Investment counseling available

TIAA-CREF, Fidelity and T. Rowe Price consultants will be available to discuss financial matters with UW-Eau Claire employees during the next few weeks. Dates, times and locations are as follows:

TIAA-CREF

• April 20, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Birchwood Room, Davies Center.
• April 21, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Potawatomi Room, Davies Center.

[To schedule an appointment with a TIAA-CREF consultant, call 800-732-8353.]

Fidelity

• April 23, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Wisconsin Room, Davies Center.

[To schedule an appointment with a Fidelity consultant, call 800-642-7131 or visit the Fidelity Web site.]

T. Rowe Price

• April 27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Badger Room, Davies Center.

[To schedule an appointment with a T. Rowe Price consultant, call 800-922-9945 or visit the T. Rowe Price Web site.]

Web, local presentations on Wisconsin Retirement System to be held

The Department of Employee Trust Funds will offer a live, interactive Web presentation on the Wisconsin Retirement System from 7-9 p.m. April 15. A link to the presentation can be found on the ETF Web site.

ETF also will lead a public presentation from 7-9 p.m. April 20 in the Chippewa Valley Technical College auditorium, 620 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire. That presentation and others also will be recorded for future viewing on the ETF Web site.

WRS presentations are valuable opportunities for WRS members, their spouses and other individuals to learn more about ETF-administered WRS benefit programs. Participants considering or planning retirement in the near future are strongly encouraged to attend.

Proposed graduate curricular changes in College of Arts and Sciences

The following courses have been proposed as new or revised graduate course offerings. If you have questions or objections, contact Margaret Cassidy at cassidml@uwec.edu or 836-3152 within 30 days of this notice, posted April 9, 2010.

New course proposals
Engl 723 Story Writing Seminar, 3 crs.
Flg 565 Special Topics in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, 3 crs.
Phys 561 LabVIEW Basics, 2 crs.
Phys 562 LabVIEW Applications, 2 crs.
Phys 563 LabVIEW cRIO, 1 cr.

Revision of existing courses
Psyc 791 Seminar in School Psychology, 1-3 crs. (change of title, credit hours, scheduled periods of instruction, enrollment restriction, grading basis, Catalogue description, repeatability, when offered, and topical outline and timetable.)

Meeting to discuss proposed steam line project environmental impact

A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 8 in Room 202 of Schofield Hall regarding the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a proposed steam and condensate line replacement/expansion project on the UW-Eau Claire campus. The Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of State Facilities has retained Cedar Corp. of Menomonie to complete data collection and the environmental analysis for the project.

Following a brief presentation by Cedar Corp. of the project and potential impacts, the meeting will be opened to accept public input. Individuals and groups who are unable to attend the meeting are invited to submit written comments by noon April 8 to:

Cedar Corporation
c/o Matt Taylor
604 Wilson Avenue
Menomonie, WI 54751
matt.taylor@cedarcorp.com

An electronic version of the EIA document also will be available beginning the afternoon of March 24 for viewing or downloading at http://www.uwec.edu/upload/UWECSteamlineEIA.pdf. Read the official meeting notice.

Faculty/Academic Staff Forums

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will present its final Faculty/Academic Staff Forum for the spring semester from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. April 7 in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Old Library 1142. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch.

• April 7: Dr. Mike Axelrod, psychology/Human Development Center, "Research in Behavioral Pediatrics: Helping Parents Find Solutions to Common but Potentially Harmful Childhood Problems."

A complete schedule of the Spring 2010 Forums is available online.

April 2 is UW-Eau Claire common furlough day

The UW-Eau Claire campus will be closed Friday, April 2, the last of four common furlough days for all UW-Eau Claire employees during the 2009-10 fiscal year. Full-time, 12-month employees must take a total of 16 furlough days during the two-year period beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2011. Employees who work less than full time will prorate their furlough days accordingly. The furlough days were mandated for all state and UW System employees by Gov. Jim Doyle in response to a projected state budget shortfall. Employees had previous common furlough days Aug. 7, Nov. 27 and Dec. 28. Find more information about implementation of the furlough mandate on the UW-Eau Claire Human Resources, UW System and UW-Eau Claire chancellor's Web sites.

