For the Record
Grants and fellowships
Brittingham Visiting Scholars Grants
The Brittingham Foundation has provided generous funding to enable us to enrich small upper-level courses or seminars for undergraduates by bringing distinguished visitors to the classroom. The Brittingham awards introduce advanced students to those working “in the field” who can contribute directly to the knowledge and skills students will need upon graduation. Visitors who exemplify interdisciplinary commitments and experiences are of particular interest to this program; they need not have “academic” credentials. Brittingham awards are not intended to bring groups of visitors to campus, but rather to provide a sustained interaction between a single visitor (non-academic if possible) and a specifically designated small group of undergraduates. Lecturing to large groups or classes is not necessary and does not enhance an application.
By integrating distinguished visitors into undergraduate seminars or small advanced courses, students can focus their undergraduate studies in the major and increase their awareness of the kinds of expertise and accomplishments they will need for subsequent work. The specific nature of the course(s) will, no doubt, vary from department to department and may include other upper-class students as well as graduating seniors. The course or seminar should either carry honors credit or provide a means by which individual students may obtain honors credit.
Budgets of up to $2,500 will be considered for each project; up to four awards will be made for 2003-04. Under unusual circumstances when the expenses of a visit necessitate additional funds, larger awards will be considered. Travel expenses, honoraria, special supply needs and other appropriate expenses are included in this award. In past years, visitors have been on campus approximately a week; it is unlikely that visits of fewer than three full days will be funded. All proposals should include:
1. A brief letter from the department chair (or chairs if two or more departments are sponsoring the proposal) indicating how the proposed visits will strengthen the education of undergraduate students and how many would be affected.
2. A brief proposal from the faculty member(s) in charge of the upper-level course(s). The proposal should outline the contributions of specified visitor(s). It would be helpful if departments could consider coordinating the classroom visit(s) with a public lecture or a similar forum that would benefit other students, staff and members of the community although this is not required.
3. A budget of estimated expenses to cover costs of the visit and other material that might be necessary, either in preparation for the visit or as a result of it.
Departments should forward their proposals for the 2003-04 academic year to Virginia Sapiro, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning, 117 Bascom Hall, by Friday, March 14. Proposals may be sent by attachment to sapiro@bascom.wisc.edu. If submitted in hard copy, three full copies should be delivered. Announcements of awards will be made around the first week of April. For information, contact Sapiro at the above e-mail address or 262-5246.
When Classwork and Religious Observances Conflict
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 spring semester, the policy specifically identifies Passover (April 17) and Good Friday (April 18) as such days. Jewish holidays and observances begin at sunset on the evening preceding the given date (e.g., Passover Eve day, April 16), and some holidays are celebrated over more than one day. 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-Adha (Feb. 12), also occur during the academic year. A listing, though not exhaustive, of religious holidays is available at http://www.interfaithcalendar.org. A copy of the listing can be obtained from the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty, 262-3956, 133 Bascom.
A student’s claim of a religious conflict should be accepted at face value. A great variety of valid claims exist for religious groups, and there is no practical, dignified and legal means 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.
Please adhere to the following three guidelines that have been developed to provide clarity for students and instructors:
1. 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 he or she will request relief. Including this information on the course syllabus is another method to make sure students are informed of the policy.
2. Make-ups may be scheduled before or after the regularly scheduled requirements.
3. 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 we urge you to be as flexible as possible. Our policy seeks to be sensitive to the individual needs of students. Please advise your teaching assistants of this policy.
Finally, on a different but somewhat parallel topic, please use fairness, compassion and sensitivity when you or your TAs are approached by a student requesting class time off due to a family emergency. Demonstration of your understanding in such a circumstance may be important to the student in getting through the crisis.
Alliant Energy/Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards
The Professional Development and Recognition Committee of the Academic Staff Assembly requests nominations for the Alliant Energy/Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards. Up to four $3,500 awards will be provided to faculty or teaching academic staff at UW System schools within the service area of the Alliant Energy company. The awards recognize teaching of outstanding quality that leads to substantial intellectual growth in students. The PDRC will nominate two candidates for the Underkofler award. Nominations will be forwarded to the System selection committee, where the final selections will be made from the System applications. Submit nominations (eight complete sets) by Monday, March 3, the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff, 270 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706.
German and European Studies Opportunities Available
The Center for German and European Studies announces eight available graduate fellowships for 2003-04. Applications are due Friday, Feb. 14. The center is also calling for preliminary proposals for research collaboratives for 2003-05. They are due Friday, Feb. 14. For information: http://daadcenter.wisc.edu.
Announcements
UW Foundation Position Available
The UW Foundation has a position posted for a development director to seek philanthropic support on behalf of the Graduate School, focusing on the Waisman Center, Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin Press and other Graduate School initiatives as determined by the dean. If you might have the right combination of talent, passion, experience and commitment to research, check out the job posting on the UW Foundation Web site at http://www.uwfoundation.wisc.edu.
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