For the record

UW–Madison Compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act

Standards of Conduct: In a good-faith effort to comply with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, the System and UW–Madison prohibit the unlawful possession, use, distribution, manufacture or dispensing of illicit drugs (“controlled substances” as defined in Ch. 161, Wis. Stat.), in accordance with s. UWS 1810, Wis. Adm. Code, by employees on university property or as part of university activities. The use or possession of alcoholic beverages is also prohibited on university premises, except in faculty and staff housing and as expressly permitted by the chief administrative officer or under institutional regulations, in accordances. UWS 18.06 (13) (b), Wis. Adm. Code. Without exception, alcohol consumption is governed by Wisconsin statutory age restrictions under s. UWS 18.06 (13) (b), Wis. Adm. Code.

Legal Sanctions: The laws of Wisconsin prohibit drug possession and delivery through the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, Wis. Stat. 161, and mandate stiff penalties that include up to 15 years of prison and fines up to $500,000. A person with a first-time conviction of possession of a controlled substance can be sentenced up to one year of prison and fined up to $5,000, Wis. Stat. 161.41 (2r) (b). The penalties vary according to the amount of drug confiscated, the type of drug found, the number of previous offenses by the individual and whether the individual intended to manufacture the drug, sell the drug or use the drug. (See Wis. Stat. 161.41.) In addition to the stringent penalties for possession or delivery, the sentences can be doubled when exacerbating factors are present, such as when a person distributes a controlled substance to a minor, Wis. Stat. 161.46 (1).

Substantial restrictions against alcohol abuse also exist in Wisconsin. It is against the law to sell alcohol to anyone who has not reached the legal drinking age of 21, and there is a concurrent duty on the part of an adult to prevent the illegal consumption of alcohol on his/her premises, Wis. Stat.125.07 (1) (a) (1). Violation of this statute can result in a $500 fine. It is against the law for an underage person to attempt to buy an alcoholic beverage, falsely represent his/her age, or enter a licensed premises. Violators of this law can be fined $500, ordered to participate in a supervised work program, and have their driver’s license suspended, Wis. Stat. 125.07(4) (3). Harsher penalties exist for the retailers of alcoholic beverages who violate it, including up to 90 days in jail and revocation of their retail liquor permit.

The federal government has recently revised the penalties against drug possession and trafficking through its Federal Sentencing Guidelines. These guidelines reduce the discretion that federal judges may use in sentencing offenders of federal drug statutes. Under these guidelines, courts can sentence a person for up to six years for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, including the distribution of a small amount (less than 250 grams of marijuana). A sentence of life imprisonment can result from a conviction of possession of a controlled substance that results in death or bodily injury. Possession of more than 5 grams of cocaine can trigger an intent to distribute penalty of 10-16 years in prison, U.S.S.G, s. 2D2.1 (b) (1).

Health risks: Drugs at work are a hidden habit, but they have visible effects on the user. Whether the drug of choice is alcohol, marijuana, a prescription drug or cocaine, the habit can lead to a change in work habits, too. Some people may believe that drugs are harmless or even helpful. The truth is that drugs can have very serious, long-term physical and emotional health effects. And if drugs are mixed, the impact is even more detrimental. The following is a partial list of drugs often found in the work place and some of the consequences of their use. Only some of the known health risks are covered, and not all legal or illegal drugs are included:

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the workplace. It can lead to poor judgment and coordination, drowsiness and mood swings, liver damage and heart disease.

Marijuana is an addictive drug, although many still believe that it is harmless. It can cause short-term memory impairment, slowed reaction time, lung disease and infertility.

While cocaine and crack can speed up performance, their effect is short-lived. More lasting risks are short attention span, irritability and depression, seizure and heart attack.

Prescription drugs are often used to reduce stress. However, they are not safe either, unless they are taken as directed. If abused, they can lead to sluggishness or hyperactivity, impaired reflexes, addiction and brain damage.

Other drugs, such as PCP, LSD, heroin, mescaline and morphine, have a wide variety of negative health effects — from hallucinations and mental confusion to convulsions and death.

Discipline: University employees will be subject to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including termination from employment, for violation of these provisions occurring on university property or the work site or during work time. In addition to discipline, or in lieu of it, employees may be referred to appropriate counseling or treatment programs. Disciplinary sanctions are initiated and imposed in accordance with applicable procedural requirements and work rules, as set forth in Wisconsin statutes, administrative rules, faculty and academic staff policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Referral for prosecution under criminal law is also possible. Further, violations of ss.UWS 1806 (13) and 18.10. Wis. Adm. Code may result in additional penalties as allowed under Ch. UWS 18, Wis. Adm. Code.

Employees convicted of any criminal drug statute violation occurring in the workplace must notify their dean, director or department chair within five days of the conviction if they are employed by the university at the time of the conviction.

Employee Assistance Office (EAO): Employees who have problems with alcohol or controlled substances are encouraged to contact the Employee Assistance Office. (Contact EAO for a copy the Confidentiality Policy).

The UW–Madison Employee Assistance Office is located at 610 Langdon St., Room 526 Lowell Center, (608) 263-2987, (608-265-3398 – fax, (608-265-8460-TDD). The EAO Web site is located at http://www.wisc.edu/eao. The director is Stephen R. Pearson.

In Loving Memory

The Professor Muttaiya and Mrs. Indrani Sundaralingam Fund honors the memory of a former UW–Madison professor while funding recovery efforts and promoting access to education.

It has been almost two years since a tragic tsunami slammed into Southeast Asia and Africa, taking the lives of nearly 300,000 people. Among them were former UW–Madison Professor Muttaiya “Sunda” Sundaralingam and his wife, Indrani.

