Fall in Wisconsin rarely lasts as long as we’d like. One day it’s 80 degrees, and the trees are green; the next, the campus is awash in red, orange, brown, and gold. Before you know it, the branches are bare, and snowflakes are falling. So, consider this your invitation to step away from your desk …
With the November 2026 election fast approaching, academic staff are encouraged to make a plan to vote and stay informed about university policies regarding civic participation and campaign activity. Scheduling and Voting Leave Policy If you can’t find time to vote outside of work, UW–Madison policy states that you may vote during scheduled work hours …
John Lyons, Curator of Fishes, UW–Madison Zoological Museum There are many job titles at UW–Madison, but only one Curator of Fishes. That distinction belongs to John Lyons, a fish scientist who has spent more than four decades studying, preserving, and advocating for fish and the ecosystems they inhabit. For the debut feature of “Other Responsibilities as Assigned”—a …
Academic staff members share observations on moving their department from one building to another. Anyone who has ever moved their possessions from one home to another will confirm what we all know: Moving can be one of life’s most stressful events. Now imagine for a moment you’re not moving just yourself or your family into a new home, but an …
Planning for and actively managing the human side of change can ease transitions You don’t need to be an expert in ancient Greek philosophy to understand that change is the only constant in life. From new buildings to new technologies to new policies, change on campus is happening more rapidly and frequently than we can …
A new column celebrating the weird, wild, and wonderful work of academic staff at UW–Madison Most UW–Madison staff are familiar with the skills—both soft and technical—required by a job when they apply. We know our work requires specialization and subject matter expertise. And yet, working at a nationally ranked public research institution also requires next-level …
Troy Reeves likes to describe UW–Madison as a city unto itself. And as the university’s Distinguished Oral Historian, one of his jobs is to capture and preserve the stories of some of the citizens who live in this city. That’s the primary reason why Reeves launched the Academic Staff Award Oral History Project ten years …
Nearly everyone on campus is familiar with the eye-catching begonia W at the southern edge of the Humanities Building, or the red-and-yellow tulips that dot Bascom Hill. But there are other places on or near campus where you can bask in blooms this spring. UW–Madison’s greenhouse team works with the Division of Facilities Planning and …
The Operational Excellence (OpEx) Advancement Program is a campus initiative to incubate and accelerate projects to strengthen financial controls, streamline and simplify processes, and enhance administrative services for UW–Madison. The OpEx Advancement Program does this in a unique way by bringing together cross-functional working groups to participate in future-state design and problem-solving and develop recommendations …
The news of job or income loss can come with feelings of stress and uncertainty. How can I prepare? What happens to my health insurance? What do I do now? To help UW–Madison staff navigate these challenges and understand their rights, the Office of Human Resources has created the Employee Guide to Job or Income …