Category: General

This October, the Office of Disability Employment Policy from the United States Department of Labor is celebrating 70 years of observing Disability Employment Awareness Month.  The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “My disability is one part of who I am.”

The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Today, Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of our population.  In 2014, the employment rate of person with disabilities in the US was 17.1% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).  In contrast, the employment-population ratio for those without a disability was 64.6%.    

If you are a UW-Green Bay employee with a disability and would like to have a reasonable accommodation consider, please review our ADA policy.  Please contact Human Resources for additional information on this at 920-465-2390.

As we celebrate the ways individuals with disabilities strengthen our workforce, let’s all think of what you can do to strengthen our work force and community for people with disabilities.

UW-Green Bay students can jet off to study in foreign lands, such as Spain, Cuba, Mexico, United Kingdom and Germany, just to name a few, in our study abroad program by speaking with Jemma Lund, UWGB’s Study Abroad Coordinator in the Office of International Education. The study abroad programs award UW-Green Bay students credit and enable them to stay on track with graduation requirements. Jemma is advisor for the study abroad programs and promotes the program on campus. She has been with the university and program for about 4½ years, three of those years as part-time and then became full-time in spring of 2014.

Jemma is a dedicated, passionate and engaged person on campus who loves the outdoors, reading and travel. She enjoys talking with students, giving study abroad presentations and working with faculty to plan travel courses.

Position at UWGB: Study Abroad Coordinator

Summary of what you do:   I promote study abroad on campus, manage application system and I am the advisor for study abroad programs.

How long have you been employed: Total of about 4½ years, a little over one year in my current position.

Brief history of employment with UWGB: Worked part-time in this position from 2011-2014, moved to full-time in spring 2014

Three words that describe you: Dedicated, Passionate, and Engaged

Personal interests: Outdoors, Reading and Travel

Random facts/interests: I lived in Turkey for about two years, I’m a secret baker and bring treats for our interns and I’m the only one I know with a Smithsonian magazine subscription.

– If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? I think it would be fun to do a travel show somewhere and be a host.

– If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Probably nachos.

– People would be surprised if they knew: I went to Syria on vacation in 2009 and spent a week traveling the country

– What advice would you give to recent new hires? If you’re not from Green Bay, get to know the city and try to get involved on campus in order to meet people.

– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I love talking with students and working with faculty to plan travel courses.

– What book did you read last? James Patterson

– What books are at your bedside? Any mystery or crime fiction

– What do you always want to try and never did? Skydiving

– What does a typical day look like for you? A little bit of everything!  Meeting with students, checking applications, giving presentations, preparing visa paperwork, updating the website, posting on social media, brainstorming new promotion ideas, meeting with faculty travel course leaders, etc.

– What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?  Those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind.

– What would people never guess you do in your role? All the paperwork!

– What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Guinea pig in Ecuador.

– What’s your favorite thing to do in Green Bay? I live in De Pere, I really like to go for a bike ride on the trails, meet friends for happy hour, see some live music or Comedy City on the weekend.

Federal regulations passed in March, 2014, require employers to invite employees to self-identify their veteran and disability status.  We are requesting that employees update their information in the My UW System Portal by October 31, 2015.  To provide you with additional background on the basis for this request, please view the FAQ document.

Responses to this survey are confidential and can only be accessed by staff within the Human Resources Office.  Please note that completing the survey does NOT initiate an accommodation request for a disability. If you would also like to request an accommodation for a disability, you should complete the accommodation request form found in the FAQ document. 

Instructions for updating your portal: 

Step 1: Click on this link ‘My UW System’ Portal and log in to the HRS Portal. 

The HRS portal works best if you log in through Internet Explorer.                                                                                 

Step 2: On the right hand of the screen, look for ‘Personal Information’. 

This is located closer to the top of the webpage (on the right hand side).  You will see your name, department, title and other information related to you and your job.

Step 3: Click on the (view/update) for Disability Status.  Follow the prompts to complete the survey.

Step 4: Go back to your portal again. 

This can most easily be done if you are using ‘tabs’ in Internet Explorer by clicking on the ‘My UW System Work Record’ tab again, located at the top of the Internet Explorer Window.

Step 5: Click on (view/update) for Veteran Status.  Follow the prompts to complete the survey.

Step 6: Close out the window. You’re done!  Thank you for taking the time to complete both surveys.

Have you ever wished you could meet a celebrity? Well one of our Weidner Center staff members has been given that opportunity with her job. Stephanie Maufort is the Weidner Center Program Manager who coordinates the education series, venue scheduling, booking of education shows and assists with planning the performing arts series. Along with all that, Stephanie also coordinates the publication of the program books, does website updates, and graphic design work including some for print ads, online graphics and other marketing pieces. She is quite a busy lady.

