Wisconsin Strong Webinars in May

Webinar: College Savings Made Simple

The annual cost of a four-year public college is about $22,000. That cost more than doubles for private college. This free webinar, presented by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, will help you learn how to start saving now for future college expenses using Wisconsin’s College Savings Program.

The Edvest College Savings Plan, one of Wisconsin’s 529 plans, offers many advantages to you, such as tax-deductible savings and fees that are among the lowest in the country. With automatic payroll deduction, you can get a hassle-free opportunity to save for your children’s or grandchildren’s higher education costs.

Sessions:

  • May 18 at 11:00 a.m.
  • May 19 at 12:00 p.m.

Register for Session

Edvest National 529 Day (May 29) special offer: When you open a new Edvest account with a $50 contribution between May 24, 2021 and May 31, 2021 (and sign up for recurring contributions including payroll direct deposit of $25 or more per month for a minimum of 6 months), Edvest will match $50! You’ll receive the promo code during the webinar.

Webinar: Understanding Beneficiaries and Probate

Prepare for the unexpected. Help the ones you love be less overwhelmed and provide them peace of mind by having your financial affairs in order.

At this free webinar, presented by Summit Credit Union, you’ll find out what you need to know and the right questions to ask. Uncover the mystery of probate.

Register for session:

Wisconsin Strong
DFI, Edvest, and Summit Credit Union are partners in the Wisconsin Strong: Your Financial Security™ program, which is managed by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. Wisconsin Strong is designed to empower you to maximize your Wisconsin Retirement System benefits, save for the future, and achieve financial wellness at any age. Visit etf.wi.gov/wi-strong and follow along at #WIStrongSecurity.

Process Improvement Specialist (One-Year Project Appointment)

This position reports to the Business Analyst and will assist with the design, development, implementation, maintenance and project management of business process workflows using the software application (BP Logix). In support of the University’s strategic initiative of Digital Transformation, this position will work collaboratively with business and academic units throughout the University to simplify and automate the flow of tasks and activities to reduce manual intervention, processing time, errors, as well as improve documentation and compliance.

For further information and position responsibilities, please see the full position announcement.

To ensure consideration, please submit application materials by Monday, May 31, 2021.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program can help employees pay off their student loans.  This program forgives the remaining balance on qualified federal loans after borrowers have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer, such as the University of Wisconsin System.  Further information can be found at the Department of Education website at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.

There are a number of federal income-based repayment plans. Whether the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is right for an individual can vary.  A student loan borrower needs to work for a public service qualifying employer to qualify the loan forgiveness benefit.

The Department of Education recommends that if you would like to qualify for this program now or in the future, you would complete the Employment Certification form (https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/public-service-application-for-forgiveness.pdf) as soon as possible. You would complete sections 1 and 2 of this form, as well as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness cover sheet (https://uwservice.wisconsin.edu/docs/publications/voe-uws-pslf-request.pdf), and fax or mail (don’t email due to the confidential information on the form) the forms to UW-Shared Services (fax number and address is listed on the cover sheet).

LinkedIn Learning May Challenge: Mindset Matters

LinkedIn Learning May Challenge: Mindset Matters

Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you’re right.” Ford’s adage highlights the power of positive thinking, warns of the danger of negative thinking, and it reminds us how much mindset matters.

While we may think that success leads to happiness, studies consistently demonstrate that the reverse is actually true: happiness leads to success. Happiness promotes success in health, work, and relationships.

We’re excited to launch LinkedIn Learning’s May Challenge, kicking off May 11th, focusing on the power of positive thinking and how to foster a growth mindset.

Challenge yourself to participate every day – it takes ~5 minutes or less. To stay on track, try keeping a journal or print the calendar and initial each day when you’ve completed it. Happy learning!

