Monday Update Messages

Please see below for Monday Update messages.

Fall 2020 Messages Summer 2020 Messages

Spring 2021

January 4, 2021
February 1, 2021
March 1, 2021
March 29, 2021
April 26, 2021
May 24, 2021
June 28, 2021
August 2, 2021
August 30, 2021
January 11, 2021
February 8, 2021
March 8, 2021
April 5, 2021
May 3, 2021
June 7, 2021
July 12, 2021
August 9, 2021
January 19, 2021
February 15, 2021
March 15, 2021
April 12, 2021
May 10, 2021
June 14, 2021
July 19, 2021
August 16, 2021
January 25, 2021
February 22, 2021
March 22, 2021
April 19, 2021
May 17, 2021
June 21, 2021
July 26, 2021
August 23, 2021

Fall 2020

Monday Update

Congratulations Graduates!

2020 ends with Winter Commencement Ceremony

Cap photo 2

Click for Commencement Livestream 

Click for Commencement Program (Scroll to bottom)

We were excited to close out 2020 with a great event – the Winter Commencement Ceremony! During the event, Chancellor Ford echoed our sentiments toward this year’s graduates. “I’m so very proud to be a part of this year’s UW-Parkside 2020 graduation ceremony and share my pride and excitement with all our graduates. Each year presents its own unique obstacles and opportunities for our graduation classes, but I’m sure few of us could have imagined what lay ahead when we started the year,” said Chancellor Ford. “To the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Class of 2020, congratulations on completing your college careers – you have persevered through adversity during a most challenging year and shown that nothing can stop you! I wish you a joyous holiday season and continued success in all your future endeavors.”

Included in this year’s commencement celebrations was a recognition of our Outstanding Graduates, include the Chancellor’s Award Recipient, Mariana Nelson (Click here).

MN

Mariana’s perseverance in the face of adversity, significant contribution to her community, outstanding academic performance, and her commitment to the success of her peers make her an ideal choice for the honor. No stranger to adversity, Nelson grew up in a Bulgarian orphanage where early foundational educational experiences were rare. Nelson has been involved with UW-Parkside’s App Factory and Small Business Development Center for three years and has served as the App Factory’s “lead” designer. Nelson’s skills earned her first place in “The Big Idea Innovation Challenge” for creating a review-type app where companies’ level of accessibility for those who need Americans with Disabilities Act or related accommodations could be charted and tracked. The app will function under Nelson’s privately-owned LLC, Capp.

Mariana joins six of her Ranger colleagues as the Winter Commencement’s outstanding graduates, and you can view bios of each of these incredible students along with Chancellor Ford’s message and the rest of fall semester highlights via the online 2020 Winter Commencement Program.

To all of our hard-working 2020 graduates we again say CONGRATS!


Fall Semester Highlights

Despite all the challenges our students, faculty, and staff faced, there are several great moments to celebrate from the fall semester. Click on the links below to view some of those stories (these highlights are also located in the Winter Commencement Program).

 

Election Experience 

Moonshot for Equity

WWHEL

Dr. Francis “Frannie” Mann

Make a Difference Day

Criminal Justice Ranked #21 

NSF Grant

Diversity and inclusion (Link 2)(Link 3)

M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Flex BSBA

Enrollment up 3.8% over 2019

Student Support Services TRIO Program

Chelsea Strebe 

Dear World

Dr. Michael A Hansen

Denise Olstinske

Cassidy Prucha

Adapting to the new ‘normal’


Welcome new graduates to the UW-Parkside Alumni Association

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Alumni Association. We are here to serve you with great programs and events, opportunities for community service and a forum for connecting with your fellow alumni. For more information about UW-Parkside’s alumni community and the Alumni Association, visit us at www.uwp.edu/alumni 

 

Don't forget to check your inboxes for this month’s e-news. Not receiving our messages? Update your contact info so you don’t miss out!

December Alumni E-news: https://conta.cc/3ovbnzE 

Update your contact info: https://uwparkside.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56VAL49r4jn62e9


Small Business Development Center’s Holiday Message – Shop Local!

sbdc

This holiday season, UW-Parkside and the Small Business Development Center want to remind our campus and surrounding community to shop local. Due to the pandemic and fall protests, many businesses – especially smaller operations – are struggling to survive. This year we hope you can make one or more of your holiday purchases a local one, and don’t forget to check out the SBDC’s website for more information. The SBDC offers no-cost, confidential consulting, and business education across a wide region, annually assisting more than 300 small businesses.


Ranger Reminders

Each week Ranger Reminders highlight important events and happenings around campus and beyond.  To see a full slate of UW-Parkside activities, check the events calendar.  

Get tested! Don’t let COVID slow you down. Sign up for your free test at www.DoINeedaCOVID19Test.com if you are a faculty or staff member or a commuter student anduwp.edu/RangerRestart if you are a residential student.

HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS: If you aren't sure the availability of offices on campus during the holidays, please check this list. If you need to make a change, submit your office hours to Amanda Welbon (welbon@uwp.edu).

Parents and Guardians Q&A | December 14, 2020 | 6 pm (WebEx)
Parents, guardians, family members, and guests are invited to ask Admissions, Financial Aid, and New Student Services your questions!  Also — learn how you can support your future Ranger. 

Sign-Up here.

Application Deadline: Newman Civic Fellowship | December 15, 2020 | (Virtual)

Applications will be accepted for the UW-Parkside Newman Civic Fellowship 2021-22 until 11:59 pm on Dec 15! The Newman Civic Fellowship is a one-year fellowship for community-committed college students from Campus Compact member institutions, like UW-Parkside. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth.

Apply here.

Pre-Health Info Session| December 17, 2020 | 5 pm (Facebook)

Learn how the College of Natural and Health Sciences is creating the most competitive health care professionals in the region.  Join us to learn more about academic majors/minors, valuable hands-on opportunities, and careers after UW-Parkside with Dr. Bryan Lewis, Pre-Health program director.

Click here to join.

Perspectives on Policing and Social Justice | December 18, 2020 | 1 pm (Facebook and Instagram Live)
Tune in each Friday at 1 pm on Facebook or Instagram Live for lively conversations on Perspectives on Policing and Social Justice, featuring UW-Parkside’s Joseph Young, Colette Bell, and Officer Kurt Bergendahl. Your perspective, questions, and comments are welcome. Let’s Change the World!

Watch on Facebook | Watch on Instagram

Monday Update

Parkside’s First Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign Planned (part 2)

Tom Krimmel and Hannah Wallisch, University Advancement

If you missed last week's Monday Update, click here for the full story.

 

Campaign Study Recommendations 

The major recommendation of the study is that UW-Parkside should take the necessary steps over the next year to launch a leadership gift phase of a seven-year campaign with a working goal of $25 million. 

 

Much needs to be done before we will be ready to publicly launch this campaign and announce a goal. Specifically, the report recommends: 

1.      Adopt a major gift discipline. 

2.      Prioritize planned gifts. 

3.      Refine the case for support. 

4.      Undertake a deliberate campaign planning process. 

5.      Align leadership and staff focus on major and leadership gifts.  

6.      Build out the advancement enterprise.  

7.      Increase operational efficiency and effectiveness throughout advancement services and prospect development.  

8.      Drive and support the philanthropic evolution of volunteer groups at UW–Parkside. 

9.      Build professional capacity through internal skill development. 

 

While the dollar goal of the campaign is not yet finalized, we are anticipating the many ways that undertaking our first comprehensive campaign will have an impact: 

 

  • Helping more students earn a Parkside degree and supporting University-wide goals for graduation, retention, and recruitment 
  • Increasing pride in UW-Parkside and elevating our role in enhancing our region 
  • Increasing the number of donors, especially alumni donors, at all levels 
  • Creating a stronger culture of philanthropy across the Parkside community 
  • Setting a new norm for philanthropy across the University that future campaigns can build on 
  • Engaging faculty, staff and volunteers as: 

Investor: Financially support your passions. 

Connector: Identify prospects, partner on strategy. 

Convener: Bring other partners to the table. 

Storyteller: Communicate UW-Parkside’s impact. 

Seeker: Discover donor stories and interests. 

Steward: Help demonstrate impact.  

 

University Advancement will lead the campaign effort as we begin the next phase of planning, but we know that a comprehensive campaign is a whole-campus effort. The work that you do has built a high level of confidence in UW-Parkside in the eyes of our donors, alumni, and community, which is an important part of our campaign readiness. Similarly, your engagement in a variety of ways during the campaign will also contribute to our success! 

 

Please let Tom or Hannah know if you would like to learn more about the comprehensive campaign process or the completed study. We promise not to drop the whole 212-page study report on you but are happy to share more. 

 


Meet the Communications Team!

Com Team2

As many of you know, UW-Parkside’s previous Communications Director John Meilke retired in July. Since then, our Communications Team has gone through a number of additional changes, so we thought now would be a great time to re-introduce the UW-Parkside community to our new team members!

 

Andrew Savagian, Interim Communications Director

Andrew is serving as temporary UW-Parkside communications director, working 50 percent time in that role while continuing with his UW System position as internal communications manager. He joined UW System in February of 2020 after working for more than 21 years at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in a number of communication roles. He lives in Sun Prairie with his wife, two children and a variety of pets.

 

Robyn Elliott '20, Communications and Media Relations Specialist

Robyn recently joined the team as our new Communications and Media Relations Specialist, but had been helping coordinate UWP social media since early July. Robyn handles numerous communication tools for UW-Parkside, including the Monday Update, social media channels, news releases, and Parkside Today podcasts. Prior to this position, Robyn was the Graduate Assistant for Marketing and Promotions for Parkside Athletics. She graduated in May with her Master's in Sports Management. Robyn received her undergraduate degree in Journalism from UW-Oshkosh while competing as a four-year starter on the women's soccer team. Robyn resides in Waukesha.

 

Derek Fye '18, Front Office Manager, Creative Services

Derek works for Creative Services and has been involved with UW-Parkside communications since 2017, including tracking Parkside media stories and assisting with commencement communications. Derek lives in Racine with his wife and two dogs.

