Academic Staff Institute

The Academic Staff Institute is an annual professional development conference for UW-Madison academic staff held during the spring semester. The conference is a joint effort between the Madison Academic Staff Network, ASEC, Secretary of the Academic Staff office, and the Academic Staff Assembly.

2024 Academic Staff Institute

Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024
Location: Union South
Time: 7:30am – 1:30pm
Cost: $20 (includes light breakfast and lunch)
Registration Link: https://go.wisc.edu/364of2
Registration Deadline: February 28, 2024

Registration Deals: Join ASPRO (ASPRO Membership Application) between now and February 28, 2024, and receive free registration to ASI. All attendees will receive free membership to the Madison Academic Staff Network through June 30, 2024 (https://madisonacademicstaffnetwork.org/).

Note: Limited funds (a total of $1,500) are available for individuals interested in attending the institute whose primary work location is not on campus or in the Madison area (i.e. academic staff who come to campus perhaps once or twice a month but are otherwise working in another location). These funds are available on a first-come, first served basis. If you are interested, please fill out this brief form with details about your funding request: https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5neMfyzkh4e8qWh

Schedule

7:30 – 8:30: Registration & Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45: Welcome

8:45 – 9:30: Keynote Presentation

9:45 – 10:35: Breakout Session 1

10:50 – 11:40: Breakout Session 2

11:55 – 12:45: Breakout Session 3

12:45: Lunch

2024 ASI Program

Keynote Speaker

Headshot of Diana Harvey

Diana Harvey
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communication

“Fireside Chat” with Diana Harvey

Through a moderated conversation, Vice Chancellor Harvey will discuss her background in communications, her impressions of UW-Madison so far, and her marketing and communications strategy as the inaugural Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communication at UW-Madison.

Breakout Sessions

Academic Staff Professional Representation Organization (ASPRO) Update – Legislature Wrap-Up
Kathi Kilgore, ASPRO Executive Director and Lobbyist

For 30+ years, ASPRO has been a trusted resource and successful advocate for academic staff. Hear a legislative update from ASPRO’s Lobbyist as the State Legislature wraps up its work for the year. Learn about the advocacy arm of the academic staff and how you can work with ASPRO to advance legislative issues impacting you and your academic staff colleagues.

Administrative Transformation 101
Nicholas Tincher, Director, Administration Innovation & Planning
Kelly Gauthier, Transformation Readiness Lead, Administration Innovation & Planning

The administrative infrastructure at UW-Madison is vital in propelling the institutional mission forward. In July 2025, the Administrative Transformation Program (ATP) will launch Workday and ignite new ways of working across finance, Human Resources, and research administration systems at every institution across the Universities of Wisconsin. Whether you are new to UW-Madison or just learning about this big shift, join us for and introductory overview of ATP and Workday to review the case for administrative transformation, understand the progress, and discuss ways to be engaged and remain informed.

Administrative Transformation 201: Technology Readiness
Adam Paulick, Director of Enterprise Business Systems, DoIT
Sabrina Messer, Initiative Lead, Administration Innovation & Planning

The administrative infrastructure at UW-Madison is vital in propelling the institutional mission forward. In July 2025, the Administrative Transformation Program (ATP) will launch Workday and ignite new ways of working across finance, Human Resources, and research administration systems at every institution across the Universities of Wisconsin. The shift to Workday requires IT staff working in close alignment with business process owners across all schools, colleges, and division to prepare for go-live in 2025. This session will offer a deeper dive into the technology transformation driven by ATP. Join us to learn about the major milestones, understand the progress, and discuss ways to be engaged and remain informed.

An Introduction to the U.W.-Madison Arboretum and the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens
David Garison Stevens, Ed Hasselkus Curator – Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, The Arboretum’s Living Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

From the birthplace of ecological restoration to the largest and most diverse collection of woody ornamental plants in the state, the arboretum has been a vital part of the Wisconsin landscape since its inception in the 1930’s. This presentation will introduce you to the arboretum and explore the beauty of the Longenecker Horticultural Gardens with garden curator David Garison Stevens.