Stephanie has been with the Weidner Center for 16 years all together, where she started in 1999 as a marketing intern and was then hired as the Development Associate. In 2006 Stephanie continued her work as an employee of Weidner Center Presents, Inc. Board of Directors and in 2011, with the Weidner’s revitalization plan, she continued her roll, but as a University employee once again.

Three words that describe you:     Loyal, Dedicated and Resourceful

Random facts/interests:      I studied technical theatre in college at St. Norbert and I’ve been able to apply that knowledge in the administrative side of the performing arts industry.

If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Popcorn

Motto or personal mantra? Nothing worth doing is ever easy

People would be surprised if they knew: Most venues the size of the Weidner Center have a staff of 25+ employees, but we operate with a small fraction of that number. Our staff is an amazing team that I’m honored to work with every day.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us? I have a twin sister and my brother also works on campus

What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far? Building good relationships with people in the entertainment industry and professionals at other venues is very important. Patience and determination can help weather any storm. Never schedule a show on a Packers game day unless it’s the Oak Ridge Boys – surprisingly they always sell well even during a home game!

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? When I give tours of the building the reactions people have just walking on stage is amazing. Even artists that have played venues all over the world are impressed.

What do you like most about your job? There’s never a dull moment and no two days are ever the same. It’s rewarding to see a full house and know people take away lasting memories from their experiences at the Weidner. I love seeing kids excited to be in a theatre like the Weidner for the first time.

What TV show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love? Anything on the Bravo network.

What would people never guess you do in your role? There’s always something new coming up! I’ve searched for lost baby teeth in the theatre, called every store in town for Cheeseheads at 8:00pm at night, wrapped up “smelly” shrimp for a famous R&B singer that still wanted to take it on a plane and stepped in as a bodyguard for a number of celebrities like John Tesh (who happens to be a full foot taller than me).

As a reminder, HR will be holding the following forums to discuss the changes the UPS has brought forth. Please consider attending one of the following sessions:

Wednesday, July 22, 2015                            Thursday, July 23, 2015
2:00 p.m.                                                       10:00 a.m.
Christie Theatre                                             Christie Theatre
Click here to register                                      Click here to register

Topics to be covered include: updated recruitment policy,  updated policies, title change/career progression processes, workplace expectations, compensation, titling, updated handbooks, and specific changes for University staff- grievance, complaint and layoff.

We hope to see you there!

HR will be holding the following forums to discuss the changes the UPS has brought forth. Please consider attending one of the following sessions:

Wednesday, July 22, 2015                            Thursday, July 23, 2015
2:00 p.m.                                                       10:00 a.m.
Christie Theatre                                             Christie Theatre
Click here to register                                      Click here to register

Topics to be covered include: updated recruitment policy,  updated policies, title change/career progression processes, workplace expectations, compensation, titling, updated handbooks, and specific changes for University staff- grievance, complaint and layoff.

Today marks the beginning of the University Personnel System (UPS), a new Human Resources system designed for the UW System to give the tools necessary for attracting, developing and retaining the talent focused on the mission of the University.

In 2011, the state legislature granted authority for the creation of a new personnel system, which we begin today. While UPS has the largest immediate impacts on University staff (formerly classified staff), the new system will affect all employees in one way or another.  We ask for your patience as we work diligently to update campus resources to reflect these new policies and procedures.

While certain changes do take effect today, UPS has a strategic and long-term vision of how we attract and manage the talent across UW System. For this reason, the full implementation will be ongoing for some time.

This new system is based on the organizational principles of simplicity, consistency and coherence. With these principles in mind, the system is, and will continue to be defined to allow the UW System to thrive as a great university system for years to come.

Thank you for your patience as we begin this transition!

Have you ever wondered who is responsible for the eye catching logos, websites, and graphics that UW-Green Bay uses in it’s daily communication to make the University recognizable, well known and up to date with the timeless Phoenix? Look No Further! Kimberly Vlies, a Web/Graphic Designer within the Office of University Marketing and Communication designs any number of the web-related layouts and graphics recognized as beloved UW-Green Bay displaying the Phoenix Pride! Recently, Kimberly has been designing graphics and layouts for the templates that drive top-level institutional and departmental pages including the 50th Anniversary Site, Alumni Site, Foundation Site, Chancellor’s Site, Provost Site, Marketing and University Communications Site and Inside News Site. In her personal life, Kimberly is an amateur photographer and sometimes can be spotted assisting with photography for university events such as convocation and freshman move-in day.

Kimberly is interested in drawing, painting, photography and Spanish and is a self-proclaimed Facebook junkie, stating she spends more time than I care to admit on it. She says, if you’re on Facebook too, please feel free to add her as friend! Read on for more about Kimberly on and off the job!