 

Grace Scalzo, Communications Student Intern

Grace is a sophomore at UW-Parkside and joined the communication team as our student intern. Grace will be working on our social media channels, Parkside Today podcasts and other communications. She has her own campus IGTV series, “Touching Base with Grace” found on the Ranger Athletics and Parkside Instagram accounts. She is ultimately working towards a Double Major in Business and Communication with the support of her mom and brother.

 

The Communications Team, which is part of the Advancement Team, works closely with the Marketing and Design Team, headed by Kim Sekas. Check out the marketing team’s website and learn how they can help you craft your marketing plans and answer questions about website content, brochures and flyers, buying ads, and more.

 

Also, don’t forget, whether you have a marketing need or a communications need, you can reach both of us through our Let Us Know Form.


4ways

 


Cassidy Prucha

Cassidy Prucha, a senior on the Parkside softball team, made major news for UW-Parkside by winning the Set Sail portion of The International Collegiate Sales Competition, also known as The Collegiate World Cup of Sales.  Prucha competed against 140 other competitors and took first place. The competition included 10-minute interviews on Zoom with prospective employers and two weeks straight of Kahoot Challenges, which are trivia questions relating to the companies involved that featured 15-20 questions each day. There were 24 available companies to interview with and Prucha interviewed with 23. By taking first place in total points, Cassidy won a trip to Florida with airfare, Disney Park passes and resort fees included for a 4-day, 3-night stay.

 

To read the full release about Cassidy, please visit https://parksiderangers.com/news/2020/12/3/softball-cassidy-prucha-wins-set-sail-portion-at-international-collegiate-sales-competition.aspx.


Ranger Reminders

Each week Ranger Reminders highlight important events and happenings around campus and beyond.  To see a full slate of UW-Parkside activities, check the events calendar.  

 

Get tested! Don’t let COVID slow you down as we finish the semester. Sign up for your free test at www.DoINeedaCOVID19Test.com. 

 

It's Finals Week! Make sure to check in on your fellow colleagues and students to make sure they are managing their stress well during this unconventional time.  And don’t forget, Parkside and the University System continue to offer free surge testing – take advantage and get tested!

 

Director's POV: A Student Filmmaker's Parkside Experience | December 8, 2020 | 3 p.m. (Facebook)

Join us live to meet Rea, a UW-Parkside student studying English and digital media and production, to hear about her experience writing and directing a film for one of her classes.

Watch on Facebook here.

 

Ten Questions with... John Dickert, Wisconsin Dept of Revenue | Career Video Chat |December 8, 2020 (Virtual)

Parkside's employer relations coordinator, Linda Bevec, meets with real employers to talk about careers in the informal video chat series, "Ten Questions With..." produced by the Advising and Career Center.

In this episode, Linda chats with Tom Dickert from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Click here to watch.

 

Student Health, Counseling, and Disability Services |December 9, 2020 | 3 pm (WebEx)

UW-Parkside's Student Health & Counseling Center and Disability Services will share information about their services and student resources. Staff will also provide tips on being academically, mentally, emotionally, and physically well.

Sign-Up here.

 

Live Campus Tour | December 9, 2020 | 5 pm (Facebook)

Join us on UW-Parkside's Facebook page for a live tour of campus from the comfort of your own home!  A Campus Ambassadors will guide you through campus, talk about their experience as a Parkside student, and answer any questions about Parkside that come to us live.  

Watch on Facebook here.

 

Commencement Ceremonies | December 12, 2020 | 9 a.m. (Virtual)

Tune in on Saturday Dec. 12 to help us celebrate the Class of 2020 in our Winter Commencement Ceremony! 

Visit the Commencement website to learn more.

 

        

Monday Update

Parkside’s First Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign Planned (part 1)

Tom Krimmel and Hannah Wallisch, University Advancement

One thing COVID-19 did not delay over the last year was planning for UW-Parkside’s first comprehensive campaign.  (What’s a comprehensive campaign? Unlike a capital campaign, which raises funds for building projects, a comprehensive campaign raises funds for many university needs: scholarships, programs, endowment, capital, etc.) 

Over the past 30 years, the university has conducted several studies of our readiness to launch a significant comprehensive fundraising campaign. Previous studies indicated that our stakeholders were not prepared to embrace a large fundraising campaign for UW-Parkside. The current study, which was conducted by nationally recognized consulting firm BWF over the past year, tells a much different story! 


Study Findings 

Through campus leadership interviews, developing a case for support, a review of our internal systems and staffing, database analysis, and a series of interviews with potential donors (many of whom are alumni), the campaign study found the following: 

  • Sophisticated donors. Significant giving capacity. Emerging program. 
  • Not managing enough high-capacity prospects. 
  • Nearly universal support for key campaign priorities, especially student scholarship, faculty/program support, and athletics. 
  • High respect for university and volunteer leadership, including a desire for an enhanced role among volunteers. 
  • Current staffing and resources incongruent with prospect potential. 

 

Confidence 

While we have areas where growth is needed to be truly ready for a campaign, one point that came through loud and clear from the study was about CONFIDENCE. Donors and potential donors are confident in the importance of UW-Parkside for our region and beyond, and they are confident that the university can and will deliver on its mission. As you can see from these summarized comments, they believe in UW-Parkside and agree that our focus on student support and more is the right direction for the campaign. 

Graphic for ArticleGraphic for Article   

There is also a significant level of confidence in our key fundraising partner, the UW-Parkside Foundation. The Foundation Board of Directors has positioned the Foundation to be a good steward of the investments donors make in this campaign. Their infrastructure and financial strength have grown significantly over past five years as shown in the following graphs. 

Graphic for Article

Graphic for Article

Be sure to follow along in the next Monday Update for the Campaign Study Recommendations along with ways to get involved!


Ranger Reminders

Each week Ranger Reminders highlight important events and happenings around campus and beyond.  To see a full slate of UW-Parkside activities, check the UWP events calendar

Get tested! Don’t forget to get tested as you are returning from Thanksgiving break. Don’t let COVID slow you down as we finish the semester. Sign up for your free test at www.DoINeedaCOVID19Test.com

 

Leadership Assembly | December 3, 2020 | 2 p.m.

Join us for the final Leadership Assembly of 2020 on December 3 from 2-3 p.m. via WebEx.

Click here: Leadership Assembly 12-3-2020 Attendee Connection Link

Here is a proposed agenda:

  • COVID Update
  • Fiscal Update
  • Comprehensive Campaign
  • RangerVision 2020 
  • Chancellor's Report

 

SEDI Forum |December 4, 2020 | 2 p.m.

The Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion advisory council (SEDI) is an integral part of creating a more inclusive and welcoming climate at UW-Parkside. The purpose of the council is student advocacy, and the group reviews existing practices, advocates for change, and provides a platform for students to voice concerns about campus culture and climate. SEDI is a new initiative on campus to support those from disadvantaged backgrounds (racial / ethnic / religious), from the LGBTQ+ community, and / or with disabilities. 

 

We are hosting a forum with Chancellor Ford next Friday, December 4th at 2 p.m., open to all Faculty / Staff, as well as students. If you have an issue pertaining to equity, diversity, or inclusion here at Parkside, please sign-up to speak with the Google Form below or simply attend the forum to make your voices heard to Faculty / Staff and Chancellor Ford.

Click here to register

 

COMMversations: Graduate School, Master of Arts in Professional Communication | December 2, 2020 | 1 p.m.

What we do and how we create community in the communication department has changed. While there are fewer random conversations in the hallways or before or after classes, we still wish to be connected with you and to help you stay connected with and informed about the department.

And, students interested in majoring in communication or studying any of our many minors and certificates are always welcome!

Think of COMMversations as an open office hour with ALL of the faculty in the Communication Department. Each week will focus on a theme, and there will also be time set aside for any questions you have or just to chat and virtually mingle with department staff and other students.

Click here: Join on Teams

 

UW-Parkside Blood Drive | December 3, 2020 | 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The blood supply in Southeast Wisconsin is low at a time when the need is great.

DONATE & RECEIVE a cool Culvers "Pint for a Pint" or a warm Versiti Strong winter hat (while supplies last).

To schedule an appointment call at 877-232-4376 or click here

 

Customer Experience Lessons Learned Through the COVID-19 Pandemic | December 4, 2020 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Every company is experiencing the financial impact of COVID-19 and addressing challenges in a variety of ways. By learning together from our mistakes, we address challenges creatively and open doors to innovation. In this webinar we explore lessons learned from our Customer Experience Certificate Program along with top challenges and solutions. We will explore the top issues impacting CX amidst this pandemic from the perspective of 100 national brands across 10 industries.

Click here: https://cx.uwp.edu/webinar.html

A Number | December 4, 2020 |7 p.m.

A Parkside STUDIO production livestreamed from Studio A

The only way to change the past is to create a new one... In a strikingly familiar future, a regretful father attempts to fix the mistakes he made in raising his son by starting over with a clone—or rather, a number of clones. But is it really possible atone for the sins of the past? Powerful, unpredictable and devastating, Caryl Churchill’s suspenseful A Number sees the shocking story unfold as the men reconnect over several encounters, delving into what really happened and allowing the audience to explore for themselves: who do you trust, and who is to blame?

Request tickets: https://uwparkside.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8H7FBWlsN6NmoYJ 

 

        

Monday Update

RangerVision 2020 Rolls on

Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics 

RangerVision 2020, a facility and fundraising campaign for the Sports & Activity Center (SAC), continues to progress thanks to generous support from donors and partners. Construction and remodeling are underway in three key spaces; additional gifts will make these changes truly transformative! 

Mark Olsen Indoor Golf Center 

In September we completed the first phase – the construction of a wall to create the new space on the second floor of the SAC – and we purchased the first simulator in November. Continued fundraising success will allow for the completion of the space with turf floor, hitting bays, and a putting green. 

De Simone Gymnasium Enhancement 

Scheduled for Summer 2021, this project will include a complete bleacher reconstruction and the creation of two VIP areas, including the second-level Educators Credit Union Suite. Beginning in 2021-22, De Simone Gym will provide one of Division II’s top college atmospheres and provide a beautiful backdrop for the University’s Winter and Spring Commencement ceremonies. Additional support from donors and partners will allow for additional enhancements, including video boards, scorer’s table, and more. 

