For the Record

Professional development grants, research service grants and faculty sabbaticals

Guidelines for three 2007-08 UW–Madison faculty grants and programs are now available at http://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/grants/index.asp.

• Faculty Professional Development Grants: The purpose of the faculty development grant is to give faculty members release time to add to their competencies, either through acquiring new competencies within their principal fields or through work in a related field.
• Research Service Grants: The purpose of this program is to supplement the research opportunities available to untenured faculty who have given unusually large amounts of time and effort to university service outside their own departments. The program will provide summer salary support (two-ninths of the academic year salary or equivalent) for the grantees to pursue worthy projects.
• Sabbatical Leaves: The purpose of the sabbatical leave is to provide faculty members who have completed six or more years of full-time UW System instructional service release time to engage in intensive study to enhance teaching, course and curriculum development, or to conduct research or any other scholarly activities related to instructional programs within their field of expertise.

System

UW–Madison Deadlines:

Due at:	Department (suggested)	Dean	OHR
Faculty Dev. Grants	Sept. 22	Oct. 13	Oct. 27	—
Research Service Grants	Sept. 8	Sept. 29	Oct. 13	—
Sabbatical Leaves	Sept. 5	Sept. 25	Oct. 9	Nov. 3

For further information, contact Pam Bauman at 263-7448 or pbauman@bascom.wisc.edu, Laurie Mayberry at 262-5246 or mayberry@wisc.edu, or Laurie Beth Clark at 262-5246 or lbclark@wisc.edu.

Classwork and religious observances policy

Mandatory academic requirements should not be scheduled on days when a religious observance may cause substantial numbers of students to be absent from university functions. For the fall semester, the policy specifically identifies Rosh Hashanah, Saturday, Sept. 23, and Yom Kippur, Monday, Oct. 2, as such days. Jewish holidays and observances begin at sunset on the evening preceding the given date (e.g., Rosh Hashanah Eve Day, Friday,

Sept. 22), and some holidays are celebrated during more than one day. Please mark these days on your calendar now and do not schedule mandatory exercises on these dates.

Due to the university’s multicultural community, there are bound to be conflicts between mandatory academic requirements and religious observances other than those listed. Major religious observances celebrated by Muslim and Buddhist students, such as the Islamic holiday Eid al Fitr (Tuesday, Oct. 24), also occur during the semester. A listing of religious holidays is available at http://www.interfaithcalendar.org. A copy of the listing is also available from the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty, 262-3958, 130 Bascom Hall.

A student’s claim of a religious conflict should be accepted at face value. A variety of valid claims exist for religious groups, and there is no practical, dignified and legal methods to assess the validity of individual claims. State law mandates that any student with a conflict between an academic requirement and any religious observance must be given an alternative means of meeting the academic requirement. The law also stipulates that students be given means by which they can conveniently and confidentially notify an instructor of the conflict.

Announce early in the semester that students must notify the instructor within the first two weeks of class of the specific days or dates on which the student requests relief. Including this information on your course syllabus is another appropriate method to make sure your students are informed of the policy. Make ups may be scheduled before or after the regularly scheduled requirements. It is understood that instructors may set reasonable limits on the total number of days claimed by any one student. Occasionally, students may not fully understand the necessity for prior notice, and under these circumstances instructors should be as flexible as possible. This policy seeks to be sensitive to the individual needs of students.

Please advise teaching assistants of this policy as well.

Instructors are urged to be fair, compassionate and sensitive when a student requests class time off for a family emergency. Demonstration of understanding in such a circumstance may be important to the student in getting through the crisis.

Questions can be directed to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty at 133 Bascom Hall, or at 262-3956 or 265-5728 (fax).

2006-07 Faculty Senate calendar

As announced by the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty, the Faculty Senate is scheduled to meet on Mondays, commencing at 3:30 p.m., during the 2006-07 academic year. Meetings will be held in 272 Bascom Hall on Sept. 25, Nov. 6, Dec. 4, Feb. 5, March 5 and May 7. The April 9 meeting will take place in 165 Bascom Hall.

All documents must be delivered electronically to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty no later than the deadlines listed at http://www.secfac. wisc.edu/senate/Procedures.htm. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

To learn more, visit http://www.secfac.wisc. edu/senate/index.htm.

2007 Professional Development Grant Program for Classified Nonrepresented Staff

The Council for Nonrepresented Classified Staff (CNCS) has again received approval to provide matching grants for professional development activities. All classified permanent nonrepresented staff holding at least a 50 percent appointment are eligible for this program. A competitive process is being implemented for units to request the matching funds for professional development taking place between Jan. 1 and June 30. Information on the grant program can be obtained at http://www.cncs.wisc.edu/ or http://www.ohr. wisc.edu/ohr/whatsnew.htm.

The primary focus of these grants is on training and/or retraining to improve the effectiveness of nonrepresented classified staff. Various materials describing both the program and application process for the matching funds may be found at the above Web sites. This information includes the CNCS memo to eligible staff, objectives and criteria used by the reviewing body, procedures, process and deadlines, proposal cover page and checklist, and detailed budget worksheet. Please share these materials with nonrepresented staff through e-mail or hard copy.

All grant proposals should be submitted to Classified Human Resources, 21 N. Park St., Suite 5101, Madison, WI, 53715-1218, by Sept. 22. Applicants will be notified of the results of the competition by Nov. 1.

Because of budget cuts, some departments may be unable to match the funding for these professional development opportunities. If that is the case, let staff know before they put effort into a proposal.

A second competition will be announced for future opportunities occurring between Sept. 1

and Dec. 30, 2007, with more details to come.

Anyone with questions should contact Mike Majerus, Classified Human Resources, at 262-3806.

Call for pre-proposals for the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment

The Office of the Provost is soliciting proposals from faculty, staff and students for the fourth annual Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. The endowment is intended to advance The Wisconsin Idea through the development of new and innovative initiatives, and new dimensions to existing outreach activities, by creating and strengthening partnerships and collaborations, sharing and applying knowledge, and expanding access to lifelong learning.

This year approximately $600,000 will be granted for projects that begin on or after Jan. 15. Proposals for initiatives requesting up to $120,000 total funding are encouraged and projects may last for up to three years. The endowment will support people and projects rather than facilities. The fund is not intended to support or to duplicate existing projects or replace activities that are part of a unit’s normal operation. Priority will be given to outreach initiatives that: 1) extend students’ expertise off campus; 2) foster biological and physical sciences outreach; 3) engage the arts and humanities; and 4) address a societal opportunity or problem.

The call for proposals involves two steps: UW–Madison faculty, staff or students must first submit a pre-proposal; individuals whose pre-proposals are accepted will be invited to submit a full proposal. Pre-proposals and full proposals must be signed by the department chair or unit director and a dean’s or director’s representative before submission to the Office of the Provost.

Sept. 28: Pre-proposals due in dean’s office
One copy of cover sheet due in provost’s office

Oct. 5: Signed pre-proposals due in provost’s office

Oct. 27: Pre-proposal finalists announced

Nov. 29: Full proposals due in dean’s office

Dec. 6: Signed proposals due in provost’s office

Jan. 17: Awards announced and projects may start

Pre-proposals should be no more than two double-spaced pages. To learn more, visit http://www.provost.wisc.edu/baldwin/.

Additional questions should be directed to Peyton Smith at 262-8214 or plsmith@wisc.edu.