Good morning, colleagues. Here are this week’s updates from Academic Affairs as we head into winter break.
In Memoriam
The School of Education has lost a highly esteemed colleague, Diane Pollard, Professor Emerita from the Department of Educational Psychology. Diane joined our faculty in 1976 and served as an outstanding member of the UWM community for over thirty years. Dr. Pollard was UWM’s first recipient of the UW-System’s Women of Color Award in 1995. In addition to this award, Dr. Pollard was the 2009 Ernest Spaights Plaza Award recipient and was honored with a plaque on the UWM Spaights Plaza. She was also the recipient of UWM’s Distinguished Public Service Award. Diane served as the Director of the UW-System Center for the Study of Minorities and Disadvantaged from 1979-1985. Funeral service will be held at Incarnation Lutheran Church, 1510 W. Keefe Ave., in Milwaukee today at 1 p.m.
Kudos
– Congratulations to the 2,330 students who graduated on Sunday!
– Ryo Amano, Mechanical Engineering, was recently elected to a Fellow grade in the International Society for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (ISEES). Dr. Amano has been very active in development of next generation novel energy systems for gas turbines based conventional energy production systems as well as renewable energy production systems and water research. He is also currently a Fellow of ASME and Associate Fellow of AIAA. Well done, Ryo!
The Week
Monday
I start the week with an Education Advisory Board conference call. I’m attending a meeting of the Academic Staff Committee and the Chancellor’s Cabinet meets. I also have a meeting with VC Tom Luljak and I have a CEMAT co-chair meeting with the Chancellor. My staff also meets in the afternoon (it is a weekly meeting).
Tuesday
I have a UW System Provosts phone conference with President Cross to provide feedback on the 3 finalists for the position of UW System Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. I have my weekly meeting with the Chancellor, and meetings with Libraries Director Ewa Barczyk and College of Letters and Science Dean Rodney Swain.
Wednesday
I meet with Graduate School Dean Marija G-J and have also my weekly meetings with Dev Venugopalan and Phyllis King. I will also attend an enrollment management meeting with the chancellor.
Take a break
I am taking some time off between December 24 and January 1 and will be back in the office on Monday January 4.
Announcements
UWM Teaching and Learning Symposium
– Registration is still open for the 2016 UWM Teaching and Learning Symposium! The event will be held on January 13, 2016 on the UW-Milwaukee campus. Information and registration.
Fromkin Research Grant and Lectureship
– A reminder that the deadline for proposals for the 2016 Fromkin Research Grant and Lectureship is December 30, 2015. The $5000 grant assists UWM faculty and staff in all fields of study to conduct research on the quest for social justice in the United States.
From UITS
– The Tech Timeout period for the 2016 Start-of-Spring Semester begins Friday, January 22, 2016, at 12:01 a.m. and ends Monday, February 1, 2016, at 11:59 p.m.
During this timeframe, University Information Technology Services (UITS) will not make changes that affect production-level services, functions, or activities. Exceptions to the policy include situations that require maintaining the stability or security of services. The purpose is to ensure the most stable environment for UWM business continuity during the start-of-semester activities.
If you have questions, please contact the UWM Help Desk, 414-229-4040; toll-free at 877-381-3459; or online at GetTechHelp.uwm.edu. Additionally, you’ll find the answers to many more questions in the UWM knowledge base.
– The UWM Help Desk will be closed:
Thursday December 24, 2015
Friday December 25, 2015
Thursday December 31, 2015
Friday January 1, 2016
The remaining days of the break between the end of the fall 2015 semester, December 26, 2015 and the start of UWinteriM 2016, January 3, 2016 will be normal Help Desk hours:
Monday – Wednesday 7 a.m.-midnight
Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m.-midnight
The change impacts phone and email support only. Customers will still be able to report emergency system outages 24/7 via the UWM Help Desk at (414) 229-4040 or toll free (877) 381-3459.
Other
– My next Update will be on Wednesday, January 6.
Take care and have a relaxing break,
Johannes
Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs