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• UW Colleges and UW-Extension are co-hosts for the April UW Board of Regents Meeting
• UW-Extension and UW Colleges have H1N1 flu pandemic response plans in place
• Shawano County Rural Health Care Initiative receives the 2009 Wisconsin Idea Award
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Currently Viewing: Winter/Spring 2010

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News Briefs

Explore how to build green Wisconsin communities March 25-26 in Menasha

Failure to thrive is not an option. Wisconsin's future depends on developing strong, resilient communities that are committed to economic, environmental and social sustainability.

The University of Wisconsin supports that vision of the future in many ways, including through the Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum March 25-26, 2010, at the LEED-certified Communication Arts Center at UW-Fox Valley in Menasha. The forum is for community and economic development professionals, local elected officials, legislators, sustainability organizations and grass-roots groups, consultants, business and community leaders, educators and students.

Besides sharing ideas from their own communities, participants will learn from case studies of sustainable community efforts in Wisconsin and beyond and from public-policy experts including David Morris, co-founder and vice president, Institute for Local Self-Reliance; Michael Dombeck, University of Wisconsin System fellow and professor, global conservation, UW-Stevens Point; and Satya Rhodes-Conway, senior associate, Center on Wisconsin Strategy.

Most important, participants will build on that knowledge and those successes in order to craft policy recommendations supporting community sustainability throughout Wisconsin. Forum sponsors are the UW-Extension, UW Colleges, University of Wisconsin System, UW-Extension Sustainability Team, and Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service. This forum is the third in a series of Wisconsin Idea Forums focusing University of Wisconsin resources on Wisconsin's most vexing economic, environmental and social challenges.

For more information and to register:
http://sustainablecommunitiesforum.wisconsin.edu/
sustainablecommunities@uwex.uwc.edu
Eric Giordano
Co-chair, Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum
(715) 261-6388
Jerry Hembd
Co-chair, Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum
(715) 394-8208

By Sandra Kallio, communications specialist, UW-Extension

May 21-23 LZ Lambeau event will welcome home Wisconsin's Vietnam veterans

A wide-reaching statewide effort to honor Wisconsin Vietnam War veterans will culminate in a weekend of recognition and celebration of their service and sacrifice. Veterans, friends, families and others are invited to attend LZ Lambeau™ Welcoming Home Wisconsin's Vietnam Veterans May 21-23, 2010. The event will include The Moving Wall™, military-vehicle displays, reunions, exhibits and a Saturday-night keystone event inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Tickets are available now for the keynote event on Saturday evening, May 22, that will honor and thank Wisconsin's Vietnam veterans, offering them the warm welcome home that many never received. Tickets are free for Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans and $10 for friends, family and the general public. All other events during the weekend are free and open to the public.

Weekend events will include opportunities for veterans to reunite with their fellow veterans, an original exhibit from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, educational exhibits from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, and a book signing for Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Friday, May 21, will be Education Day, with local school groups invited to participate in learning opportunities at the grounds.

Named for the landing zones to which Vietnam veterans were often deployed and inspired by the interviews with Vietnam veterans from the forthcoming "Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories" documentary project, LZ Lambeau is a partnership of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Public Television, along with an extensive group of veterans organizations statewide.

For more information:
http://www.LZLambeau.org
To reserve/purchase tickets for the May 22 Welcome Home ceremony:
http://www.lzlambeau.org/tickets.cfm
(800) 895-0071

By Michael Bridgeman, communications director, Wisconsin Public Television, Broadcasting and Media Innovations, UW-Extension

Learn how to protect yourself from identity theft

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes because it is so easy to commit that even unsophisticated criminals can steal personal information. Once you become a victim, you may have to spend years and lots of money to restore your financial health and reputation.

The UW Colleges and UW-Extension have developed a series of online training modules so that employees can learn how to protect themselves from becoming a victim of identity theft and minimize the damage caused by identity theft. Participants will learn about federal and state laws, as well as the latest UW Board of Regent's identity-theft protection policy requirements.

These four approximately hour-long modules are available on the integrated UW Colleges and UW-Extension Human Resources Web site:

1. Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
2. What To Do If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft
3. Combat Workplace Identity Theft: Data Security
4. Combat Workplace Identity Theft: The Red Flags Rule

A live Mediasite Learn@Lunch presentation and question-and-answer session about identity theft is planned for April 20, 2010. Watch your e-mail for details.

Content for the series was developed by Connie Wali, lead internal auditor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension. Volunteer employee narrators (in alphabetical order) for the series are:

Kathy Bissen, director of production, Wisconsin Public Television, UW-Extension

Greg Lampe, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, UW Colleges

Michael Leland, news director, Wisconsin Public Radio, UW-Extension

Ben Merens, host, "At Issue With Ben Merens," Wisconsin Public Radio, UW-Extension

Jonathan Overby, executive producer/host, "Higher Ground With Jonathan Overby," Wisconsin Public Radio, UW-Extension

Rosemary Potter, director, government relations, UW Colleges and UW-Extension

Lori Skelton, host, "Afternoon Classics With Lori Skelton" and "Sunday Afternoon Live From the Chazen," Wisconsin Public Radio, UW-Extension

For more information:
http://uwex.uwc.edu/hr/ (Click under "Trainings")
Connie Wali
Lead Internal Auditor
UW Colleges and UW-Extension
connie.wali@uwex.uwc.edu

By Connie Wali, lead internal auditor, UW Colleges and UW-Extension

Multicultural Awareness Program receives two prestigious awards

The UW Colleges and UW-Extension Multicultural Awareness Program (MAP) has been honored in recent months with two prominent awards. Administered by the UW Colleges and UW-Extension Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the program is intended to enhance both institutions' effectiveness and relevance in an increasingly diverse society.

In November the Wisconsin Office of State Employment Relations presented its 2009 Ann Lydecker Educational Diversity Award to MAP for "creating environments where differences are recognized, understood, appreciated and leveraged to achieve greater productivity and creativity." In February the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents presented a 2010 Diversity Award to the MAP facilitation team in recognition of the team's work in advancing a deeper understanding of cultural issues.

The Multicultural Awareness Program, which originated within UW-Extension in the mid-1990s, expanded significantly in 2005 with a train-the-trainer program, which prepares and certifies employee facilitators to teach peer workshops. In 2006 the program was expanded to UW Colleges. As of February 2010 more than 900 UW-Extension and UW Colleges employees had participated in the two-day Multicultural Awareness workshop. In August 2010 a second cohort of facilitators began the training that will qualify them to independently facilitate workshops starting in 2011.

In addition to their usual workload, certified facilitators complete 19 days of training over a two-year period and are committed to co-facilitating two to three workshops each year as well as taking part in additional professional development training. Facilitators represent various UW-Extension divisions and UW Colleges campuses around the state and span the gamut of professional functions. Facilitation team members are diverse in race, culture, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion.

For more information and to register for a workshop:
http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/multicultural-awareness
Cathy Debevec
Office Operations Associate
Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
UW Colleges and UW-Extension
(608) 262-0277
cathy.debevec@uwex.edu

By Cathy Debevec, office operations associate, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UW Colleges and UW-Extension

UW-Manitowoc's CNA course helps nursing students transfer

The UW-Manitowoc recently gained approval to offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course to meet the needs of its students who are pursuing a nursing degree. Introduction to Patient Care is being offered through UW-Manitowoc Continuing Education Credit Outreach.

"This program is the result of two years of diligent work by Kathy Palmer, director of continuing education; Caroline Geary, associate dean and associate professor of chemistry; and Cathy Buchner, university services program associate," says Daniel Campagna, campus executive officer and dean. "This program truly serves our students' needs since it is a critical springboard for students seeking admission to bachelor of science in nursing programs."

The development of the course grew out of a new admission requirement at a number of baccalaureate institutions that now prescribe that applicants hold a CNA license prior to being accepted into nursing school. "Our students need this course in order to move on to the next step in earning their bachelor's degree," says Geary. "Since our mission is to prepare students for transfer, offering this course at UW-Manitowoc was a natural step."

With a course allotment of eight students, this spring's class filled quickly and there are eight more on the waiting list.

For more information:
http://www.manitowoc.uwc.edu/eventsNews/news/index.html#cna
Kathy Palmer
Director
Continuing Education
UW-Manitowoc
(920) 683-4702
kathleen.palmer@uwc.edu

By Teresa Satori, university relations specialist, UW-Manitowoc

New online sustainable management degree doubles enrollment projections

White House economists predict a 52% growth in "green jobs" by 2016. UW-Extension's Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning combined the strengths of four University of Wisconsin campuses—UW-Parkside, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout and UW-Superior—to craft a degree that equips workers with the skills they will need to meet the demands of these jobs.

Leading companies, such as Johnson Controls Inc. and Ford Motor Co., contributed to the bachelor of science in sustainable management curriculum. Launched in fall 2009, the online degree program received nearly twice as many course registrations than expected for its first semester: 166 course enrollments compared with projections of 90. The 216 course enrollments for spring 2010 are again double the original projections. The enrollment figures confirm the online format appeals to a broad range of returning students who want access to quality education.

Because it is offered online, the new degree meets the needs of returning students who cannot attend on campus. Students enrolled in the program are from nine states, including Wisconsin, and two foreign countries, Germany and China.

The new degree is designed for students who already have an associate degree or some college credits. The 21 required courses include subjects such as environmental studies, triple bottom-line accounting, logistics and natural resource management. The degree provides students with the knowledge and competencies needed to compete in the green economy job market in the United States and around the world.

For more information:
http://sustain.wisconsin.edu
Crystal Fey
Program Manager
Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning
UW-Extension
(877) UW-LEARN [(877) 895-3276]
crystal.fey@learn.uwsa.edu

By Amy Pikalek, director of communications and marketing, Continuing Education,Outreach and E-Learning, UW-Extension

Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network helps develop state's aerospace industry

AeroInnovate kicked off on July 27, 2009—the opening day of the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture Oshkosh—as a forum to connect aerospace entrepreneurs and investors. Organized by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN), a unit of UW-Extension's Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, and UW-Oshkosh, AeroInnovate showcased emerging companies, investment trends and cutting-edge technologies.

Attendees at AeroInnovate learned about the challenge of starting a business and how to traverse the complicated path of regulatory and funding issues. Silicon Valley consultant Bill Joos, an expert on aligning entrepreneurs with the needs of investors, presented tips on writing a business plan and developing a hard-hitting, compelling business case. Investors and entrepreneurs had opportunities to network and hear about exciting innovations from seven early-to-mid-stage companies.

For attendee Gretchen Jahn, director of New Zealand-based Knotridge Ltd. and former CEO of Mooney Airplane Co., the journey to Oshkosh was informative. Jahn states, "I found it extremely valuable to have the opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurs and potential investors as well as those who have past experience with starting companies. The connections made at AeroInnovate led to other connections, which could have valuable outcomes in the future."

With more than 80 attendees, the event illustrated that new ideas in aerospace are emerging in Wisconsin, but these ideas need capital to get started. This effort not only connects investors with early-to-mid-stage aerospace companies, it also encourages others in Wisconsin to see the potential for developing the state's nascent aerospace industry into a substantial asset.

Plans for 2010 AeroInnovate are underway.

For more information:
http://www.aeroinnovate.org
Kurt Waldhuetter
Regional Director
Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network
Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
UW-Extension
(920) 496-2116
waldhuek@uwgb.edu

By Kurt Waldhuetter, regional director, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network, Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, UW-Extension

UW-Extension's Lowell Center adds 57 guest rooms

The Lowell Center conference and lodging facility on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is making significant updates to its hotel. The project includes remodeling 81 existing guest rooms and adding 57 more. The new accommodations are expected to be finished in late spring.

"Those familiar with UW-Extension Conference Centers (ECC)—The Pyle Center and The Lowell Center—know we're continually making improvements to match our customers' needs and desires," says ECC Director Bill Mann.

"We're not only increasing capacity, we're offering a greater variety of room configurations, accessibility features and amenities. Several suites are ideal for extended stays—and views of Lake Mendota and the state Capitol are magnificent. These features, together with our recently renovated meeting and reception areas, pool, sauna, exercise room and large dining room, create one of the most complete, convenient and comfortable venues in town." Mann adds, "Our lodging and meal rates align with those mandated for state and university employees on business."

The Lowell Center, 601 Langdon St., is only a block from the Pyle Center, providing easy access to downtown and campus activities. Accommodations are ideal for persons attending events associated with the university, state agencies, and other educational and governmental groups. Alumni and parents of students also are welcome.

"We'll be inviting everyone for a grand-opening celebration," says Mann. "In the meantime, people are welcome to take a hard-hat tour of work in progress. Just contact me."

For more information:
Bill Mann
Director
Extension Conference Centers
UW-Extension
(608) 262-0912

To reserve single rooms:
http://www.conferencing.uwex.edu
(866) 301-1753
(608) 256-2621
To reserve a block of rooms:
(608) 262-0881
scheduling@ecc.uwex.edu

By Karen Reppen, marketing director, Extension Conference Center, UW-Extension