Free hearing evaluations offered

Free hearing evaluations are offered to UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, students and their immediate families Mondays this semester during the following times: 9:45-10:45 a.m.; 2-3 p.m.; 3-4 p.m.; 4-5 p.m.; and 5-6 p.m. at the Center for Communication Disorders. Please call Corinne at 836-4186 to schedule an appointment.

Big changes coming for student registration and more

UW-Eau Claire is implementing new software to handle student registration, grading, admissions, financial aid and student financials. Starting with processing for fall 2010, all these activities will be using the new MyBlugold CampS software. The software is named based on where it can be found (within the MyBlugold system) and a shortened name of the Oracle Campus Solutions software being used.

The system has been implemented in stages, starting with the Admissions office and personal demographic information last fall. New fall 2010 applicants have used the system to check their admissions status, and all students and staff have used the MyBlugold CampS Personal Information screens to check and update demographic information such as addresses, phone numbers and emergency contact data.

Since planning and registration for fall 2010 is starting shortly, most students will begin to use MyBlugold CampS more heavily within the next few weeks. They will use this new software to search the fall class schedule, plan their classes within their “shopping cart” and then enroll in their classes based on their enrollment appointment. All these activities can be done within the MyBlugold CampS Student Center, which will show them any Holds or To Do List items they may have to complete (for example, paying their $100 registration deposit). Faculty and advisers will be able to assist their advisees by using the MyBlugold CampS Advisor Center to view data regarding their advisees.

Financial aid communications with students also will use the Student Center, starting in late March. Students will be able to see what, if any, information is still needed for their financial aid applications. And when aid is awarded this coming summer, they’ll be able to see that information in the Financials section of the Student Center. When it comes to paying tuition, fees, room and board, this information also will be available in the Financials area.

Students and staff have been or will be notified of this new change through a “Big Changes” series of e-mails. Each e-mail gives information about an aspect of the system and includes a short tutorial or options to get more information. Copies of these communications, plus instructions on using features, can be found online at http://www.uwec.edu/help/camps.htm.

Swimming and diving team to offer lessons

UW-Eau Claire's swimming and diving team will hold swimming and diving lessons April 5-22 and April 26-May 13 for swimmers of all ages and abilities. Lessons will be in the McPhee Physical Education Center pool. Registration deadlines are April 1 for the first session and April 23 for the second session. See lesson times/descriptions and registration details.

Campus Campaign 2010: A thank you from the campaign chairs

To date 381 UW-Eau Claire current and retired employees have contributed more than $228,000 to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation through Campus Campaign 2010. Close to 325 members of the campus community attended the Foundation's annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon Feb. 25.

While the active phase of the campus campaign is over, the UW-Eau Claire Foundation accepts gifts, payroll deduction pledges and other commitments throughout the year, so members of the campus community are invited and encouraged to give anytime. Read a thank-you message from the Campus Campaign 2010 chairs.

Grant proposal workshop set for March 4

Jeremy Miner, director of grants and contracts in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, will present a workshop titled "Preproposal Contacts: Who You Need to Talk to and What You Need to Know Before You Write Your Next Grant Proposal" from 12:10-12:50 p.m. March 4 in Old Library 1142 (CETL). For more information about the workshop, contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at 715-836-3405 or orsp@uwec.edu.

IRE grants available

The UW System's Institute on Race and Ethnicity has announced that grants in the following categories are available for the 2010-11 fiscal year:

• Category A (research): To support scholarly research on topics addressing race, ethnicity, diversity, inclusivity and/or equity with the intention of publication.
• Category B (curriculum development): To support the development and teaching of new courses pertaining to race, ethnicity, diversity, inclusivity and/or equity.
• Category C (campus activities): A miscellaneous category designed to support campus activities, guest lectures, fine arts performances, curricular infusion and instructional innovations, and/or events regarding race, ethnicity, diversity, inclusivity and/or equity.
• Faculty diversity research awards: To provide release time and support for tenure-track faculty members for scholarly research and writing to enhance their opportunities for achieving tenure.

Proposals must be sent to the Institute on Race and Ethnicity, UW-Milwaukee, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, and postmarked no later than April 9. More information is available online or by contacting Thomas Tonnesen, IRE interim director, at tonnesen@uwm.edu or 414-229-4700.

