GWS Graduate Student Orientation

9:00 am to 10:00 am: Welcome and Introductions with Prof. Sami Schalk, Director of Graduate Studies in 3401 Sterling Hall. Breakfast, Coffee/Tea served.

10 am to 10:30 am: Meet GWS Department Chair and Staff in 3401 Sterling Hall.

• Department Chair’s Welcome and Staff Introductions: Nicholas Syrett, Jamie Gratrix, Christine Garlough, Nina Valeo Cooke, Lindsey Hoff, Lachrista Greco, and Joslyn Mink

10:30 am to 11:30 pm: General Onboarding – Part 1 with Prof. Sami Schalk, Director of Graduate Studies in 3401 Sterling Hall.

• Overview – Successful Onboarding
• Onboarding Checklist

12 pm to 2 pm: Navigating Mentorship Workshop and Lunch in 313 Pyle Center. 702 Langdon St (13 minute walk or 7 minute bus ride via #80 from Sterling Hall)

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm: L&S Learning Support Services in 3401 Sterling Hall (13 minute walk or 7 minute bus ride via #80 from the Pyle Center)

• Get connected to the shared department printer and copier; learn about free equipment rental from the LSS AV Pool; troubleshoot questions about University email, the DUO app, etc.

Optional Graduate School Event (please register by clicking on the blue title links):

• Enhancing Your Graduate Degree with a Certificate
  • Monday, August 25 | 3:30 – 4:30 pm | Online
  • What are graduate certificates, and how can they add value to your graduate degree? In this virtual session, faculty and staff representing several graduate certificate programs (and their equivalent doctoral minors) discuss the multiple benefits that these programs provide to graduate students across campus—including fulfilling breadth requirements, expanding interdisciplinary knowledge, mastering new skills, creating community and networking opportunities, and building cultural competence.

9:00 am to 10:15 am: Program Requirements – Overview and Q&A with Prof. Sami Schalk, Director of Graduate Studies in 3401 Sterling Hall. Breakfast, Coffee/Tea served.

10:15am -10:30 am: Break

10:30 am – 11:30 am: History of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Documentary. Viewing and Informal Discussion with Prof. Sami Schalk, Director of Graduate Studies in 3331 Sterling Hall.

11:45 pm to 1:15pm: Advisor/Advisee Lunch

• Welcome and Discussion of GWS Advising Compact with Prof. Sami Schalk, Director of Graduate Studies in 3401 Sterling Hall
  • Additional, recommended resource – A Graduate Student Guide to Working with Faculty Advisors
• Advisor/Advisee Food Pick-up in 3331 Sterling Hall
• Advisor/Advisee Lunch and Goal Setting in 3331 Sterling Hall or Sterling Hall Courtyard

Optional Graduate School Events (please register by clicking on the blue title links):

• Recognizing and Addressing Hostile and/or Intimidating Behavior (HIB)
  • Tuesday, August 26 | 2 – 4 pm| Online
  • This facilitator-led course is designed to support UW–Madison employees—including faculty, staff, graduate student employees, and post-docs—in recognizing characteristics of hostile and/or intimidating behavior (HIB), understanding how to mitigate concerning behavior to foster a respectful workplace culture, becoming familiar with the university’s unified HIB policy and procedures, and identifying campus resources available to those navigating concerns related to concerning workplace behavior.
• Cool Tools: Apps and More to Increase Productivity
  • Tuesday, August 26 | 3 – 4:15 pm| 1310 Sterling Hall
  • Prepare to maximize your time and energy by taking advantage of software available to UW–Madison graduate students that can help streamline your workflow. This workshop, presented by Pete Valeo from Software Training for Students (STS), will introduce you to basic and advanced software tools, including cloud storage services, note taking apps, mobile scanners, research tools, tasks managers, password managers, lifestyle apps, and more.

11 am to 4:30 pm: New Graduate Student Welcome in Varsity Hall at Union South. 1308 W. Dayton St.

The Graduate School invites all newly admitted graduate students to participate in the New Graduate Student Welcome event each year. The New Graduate Student Welcome is an opportunity to hear from the Graduate School and campus leaders, get advice from a panel of current students about grad student life, learn about the many campus and community resources available to you, and meet other new graduate students from across campus.

New students will receive an email invitation in early July with information about registering for the New Graduate Student Welcome.

Check-in begins at 10:30 am. To avoid long lines, arrive early.

View or download the New Graduate Student Welcome visual agenda.

Optional FREE Social Events (No registration needed):

• Open Mic Night
  • Wednesday, August 27 | 7 – 9 pm| Terrace at Memorial Union
  • At Open Mic Night, presented by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee, we welcome all styles of music, comedy, spoken word, poetry, and pretty much any type of stage performance you can condense into a performance slot! Sign up with the host starting at 6:45pm. Performances from 7:00pm-9:00pm. We provide a sound system — monitors and microphones. Unfortunately, we don’t have any backline instruments or amps available. We can plug in backing tracks to our sound system.

10:00 am to 11:00 am: Flourishing in Graduate School: How to Manage Stress and Maintain Your Mental Health (Online)

• This workshop will focus on promotion of psychological well-being in graduate school. Topics covered will arm graduate students with strategies to thrive through the challenges of graduate school, including managing the transition/adjustment process, coping with stress, promoting work/life balance, and establishing habits to maintain or improve mental health. Meet other graduate students at the post-event reception.

12 pm to 2 pm: International Student Welcome and Information Fair (ISWIF). Hosted by International Student Services in the International Community Center (Suite 130), Pyle Center    

• Welcome event and resource fair for all incoming international students hosted by International Student Services (ISS). Learn about academic resources, student organizations, campus identity and cultural centers, and other UW-Madison partners as you get to know your fellow international students. Lunch provided. Special guest Bucky will also be helping to welcome our new Global Badgers! 

• If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please email issprograms@iss.wisc.edu.

2:30 to 3:30 pm: Pedagogy Workshop: Thriving in the GWS Classroom with Prof. Christine Garlough, Director of the Center for Research on Gender and Women. 3401 Sterling Hall 

10:15 am to 11:15 am: General Onboarding – Part 2 with Lindsey Hoffe, Administrative Operations Coordinator. 3401 Sterling Hall 

• This onboarding session is designed to address any lingering administrative issues or questions you might have from this week such as difficulties with your ID card, using the printer/copier, gaining access to the GWS administrative suite, and more, feel free to drop by.

11:30 pm to 12 pm: Teaching Assistant’s Association. 3401 Sterling Hall 

12:15 pm—: New and Returning GWS Graduate Student Lunch and Social. Union South in 1308 W. Dayton St. (8 minute walk or 8 minute bus ride via #80 from Sterling Hall) 

Optional FREE Social Events (Registration needed):

• Bridge & Build Welcome Reception 
  • Friday, August 29 | 4:30 – 6:00 pm | AT&T Lounge, Pyle Center 
  • Students are invited to network and socialize with peers, as well as connect with campus resources and leadership. This event is designed to foster a sense of belonging and support among students from an array of backgrounds. All graduate students are welcome to attend. 
•  VO5 (No registration needed): 
  • Friday, August 29 | 7 – 10 pm | Terrace at Memorial Union
  • V05 is Madison’s favorite disco/funk family. As ten-piece disco music revivalists from Madison, WI, V05 does 70’s covers and originals from their album “Dance Originality.” V05 launched in 2005. 

4:30 pm to 5:45 pm: Orientation Debrief and Goal Setting with Prof. Sami Schalk,Director of Graduate Studies in 3401 Sterling Hall (session may conducted via zoom contingent on DGS’s schedule)