Tenured from 1969–89 as professor of biochemistry and Steenbock Professor of Bimolecular Structure, Sundaralingam is responsible for bringing protein crystallography to the university as well as reinstituting the graduate program in biophysics.

The Sundaralingam children set up an endowment through the Madison Community Foundation, an organization that facilitates philanthropy and helps people realize their philanthropic potential.

The Professor Muttaiya and Mrs. Indrani Sundaralingam Fund will support efforts to help those who, despite two years of rebuilding efforts, are still suffering from the effects of the tsunami, and will provide assistance for future disasters in the United States and Sri Lanka. Also, because of the couple’s commitment to education, the endowment will provide scholarships to students in both the United States and Sri Lanka at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Those wishing to honor the memory of Sundaralingam and his wife are encouraged to help the family support their philanthropic goals by contributing to the Professor Muttaiya and Mrs. Indrani Sundaralingam Fund. Donations can be made at http://www.madisoncommunityfoundation.org.

For more information, contact Melanie Schmidtat 251-0808 or mschmidt@timpanogroup.com.

Practicing Jews: Art, Identity and Culture

The George L. Mosse/Laurence A. Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies and the Conney Project on Jewish Arts announce a call for papers and proposals for this historic conference to take place at UW–Madison April 23–27.

The conference will address issues of Jewish identity in the visual arts, music, performance and literature through both theory and practice.

Visit http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/jewishst/conney.htm to learn more.

2007 Career Enhancement Fellowships for junior faculty

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation invites junior faculty to apply for the 2007 Career Enhancement Fellowships. The purpose of the program is to increase the presence of minority junior faculty (African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Native Americans and Native Alaskans) and other junior faculty members committed to eradicating racial disparities in core fields in the arts and sciences. Candidates should be in the third year of the tenure-tracking teaching appointment at the time of application, teach in one of the 17 eligible academic fields, be able to accept the award for the 2007–08 academic year and be a U.S. citizen. Twenty fellowships will be awarded.

The award provides a maximum $30,000 stipend, a $1,500 research, travel or publication stipend and participation in a two-and-a-half day fall retreat in October 2007. Funding begins in June.

To obtain a fellowship brochure and an application and instruction sheet, contact Sylvia Sheridan via e-mail at careerenhance@woodrow.org, or at (609) 452-7007. The 2007 Career Enhancement Fellowships are funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Applications are due Nov. 30.

Annual Undergraduate Symposium: An opportunity for students

The Ninth Annual Undergraduate Symposium is a one-day forum designed to showcase undergraduate students’ creativity, achievement, talent, research and service-learning across all disciplines through oral presentations, poster sessions, exhibitions and performance. Most freshman and sophomore participants become involved through programs such as the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, http://www.lssaa.wisc.edu/urs/. Upper-class students often share their accomplishments from work in seminars, service-learning courses, honors courses, independent studies, practicums and theses.

This year’s Undergraduate Symposium will be held Thursday, April 12. It is open to all UW–Madison students enrolled during the 2006–07 academic year, including those who graduate in December.

Students may present work they did at any time during the academic year, including in fall courses. Please note that applications will be due in February through the symposium Web site.

The Undergraduate Symposium Web site is at http://www.learning.wisc.edu/ugsymposium/. For more information, contact Laurie Mayberry at 262-5246 or mayberry@wisc.edu.

Creative arts awards

The Arts Institute is now accepting applications and nominations for the following awards:

Arts Faculty Research

• Arts Institute Creative Arts Award in the areas of art, communication arts, creative writing, dance, environment, textile and design, music composition and performance, and theater and drama.
• The Emily Mead Baldwin-Bascom Professorship in the Creative Arts has two awards available, in the areas of in the areas of art, communication arts, dance, environment, textile and design, music composition and performance, and theater and drama.

Applicants, if eligible, may be considered for both the Creative Arts and Baldwin-Bascom Professorship with one application (12 copies) and one set of supporting materials.

Arts Faculty and Staff Outreach

• Joyce J. and Gerald A. Bartell Award in the Arts

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Achievement in the Arts

• David and Edith Sinaiko Frank Graduate Fellowship for a Woman in the Arts
• Lyman S.V. Judson and Ellen Mackechnie Judson Student Awards in the Creative Arts; one undergraduate award and one graduate student award

Information about these awards, including eligibility, stipends and application procedures may be found at http://www.arts.wisc.edu/artsinstitute/awardapps.php.

Hard copies may be obtained by contacting Ken Chraca at kjchraca@wisc.edu.

The deadline for applications is Nov. 8. Questions about application and nominating procedures and other related matters should be sent to Susan C. Cook at sccook@wisc.edu.

2006–07 Academic Staff Excellence Awards

Recipients for the Academic Staff Excellence Awards will be named in March and honored both in April at the Academic Staff Assembly and at a reception hosted by Chancellor John D. Wiley on May 15.

Nomination packets for all awards (including System and Regents awards) should be sent to the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff, 270 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive. Deadlines as shown below are firm. Follow the submission instructions for each separate award carefully. See detailed information at http://acstaff.wisc.edu/ awards. Anyone with questions regarding the awards should contact Colleen McCabe at 263-2985, cmccabe@wisc.edu.

Academic Staff Excellence Awards

Deadline for all awards: Jan. 26, 2007

UW–Madison Academic Staff Excellence Awards

• Chancellor’s Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching: $5,000
• Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Research (two awards): $2,500
• Robert Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service: $2,500
• Wisconsin Alumni Association Awards for Excellence in Leadership (two awards): $2,500
• Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Service to the University: $2,500
• Ann Wallace Career Achievement Award: $2,500
• Martha Casey Award for Dedicated Service to the University: $2,500

UW System Awards (submissions only in electronic form)

• 2007 Academic Staff Regents Award for Excellence: $5,000
• Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award: $5,000