Category: Campus life

Unlike Fisher and Aidan, who are planning to go to college together in the fall (at the University of Hawaii at Manoa), Jason and Alice are supposed to start college 850 miles apart, her at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, him at George Mason University in Virginia. Quarantine is giving them the time to talk about managing the distance.

University of Wisconsin-Madison statement: “Despite the shift in orders, there is no effect on campus operations, which remain limited to essential services. Students are urged to continue following guidance around limiting unnecessary trips, physical distancing, hand washing and self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms.”

So don’t be surprised if you see Starship robots near the University of Wisconsin-Madison (assuming the city of Madison gets on board with robots), Bowling Green University (Ohio), University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue (W. Lafayette, IN).

This weekend I will graduate in my living room. I will turn my tassel for a Zoom audience full of loved ones and drink a bottle of champagne in honor of my ancestors. Then, I will assure everyone looking on that despite drastic changes in our reality, I am eternally grateful for the journey that led me to this point. We will dance and sing in our respective homes and get tipsy enough that the distance that separates us will shrink. And I will end the night as a 2020 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The medical degree class of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health graduated virtually this morning.

Graduating seniors are taking photos across the UW-Madison campus in their caps and gowns and attending ceremonies virtually this weekend.

The commencement, which featured speeches from Chancellor Rebecca Blank and keynote speaker James Patterson, was watched by students who celebrated at home with family.

UW-Madison graduates don’t get to celebrate in Camp Randall Stadium and the Kohl Center this year due to the pandemic. However, this didn’t stop UW-Madison from honoring the Class of 2020.

“We put the tv and the couch outside, and we put the ceremony on and we kind of just enjoyed each other,” UW-Madison Graduate Janell Voves said.

The 2020 graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health virtually moved their tassels Friday morning at 10 a.m. A live ceremony was held on the school’s Facebook page.

The virtual commencement lasted about a half an hour on the UW-Madison’s Facebook page, starting at noon Saturday.

It is a time of celebration and uncertainty for many in the Class of 2020.

Aguirre, who worked as a peer career advisor, said, “The tone of my graduating class is kind of scared.”

’No one will ever forget the class of 2020,’ Patterson said.

Class of 2020 celebrates accomplishments despite fear, stress over future.

The ceremony is pre-taped, not live, and is available to the public. No password is needed. The video will remain on the website so that people can watch the ceremony at the time most convenient to them.

“The Class of 2020 has been resilient and adaptable, finishing their schooling in the midst of a global pandemic. I hope they will celebrate their accomplishments,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said.

The Odyssey Project on campus seeks to help adults, ages 18 to 71 over the years, overcome adversity through two semesters-long coursework. According to co-director of the program Emily Auerbach, students have experienced incarceration, teen pregnancy, domestic abuse, substance abuse, among other barriers to higher education.

NBC15 News checked in with UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics, Kathleen Bartzen Culver two months after virtual lectures and assignments began.

The fifth annual Water@UW-Madison symposium will take place virtually Tuesday, highlighting water challenges at the university and state levels.

Project assistant for Public History Project spoke about specific challenges students with disabilities faced throughout history of UW.

The furloughs will range from three days to six days over the next six months, UW Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced Wednesday.

For Franze, the furloughs add an extra layer of uncertainty. While she’s been teaching at UW-Madison for five years, Franze works on a semester to semester contract. She worries cutting salaries may escalate to cutting staff and she anticipates those without long-term contracts or low salaries will be hit the hardest.

University of Wisconsin-Madison officials are ordering most employees to take furlough days through October and top campus leaders will take pay cuts as the school tries to absorb a $100 million loss due to the coronavirus pandemic.

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Becky Blank announced today in an email to all staff and faculty a graduated furlough plan for most staff, a work-share program for some units and a 15-percent pay cut for Blank and all vice-chancellors. Under the plan, most staff will be furloughed just a few days over the next year. The number of days furloughed will depend on salary.

UW spokesperson Meredith McGlone said to the WSJ the current discussions revolving around the fall semester outline three plans, including a mix of face-to-face classes and online instruction — large lectures could possibly remain online while smaller classes would be in person.

Though the in-person award ceremony has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UW recognizes and celebrates the achievements and contributions of its academic staff.

UW-Madison Department of Geoscience Professor Stephen Meyers tweeted at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on Thursday asking the famous actor what some of his favorite geological topics are as a way to send his geology students off with a fun memory.

The university says the 60-credit UW Associate of Arts and Sciences program provides students with a broad liberal arts background, and offers an online option that can lead to early graduations.

If you’re overseeing a Geology 101 class and were seeking inspiration for your students whose class was disrupted by COVID-19, who would you call? How about actor Dwayne Johnson, who goes by the nickname, The Rock, since his pro wrestling days?

Member of Student Information System Optimization Program Team speaks on specific improvements implemented to SIS.