Multipurpose Indoor Turf Center 

To transform the former aquatic center, an initial state project to infill the pool is underway and set to be complete in early 2021. Our goal is to generate the additional funding to install turf, netting, padding, and branding to create a fully functional turf center by spring. The turf center will be a gamechanger for the Parkside baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer programs while also providing a valuable resource for the campus and community.  

Learn more and support these projects: ParksideRangers.com/RangerVision2020 

Ranger Athletes Back in Action 

After more than nine months with no competition – the longest drought in Parkside Athletics history – the Rangers plan to return to action early in 2021. While Parkside officials continue to monitor COVID-19 and make decisions in conjunction with the NCAA, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), and public health officials, plans and schedules are in place beginning the first weekend of January.  

Men’s basketballwomen’s basketball, and wrestling will be the first to compete, followed by track and field, fall sports (Men’s Soccer / Women’s Soccer / Volleyball), and spring sports during the Spring 2021 semester.  

For the most up-to-date information on all Parkside’s teams and schedules, stay connected to ParksideRangers.com


Ranger Reminders

Each week Ranger Reminders highlight important events and happenings around campus and beyond.  To see a full slate of UW-Parkside activities, check the UWP events calendar

Get tested! Don’t forget to get tested before you leave for Thanksgiving break. Don’t let COVID ruin your or your family and friends’ holiday plans. Sign up for your free test at www.DoINeedaCOVID19Test.com

Cost of Attendance Q & A Seminar | November 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. (WebEx)   

Our tuition and fees are some of the lowest of any accredited four-year university in the state of Wisconsin. Admissions Counselors will discuss the cost of tuition, room and board, and the scholarship process. Sign-up for the event here: https://uwparkside.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0cwnnHIDI7NKcqV 

Political Communication Series: Race and Media Representation in the 2020 Election by Dr. Anjuli Brekke |November 24, 2020 at 6 p.m.   

In this talk, we'll first discuss the relationship between racial ideologies in the United States and the media before turning to how this history of representations of race in the media is playing out in the 2020 election. For more information on this discussion, Email castor@uwp.edu for the link to join. 

Parkside Presente | Season 2, Episode 9 

Did you catch up on the latest episode of the Parkside Presente? This past episode encourages our community to remain informed about the elections and new developments related to the pandemic. Click here to listen: https://www.uwp.edu/explore/news/parksidetoday/parkside-presente-s2-episode-9.cfm 


 

Robyn Elliott
Communications and Media Relations Specialist
Communications
elliottr@uwp.edu |  262-595-3226

 

        

Monday Update

Becoming Equity-Minded 

Dr. Sheronda Glass

Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Colleagues,  

Dr. Sheronda Glass, Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At UW-Parkside it is our mission to create a more inclusive environment for our students, faculty, and staff. 

An inclusive culture requires us to see beyond diversity and to become more equity-minded. What does it mean to be equity-minded, particularly in education?

The Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California defines equity-mindedness as “the perspective or mode of thinking by individuals and institutions who call attention to patterns of inequity in student outcomes. Equity-minded individuals and institutions must be willing to take personal and institutional responsibility for the success of students, and critically reassess their own practices.” (https://cue.usc.edu/about/equity/equity-mindedness/)

Becoming equity-minded is a journey. It requires that we become race conscious and mindful of the social and historical context of exclusionary practices in our education system. equity-mindedness emphasizes that we share the responsibility to create equity for our students of color and forces leaders, faculty, and staff in an organization to focus on what they can do to eliminate equity gaps. Bensimon and Malcom (2012) share the following: 

Rather than attribute inequities in outcomes to student deficits, being equity-minded involves interpreting inequitable outcomes as a signal that practices are not working as intended. Instead of focusing on “fixing” students, equity-minded practitioners continually reassess their practices and consider how those practices can be remediated in order to achieve institutional equity. equity-mindedness does not suggest that student behaviors, motivations, and attitudes are unrelated to their success. However, focusing on students alone, to the exclusion of understanding the ways in which institutions can change their practices, policies, structures, and culture to more effectively promote student learning and outcomes, is equally problematic.” (Malcom-Piqueux, Lindsey E., and Estela Mara Bensimon, ed. Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and Practice. Sterling, Va. Stylus, 2012.)  

From this perspective, we see that the elimination of inequities comes about through intentional changes in institutional policies, practices, and culture. In other words, it requires us to move beyond diversity, into a space of examining the systems, policies, and structures that created the inequities in the first place. It requires a commitment to understanding the history of bias and discrimination. It requires prioritization of anti-racism efforts, and it requires all of us to show up personally for our marginalized students. Finally, it requires us to engage in courageous discourse, however, it should never be the responsibility of students or staff of color to educate an organization about what they are facing.

I am personally and professionally committed to this challenge. We all have a part to play in undoing institutional bias and racism. Our students deserve it.


Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action on Campus

Chancellor Debbie Ford 

Thank you, Dr. Glass, for championing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as core values of a UW-Parkside education and as pillars of our learning community. It is through equity-mindedness that we will fully realize our commitment to student success. 

We are guided by the mission of the University of Wisconsin which states, “…inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended training and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition.” As scholars, educators, and servant leaders, our daily interactions, plans for the future, and relationships all revolve around our shared vision to improve the human condition. 

Unfortunately, we recognize not all of our students are succeeding in achieving their goals to earn a degree. This gap is more prominent for our Black students, but this has not always been the case for us.   

A bit about the data for First-Time, Full-Time Black and Brown undergraduates over the past six years (2015-2020):

  • Enrollment of Hispanic students has increased by 44 percent;
  • Enrollment of Black students has decreased by 9 percent;
  • 1st to 2nd year retention for Hispanic students averages 74 percent;
  • 1st to 2nd year retention for Black students reached a high of 75.6 percent in 2014 but has declined to 57.1 percent in 2020. The six-year average is 67 percent; and
  • The six-year graduation rate is at an all-time high for both Hispanic students (34.8 percent) and Black students (31.1 percent) in 2020. The six-year graduation rate for all students reached an all-time high of 44.5 percent in 2019.

Over the course of my career in higher education, I have never seen as much energy and collaboration to understand what is not working for our black and brown students and to commit to making the educational experiences inside and outside of the classroom better. I know we will join together to do what is necessary to improve the outcomes for our Black students.

In the June 15, 2020 Monday Message, I wrote about why Black Lives Matter at UW-Parkside and I am proud to report that we are making progress on all of the actions. Some of these actions are taking longer than others, but all are underway across the campus. 

To provide updates on the energy, collaboration, and efforts under way on campus, Dr. Glass and I will continue to highlight progress on our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts in the Monday Messages, the EDI Newsletter, and the EDI Website. Below are a few updates on our efforts. 

Black Student Union Meets with Administration
On November 4, Provost Ducoffe, Vice Provost McGuckin, Associate Vice Chancellor Glass, and I met with the Black Student Union to discuss their requests and expectations to increase the enrollment and retention of Black students at UW-Parkside. We discussed the importance of hiring a more diverse workforce that is reflective of the highly diverse student body we serve. We committed to create a fund to support leadership development and professional experiences with groups like NBSU and NCORE for students. We also provided an update on the new positions added to OMSA, Advising and Career Services, the Guskin Center for Community & Business Engagement, and Human Resources to enhance and improve retention, advising, and high impact learning experiences. 

Commitment to Diversify the UWP Workforce
Attracting, hiring, and retaining a workforce that reflects our diverse student body is one of our top priorities and this work starts with reviewing the data. UW-Parkside employs one of the most diverse workforces among the comprehensive universities in the University of Wisconsin, with 19.4 percent employees of color. Over the past five years, we have increased the number of employees of color by 23 percent, while the total number of employees increased by 14 percent. The leadership of Human Resources, improvements in our hiring practices, and commitment of hiring managers is having positive results.

Parkside Athletics Leads the Way

Last week, Parkside Athletics announced the Appreciation of Differences Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Council, led by the newly appointed Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Officer and current Deputy Director of Athletics Chris Barker. Congratulations to Ranger Athletics for leading the way on campus, in the community, and in the GLIAC. 

These are a just a few examples of the important initiatives under way to live our shared values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. We are positioned to make progress as a learning community because of the dedication and the leadership of so many units across campus, including but not limited to the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; OMSA; Human Resources; Office of Admissions and New Student Services; and academic departments across campus.

Finally, a special shout-out to the members of the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Committee for positioning UW-Parkside as an emerging HSI in a few short years. I am convinced when we put our minds to something and work together we succeed. So now, we must ask ourselves what we need to do differently to reverse the enrollment and retention declines for our Black students. 

In closing, 11 years ago this month, I said to you, “Let's go to the moon and shoot for the stars together. Let us test ourselves, challenge ourselves and one another, reveal our weaknesses, build upon our strengths, and aspire to achieve something great. We will do it because it is hard. But we know our successes will be many and meaningful. They will be measured by the bright futures and changed lives of the worthy students who will cross our paths as they reach their full potential as University of Wisconsin-Parkside graduates.” Join with me in shooting for the stars and helping our students to reach their full potential! 


Rangers Speak Up For UW-Parkside Annual United Way Campaign

The Power of Community and Service to Others

Please remember the UW-Parkside Annual Campaign for United Way goes through Nov. 20. Look for an email and watch this video for some personal perspectives from our Parkside community!

United Way Video


Ranger Reminders: 

Get Tested! 
Last Friday, UW-Parkside announced the university had joined with other UW System campuses and federal and state partners to offer new COVID-19 “rapid-results” testing to UWP students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. There is not cost for the test, so in addition to wearing a mask, watching your distance, and washing your hands, don’t forget to get tested. Go to https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/ to register.

UW-Parkside Classes Going Virtual
Last Friday, UW-Parkside also announced that all instruction will be delivered via remote means from Nov. 27 through Winterim, Jan. 20. The recent increased rate of cases in the community has prompted the change. While all instruction during this period will be delivered remotely, the campus will not be closed. Campus housing, dining services, library, Health and Counseling Center, and the Sports and Activity Center will remain open for those students, faculty, and staff who wish to remain on campus. The decision to move to virtual classes for the time being does not impact the spring semester at this time.

Communications Week

MOSAIC Educator Workshop: Dehumanization of the Native American Community – Nov. 16, 3:30–4:30 pm 
Participate in a student-led discussion facilitated by the MOSAIC Educators on the history of the dehumanization of Native Americans in the United States. Hear how history has shaped our view of Indigenous culture and learn how to advocate for equitable spaces today. Click here to register. Once registered, you will receive a link to the virtual event. To learn more about this event and the presenter, visit the Native American Heritage Month website.
WebEx (Click here to register)

REDress Project Webinar – Nov. 17, 3:00–4:00 pm
The REDress Project was a public installation created in response to the missing and murdered Indigenous women epidemic in Canada and the United States. The red dresses memorialize thousands of lost women. Dr. Kind-Keppel will be giving a presentation about what the REDress Project is and the steps we can take to raise awareness on campus. Click here to register.To learn more about this event and the presenter, visit the Native American Heritage Month website.
WebEx (Click here to register) 

Palestinian Women and Muslim Family Law – Nov. 17, 12:30 p.m.
Join Dr. Beth Brownson as she discusses Palestinian Women and Muslim Family Law Since 1920 via LIVE STREAM on November 17, 2020 at 12:30pm.

Dr. Brownson will present and discuss her recently published book entitled "Palestinian Women and Muslim Family Law since 1920." She will be interviewed by Thomas Grobben on the Law and its implications for Palestinian women, at the intersection of politics, patriarchy and the struggle for liberation in Palestine.

REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND THE LIVE STREAM PRESENTATION

Comm Week

Communication Week Nov. 16-20 – Braving a New World

November 16-20 is Communication Week – This year’s theme is “Braving a New World” and includes a series of events created by Communication students for COMM students and alumni, Parkside peers, and community guests to showcase what it means to study communication and to be a communication professional. Check out all the exciting activities on the COMM Week web page!

SEDI Forum with Chancellor Ford – Dec. 4th, 2 p.m.-Open to all Faculty & Staff at UW-Parkside
The Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion advisory council (SEDI) is an integral part of creating a more inclusive and welcoming climate at UW-Parkside. The purpose of the council is student advocacy, and the group reviews existing practices, advocates for change, and provides a platform for students to voice concerns about campus culture and climate. We will be hosting a forum with Chancellor Ford on December 4th to address faculty and staff's concerns regarding issues pertaining to discrimination, microaggressions, sexual harassment, and of the like, as well as initiatives to address equity and inclusion gaps on campus and in the community.

And as always, make sure to keep an eye on the News page (uwp.edu/news) and on our social media channels for updates! 


Andrew Savagian
Communications Director
Communications
savagian@uwp.edu |  608-720-2278

        

Monday Update

COVID Surge Testing: As the UW-System announced last week and Chancellor Ford and Vice Provost McGuckin noted in messages to faculty, staff and students, the UW-System campuses will start “surge” testing efforts that will increase testing support for communities throughout Wisconsin now facing significant increases of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations related to the ongoing outbreak. If you are a faculty or staff member, or a commuter student, please register for the free test at www.doineedacovid19test.com. Participants must also use the site to obtain results. The locations for testing will become available when they are up and running.  

Please keep wearing masks, watching your distance, washing your hands, and getting tested! 


Wellness for You 

Colleagues,  

As we continue to navigate this unprecedented time of experiencing a global pandemic, a national reawakening to systemic racism, political and social polarization, economic concerns, and epic natural disasters, it is important to prioritize our individual and collective health and well-being. Just one of those major issues could have an impact on our current state of well-being, not to mention the potential of long-term consequences. To begin, let’s think about how you are doing right now. Answer honestly:  

How are you doing? How are you really doing?  

A.     I’m barely hanging in there 
B.     Maintaining/okay 
C.     I’m doing well 

If you are like me, you might be thinking: well, right now I am doing okay. But yesterday, I was barely hanging on. And then in other moments, my life seems pretty darn good and I feel very fortunate. While I realize some of you may not change that frequently, others may be feeling like they are just hanging on most days. I recently asked my students this same question. Twenty-eight percent said they were barely hanging on, 68% said they were okay, and 4% said they were doing well. If that is any indication of how the rest of us are doing, there are a lot of people on our campus who could use a little assistance with their well-being right now.   

There are lots of definitions of well-being, there is even debate on whether it should be “well-being,” “wellbeing,” or “wellness,” but that is a topic for another time. I like to think of well-being as being the best you can be at the moment, in the here and now, under these circumstances. The ultimate goal is to have the energy, knowledge, and skill to play and work optimally and experience life as meaningful, loving, and fulfilling. However one may define well-being, the whole person (emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, physical, occupational, etc.,) should be taken into consideration. 

Well-being is very individual, dynamic and complex to say the least. Well-being doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be the best you can be all of the time. To be well doesn’t mean you have a certain blood pressure, workout every day, sleep so many hours a night, eat “perfectly”, or be productive 100% of the time. Striving for that is unsustainable and can actually place more stress on yourself and your overall well-being. Don’t get me wrong, practicing healthy behaviors and setting positive health goals are good things. However, too much focus on “achieving” those things can actually create the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Consider having these as the ideal, not necessarily something we have to achieve and maintain indefinitely or something that we judge ourselves or others on. Especially in light of everything that is going on, now is a good time to be gentle to yourself and others, especially in the expectations you have on health practices and accomplishments.  

Try reframing your thoughts to “restoring” your health and well-being instead of “accomplishing” or “achieving” wellness. Just like our nation needs restoration and healing right now, so too do we as individuals and a campus community. It is okay to take time out for you, to just sit with yourself and your thoughts (be mindful), and to be kind to yourself. Taking time for you will help you better serve those you love and care for too. And if you aren’t sure what you need or you don’t feel like you have answers to important questions, it is okay to ask for some assistance. Consider assistance from family, friends, clergy, co-workers, and our Employee Assistance Program. Remember you are a valuable part of our UW-Parkside community and the well-being of our campus is dependent on the well-being of each of us. There are numerous resources through our EAP program as well as other reliable sites.  

Here are just few: 

UW-Parkside EAP 

Access Silver Cloud Health  

Employees: How to Cope with Job Stress and Build Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

COVID-19 Parental Resources-Kit (CDC)

Mindful website 

Penny Lyter, Ph.D. 

Faculty Director of Community-Based Learning 

Academic Director of Master of Science in Health and Wellness Management 

lyter@uwp.edu | 262-595-2494   


The Importance of Grace, Space, and Self-Care in the time of COVID 

The last nine months have been an extremely difficult time for all of us. As we continue isolating during these unprecedented times, there continues to be increasing pressures all around. Working from home or under modified work arrangements continuously adds to the anxiety. Many of us are worried that the longer we stay home or work under these conditions, we may not appear to be as productive as we were in the office. This leads to increased anxiety, self-doubt, criticism of self and others, and may fear losing our job. Those of us required to work on campus may feel they are left alone to deal with the aftermath as things continually change. Moreover, our social gatherings being discontinued and our ability to physically connect with friends or family feels like a loss.  

There is real grief that comes from loss, change, anxiety, and uncertainty. It is completely normal to have these feelings, as well as fear about the unknown. However, we can get through this by practicing a level of self-care, providing space, and extending grace.   

Self-care are deliberate activities that help to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. These activities are different for each of us, however, the Employee Assistance Program offers a few tips to help us practice self-care: 

  • Develop a regular sleep routine. 
  • Aim for a healthy diet. 
  • Take lunch breaks. 
  • Go for a walk at lunchtime. 
  • Take a walk after work. 
  • Set a regular work schedule and “unplug.” 
  • Avoid comparing yourself to others. 

Providing space and grace is the practice of extending favor to one another. Our emotional and mental state is challenged on a daily basis. We may exhibit behaviors that we may not exhibit under normal circumstances. We may find ourselves lashing out in ways that we never have before, or having unrealistic expectations of our friends, family, and co-workers. Providing space and grace allows us to forgive ourselves, as well as value and respect others. Each of our circumstances are different, and we have to lean into situations with the best of intentions, believing that each of us are committed to doing the best that we can under these conditions. The following are ways that we can extended space and grace. 

  • Words. Be kind and gentle, less accusatory and negative.  
  • Let it go. Letting go is the easiest way to extend grace to others. 
  • Be there, be present. 
  • Forgive. 
  • Non-judgmental attitude. 
  • Watch the way you speak. 
  • Gratitude. 
  • Be aware of your surroundings. 

As mentioned, these are unprecedented times. With a little self-care, space, and grace we can all get through it together. If you need help or support during these times, the Employee Assistance Program and Silver Cloud can help.  

Acknowledging Frontline Support Workers  

While many of us are being told to stay at home, our frontline workers have the responsibility during the current pandemic to continue operations. These workers work behind the scenes without us realizing how essential they are to keeping the campus functioning. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for your courage, patience, and dedication to your job. Thank you for showing up each and every day to ensure that our campus can continue to provide the level of service and support to ensure that our students are successful. I truly appreciate all that you do! We will be acknowledging and celebrating our frontline workers by providing a special lunch. Please join us in celebrating our colleagues! 

Sheronda Glass 

Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 


Things You Should Know: 

The Teaching of the 7 Fires: Join community activist Al RestingHawk and UW-Parkside OMSA Wednesday, November 11,from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Teaching of the 7 Fires. Learn how history has shaped Native America today and talk about how we can be an advocate for the Native American community. Click here to register for the event. To learn more about this event and the presenter, visit the Native American Heritage Month website.  

UW System Announces Wisconsin Regents Opportunity Scholarship: The new Wisconsin Regents Opportunity Scholarship will provide up to $10,000 to underrepresented and underserved undergraduate students who have overcome adversity, exhibited financial need, and demonstrated merit, Regent President Andrew S. Petersen announced today. Learn more here.  

Inaugural Collaborative Virtual Career Fair a Success: UW-Parkside, Carthage College, Gateway Technical College and Herzing University hosted their inaugural collaborative Virtual Career Fair on October 8, 2020, via the career platform Handshake. This year was not only the first time the four institutions have collaborated on the event but was also UW-Parkside’s first-ever virtual Internship and career fair. Learn more here.  

Parkside Presente: Check out the latest episode of Presente! In Season 2, Episode 8, Gia talks to Esmeralda Aguilar, a MOSAIC program educator and student at UW-Parkside. The MOSAIC program focuses in Motivating Our Students to Advocate for an Inclusive Campus. Esmeralda shares with us the complexities of implicit bias and how we can begin to understand via dialogue the barriers that implicit bias creates to create an inclusive campus. 

And as always, make sure to keep an eye on the News page (uwp.edu/news) and on our social media channels for updates!

Monday Update

Hello UW-Parkside Community,

Election Day 2020

A healthy democracy requires a decent society. Charles Pickering explains that it requires that we are honorable, generous, tolerant, and respectful. Democracy is more about the process than the outcome.

Election day is hours away and is likely to have a stronger than usual impact on our students and campus community. Inevitably, some may be unsatisfied with the result, yet the democratic process assures us that there will be opportunity to achieve a different result in the future. The strength and resilience of our democracy requires that we understand and support this. Let us strive to respect all votes, honor the result, and be generous and tolerant of others’ opinions.

The election may not be resolved Tuesday night or shortly thereafter, but we must encourage our students and community to let the process continue uninterrupted to its conclusion. And we must remember that democracy is much more than an election. We need to fight for it every day. The National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement identifies five essential actions for democracy’s future:

  1. Reclaim and reinvest in the fundamental civic and democratic mission of schools and of all sectors within higher education.
  2. Enlarge the current national narrative that erases civic aims and civic literacy as educational priorities contributing to social, intellectual, and economic capital.
  3. Advance a contemporary, comprehensive framework for civic learning—embracing U.S. and global interdependence— that includes historic and modern understandings of democratic values, capacities to engage diverse perspectives and people, and commitment to collective civic problem solving.
  4. Capitalize upon the interdependent responsibilities of K–12 and higher education to foster progressively higher levels of civic knowledge, skills, examined values, and action as expectations for every student.
  5. Expand the number of robust, generative civic partnerships and alliances, locally, nationally, and globally to address common problems, empower people to act, strengthen communities and nations, and generate new frontiers of knowledge.

First, we all must vote!

Dean Peggy James


Four Ways to Make a Difference in the Community

Check out the Ranger Reach Out website to sign up to Fill food boxes at the Shalom Center on November 5th; Give to the UW-Parkside Food Drive; Help Root Pike Win on the Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course; and Participate in the Annual United Way Campaigns. 

“Since Covid-19, we are seeing higher than normal numbers in our Food Pantry. The loss of jobs during these unprecedented times is causing households to utilize food pantries even more to help them stretch their dollars. We are also seeing families who have never visited our pantry before and now have found themselves in need. Donations are always needed, especially this time of year, to ensure we can continue to keep up with the demand. We are thankful for partners like UW Parkside who are assisting us in our efforts to provide nutritional healthy food to our community. Together, we are stronger.” 

Tamarra Coleman, Executive Director, Shalom Center, Kenosha

UW-Parkside steps up to help meet this community need and YOU can make a difference in one of four ways:

  1. Donate nonperishable food items. You can drop off nonperishable food in the bins at the entrance of the Student Center, the Rita and the Sports & Activities Center October 26-Nov 6.
  2. Volunteer at the Box Build at the Shalom Center to prepare food boxes on Thursday, November 5, 9-11 AM. Covid safety measures will be in effect. Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.uwp.edu/currentstudent/rangerreachout.cfm
  3. Drop off nonperishable food items on Saturday, Nov 7 at the drive-thru collection at the Sports & Activities Center, 10 AM-2 PM
  4. Support UW-Parkside’s United Way campaign Nov 9-21. Look for a link in your email.

Managing Election Anxiety – here are some great resources from the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) for dealing with anxiety and stress related to the upcoming election: 


Why You Should Get Out and Vote!

“I encourage everyone to vote since there are so many like myself that do not have the opportunity to do so! Your vote matters and it affects everyone around you.”

Name: Alisson A. Anguiano Salas

College year: Junior

Major: English and Political Science, with a concentration in law

“As the amendment states, every American is endowed to the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness begins with making the right choice. Hence I ask you this-- to chose to treat your right to vote as an obligation to get one step closer to be in control of your choices. Being an International Student from a developing Nation I share this significant passion towards the right to vote and urge you to register to vote.

Can I count on you to make the right choice and vote for this election? Please remember every vote counts.”

Name: Ankit Shah, MBA 

College year: last semester (as we don’t have years but if taking time into consideration this would be my second year)

Major: General Management 

“Voting matters because it is how we put in our part to create a better future. Future for our loved ones and the younger generation. It’s putting your part to help not just yourself, but everyone around you. Voting is showing how much you care for your neighbors and the world. Please make sure you let your voice be heard by voting on this year’s Election Day and the elections to follow. Thank you!” 

Name: Jaricsa Ascencio
College Year: Sophomore
Major: Elementary Education 


Nontraditional Student Week

Hello,

Next week, November 2-6, UW Extended Campus will be celebrating Nontraditional Student Week. Our Student Success team will be offering specialized content to our current students within the Student Resource Lounge, and we will be promoting student stories and features on our social media channels.

Where a student has a home campus, we will tag you in our social posts. We also invite you to like and share any posts. These will be tagged with #NontraditionalStudentWeek. If your campus is participating in NTSW, we’ll also like and share your posts.

We are excited to have this chance to feature and celebrate just a few of our nontraditional students, and hope you can join us during the week.

Lisa


Native American Heritage Month 

November is Native American Heritage Month! The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) presents a virtual Kick Off, a MOSAIC workshop, a social media campaign, and webinars to celebrate and honor the importance of recognizing and educating ourselves on Indigenous history and culture. Join us for the virtual Kick Off on Monday, November 2, 2020 and view additional events on the Native American Heritage Month website. All events are free and open to the public. 


Volunteer with Root-Pike WIN to Improve Pollinator Habitat at UW-Parkside

When
Saturday, November 7, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST

Where

UW-Parkside Cross Country Course @ CTH JR & STH 31
919-901 Green Bay Rd
Kenosha, WI 53144

Why and What

We will remove invasive buckthorn plants - making way for native food sources. Invasive buckthorn crowds out native plants - robbing them of sunlight and space. No skills are needed; you will be trained onsite. Bring work gloves, safety glasses, and loppers if you have them. All COVID precautions are recommended, and all work will be socially distanced.

Work will occur on the corner of CTH JR and STH 31 (Green Bay Rd). Parking is available within Petrifying Springs Park, and then a short walk in the woods to the southwest across CTH JR.

Weather

Please register below in advance. If the workday is cancelled due to weather conditions, an email will be sent to notify you at least two hours prior to the event. If there is no cancellation message, the workday will continue as scheduled.

Register Now!

Root-Pike WIN is partnering with the University of Wisconsin - Parkside to preserve and restore the natural areas within the course. This area supports the federally-endangered Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee.

Bee at Parkside! 
Dave Giordano, Executive Director
Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network
ford@uwp.edu
262-883-4018


Five Things You Should Know:

Moon Shot for Equity: The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Carthage College, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and UWM have joined a national initiative led by education firm EAB aimed at ending equity gaps in higher education by 2030. Read more.

Community Conversations: Dr. Jonathan Shailor (UW-Parkside), Pastor Kara Baylor (Carthage College), and students in the UW-Parkside Certificate Program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution have been facilitating “Rebuilding Kenosha” conversations since September. There are still three sessions remaining! Talks will be held on October 28, November 11, and December 2. The conversations will be held via ZOOM on Wednesday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register, contact Jonathan Shailor at shailor@uwp.edu.

Polling Location: The polling location on campus is in the SAC. There will be extra traffic, so please plan ahead!

Smash COVID: If you haven’t seen it already. System has put out a video featuring Tommy smashing COVID! This is meant to help encourage students to stick to safety guidelines. (FacebookTwitterInstagram)

Parkside Presente: Check out the latest episode of Presente! In Season 2, Episode 8, Gia talks to Esmeralda Aguilar, a MOSAIC program educator and student at UW-Parkside. The MOSAIC program focuses in Motivating Our Students to Advocate for an Inclusive Campus. Esmeralda shares with us the complexities of implicit bias and how we can begin to understand via dialogue the barriers that implicit bias creates to create an inclusive campus.

And as always, make sure to keep an eye on the News page and on our social media channels for updates!

Colleagues,

These days, COVID has us thinking differently about where we go, who we see, how long we talk, and how close we get. We’re obsessing over masking, handwashing, testing, tracking, tracing, isolating, quarantining, and how we Zoom. For months, these adjustments have cluttered our thoughts about how to do what we do. Steven Taylor, in his book, The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease, explains that as we focus on staying healthy physically, we often pay less attention than we should to how we are feeling. If you are experiencing distress, I do hope you will take advantage of SilverCloud, a valuable resource we have at UW-Parkside that was recently adopted across the UW System, and that is based on 17 years of clinical research. SilverCloud is a completely confidential internet-based platform that delivers online therapeutic and psycho-education programs.

Various campus meetings and listening sessions give us a sense of how things are going. They also illuminate the tremendous efforts you are making to support our students and each other. I ask for a minute or two of your time to respond to this anonymous, three-question survey. This brief, midterm check-in will help us understand how more of you are doing and whether there are other things we can do to assist. I can’t promise solutions, but I promise we will listen. 

Have a good week!

Rob

Rob Ducoffe
Provost & Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
900 Wood Road | Kenosha, WI 53144
262-595-2261 | ducoffe@uwp.edu

**

Courageous Conversation on Voter Suppression

UW-Parkside, in partnership with the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism, presents a virtual panel discussion on voter suppression followed by interactive discussions on Monday, Oct 26 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Information for this event, and more, can be found on the Election Experience event web page. No registration is required, simply visit our website and click the event link contained in the Voter Suppression Guest Speaker box.

Leadership Assembly

Mark your calendars for the October 29th, 2:00 – 3:00 for the first Fall Leadership Assembly and Campus Update. Everyone is invited to this Virtual Meeting to learn more about UW-Parkside’s commitment to Student Success and Partnerships with our Communities. We will also provide updates on the current state of COVID-19 and provide announcements of coming events. 

Four Ways to Make a Difference in the Community

Check out the Ranger Reach Out website to sign up to Fill food boxes at the Shalom Center on November 5th; Give to the UW-Parkside Food Drive; Help Root Pike Win on the Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course; and Participate in the Annual United Way Campaigns. 

“Since Covid-19, we are seeing higher than normal numbers in our Food Pantry. The loss of jobs during these unprecedented times is causing households to utilize food pantries even more to help them stretch their dollars. We are also seeing families who have never visited our pantry before and now have found themselves in need. Donations are always needed, especially this time of year, to ensure we can continue to keep up with the demand. We are thankful for partners like UW Parkside who are assisting us in our efforts to provide nutritional healthy food to our community. Together, we are stronger.” 

Tamarra Coleman, Executive Director, Shalom Center, Kenosha

UW-Parkside steps up to help meet this community need and YOU can make a difference in one of four ways:

  1. Donate nonperishable food items. You can drop off nonperishable food in the bins at the entrance of the Student Center, the Rita and the Sports & Activities Center October 26-Nov 6.
  2. Volunteer at the Box Build at the Shalom Center to prepare food boxes on Thursday, November 5, 9-11 AM. Covid safety measures will be in effect. Sign up to volunteer here.
  3. Drop off nonperishable food items on Saturday, Nov 7 at the drive-thru collection at the Sports & Activities Center, 10 AM-2 PM
  4. Support UW-Parkside’s United Way campaign Nov 9-21. Look for a link in your email.

Managing Election Anxiety – here are some great resources from the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) for dealing with anxiety and stress related to the upcoming election: 

Five Things You Should Know:

Moon Shot for Equity: The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Carthage College, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and UWM have joined a national initiative led by education firm EAB aimed at ending equity gaps in higher education by 2030. Read more.

ARU Brave Talk: Round Table Discussion on Election 2020: October 29, 2020 , 5 pm - 6:30 pm, WebEx (Click here to register for this event.) As part of the Election Experience Program Series, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) Always Reaching Upward (ARU) Mentor Program is hosting ARU Brave Talk: Round Table Discussion on Election 2020. Join in on this round table event to discuss the intersections of the upcoming election and important topics for youth in the communities of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). Hear from current student leaders in the Always Reaching Upward (ARU) mentoring program, UW-Parkside Alumni, and Dr. Michael Hansen, UW-Parkside Political Science professor. 

Community Conversations: Dr. Jonathan Shailor (UW-Parkside), Pastor Kara Baylor (Carthage College), and students in the UW-Parkside Certificate Program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution have been facilitating “Rebuilding Kenosha” conversations since September. There are still three sessions remaining! Talks will be held on October 28, November 11, and December 2. The conversations will be held via ZOOM on Wednesday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register, contact Jonathan Shailor at shailor@uwp.edu.

Don’t Forget to Vote! Courageous Conversation on Voter Suppression: Courageous Conversation – OCT 26 | 7 PM – 8:30 PM. UW-Parkside, in partnership with the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism, presents a virtual panel discussion on voter suppression followed by interactive discussions on Monday, Oct 26 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Information for this event, and more, can be found on the Election Experience event web page. No registration is required, simply visit our website and click the event link contained in the Voter Suppression Guest Speaker box.

Happy Halloween: Have fun, stay safe! We hope everyone has a fun and enjoyable Halloween this week! Please remember to be safe and follow our guidelines via our “Prepare. Protect. Prevent.” video: https://vimeo.com/426785767

And as always, make sure to keep an eye on the News page (uwp.edu/news) and on our social media channels for updates!

Dear Colleagues,

Congratulations on making it to the mid-point of the fall semester! Thank you for all you are doing each and every day for our students and one another as we respond to the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice; the upcoming election; and the delivery of our academic mission. For today’s Monday Message, we are providing COVID-19 reminders and sharing information about upcoming events. (And as always, don’t forget to mask up!)

Staying Healthy

Review the resources in the UW-Parkside Employee Guidebook section, Employee Support and Wellbeing. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services are provided at no cost to employee and members of their household. Contact FEI, the EAP provider, at 866-274-4723 or the FEI EAP Homepage using SOWI as the username. Here are additional resources shared by Dr. Penny Lyter on Self Care during C-19: 

Froedtert Health, provided ways to stay physically and mentally healthy during covid-19. 

Mayo Clinic, COVID-19: Eating, moving and meditating are keys to staying healthy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m85TruhQ4mM

13 Most Popular Gratitude Exercises & Activities https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/

Rethinking Our Self-Care During the Pandemic https://www.mindful.org/rethinking-our-self-care-during-the-pandemic/

Staying Physically Active During the COVID-19 Pandemic https://www.acsm.org/read-research/newsroom/news-releases/news-detail/2020/03/16/staying-physically-active-during-covid-19-pandemic

Update on COVID-19 Testing

This testing is available to all who live or work in Wisconsin, ages 5 and up. No symptoms of COVID-19 are required. Click Kenosha County Testing Locations for a full and up to date list of testing locations.  

Kenosha County Job Center
The Wisconsin National Guard will provide free, drive-thru testing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Monday, Oct. 12-Dec. 7, at the Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 Sheridan Road, Kenosha. No appointment and no symptoms are needed. This is open to any person who lives or works in Wisconsin, ages 5 and up. Testing will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, with results arriving within seven days. Online pre-registration is recommended at https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov.

Kenosha County Center
The Wisconsin National Guard will provide free, drive-thru testing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Friday, Oct. 16-Dec. 4 (except for Nov. 27), at the Kenosha County Center at highways 45 and 50 in Bristol. No appointment and no symptoms are needed. This is open to any person who lives or works in Wisconsin, ages 5 and up. Testing will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, with results arriving within seven days. Online pre-registration is recommended at https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov.

Modern Apothecary
Locally owned, independent pharmacy Modern Apothecary will offer testing each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through at least Nov. 15 in the parking lot south of the Simmons Island Beach House, 5001 Fourth Ave., Kenosha. There is no charge for this testing. Testing hours will be 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. An appointment and pre-registration are strongly encouraged, with appointment times available at https://modernapothecary.10to8.com and registration available at https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov.

Protect yourself against the FLU with an annual Flu Shot 

For employees enrolled in health insurance at UW Parkside please use your Navitus Pharmacy Benefit Card to receive in network benefits at Aurora Pharmacies. Utilizing your Navitus Pharmacy Benefit will ensure you and the members of your plan will receive (in most instances) a free flu shot. Employees that are not enrolled with our health insurance plans on campus should check with their insurance carrier regarding coverage. Aurora Pharmacy welcomes UW Parkside employees and their families! Vaccinating patients 6 years and older.

Aurora Pharmacy Racine
8400 Washington Ave, Mt Pleasant, WI 53406
Hours M-F 9am-7pm, Sat/Sun 9am-4pm

Aurora Pharmacy Kenosha
10400 75th St, Kenosha, WI 53142
Hours M-F 7:30am-10pm, Sat/Sun 8am-4pm

Aurora Pharmacy Union Grove
4310 67th Drive, Union Grove, WI 53182
Hours M-F 8am-7pm, Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 9am-1pm

Aurora Pharmacy St Francis
2000 E Layton Ave, Suite 150, St Francis, WI 53235
Hours M-F 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm

Aurora Pharmacy Edgerton
6901 W Edgerton Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53220
Hours M-F 8am-9pm, Sat/Sun 8am-8pm

In addition, UW-Parkside Student Health is hosting flu clinics for staff and students this week: Cost for students $20, staff $35. If you need forms for reimbursement to your insurance provider, please let staff know. Flu Shots will be given in Ranger Hall on October 20th from 1:00-4:00 and in Pike River Suites on October 27th from 10:30am-1:00pm.

UW-Parkside COVID-19 Dashboard

Take a look at the enhanced COVID-19 Dashboard updated by John Standard and Dr. Renee Kirby. 

Do you know the symptoms of COVID-19, the flu, a cold, allergies, or asthma?

Dr. Jen Freiheit, Director of Kenosha County Public Health shared this info graphic on the symptoms. We are seeing lots of colds and seasonal allergies on campus. 

Managing Election Anxiety – here are some great resources from the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) for dealing with anxiety and stress related to the upcoming election: 

Happy Halloween! Have fun – Stay safe!

We hope everyone has a fun and enjoyable Halloween! Please remember to be safe and follow our guidelines via our “Prepare. Protect. Prevent.” video.

Five Things You Should Know:

NCAA Championships bid announcement

We learned officially yesterday and announced today that we were awarded bids to host three upcoming NCAA Cross Country Division II Championships, including the 2022 and 2025 Midwest Regionals and the 2025 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! We’re really excited about this opportunity to welcome the nation’s best teams and runners to the nation’s best cross country course! Read more.

Four Ways to Make a Difference in the Community

Check out the Ranger Reach Out website to sign up to Fill food boxes at the Shalom Center on November 5th; Give to the UW-Parkside Food Drive; Help Root Pike Win on the Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course; and Participate in the Annual United Way Campaigns. 

Leadership Assembly

Mark your calendars for the October 29th, 2:00 – 3:00 for the first Fall Leadership Assembly and Campus Update. Everyone is invited to this Virtual Meeting to learn more about UW-Parkside’s commitment to Student Success and Partnerships with our Communities. We will also provide updates on the current state of COVID-19 and provide announcements of coming events. 

CNHS Annual Alumni & Community Event

The College of Natural and Health Sciences (CNHS) at University of Wisconsin-Parkside will be holding its upcoming sixth annual Alumni & Community event via livestream from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. This event is free and open to the public. However, for those considering donating, 100% of donations will go to support student scholarships.

