On-campus writing retreat set for Aug. 4-8

The UW-Eau Claire Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) is offering an on-campus writing retreat from Aug. 4-8 for faculty, staff and administrators. The retreat will be held in the CWE in McIntyre Library 2003A from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-noon Friday.

The retreat will provide a quiet space on campus for participants to establish an individual workspace and write among other focused, productive faculty and staff. Participants should bring all materials needed for their projects (including laptops and data) and spread out at tables in the CWE. This is not an opportunity for research; in fact, the CWE recommends that participants turn off their phones, disconnect from WiFi and just focus on writing and revising. This is not a workshop, although opportunities for individual support will be available during the retreat.

During the first morning, the group will convene and individuals will describe specific goals for the day. Participants will write until lunch and then break to eat and socialize. At the end of the day, participants will reflect on their progress and report to the group. Resources on writing and individual afternoon consultations with CWE director Dr. Alan Benson (who will be writing as well), will be available. At the end of the week, individuals will report, reflect, celebrate their accomplishments and devise ways to sustain productivity beyond the retreat.

Register online by July 31. Registration is limited to 30 participants.

For more information, contact Dr. Alan Benson, CWE director, at bensonat@uwec.edu.

Finalists for university budget and resource planning director position to interview on campus

Finalists for the position of university budget and resource planning director at UW-Eau Claire have been invited to interview on campus. Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the finalists' open forums.

The finalists and the dates of their open forums are as follows:

• Michael Baer: July 8, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Council Oak Room (260), Davies Center.
• Kristen Hendrickson: July 14, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Ho-Chunk Room (320E), Davies Center.

More information about the position and finalists as well as links to feedback forms are available online.

Condolences

Condolences to the family of Dr. Rodney Johnson. Johnson, UW-Eau Claire professor emeritus of education and former dean of university's School of Education, passed away June 8 in Eau Claire. Full obituary.

Call for 'Meals with Honors' presenters

UW-Eau Claire faculty and academic staff are invited to present a topic and lead a discussion for the University Honors Program's "Meals with Honors" series during the 2014-15 academic year. "Meals with Honors" provide 15-20 interested Honors Program students with an opportunity to learn from faculty and academic staff on a wide range of topics through presentation and discussion over a meal.

Breakfasts are typically held Tuesday or Wednesday mornings from 7-7:50 a.m., and include coffee, juices and baked goods. Lunches and dinners usually feature pizza or sandwiches, with lunch held from noon-12:50 p.m. Dinners can begin anytime between 5 and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

If you are interested in presenting, please email the information requested in the form below to Pam Golden at goldenp@uwec.edu. If you are unsure of specific times or dates, please indicate your preferences for presenting: time of year; at breakfast, lunch or dinner; and which day(s) are best for you.

For more information, contact Dr. Jeff Vahlbusch, Honors Program director, at vahlbujb@uwec.edu or 715-836-4490.

Temporary parking changes in Phillips lot

From June 23-July 31, 2014, a portion of student S-permit parking in UW-Eau Claire's Phillips lot also will be open to faculty and staff with F permits. The temporary conversion involves 34 stalls in the southeast corner of the lot; new signage reflecting the change is in place. Hours of enforcement will remain unchanged. For more information, contact Becky Shannon, parking coordinator, at shannora@uwec.edu or 715-836-2726.

Chancellor seeks nominations for two university commissions

Chancellor Schmidt is seeking nominations for service on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Chancellor's Diversity Advisory Commission (CDAC). If you are interested in serving on either of these commissions, please email a short statement of interest to Teresa O'Halloran at ohallote@uwec.edu.

Condolences

Condolences to the family of Cleo Powers. Powers, UW-Eau Claire associate professor emerita of library services, passed away May 22 in Eau Claire. Full obituary.

Flags to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day, May 26

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has directed that the flag of the United States and the flag of the state of Wisconsin be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the state May 26 in honor of Memorial Day. More information.

'Grant Writing: Secrets of Success' set for May 29

Miner

Jeremy Miner, ORSP director of grants and contracts, will present "Grant Writing: Secrets of Success" from 9 a.m.-noon May 29 in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Old Library 1142.

Flags to be flown at half-staff May 19

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has directed that the flag of the United States and the flag of the state of Wisconsin be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the state May 19 as a mark of respect for Sgt. Heidi Lynn Ruh of the U.S. Army, who lost her life May 9 while serving her country in Kosovo. More information.

Flags to be flown at half-staff May 13

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has directed that the flag of the United States and the flag of the state of Wisconsin be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the state May 13 as a mark of respect for former Wisconsin Gov. Patrick Lucey, who passed away May 10. More information.

Proposed new or revised graduate course offerings

The following courses have been proposed as new or revised 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 May 12, 2014.

New Course Proposals
BIOL 515 Reproductive Physiology, 3 crs
CJ 700 Communicating to Lead in Health Organizations, 3 crs
CJ 707 Group/Team Communication-Healthcare Contexts, 3 crs
CJ 714 Communication and Health Policy, 3 crs
CJ 752 Leading Organizational Change, 3 crs
CJ 774 Health Campaigns and Population Health, 3 crs