Follow these steps to participate:

  1. Print or save the May Challenge Calendar
  2. Complete each day’s short LiL learning (~5 mins or less)
  3. Initial each day’s box once you’ve watched the daily video
  4. Share your biggest takeaway to hr@uwgb.edu by Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Access the LinkedIn Learning Page

LinkedIn Learning April Challenge: Let’s Talk Communication Participants

Thank you to all those who participated in the LinkedIn Learning April Challenge: Let’s Talk Communication. Employees who participated in this challenge were asked to watch a short video each day and then send us their biggest takeaways. Here is what they learned:

Pieter deHart: My biggest takeaway for the LinkedIn Learning April Challenge is that there are three types of listening: Listing for Affirmation, Listening to Defend, and Listening to Discover. To communicate effectively, one should learn to listen effectively, working toward Listening to Discover.

Donna Mleziva: My biggest takeaway from the LinkedIn Learning April Challenge: Let’s Talk Communication was being mindful of weak words to purge from use. I use “just” or “actually” when I am concerned about coming off too strong or forceful when communicating. It is something to keep in mind while communicating. The tips about how to explain a task were also helpful.

Lea Truttmann: I had a few takeaways but the big one for work was the 10c’s of business writing.  I just find it so helpful, especially in emails (which is most of our communication!) to have all the information.  It can be frustrating to send emails back and forth and communication is lost when emails become too lengthy.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the April Challenge.

Live Online Webinar: The Art of Active Listening

Tips on Understanding the Art of Active Listening

We often spend most of our communication energy trying to get our point across and feel understood and heard by others. Challenge yourself to really listen to others and see if you notice a shift and improvement in your relationships.

What is active listening? Active listening is the act of truly taking in what someone else is saying with full attention. The purpose is to genuinely try to understand the speaker. This seemingly simple act alone can improve personal and work relationships.

Components of active listening include the following:

  • Setting aside judgement
  • Refraining from interrupting, cutting the speaker off, or jumping to conclusions
  • Remain focused – make eye contact, lean in, use open body language
  • Repeat or paraphrase what the speaker said to check for understanding
  • Ask clarifying questions

In conversations, we often skip the listening step and jump directly to labeling someone’s intentions, fix the situation or problem solve. Often the speaker just wants to get something across and feel heard. Being an active listener takes patience and practice, and the benefit of improved relationships can be worth the effort. Are you interested in improving your communications with others? Contact your EAP today for help.

Click here to register for The Art of Active Listening

Or visit sowi.MyLifeExpert.com.

Title & Total Compensation Project Open Forum Recordings

The University of Wisconsin System has embarked on a complete redesign of its current classification and compensation structure. The goal of the Title & Total Compensation Project (T&TC) is to modernize the existing title and compensation programs which will, in turn, attract and retain the best talent for the organization.

After a lengthy delay due to COVID-19, it has been announced that the new title structure will be implemented in November of 2021. The full title and standard job description library is currently posted on the UW System Title & Total Compensation Project website.

To prepare for this implementation, the Office of Human Resources and Workforce Diversity recently held open forums for employees to learn more about the Project. For recordings of these open forums, please click on the links below:

    • Longer Forum (topics include full background and history of the project, timeline, job framework, job descriptions, job mapping, compensation, and information about employee-manager conversations)
    • Shorter Forum (brief update about timeline, job mapping, compensation, and upcoming activities)

More details about the Title & Total Compensation Project will be communicated to employees in the HR Connect weekly email newsletter and blog throughout the summer and early fall. In addition, information can be found on the UW System Title & Total Compensation Project website.

On behalf of the campus project team and leadership, we would like to thank you for your continued engagement as we take the next steps in this initiative. Please contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu or ext. 2390 if you have questions.

Director of Development

The Director of Development identifies, qualifies, cultivates, and solicits individuals and organizations for philanthropic support of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Director of Development builds relationships, solicits and secures gifts and pledges, and provides regular stewardship of donors and their gifts. The Director of Development raises funds in support of the University’s Phoenix Athletic program.

For further information and position responsibilities, please see the full position announcement.

To ensure consideration, please submit application materials by Sunday, May 23, 2021.

Mental Health Awareness Month

There is no quick fix or magic pill for mental health issues, but I’m confident that together, as we learn and talk about them more, we’ll start to turn every month into one where mental health is a priority, both at home and at work. To your good health!