congratulations to the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for a successful Teaching and Learning Symposium on January 13. Under the theme of Connecting People and Practices: Student Success Strategies and Initiatives That Work, 28 individual and group presentations were made by UWM faculty and academic staff to more than 140 attendees. The symposium included a keynote address by Dr. Regan Gurung, Ben J. and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Human Development at UW-Green Bay. CETL will make the presentations available to campus community through its website. See photos from the event.
Campus budget meeting
Just a reminder that we have our 13th Campus Budget meeting this Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union Wisconsin Room East.
Enrollment and Retention meetings
Following last semester’s meetings with schools and colleges on enrollment planning for fall 2016, we will continue our meetings this semester, focusing specifically on retention and on planning how to increase our yield (the number of students who actually enroll after being admitted). We kick off these meetings this week with the School of Information Studies (SOIS) and the College of Letters and Science.
The week:
Monday
In the morning, I have meetings with a direct report and the Chancellor’s Expanded Cabinet. I will also join a meeting with a few of our distinguished professors. In the afternoon, I have my weekly staff meeting, as well as the Chancellor’s Enrollment Management Action Team (CEMAT) meeting. The agenda includes tuition recommendations that we need to submit to System, and an update on the Strategic Enrollment Management planning.
Tuesday
It is a busy day filled with regular meetings with direct reports and my monthly meeting with University Committee Chair John Reisel. I’ll be attending the University Committee meeting in the afternoon. (I meet with the UC on a bi-weekly basis.)
Wednesday
I have more meetings with direct reports in the morning, along with the first of our Enrollment and Retention meetings, which is with SOIS. In the afternoon, there are more direct report meetings, along with the Academic Leadership Council meeting. Agenda items include an update on international enrollment planning and retention initiatives.
Thursday
In the morning, I’ll be traveling to Madison to attend the Common Systems Review Group (CSRG) full committee meeting. In the afternoon, I’ll be traveling back to Milwaukee to attend the Faculty Senate meeting.
Friday
I have several meetings with direct reports in the morning, along with our second Enrollment and Retention meeting, this time with Letters and Science. In the afternoon, we have the Campus Budget meeting, and my weekly one-on-one meeting with the Chancellor. In the evening, I’ll be attending the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business’s Executive MBA Graduation Dinner.
Announcements
From the Graduate School
– Following the earlier announcement from the Chancellor, the Graduate School is pleased to announce an increase in Teaching Assistant stipends for the 2016-2017 academic year. In addition, the Graduate School has maintained full funding toward the Chancellor’s Graduate Student Awards (CGSA) and Research Excellence Awards (REA). See more information (including the official stipend announcement and award distribution for the CGSA and the REA). See all stipend rates.
Online Summer Courses
– Teaching an online course in summer 2016? Consider promoting your course on the Online Summer Courses website!
From Zilber School of Public Health
– Zilber School of Public Health faculty, Dr. Jenna Loyd, will be kicking off this semester’s On Public Health lecture series, which will focus on violence as a public health issue, including causes, impact, and paths to peace. Come hear Dr. Loyd on Thursday, January 28 at 4 p.m. in ZSPH Room 119.
From Alumni Relations
– The deadline has been extended to Friday, January 29, to nominate an exemplary colleague for an Alumni Employee Award. Given at the Alumni Employee Appreciation Lunch, these awards recognize alumni employees of UWM as outstanding performers, unsung heroes, and contributors to the community. Learn more and nominate today.
From the Alumni Association
– Join Motor City Madness March 5-8 as our Milwaukee Panther Men’s Basketball team competes in the Horizon League Tournament in Detroit. Alumni Association ticket packages now available with early-bird rates (discounted pricing ends January 25 at 11:59 p.m.). #UnitedWeRoar
From the Center for International Education
– The CIE Study Abroad Office will be hosting its Study Abroad Fair on Monday, February 1 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Union Concourse. You are all invited! Additional information.
From the Office of Equity/Diversity Services
– The Office of Equity/Diversity Services will host a Title IX Training Session on Wednesday, February 3 from 2-3:30 p.m. in Union Room 191.
This training session is open to all campus employees and students, and will address issues such as sex-based discrimination and harassment. Register here. Visit the website, or call 414-229-5923, for more information on Title IX and upcoming trainings.
Distinguished Lecture Series
– UWM’s Distinguished Lecture Series and Geek Week present LeVar Burton on Wednesday, February 24th at 7 p.m. in the Union Wisconsin Room. More information available.
Other
– For those of you running or biking through this winter (or planning to do so) – here is an interesting article worth a read.
Take care,
Johannes
Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs