For the Record

The Council for Nonrepresented Classified Staff Professional Development Grant Program

The Professional Development Grant Program has again been authorized by the vice chancellor for administration for fiscal year 2006-07. The program is sponsored by the Council for Non-represented Classified Staff and administered by UW–Madison Classified Human Resources. It was created to provide funding for professional development activities for all permanent nonrepresented classified staff that hold at least a 50 percent nonrepresented classified staff appointment. The individual’s department provides a 50 percent match for expenses.

The CNCS Professional Development Grant Program has been very successful this year. Ten individuals received awards for activities Sept.1-Dec.31, and six for the time period Jan. 1-June 30. Activities funded included conferences, workshops, advanced training and professional institutes.CNCS encourages all members to consider applying. Think about professional development activities that would aid you in your current position or further your career. Discuss opportunities with your supervisor to determine the ability of your department to match CNCS grant funds. Further information is available at http://www.cncs.wisc.edu/

Symposium: Reconsidering Learning Styles

The 2006 Teaching and Learning Symposium presents this annual event that brings together people who teach and support learning at UW–Madison to explore the challenges of connecting with students and to share practical ideas that help us do it better. The focus this year is on learning styles and strategies. We all know that scholars and practitioners have identified many dimensions of learning styles that might be relevant to our work. But in a rapidly changing learning environment, it is critical that we periodically reexamine our understanding of learning styles and the teaching strategies we use to address them.

We invite you to attend the symposium to explore these and other topics:

current research on learning styles and strategies for addressing them
links between cultural or social group differences (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, age) and learning styles
addressing diverse learning styles in large-enrollment classes
helping students evaluate and develop strategies for expanding their learning styles
using technology to address diverse learning styles
learning styles across disciplinary contexts designing classrooms (virtual and real) and informal learning spaces for diverse learners
understanding learning styles to improve teaching and learning outcomes
strategies for implementing change in your classroom

For information about the program and register, visit: http://www.learning.wisc.edu/tlsymposium/.

Following the symposium, a number of campus programs that support teaching and learning will be providing workshops and open houses for symposium participants. These are listed in the program. Please note that registration is required for some of these workshops. The 2006 Teaching and Learning Symposium is Wednesday–Thursday, May 17–18, in the Pyle Center.

Quit smoking study attracts 700, nearing 50 percent of goal

More than 700 smokers have enrolled in a ground-breaking study on smoking and health that is being conducted in Madison and Milwaukee since its launch last year. The study, which involves a head-to-head comparison of five stop-smoking treatments, also analyzes the effects of smoking and quitting on the health and lifestyle of smokers for up to three years. The research, being conducted by the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI), UW School of Medicine and Public Health, has recruited close to 50 percent of its goal of 1,500.

“Some participants in this study have expressed surprise at their success in quitting,” says Timothy Baker, professor of psychology and the study’s principal investigator. “They also have said they appreciate the health information they get from the various cardiovascular tests we conduct.” Participants may receive medication at no cost and all receive quit-smoking counseling. Participants get physical examinations, including comprehensive medical tests beyond those usually received by the average patient. Smokers wishing to participate can call 1‒877‒END‒CIGS or log on to http://www.endcigs.com.

The study brings together a number of specialists not only in tobacco dependence but health and fitness, as well. Cardiologists from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health as well as experts in nutrition, fitness, alcohol dependence and psychology are involved in the study. Assessments include cardiovascular status, personality, psychiatric symptoms, diet, exercise, quality of life, alcohol use, smoking withdrawal symptoms, stress and nicotine dependence.

The study has two parts. The first includes an intensive program to help people quit, comparing five medications. Before the quit attempt, a number of medical assessments are completed to determine the mental and physical health, lifestyle and social relationships of smokers at the start of the study. The second part will determine the long-term outcomes of quitting or continuing to smoke, using the same tests conducted before quitting was attempted. The long-term study will also allow researchers to examine in detail what helps or hinders quitting smoking for good.

This study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. UW–CTRI has provided cessation and prevention services in Wisconsin since 1992 and is a nationally recognized research center. For information contact Gloria Meyer, 265-4447, gkm@ctri.medicine.wisc.edu.

New faculty development seminar in humanities launched

The Center for the Humanities and the Institute for Research in the Humanities are pleased to announce the inauguration of the Faculty Development Seminar in the Humanities (FDSH) beginning in spring 2007. The seminar aims to create a formal setting that promotes sustained collaboration and dialogue across disciplinary lines on a specific topic. This pilot project is designed to enhance the quality of humanities research at UW–Madison.

The FDSH will enable an individual senior faculty member or a team of two senior faculty to teach fellow faculty for 10 weeks (a weekly two-hour seminar) on a topic of interest across the humanities. The presiding faculty member(s) will receive course credit and the faculty’s department will receive funds for a replacement lecturer. The 10 faculty members taking the course will receive research funds to recognize their selection and to cover the costs of materials. The presiding senior faculty member(s) as well as the participating faculty members will be chosen by a selection committee.

This is a call for proposals from senior faculty for the initial spring 2007 seminar. Topics should be broadly conceived and of potential interest to a large number of humanities disciplines. Please send a one-page proposal for the seminar, a one-page preliminary syllabus for the 10 weeks (the proposed format or weekly topics and sample readings), and curriculum vitae to: Faculty Development Seminar, Institute for Research in the Humanities, 1401 Observatory Drive. The deadline for submission is June 1. If you have questions please contact David Sorkin (Institute for Research in the Humanities, djsorkin@wisc.edu) or Susanne Wofford (Center for the Humanities, wofford@wisc.edu).

This initiative is funded by the Office of the Dean, the College of Letters and Science, the Center for the Humanities and the Institute for Research in the Humanities.

UW–Madison awarded grant for adult student scholarships

UW–Madison recently was awarded a gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco that will provide scholarships for up to 10 adults who are returning to college to complete their first bachelor’s degree.

“The Osher Foundation has chosen to give a grant to assist returning adult students at UW–Madison and may renew it annually for up to two more years. After that, with the program’s demonstrated success, the university may apply for a $1 million endowment to support the program in perpetuity,” says dean Howard Martin of the Division of Continuing Studies.

Scholarship applicants must:

be between the ages of 25 and 50 at the time of application,
be a newly admitted or continuing student (full or part time) at UW–Madison seeking their first baccalaureate degree,
have completed a minimum of 15 college credits,
have experienced a break of several years in their undergraduate education,
demonstrate potential for academic success, and
demonstrate financial need.

The scholarship assists with the cost of tuition, books and other education-related expenses. Recipients are given a tuition grant of up to $5,000 per academic year. The program is not intended for transfer students or those seeking an additional degree.

“The university wants to reach out to this group, which is so often overlooked,” Martin explains, adding that the Division of Continuing Studies has been supporting returning adult students for more than 25 years. “We are pleased to extend our support by offering these scholarships with the help of the Bernard Osher Foundation,” he said. “The Osher Re-entry Scholarship program seeks to recognize the commitment, efforts and financial hardships of re-entry working adults as they balance family, work and school responsibilities in order to achieve their educational goals.”

The Bernard Osher Foundation was founded in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a successful businessman and community leader, to provide scholarship support for students of colleges and universities principally in Northern California and the State of Maine. UW–Madison recently also received a $100,000 grant from the foundation to establish an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, jointly with the Wisconsin Alumni Association, to assist lifelong learning for area residents ages 50 and over.

The deadline to receive an Osher Re-entry Student Award for the 2006-07 academic year is June 1. Applicants must be fully admitted to UW–Madison before Aug. 15. For information about the admission process, contact the Adult and Student Service Center at 263-6960. Information about the Osher scholarship is available at http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/services/finanserv/scholarships/osher.htm. For information about other scholarships for adult students, visit http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/services/.

MBA merit scholarships offered to UW–Madison employees

The School of Business is offering two merit scholarships to UW–Madison employees for the Evening MBA program for fall 2006. The scholarships will cover 50 percent of the total tuition during the three years of the program. The Evening MBA program is a part-time MBA program designed for working professionals. For more information on the Evening MBA program visit http://www.bus.wisc.edu/evemba. For more information on the scholarships, contact Linda Uitvlugt at luitvlugt@bus.wisc.edu.