Registration open for UW System's President's Summit on Teaching and Learning

Registration is now open for the UW System's 2011 President's Summit on Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This "encore" event will be held
April 14-15 at the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club in Madison. Last year's inaugural summit was a successful, energizing forum showcasing the UW System's rich and diverse teaching expertise. This year, in addition to faculty and instructional staff presentations, student affairs professionals have been invited to share best-practice support services that enhance student success. More information about the summit is available online.

CSD series continues

The UW-Eau Claire communication sciences and disorders department once again is hosting a series of professional seminars throughout the academic year. The seminars include discussions of research by UW-Eau Claire faculty and regional researchers/experts in the field of communication sciences and disorders. All presentations will be held from 1-3 p.m. in Room 226 of the Human Sciences and Services building. The March presentation is: 

• March 11: Dr. Anna Thurmes, who directs the cleft palate/craniofacial anomalies clinic at the University of Minnesota, will present research related to assessment and management of children with cleft lip and palate.

A complete presentation schedule is available online. Support for the series has been provided by the UW-Eau Claire Academic Affairs Professional Development Program. For more information, contact Jerry Hoepner, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, at hoepnejk@uwec.edu or 715-836-3980.

Meeting on environmental impact of proposed new Education Building set for March 15

An Environmental Impact Statement scoping meeting to present the proposed UW-Eau Claire Education Building project will be held at 5:30 p.m. March 15 in the Presidents Room of Davies Center. Free parking will be in the Hibbard lot or for a fee in the metered lot south of Zorn Arena. A description of the project will be presented, and all persons will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to identify both orally and in writing any support, issues or concerns they believe should be addressed during the EIS process.

The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act, Wisconsin statute 1.11 and UW System Administration guidelines. The project manager is the state Department of Administration's Division of State Facilities. Ayres Associates has been retained to prepare an EIS on behalf of the UW System. The Education Building project includes construction of an approximately 183,000 GSF building that will be designed as a high performance building following DSF sustainability requirements. The building will be located west of Park Avenue, South of Zorn Arena and north of Schneider Hall on the present site of the Campus School. The project will require demolition of the Campus School and modifications to the south wall of Kjer Theatre. The project cost of $44,500,000 will be funded by general fund supported borrowing and building trust funds. Construction is projected to begin in spring 2012 with substantial completion and occupancy by July 2013.

An initial requirement of the EIS is the scoping process, with the intent of identifying at an early stage any potential impacts of the project on the physical, biological, social, and economic environments. Impacts that are identified during this process are incorporated into a Draft EIS which is made available to the public for a 45-day review period and is circulated to appropriate federal, state and local agencies.

Those interested in this project or who have any information relevant to it are welcome to offer comments, sugestions or other input. Those interested may submit comments at the meeting or in writing by March 22, 2011, to Dennis L. Johnson, PE; Supervisor – Environmental Services; Ayres Associates; 3433 Oakwood Hills Parkway; Eau Claire, WI 54701; johnsond@ayresassociates.com. Comment forms can also be obtained via the project website.

Special parking request for March 22 event

UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and students are asked to consider parking (if at all possible) in the Water Street and Haas Fine Arts Center parking lots on Tuesday, March 22, to free up as many parking spaces as possible near Davies Center for participants in UW-Eau Claire Continuing Education's Senior Americans Day. The event, which runs from about 7 a.m.-4 p.m., typically attracts approximately 500 older adults to Davies Center.

Investment counseling to be offered

TIAA-CREF consultants will be available to discuss financial matters with UW-Eau Claire employees from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. March 16 in the Badger Room of Davies Center and from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. March 17 in the Arrowhead Room of Davies Center. Call 800-732-8353 to schedule an appointment. More information.

Fulbright performance, panel set for March 7, 8

Guest artist Dr. Kristín Jónína Taylor, a Fulbright recipient and assistant professor of piano at Waldorf College in Iowa, will give a piano performance at 7:30 p.m. March 7 in Phillips Recital Hall of the Haas Fine Arts Center. More information about the performance is available online.

A panel discussion with UW-Eau Claire faculty Fulbright award recipients Dr. Michael Dorsher, communication and journalism; Dr. Jill Pinckney Pastrana, education studies; Dr. Karl Markgraf, Center for International Education; and Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds, foreign languages; will be held from 12:10-12:50 p.m. March 8 in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Old Library 1142.

The performance and panel discussion are sponsored by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. More information is available online.