How long have you been employed: Over 7.5 years…not quite 8 (Since Oct. 1, 2007)

Brief history of employment with UWGB: October 1, 2007 was my first day at UW-Green Bay. I began as Associate University Relations Specialist with a working title of Web/Graphic Designer in the office of Marketing and University Communication. I started out with my role being part web and part print designer but my position changed to focus on electronic media. In 2013 my title progressed to University Relations Specialist (minus the ‘associate’), where I continue today.

Three words that describe you: contemplative, cautious, adventurous

Random facts/interests: I graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December 2004 with a B.F. A. In Graphic Communications and B.S. In Spanish. I studied abroad in Spain for a semester and became fairly fluent (but you’d be surprised how quickly that fades without practice). Now I enjoy opportunities to practice my spanish skills, like meeting UWGB Spanish students and faculty for conversation. My fine art studio classes included drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture. I loved creating art and miss it very much, but it requires an intentional decision to make time for it. I like doing things that allow me to enjoy Wisconsin’s outdoors, like walking, white water rafting, kayaking, cross country skiing, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting.

– Any favorite line from a movie? “You’re killing me, Smalls” The Sandlot

– Are you messy or organized? Messy. My life is a constant losing battle against the forces of chaos. I cleaned my desk off for the photo.

– Best vacation you’ve been to? Germany/Belgium trip in with my BFFs in 2005

– Describe what you were like at age 10. I was a daydreamer, the kid that got picked on, a slow reader and an advanced drawer.

– Do you have a favorite newspaper, blog? The Onion, Huffinton Post, Psychology Today

– Do you recall any embarrassing moment at work? One quiet afternoon a friend sent me a song as a joke and I put my noise canceling headphones on to listen to it, but the audio was really faint so I turned up the volume as high as it would go. It was a techno song with a woman’s voice with a British accent saying “I don’t want to study, I just want to party.” Eventually my co-workers came over to my open door to inquire what on earth I was doing. Turns out my headphones were not plugged in. Kelly Moore and I still laugh about it.

– Favorite travel spot? It’s hard to choose…let’s go with Madrid, Spain

– If you were to write a self-help book, what would the topic be? It would probably revolve around being creative and a responsible adult at the same time.

– If your house was burning down, what’s the one non-living thing you would save? The external hard drive that has all my photos on it.

– People would be surprised if they knew: I owe a lot to the UW-Green Bay pre-college programs. I qualified for the Upward Bound Program because neither of my parents had gone to college and my mediocre grades showed I wasn’t beyond hope, but could flourish with a little assistance. The program was looking for students that were at risk for not pursuing higher education. I’m certain that without it, I would not have gone on to school, I would be an entirely different person, and my life would be drastically different. I learned study skills and got the support I needed to be successful. By my final semester, I had gotten all As. UB took the notion of going on to college, which in my mind was a path for a different type of person, and made it a reality for me.

– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I love illustrating and I wish it were something I could do more of and become better at. I love it when I am asked to draw something for work.

– What do you like most about your job? I’m blown away by the amazing opportunities my job at UW-Green Bay has afforded me. The most memorable for me include translating for visitors from our sister institution in Peru, directing/producing a nutcracker parody holiday video with UW-Green Bay Dance and Phlash Phoenix, flying over UW-Green Bay in Lidia Nonn’s small plane to take arial photos of campus, presenting tech workshops, chairing the AS Prof. Dev Programming committee and planning a day-long conference, climbing high into the air on shaky utility ladders and catwalks to get campus photos with Bill Hubbard, holding one of Prof. Draney’s madagascar hissing cockroaches, and sporting press credentials as official UWGB photographer for Bill Clinton’s visit stumping for Obama’s re-election campaign. I think back on all of these experiences—they were terrifying and exhilarating—and I’m so tremendously grateful for the opportunity to have been here for all of them.

Also, I am deeply impressed by and enamored of people who are passionate experts in their fields, which makes UW-Green Bay an ideal work environment for me. I love the opportunities I have had to join a knitting group with our art professors, participate in book discussions with women in higher ed, attend Tertulia, UWGB’s Spanish program’s conversation group, and speaker series like After Thoughts, Cultural Cuisine Luncheons, NAS lecture series, Outreach’s Dinner Lecture series, and various other talks and events featuring visiting and resident experts.

– Hidden talent? I had a short stint in comedy. I auditioned and made it onto the ComedyCity Improv troupe at the Green Room Lounge in DePere. I performed in their improv shows a handful of nights. I even performed in their LaughBox Stand-up Comedy Show once. Sue Mattison came to see me. It was terrifying and amazing.

– Where is your home town?Green Bay, WI