Don’t Forget to Vote!
Parkside Presidential Pumpkin Patch + Courageous Conversation on Voter Suppression

Pumpkin Patch - OCT 20-21 | 10 AM- 3 PM; Courageous Conversation – OCT 26 | 7 PM – 8:30 PM

Picking a pumpkin is simpler than picking a President! From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20 and Wednesday, October 21, students, faculty, and staff are welcome to pick up a pumpkin and get voter information, either in Main Place or outside the Student Center! The College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies and Alan E. Guskin Center for Community & Business Engagement, in coordination with Bread to Spread the Vote (www.spreadthevote.org), are hosting this free event for the UW-Parkside community. There will be a table in Main Place with a banner and sign directing people to the pumpkin patch, which will be located outside the Student Center.

UW-Parkside, in partnership with the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism, presents a virtual panel discussion on voter suppression followed by interactive discussions on Monday, Oct 26 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Information for this event, and more, can be found on the Election Experience event web page. No registration is required, simply visit our website and click the event link contained in the Voter Suppression Guest Speaker box.

**

Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Community Conversations! To register, contact Jonathan Shailor at shailor@uwp.edu.

Happy Monday, Rangers!

I’m happy to provide the Monday Update from the UW-Parkside Library today.

Watch the video to find out about what we are doing in the library during this Fall 2020 semester. You may want to turn on captions for the best experience.

Library Monday Update

I’d like to share news about your colleagues in the Library:

  • Laura Briskie serves on two Council of UW Libraries [CUWL] system-wide committees: CUWL Collection Development and the CUWL E-Resources/Acquisition Interest Group
  • Jennie Callas is the new copyeditor for Weave: Journal of Library User Experience; see its latest issue. She recently published a book chapter: Callas, J. E. (2019). An introduction to academic librarianship. In M. Hodge (Ed.), The future academic librarian’s toolkit: Finding success on the job hunt and in your first job (pp. 3–24). Chicago: ACRL.
  • Jay Dougherty serves in the UW Libraries Shared Systems Technical Data group and is a UW Shared Systems Campus Contact.
  • Shauna Edson serves as Chair of the Association of College and Research Libraries Section Membership Committee, July 2020-Present, and she serves as a board member for the Autumn Farm Animal Sanctuary in Cedarburg, WI. She has recently published an article and a case study:  Edson, S. (2019). Escape rooms build better researchers. Codex, The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRL. 5.(3), 30-43  http://journal.acrlla.org/index.php/codex/article/view/162; and Edson, S. (2019). A Train-the-trainer course for faculty instructors, a case study. In Pitts, J. E., Bonella, L., Coleman, J.M. & Wathen, A. (Eds.), Library Services for Online Patrons A Manual for Facilitating Access, Learning, and Engagement (pp. 113-115). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
  • Dina Kaye is a UW Libraries Shared Systems Campus Contact and a member of the the CUWL Collection Development Committee.
  • Melissa Olson works on the Digital Preservation Expertise Group of the UW System Archives Council.
  • Rebecca Robbennolt is the new Chair of the UW System Records Officers Council and also represents that group on the State of Wisconsin’s Public Records Board’s Operation and Training Advisory Committee.
  • Heather Spencer serves as an executive board member for Kenosha Human Development Services.
  • Anna Stadick is the chair-elect of CUWL and serves as a member of the UWM School of Information Science’s MLIS Advisory Board.

I also invite you to take a look at new features:

Construction Progress Videos

Please see a brief before/now comparison here or visit our YouTube site to see the library transformation weekly from the beginning.

New Collections 

Discover a new way of organizing selected books around a specific theme, such as Antiracism, LGBTQ Topics, New Books, and more here.

What can you do in the library right now?

Go to our newly redesigned website and find out.

Or see our new infographic below!

Library Monday Update 2

*Special thanks to Liz Antaramian and Becky Tolejano for work on the infographic, Xou Le Va Vang for the library transformation video, and Heather Spencer for tireless video recording.

Sincerely,

Anna M. Stadick
Library Director

CBEC Monday Update Video

CBEC Monday Update

Dear Colleagues,

The College of Business, Economics, and Computing (CBEC) engages students, faculty, staff and community in innovative ways to make a positive impact on the region, our disciplines, global community, and, most importantly, our student’s lives.

In 2019-2020, 320 students graduated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in CBEC programs. This number includes graduates of our newest programs:

  • Online MBA (MBAO) – 28 graduates
  • Online Business Degree Completion program (BUSO) – 16 graduates
  • University of Wisconsin Flexible Option Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Flex BSBA) - 4 graduates.

Each of these programs are designed with substantial community involvement in order to serve the needs of this region. BUSO and Flex BSBA are specifically designed to help students with work and family obligations complete their bachelor’s degrees. Flex BSBA is the only Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited competency-based business program in the world.

As highlighted in the following graphs, MBAO, BUSO, and Flex BSBA have seen significant growth:

CBEC Monday Update Graph 1

CBEC Monday Update Graph 2

Flex BSBA

CBEC Monday Update Graph 3

 

While developing talent is the college’s greatest impact, CBEC strives to provide a positive impact in other ways. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) welcomes Mary Fischer-Tracy as the Interim Director in replacement of retired director, Jim McPhaul. The SBDC has helped 40 small business owners in Kenosha in 28 different industries in response to the Covid-19 recession. In addition, they have worked with 10 Kenosha downtown business owners who have been affected by the riots.

The Ralph Jaeschke Solutions for Economic Growth Center (SEG Center) worked on 78 community projects involving 347 students in 2019-2020. In addition, the App Factory worked on 14 projects last year including a project for UW System that was recognized by UW System President and former Governor Thompson. The system is a SharePoint site that helps UW System answer public records requests.

The App Factory has finally moved from a garage motif to a more modern workplace. Salina Servantez, a recent graduate in Computer Science and Psychology, led the remodeling effort (App Factory 2.0) and coined the motto, “A woman-friendly design with everyone in mind.”

CBEC Monday Update Graph 4

The faculty in CBEC continue to publish. The faculty published 75 journal articles in the last five years and these articles have generated over 400 citations by their peers. A few recent highlights include:

  • Bingqing (Claire) Wu won best conference paper at the Southern Management Association Conference for her paper, “A Power-with versus Power-over Framework of Leadership Behaviors and Creativity.”
  • Sahar Bahmani’s paper, “On the Mechanics of Economic Growth in Middle-Income Countries: The Role of ICT Infrastructure Development, Taxation and Other Macroeconomic Policies" was accepted for publication in The Singapore Economic Review.
  • Robert Fok’s article “Do cross-border mergers and acquisitions affect acquirers’ trade credit? Evidence from an emerging market,” was published in International Review of Economics and Finance.
  • Terry McGovern’s paper on using academic digital badges in modular information systems courses was accepted by the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Unfortunately for Terry, HICSS is a virtual conference this year.

CBEC is delighted to welcome five new faculty and staff to the college:

  • Adeel Faheem is an Assistant Professor of Economics. He received a Master of Science degree in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics, Toulouse, France, and Ph.D. in Economics from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Adeel’s recent research empirically investigates the competitive effects of vertical restraints and mergers in the US Beer market. His broader research interests lie at the intersections of Industrial Organization and Econometrics.
  • Dr. Vijayalakshmi (Viji) Ramasamy joined UW Parkside with extensive academic and research experience of over 24 years. She has taught and developed multiple Data Science, Computer Science, and Software Engineering courses at Anna University, India, and Miami University, Ohio. Her research leverages graph data analytics as a multidisciplinary domain comprising work from various fields such as Data Mining, Machine Learning, Pattern Recognition, and Graph Theory. It capitalizes on a broad range of expertise drawn from different disciplines, including cognitive neuroscience, computer, biological, social networks, and, most recently, undergraduate STEM Education (educational data mining and learning analytics). Dr. Viji has also held an adjunct position at the University of South Australia, established a Computational Neuroscience Laboratory at Anna University, India, and has worked on an NSF research grant in collaboration with Florida International University to assist her MS and Ph.D. students.
  • Kelli Stein is a new Lecturer and Instructional Specialist for the Department of Business. Her past professional experience is in MIS and project management in both corporate and consulting settings, as well as nonprofit management. She has a Bachelor of Business from UW-Whitewater and a Master of Science in Organizational Change Leadership and Project Management from UW-Platteville. She is married and has a 10-year old son. Her husband, Richard, is also an adjunct professor for UWP. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and volunteering with local non-profit organizations, including co-chairing the annual Rotary Post Prom in Racine, WI.
  • Jennifer Wright Tsegai is a new Lecturer and Instructional Specialist for the Department of Business. Jennifer earned a B.S. in Public Affairs at Indiana University and an MBA from University of Utah. She has experience with data analytics and marketing for banks and has held Executive Director positions for nonprofit organizations.
  • Barbara Fischer-Galley is an Outreach Specialist for the SBDC. She is the owner-operator of Piccadilly Antiques. She has also worked at the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation. Barbara has an AAS degree in Marketing from Gateway Technical College, B.S. in General Business from UW-Stout, and an MBA from Capella University.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to two programs. The UW-Parkside Big Idea Innovation Challenge will be launching soon. Students competing in this idea competition have an opportunity to win up to $2500 to advance their idea and are eligible to compete in the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament.

Students competing in this event may also want to take advantage of a similar event. Tech-Prize, in Racine, consists of multiple events including idea, app development, and esports competitions. The App Development competition concludes this semester. The idea competition includes mentoring for those who submit ideas and concludes with a two-week event in summer 2021. Throughout the year, Tech-Prize will hold a series of virtual Saturday morning workshops (titled Biz-shops). You are encouraged to participate in the live workshop but these are also recorded and will eventually be placed online. The workshops will take place through April 2021. Workshops include developing an idea, intellectual property, design thinking, and fundraising. You can find more information about Biz-Shops at: https://www.tech-prize.org/events/.

I wish you good health and good luck during this academic year.

Dirk Baldwin, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Business, Economics, and Computing

Dear Colleagues:

Here are some highlights in the College of Natural and Health Sciences:

CNHS Monday Update

Bill Miller, Department Chair of HKSM, gave a presentation titled "Current Issues in Sports Facility Naming Rights" at Marquette University Law School which was co-sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin Sports & Entertainment Law Section on September 18th.