CDIS Building for our Future
Tom Erickson, Founding Director, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences; Executive Associate Dean, Strategy & Innovation, College of Letters & Science
Natalie Singer, Advancement Program Manager, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences

The School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences will have a new home in 2025. Hear about the progress on the $260M construction, and what it takes to get a project of this scale off the ground.

Meet Us at the Chazen: Teaching and Learning with the Chazen Museum of Art
Mieke Miller, Academic Coordinator

Curious about using the Chazen Museum of Art’s permanent collection to support your teaching, but unsure where to begin? Join Chazen staff for an info session and explore the many ways you can use the Museum’s collection to support professional and personal needs. You never know what you may discover when you meet us at the Chazen!

Progression, Promotion and Career Development at UW-Madison
Lynn Freeman, Chief Employee Learning Officer, Director of Learning & Talent Development, Office of Human Resources
Meghan Owens, Compensation Administration Director, Office of Human Resources

Learn about the methods available to employees who wish to advance in their career and grow in position in salary and in skills, including explaining the salary quartiles and appropriate job knowledge and skills, and career development resources available to all employees.

Promoting Well-being at Scale: The Healthy Minds Framework
Simon Goldberg, Associate Professor, Department of Counseling Psychology and Center for Healthy Minds

This session will explore a model of well-being – the Healthy Minds Framework – developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Healthy Minds Innovations. It will include experiential practices based on this model of well-being. It will also include discussion of research we have done on a smartphone app – the Healthy Minds Program – that is built around this model of well-being.

Take Control of Your Career
Donna Cole, Osher Center for Integrative Health Administrator
April McHugh, Director of Employee Career Counseling Program

Are you trying to figure out what’s next for your career? Are you confused by the options, language, and resources? Then join April McHugh from UW’s Employee Career Counseling Program, for information around developing, managing, growing, advancing, and/or transitioning your career. We’ll do an activity to spur ideas for taking control of your career and hear from academic staff, Donna Cole, who did just that. We’ll end with sharing resources available to you as employees to assist with the career development & growth process.

The Wisconsin Idea Seminar: Stories of Collaboration on the Road
Catherine Reiland, Assistant Vice Provost, Office of the Provost

The Wisconsin Idea Seminar—now in its fourth decade—is an annual professional development program that offers UW-Madison faculty and staff the opportunity to travel through Wisconsin to meet farmers, entrepreneurs, Indigenous artists, water stewards, and many others who are deeply committed to the place where they live and who are fundamentally motivated by ideas of relationship, reciprocity, and responsibility to people, land, and water. Come learn about the Seminar’s early days and how it continues to evolve and to lift up stories of collaboration that inspire and expand the Wisconsin Idea.

West Campus District Plan – Stakeholder Engagement Approaches
Paul Seitz, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration
Brenda González, Director of Community Relations, University Relations
Aaron Williams, Interim Director of Campus Planning & Landscape Architecture, Facilities Planning & Management

UW-Madison, in partnership with University Research Park, began a planning process to reimagine and redesign the west campus. During the planning process, the WCDP team engaged with stakeholders across campus and in the Madison community. Join us in an interactive session to hear about the approaches used in WCDP and share your strategies and successes for stakeholder engagement.

Your WRS Annual Statement and How to Estimate Future Retirement Benefits
Thomasin Propson, Benefits Specialist
Emily Martin, Benefits Specialist

Join us as we review the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Annual Statement of Benefits and Employee Trust Funds (ETF)’s Retirement Benefits Calculator. The next WRS Annual Statements are nearly here (expected in April); you’ll be able to apply what you learn today to your next statement and use ETF’s calculator to be better prepared for your future benefits, whether you have 5 years or 30 before your retirement.