May 9, 2024
UWM is providing regular updates as it works toward closing the Washington County and Waukesha campuses. These will be provided every two weeks to CGS faculty and staff and have a dedicated section in the biweekly Faculty & Staff Updates newsletter. Other updates may also be sent, as necessary, in addition to this biweekly email.
Here are the updates from the four operational areas:
Issue 1: HLC Accreditation Issues
UWM and Waukesha County Technical College leadership continue to work together on the planning and documentation needed for the UWM University Center at WCTC. This includes monthly leadership check-ins between both institutions. Conversations are continuing on programs and degree offerings that would be offered at the UWM University Center at WCTC.
Issue 2: Programming and Personnel
The University Committee is asking for feedback from CGS employees, CGS students and governance groups on the CGS Program Discontinuance Proposal via a webform on the Waukesha Closure webpage. The webform will be live through June 2. The committee has 30 days to collect comments and recommendations, which will then be shared with members of the UC for their consideration.
Eligible employees participating in the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) are reminded to return their signed separation agreements to the UWM Department of Human Resources no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, May 10.
As part of the CGS closure, academic staff, limited appointees and university staff received nonrenewal or layoff notices from the UWM Department of Human Resources the week of May 6.
WCTC updated its job landing page to allow impacted employees to access internal postings. WCTC also included a checkbox on job applications for UWM at Waukesha employees. Find more information in this guide to applying for WCTC jobs and the WCTC benefits guide.
UWM Human Resources benefits specialists visited UWM at Waukesha on May 2. For additional questions or to schedule private benefits consultations, email benefits@uwm.edu.
Forward Careers and the Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington (WOW) Workforce Development Board hosted a virtual Rapid Response Session Workshop on May 7. The workshop covered filing for unemployment, job search skills, resume trends, interview techniques and more. More information can be found on the Forward Careers Rapid Response webpage and Job Center of Wisconsin – Where Talent & Opportunity Meet. Additional workshops will be held in the next academic year.
Employees are encouraged to use the services of UWM’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), through Acentra Health, which is available to all UWM employees and their family members. Acentra Health is free, confidential and available 24/7. Please contact Acentra Health at 833-539-7285 or online at sowi.mylifeexpert.com. Sign in using UWM’s password: SOWI.
Questions?
- Review the Employee FAQs for updated information.
- For all other general HR questions, please reach out to your Human Resources Business Partner.
- Questions regarding your specific tax, financial or legal questions should be directed to your personal tax and financial advisors, attorney, or another advisor.
Issue 3: Washington County Closure, followed by Waukesha Closure
The online portal for UWM units to claim items from Washington County is now closed, and the team is checking the requests for conflicts with CGS needs. The UWM at Washington County building will be closed to the public on May 28 through June 30, 2024. Faculty and staff will not be able to gain entrance unless they contact campus administrator Paul Price in advance at priceap@uwm.edu. Washington County faculty and staff have been notified that they should vacate their offices May 24, before the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Issue 4: UWM University Center at WCTC (and Washington County programming at MPTC)
WCTC identified a space for the UWM University Center and agreed that UWM could move in as early as January 2025. Team leads will begin working on details of the space, including necessary furniture, which WCTC could provide, depending on need.
UWM will also begin to identify staffing and scheduling needs, anticipating a scaling up from January 2025 to the fall, when classes would be offered.
These written updates to CGS employees will continue through the end of the Spring 2025 semester. This CGS webpage will remain the source of updated information, including frequently asked questions, upcoming meeting dates and postings of previous emails.