Dr. Francis Mann, Department Co-Chair of Chemistry, and her student, Leah Poulos, filed an invention disclosure with WiSys: Production of E,Z,E-GGPP: a potentially bactericidal non-natural product from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Dr. Natalia Taft and Dr. Francis Mann were awarded a WiSys Ignite grant ($49676.00) to explore the possibility of using microbes to generate pigments and antioxidants required for aquaculture.

Elizabeth (Betty) Rockendorf, Program Director HIMT, received the Wisconsin Health Information Management Educator Award – This award identifies and honors those who demonstrate excellence in preparing the next generation of professionals for their HIM careers. It recognizes those who teach in a health information administration, technology and other related programs and who are involved in WHIMA’s activities at the state and local levels. Congratulations Betty!

The new CNHS Retention Initiative, UWP 101-First Year Seminar: College of Natural and Health Sciences launched this Fall 2020 semester. Eight (8) faculty/IAS/AS are teaching ten (10) sections of this course, with over 160 students enrolled.

The college forged a relationship with Beyond Organic, LLC (BO). BO secured a space of land on campus for integrated agriculture that will enable research collaborations and internship opportunities for our faculty and students, especially those pursuing degrees in BIOS, CHEM, ENVS and GEOS. As well as serve as outreach for/to K-12.

Administrative protocols were completed for the articulation partnership with Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, Republic of Belarus for Mathematics, Physics and Psychology.  

CNHS welcomed the following new Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff members: Dr. Scott Batcheller, Visiting Assistant Professor in Chemistry; Dr. Robtrice Brawner, Assistant Professor in Psychology; Dr. Bom Soo Kim, Assistant Professor of Physics; Dr. Amelia Ray, Lecturer in Chemistry.

Certainly a lot going on in CNHS this semester! Be safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Emmanuel Otu
Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

Below you will find two videos from the College of Arts and Humanities. We invite you to take 3 minutes to listen to a section of Russ Johnson’s Grammy-nominated, Headlands. Accompanying this exquisite piece of music making is a photomontage of what’s happening in the College in October.

Our second video represents an example of how we intend to get our message and creativity outside the halls of the Rita during the time of Covid. We are putting together teams of students from our DMAP minor and Theater to help make videos, do camera work on with our live-streaming, and audio-engineer music recordings.

COAH_Monday Update 1

College of Arts and Humanities Monday Update Video

Communication major, Mitch Johnson, shot the video as part of his capstone project for a minor in DMAP. The video is a small segment of what we shot back in August. Longer, department specific videos will be made for each major and used during our “Arts and Humanities Visit Week” that will be a combination of prerecorded videos and live-streamed interviews between students and faculty. In October, students, armed with an iPhone, will make Tik-Tok-like teasers to drive prospective students to our virtual events.

COAH_Monday Update 2

College of Arts and Humanities Monday Update Video 2

Have a great week,

Lesley Heins Walker

Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities

**

COVID-19 Update

Thank you for following and reinforcing the 3Ws of wearing your mask, watching your distance, and washing your hands as we do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These actions and the cooperation of faculty and instructors in taking attendance and maintaining seating charts are making a difference and increasing the effectiveness of contact tracing. To date, we have seen few cases of COVID-19 impacting the UW-Parkside community and we continue to monitor the situation closely.  We have received several questions regarding “close contacts” of persons diagnosed with COVID-19. UW-Parkside has trained Contact Tracers to follow up with “close contacts” of folks diagnosed with COVID-19 and we continue to work in partnership with the Kenosha County Health Department on this process. The WI Department of Health Services published “Next Steps for Close Contacts of Someone with COVID-19” on September 15th.   

Faculty and staff are encouraged to complete this form if diagnosed with COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, as this greatly enhances contact tracing to reduce the spread of the virus. 

Thank you for your continued cooperation and attention to reducing the spread of COVID-19. 

CSSPS Monday Update – Video Clip

CSSPS_Monday Update

UW-Parkside Community,

The College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies mission of civic and community engagement cannot be halted by COVID-19. In fact, we believe it to be more important than ever. For our campus and for our community, we are working to help everyone be present and be counted (estar presente y ser contado). To this end we are doubling our programming efforts for Hispanic Heritage Month and Election Experience 2020.

Election Experience 2020 continues with the third quadrennial election experience, offering Wednesday Brown bags by faculty across the campus, special events, and registration/voting drives. These events are live streamed with registration links provided on our election experience events webpage.

Special events include: 

  • The Peoples’ Map: redistricting in Wisconsin presented by the Fair Maps Association on Sept 29th
  • Charles Franklin from the Marquette University Law School Polls on October 13th
  • Courageous Conversations: Voter Suppression co-hosted with the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism and the Al E Guskin Center for Community and Business Engagement on October 26th

These events and more can be accessed on the Election Experience 2020 Events Webpage.

Upcoming is a drive through/walk in registration event on September 22 and 23rd in the parking lot in front of the Student Center. Election Experience interns, and other student volunteers from Latinos Unidos and Parkside Student Government, will be registering folks online.  No excuse, rain or shine!

If you can’t wait until then, the Library is hosting a registration event on September 16th for students and staff. But if you do it on the 16th, you can’t do it again- remember one registration, one vote. What do you think this is, Chicago in the 60’s?

And do not forget that Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off this week with our third annual Festejo de Lideres event, when we honor local Hispanic leaders who have spent years giving back to the community. This fall we are honoring two UW Parkside alumn- Jose Rey Palacios, and Andres Cerritos. Look for our awards video which you can watch any time after Sept 16, in your jammies if you would like.

All events for Hispanic Heritage Month can be found at the website, but here are a select few:

OCT 7 | 5:30-7 PM
Paint the White House Brown (hosted by LULAC #354)
Jose Angel Gutierrez

A presentation about the Critical Mass of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to the growing number of registered voters of Mexican ancestry in the USA by 2040 that will make these voters the most important of all groups in presidential politics

OCT 2 | 12-1 PM
Cache (hosted by the College of Arts and Humanities)

Enjoy a live streamed performance by Cache MKE, an exuberant Latin Musical Ensemble headed by Cecil Negron, who is known for their impact on the Latin Music scene for over 50 years. The virtual streaming of this event will be available via social media in the link below.

And, we are kicking off a multiyear project, because this one will be HUGE!

Raíces Project

As part of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, and to celebrate our increasing Hispanic student population (18.9% in Fall 2020), OMSA and the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies (CSSPS) have started the Raíces Project.  Raíces, ‘Roots’ in Spanish, is a digital collection/historical archive of the impact of our cultural history and our community's Hispanic heritage. We want YOU to share your family's history, immigration stories, photos or portraits, videos, images of heirlooms, or personal anecdotes.

Thank you!

Peggy James

Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies

 

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to Fall 2020! Thank you for your continued dedication to UW-Parkside, one another, and to our students. Yes, this is not how we imagined starting the fall semester but I know we are committed to doing our part to ensure the health and safety of our learning community, deliver our mission and reduce the spread of covid-19.  We have adopted the theme, Rangers Reimagined, for 2020 and I invite you to think about how we might re-imagine our work and our impact.   

When I think of Rangers Reimagined, I turn to our mission -- to provide high-quality educational programs, creative and scholarly activities, and services responsive to our diverse student population and our local, national, and global communities. Education at UW-Parkside extends beyond the classroom and develops the habits of heart and habits of mind in our students. Our focus on seeking meaningful and transformational relationships in spite of the pandemic will determine our durability.  As I reimagine the future of UW-Parkside while building new relationships I think about how we will:

  • Exceed our bold goal of increasing the number of graduates by 50% by 2025
  • Enroll, educate, support and celebrate the commencement of more students of color
  • Align academic programs with regional needs and position every business and community partner to hire UW-Parkside student interns and graduates
  • Exceed our goal to have a more inclusive campus climate and culture
  • Increase 1st to 2nd year student retention from 70% to 80%
  • Engage our 26,000 proud alumni
  • Grow enrollment in both undergraduate and graduate programs
  • Continue to serve as the “go-to” place for talent among faculty, staff, students, and alumni
  • Serve as an engaged, committed, and thoughtful community partner
  • Reach our goal to be among the best places to work in SE Wisconsin
  • Attract, recruit, hire, and retain a culturally competent and diverse workforce
  • Make the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategic plan a top priority and ensure the finished product is “owned” by everyone, especially campus leaders
  • Ensure that all leaders and faculty have meaningful and measurable equity and diversity performance goals

In my view, UW-Parkside has always been about reimagining itself because of how responsive we are to the communities we serve. The over 26,000 alumni, dedicated faculty and staff, and 4500 students make UW-Parkside what it is today. UW-Parkside faculty and staff will continue to position our students and graduates to be ready for what the world expects and needs across all dimensions. Today, we are called to respond to the pandemic, lead in confronting systemic injustices, dismantle racism, and strive to eliminate disparities in higher education.  Now, more than ever, we must embrace and share the values of dignity and respect embedded in UW-Parkside’s educational foundation. This is a time for us to support one another, show compassion, listen to one another, be empathic, and embrace our differences as these are the actions that make our learning community even stronger.  One thing I know for certain is UW-Parkside makes the community, the state, and the world a better place. Our work in 2020, no matter the role we play, is more important than ever and our work must continue.

I want to share a few notes of gratitude from the first days of the fall semester that demonstrate who we are as a learning community. First, thank you to everyone for wearing their masks and watching their distance across campus. Thank you to the teams in facilities management, custodial services, and the Student Center for preparing the campus for the fall semester; Thanks to Brendan for the elbow bumps in the Brickstone and for telling me about his UW-Parkside experience; Thanks to Crystal for serving as a student representative on the Building Our Future Leadership Group and for sharing her thoughts on what our we need in order to make the Kenosha Community better; thank you to JZ for the Ranger Mask Lanyard and the conversation in the parking lot; thanks to Dr. Glass and the members of the EDI Council for tackling student data and probing for better outcomes; thanks to Dr. Kinchen and the Voices of Parkside for sharing their talents in their outdoor classroom just outside my office window; thanks for Jessica and the Tech Bar team for reminding me of the power of higher education; and thanks to all of you for believing in our students and in UW-Parkside!

Chancellor Debbie Ford

Scroll to top