Dulany buffet to benefit Haiti

Blugold Dining invites UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, students and community members to its Haiti Tribute Buffet from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 3 in The Dulany of Davies Center. The buffet will feature Haitian cuisine prepared by Blugold Dining executive chef Timothy Grayson. Cost is $8.50 per person. For every lunch buffet purchased, $2 will be donated to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Call 715-836-5261 for information or reservations. A menu is available online.

Foundation to host Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon

The UW-Eau Claire Foundation will host its annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon Thursday, Feb. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Council Fire Room-Willow Lounge, Davies Center.

University employees are invited to come when they can and stay as long as they are able. Door prize drawings will be held throughout the luncheon, and Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich will express his thanks to faculty and staff for their service to UW-Eau Claire.

Campus Campaign 2010: Foundation grants make cultural immersion experiences possible

Two new cultural immersion programs for UW-Eau Claire graduate nursing students have been made possible by the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. The Foundation also continues its support of a third cultural immersion experience, UW-Eau Claire's Civil Rights Pilgrimage.

During August 2009, six graduate nursing students and Dr. Cheryl Lapp, professor of nursing, spent six days at the reservation in Lac du Flambeau, where they had direct nursing experience at the Peter Christensen Health Center with the Lac Du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

As the result of another Foundation grant, six additional UW-Eau Claire graduate nursing students and nursing professor Dr. Lee-Ellen Kirkhorn will travel during spring break to the Steinbruck Center for Urban Studies, a guest hostel of the Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. They will stay at the hostel and provide care at several agencies serving the homeless.

The Foundation also provided funding for the UW-Eau Claire Civil Rights Pilgrimage Winterim and upcoming spring break trips.

Cultural immersion experiences like these can be supported by donations to the Campus Campaign. Learn more about these immersion experiences and how to contribute to Campus Campaign 2010-11.

Continuing Education offerings

Connecting campus and community. Continuing Education serves a wide variety of nontraditional students. Following are links to news releases about upcoming Continuing Education programs.

• Total Percussion Camp to be offered this summer.
• Supervisory management workshops to be offered.

Additional information can be found on the Continuing Education Web site or by calling 715-836-3636.

Black History Month buffet set for Feb. 23

Blugold Dining invites UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff, students and community members to its Black History Month buffet from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in The Dulany of Davies Center. Cost is $8.50 per person. Call 715-836-5261 for reservations. More information.

Proposed changes in College of Business

Following are proposed changes in the College of Business. If you have questions or concerns, contact Associate Dean Bob Sutton at suttonr@uwec.edu or 836-4187 within 15 days of this notice, posted Feb. 19, 2010.

• View changes.

'Tools for Teaching' workshop set for Feb. 26

Learning and Technology Services and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at UW-Eau Claire will present a daylong conference titled "Tools for Teaching: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction" Feb. 26 at Davies Center. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend one or more of eight different sessions showcasing their colleagues who are using Web 2.0 tools and other technologies in their course work to enhance student engagement and learning. The sessions are:

• Enhancing the Online Learning Experience
• EndNoteWeb
• Web 2.0: Visuals & Audio
• Second Life
• iclickers
• TED Talks
• Blended Learning
• Digital Storytelling

For more information, contact Gene Leisz in LTS at leiszgj@uwec.edu or 715-836-6004.

Campus Campaign 2010: Staff members receive Classified Staff Grant Fund awards

This week's Campus Campaign highlight is the UW-Eau Claire Foundation's Classified Staff Grant Fund.

Recently receiving $250 awards from the fund for advancing their education were Judith Gray, academic department associate for the UW-Eau Claire women's studies program, and Barbara Arnold, academic publications and curriculum coordinator in the UW-Eau Claire Registrar's Office.

The Classified Staff Grant Fund was established by Linda Haag and Susie Warden, who completed bachelor's degrees at UW-Eau Claire while working as full-time members of the university's classified staff. They created the Classified Staff Grant Fund after completing their degrees to make certain other classified staff members had a similar opportunity.

Campus Campaign gifts from UW-Eau Claire faculty and staff can be directed to the Classified Staff Grant Fund. Learn more about the fund and how to contribute to Campus Campaign 2010-11.