Oct 22 Newsletter – Parent and Family Program – UW–Madison

Halloween Weekend Tips

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 19:05:39 +0000

As students prepare for Halloween this weekend, Dean of Students Christina Olstad encourages everyone to be smart and safe, celebrate, and show respect.

Badger Family Forums

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:59:01 +0000

Badger Family Forums are virtual events that bring together a group of campus experts who answer your questions about a particular topic. Hosted by the Parent and Family Program throughout the year, topics range from health, safety, study abroad, academics, and more.

In case you missed our October Badger Family Forum on safety, you can view the conversation online here.

Our next Badger Family Forum will take place on November 10th from noon-1 p.m. and is focused on supporting your student as they near the end of the fall semester.

Topic: Finishing Strong: Supporting Your Student as They Finish the Semester

Date and Time: Thursday, November 10, 2022 at noon CDT

Overview: Join a group of campus experts as we discuss common challenges students encounter as the semester comes to a close and what you can do to support them. Topics include finding community, academics, coming home for winter break, and more. Panelists include representatives from academic advising, the Center for the First-Year Experience, University Health Services, and University Housing. Captioning will be provided.

Submit Your Question: Questions can be submitted in advance at this survey link. If you have a question we don’t have time to address, please contact our office.

These events are streamed to the Parent and Family Program Facebook page. We will also provide a direct link to you in a reminder email, which will be posted to our website. If you can’t join us live, the sessions are always recorded and available for you to view any time.

It’s time to vote!

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:47:02 +0000

#BadgersVote and we want to make sure your student is prepared for the upcoming election. Share the information below with your student and find more at vote.wisc.edu.

Election Day

A student casts their ballots for the spring election while voting at a polling place at the Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on April 5, 2022. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

The general election will be Tuesday, November 8. Races for governor, Congress, state legislature, attorney general, and partisan county races will be on the ballot. On Election Day on November 8, polls are open for voting and voter registration from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You must vote at your assigned polling place.

Early voting

In-person absentee voting and voter registration will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except weekends) from Tuesday, Oct. 25, to Friday, Nov. 4, at Memorial Union and Union South; and also from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Nov. 4, at the Eagle Heights Community Center. It’s also available at other Madison locations.

Interactive tool guides you to voting

Learn exactly what you need to do to vote — where and how — by following an interactive tool at go.wisc.edu/StepstoVoteUW.

Text alerts

Students and members of the campus community are encouraged to sign-up for the new BadgersVote Text alert to be kept up-to-date on elections and civic engagement. Simply text the word BadgersVote to the number 47020. You will receive texts with information on key dates, events concerning upcoming elections, and reminders to vote on election day. Once you’re signed up for the group, you can submit questions about voting.

Voting guides

Voting guides for all 50 states can be found here.

For any details on how to vote and what you need, go to vote.wisc.edu. Remember, #BadgersVote!

Native November 2022 Events

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:42:23 +0000

November is Native American Heritage Month. This year’s theme, Beyond an Acknowledgement, is a call for the campus community to go beyond simply learning and acknowledging Indigenous history. Rather, it urges all of us to genuinely recognize current issues, resoundingly celebrate successes, and unyieldingly commit to a better future.

Nalox-ZONE boxes installed in University Housing

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:36:19 +0000

In partnership with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery, UW–Madison has placed Nalox-ZONE boxes in 12 residence and dining halls around campus. The boxes, which contain nasal spray naloxone, will allow someone to respond quickly to the signs of an opioid overdose.

Family Weekend Recap

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:31:37 +0000

Thank you to the thousands of family members and students who joined us for Family Weekend 2022. We enjoyed meeting you at campus events, on the Terrace, at athletic events, and in the Madison community. Look for a survey in your inbox to help us continue to enhance the event, and enjoy this photo gallery.

Winter Commencement 2022

Annie Doman — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:25:55 +0000

As we approach the end of the fall semester, Winter Commencement is just two months away. We are excited to celebrate your graduates on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

Comedian Charlie Berens has been announced as the winter commencement speaker. He is a New York Times best-selling author, an Emmy-winning journalist, a popular podcast host, and the creator of “Manitowoc Minute.” He also earned a bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison in journalism and geography in 2009. Read more in this new release and watch a video message from Berens.

To help you prepare for commencement, below you’ll find key event details, as well as information on applying to graduate, cap and gown rentals, graduate seating, and more. Please remind your students that today is the last day to apply to graduate.

Tossed in the air, a graduation mortarboard and cap tassel floats through the sky in front of Bascom Hall. (Photo by Jeff Miller / UW-Madison)

Key Details

Doors open at 8:00 a.m., graduates are asked to be seated by 9:40 a.m. Please note the ceremony typically lasts approximately 2.5 hours. A livestream of the ceremony will be available here on YouTube.
Guests, family members and friends are welcome to attend. There is no ticketing for attendance and seating is general admission, first come, first served. Anyone needing accommodations should meet with Guest Services at Gate A for assistance. If your graduate is in need of accommodations, please have them email commence@chancellor.wisc.edu.
Graduate names will be read as candidates cross the stage. A name card will be located on each graduate’s chair when they arrive. We ask that graduates print their name phonetically, how they would like it pronounced, so that our name readers are accurate. A graduate seating map will be shared closer to the ceremony.
Each graduate will receive a diploma folder from their dean as they cross the stage. Diplomas will be mailed out to graduates 6-8 weeks after grades are entered. Please be sure your student updates their home address in MyUW so that it reflects where they would like their diploma mailed.
No guests, including children (with the exception of nursing mothers) are permitted in the candidate seating area. No food or beverages of any kind are permitted. Please review the carry-in policy as well as the metal detector procedures to plan accordingly. Flowers are allowed inside the Kohl Center, however glass containers, balloons, backpacks and wrapped gifts are not allowed.

Applying to Graduate

The deadline to apply to graduate is today, October 28th, 2022. Applying to graduate by the deadline ensures that your student’s name will be included in the official Commencement Program. Students wishing to have their name listed in the commencement program with diacritical marks can email commence@chancellor.wisc.edu and request for those marks to be included.

Cap and Gown Orders

Orders should be placed by November 19th to receive discounted pricing. Orders can still be placed after November 19th, but for an additional late fee, up until the day of commencement. Graduates facing financial hardship, who cannot afford to rent their academic attire, can request scholarship funds by submitting an application to cover the costs associated with renting a cap and gown. Scholarship requests need to be submitted by November 18, 2022 in order to be considered for approval. Read more about attire.

Graduate Seating

Graduates should enter the Kohl Center arena at Gate A (W. Dayton St. entrance). Candidate seating is arranged by school, college or degree type. Commencement Marshals wearing cardinal red academic attire will be available to assist graduates with seating. Degree candidates with faculty escorts should ask their faculty escort to sit on their right. A graduate seating map will be provided closer to commencement.

Find information on accessibility, communications, parking and shuttle information, photography, and more on the Winter Commencement 2022 webpage or at commencement.wisc.edu.