Thursday, December 18, 2014

Curricular changes in College of Business

The following curricular changes were approved by the College of Business Curriculum Committee on Dec. 15, 2014. If you have questions or concerns, contact Dr. Tim Vaughan, College of Business associate dean, at vaughats@uwec.edu or 715-836-4408.

Curricular changes in College of Business

The following items were approved by the College of Business Curriculum Committee on Nov. 17, 2014. If you have questions or concerns, contact Dr. Tim Vaughan, College of Business associate dean, at vaughats@uwec.edu or 715-836-4408. You also may contact the appropriate department directly: Dr. Paula Lentz at ginderpj@uwec.edu or 715-836-3604; or Dr. Tony Keys at keysac@uwec.edu or 715-836-5910.

1. Changes to Advanced Business Communication certificate. Increase the number of credits required to earn the certificate to 12. Up to three credits of approved communication-intensive business courses may be applied to the certificate elective requirements.

2. ACCT 435 was approved as an elective in the Information Systems major (Business Analysis emphasis and Systems Development emphasis).

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Proposed graduate course offerings

The following courses have been proposed as new graduate course offerings in the graduate curriculum. If you have questions or objections, contact Dr. Margaret Cassidy at cassidml@uwec.edu or 715-836-3152 within 30 days of this notice, posted Dec. 16, 2014.
 
New Course Proposals
DS 700 Foundations of Data Science, 3 crs.
DS 705 Statistical Methods, 3 crs.
DS 710 Programming for Data Science, 3 crs.
DS 715 Data Warehousing, 3 crs.
DS 730 Big Data: High Performance Computing, 3 crs.
DS 735 Communicating about Data, 3 crs.

Monday, December 15, 2014

UW-Eau Claire Police join 'Booze and Belts' campaign

To increase safety-belt use and help reduce drunken driving, UW-Eau Claire Police have mobilized for the statewide "Booze and Belts" campaign from Dec. 12-20.

"Deaths and injuries in traffic crashes are especially tragic for families this time of year, so our officers will be out in force during the 'Booze and Belts' mobilization looking for unbuckled and impaired motorists," said Sgt. Joel Field of the
UW-Eau Claire Police.

High-visibility law enforcement mobilizations, like "Booze and Belts," are helping save lives and reduce injuries.

In the past 10 years, fatalities from alcohol-related crashes dropped from 348 in 2003 to 185 in 2013, which is a 47 percent reduction. Injuries from alcohol-related crashes dropped from 6,445 in 2003 to 2,660 in 2013, which is a 59 percent reduction. In addition, seat belt use in Wisconsin is at an all-time high with nearly 85 percent of drivers and passengers buckling up, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

"We're making progress toward the goal of zero preventable traffic deaths in Wisconsin, but far too many people are still needlessly killed or injured in traffic crashes," Field said.

"We are striving for voluntary compliance with traffic laws, so we urge you to make the responsible decision to buckle up and drive sober. But if you make an irresponsible decision, we will stop you and we won’t give you a warning or a second chance."

The Center for Alcohol Studies and Education will support the "Booze and Belts" efforts with educational messages across campus reminding students that the holidays are a high-risk time for accidents involving an impaired driver.

CASE peer educators are working to spread the message to students that keeping yourself and friends safe is as easy as planning ahead, using a taxi or public transportation to get home, or calling a sober friend or family member for a ride.

At UW-Eau Claire, surveys indicate that most students make the right choice and avoid driving after drinking. In 2014, 15 percent of students reported driving after drinking in the past year.

For more information, contact Sgt. Joel Field at 715-836-2222 or fieldja@uwec.edu.

UW System travel policy updates

Important improvements will be implemented in the near future to ease the booking process, provide assistance and protections to travelers and ensure the best available rates and flight options for UW System-funded travel.

New improvements to Concur will be launched Jan. 5, 2015.  An overhaul of the user interface has made the application more intuitive and will make self-booking air, car and lodging easier, faster and more efficient. This will eliminate the need or perceived benefits of surfing commercial sites for better deals. Concur's mobile functionality has also been enhanced.

Use of Fox World Travel or Concur allows UW System travelers to receive the necessary level of protection and care, especially when travel disruptions or emergencies occur. Fox World Travel also has hired additional travel agents to serve UW System needs.

While improvements in the program and policy revisions will take effect Jan. 5, there is a transition period until July 1. After July 1, only travel booked through the travel program will be eligible for reimbursement. 

The policy will be live on the UW System travel portal website Dec. 22, and the new Fox World Travel/Concur website will be live Jan. 5.

More information is available on the updated UW System Travel Services document.