Revision of Existing Courses
AIS 644 Theory and Methodologies in American Indian Studies, 3 crs (change of enrollment restriction)
BIOL 506 Infectious Disease Ecology, 3 crs (change of prerequisites)
BIOL 561 Biology of Microorganisms, 5 crs (change of prerequisites)
BIOL 580 Endocrinology, 4 crs (change of prerequisites)
CHEM 653 Biochemistry Laboratory I, 3 crs (change of Catalog title)
CJ 614 Mass Media Law, 3 crs (change of prerequisites)
ENGL 609 Grant Proposal Writing, 3 crs (change of prerequisites)
ENGL 655 Seminar in Scientific and Technical Communication, 3 crs (change of Catalog title, Catalog description, prerequisites, and enrollment restriction)
GEOG 536 Geospatial Field Methods, 3 crs (change of enrollment restriction)
MATH 524 Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory, 4 crs (change of Catalog description)
MATH 535 Introduction to Point-Set Topology, 3 crs (change of prerequisites)
MATH 551 Numerical Analysis I, 3 crs (change of prerequisites)
MATH 651 Teaching Mathematics with Technology, 3 crs (change of credit restriction)
PSYC 575 Physiological Psychology, 3 crs (change of title, Catalog description, when typically offered, prerequisites, and course content timetable/outline)
WMNS 535 Transnational/Global Feminisms, 3 crs (change of Catalog description)

Flags to be flown at half-staff May 15

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has directed that the flag of the United States and the flag of the state of Wisconsin be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the state May 15 as a mark of respect for peace officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. More information.

New website design to launch at start of fall semester

Mockup of what a portion of the newly redesigned UW-Eau Claire home page will look like as of late August, as viewed on a desktop computer and a smartphone.

A redesign of the UW-Eau Claire website is underway, with goals to (1) more effectively provide relevant information to the university's key audiences and (2) through the use of responsive design, make the university's Web pages more accessible on newer digital devices, like tablets and smartphones. The redesign is being conducted in conjunction with the recent launch of UW-Eau Claire's new brand, The Power of AND.

The Web redesign project is led by a team of staff from Learning and Technology Services and Integrated Marketing and Communications, in collaboration with units and departments across campus as their areas of the website are redesigned. CommonSpot will continue to be the software used to support UW-Eau Claire's website.

A noticeable change for faculty and staff will be the revised focus of the university's home page.

"Our home page will take on a recruitment focus, its primary purpose being to get our prospective students to the information they need to learn more about us and apply to attend," said MJ Brukardt, director of marketing, communication and strategic planning. "Meanwhile, other key audiences, including faculty and staff, current students, alumni and donors, and business and community, will have customized home pages of their own -- easily accessible from the home page -- that will contain information of specific relevance to them."

The university's top-level Web pages and several pilot department websites will launch in the new branded format in late August. Following that, LTS and IMC will continue working with departments across campus to convert their websites to the new design. The goal is to have all department and unit websites converted to the new design within 18 months.

In addition to the website redesign, LTS is leading Web improvement projects over the summer related to the relocation of faculty and staff "people" pages and updating Web forms.

Additional details about the university website redesign process and other Web improvement projects is available on the LTS website.

Investment counseling to be offered June 3-4

A TIAA-CREF consultant will be available to discuss financial matters with UW-Eau Claire employees during the following dates and times:

• June 3, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., McIntyre Library Study Room 3013
• June 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., McIntyre Library Study Room 3013

Schedule an appointment online or by calling 1-800-732-8353. More information.

Condolences

Condolences to the family of Charlotte B. Hubert. Hubert, UW-Eau Claire associate professor emerita of music, passed away May 3 in Eau Claire.

She was a member of the UW-Eau Claire faculty from 1952 to 1983, teaching courses in music education, string techniques, class piano and eurhythmics, and directing the University Bellringers. She also taught at the former Campus Elementary School.

Funeral services are pending. Friends and family may offer condolences and find funeral details when available online.

Spring and summer utility outages announced

This spring's planned steam outage will occur from 6 p.m. May 17 through 4 p.m. May 27. As a result, hot water will not be available on campus, except in the following locations: Ade Olson addition, all hall directors' apartments, Brewer Hall, Chancellors Hall, Crest Wellness Center, Haas Fine Arts Center (isolated areas), Hibbard Hall, Human Sciences and Services Building, McIntyre Library, Murray Hall, Nursing Building, Phillips Hall, Thomas Hall and Zorn Arena.

This summer's planned electrical outage will begin at 7 a.m. May 18 and will last for approximately eight hours. The following buildings will be affected: McIntyre Library, Old Library, Putnam Hall and Thomas Hall. McIntyre Library has generator power for emergency use. Thomas Hall has minimal emergency generator power and Putnam Hall has none. Because the central chiller that serves the lower campus chilled water distribution system is in the library, all buildings on lower campus (except Haas Fine Arts Center and Human Sciences and Services) will be without air conditioning during this outage as well.

These annually occurring utility outages allow for preventive maintenance and repairs that prevent unplanned emergency outages due to breakdowns. For more information, contact Terry Classen at classetl@uwec.edu or 715-836-5278.

Reception to honor retiring employees, those reaching career milestones set for May 7

UW-Eau Claire's Service Recognition and Retirement Reception will be held from 3-5 p.m. May 7 in the Ojibwe Ballroom of Davies Center. Retiring employees and those celebrating the anniversary of their "milestone" years of service will be honored. The event is open to all faculty and staff. See reception program for list of faculty and staff to be honored.

Classified staff election results available online

From April 16-23 elections were held for classified staff committees as outlined in the classified staff bylaws. Election results are now available online.

Finalists for athletics director position to interview on campus

Finalists for the position of director of intercollegiate athletics at UW-Eau Claire have been invited to interview on campus.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the finalists' open forums.

The finalists and the dates of their open forums are as follows:

• Rick Goeb: 10:45-11:45 a.m. Monday, May 5, in the Ho-Chunk Room, Davies Center.
• Charles Gross: 10:45-11:45 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, in the Menominee Room, Davies Center 320F
• Dan Schumacher: 2:45-3:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, in the Menominee Room, Davies Center 320F
• Robin Baker: 10:45-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, in the Menominee Room, Davies Center 320F

More information about the position and finalists and links to feedback forms are available online.