Each year, the Graduate School welcomes new and continuing graduate students to campus with a series of events and workshops designed to support success in the upcoming academic year. Welcome Week kicks off Monday, Aug. 26 with a presentation by Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track. Dr. Williams will talk about strategies and tools for goal-setting and planning, setting the tone for a successful semester.
Other Welcome Week events feature favorites such as “Flourishing in Graduate School” and workshops on time management, productivity tools, and more.
Welcome Week 2019 Events
Click on each event’s title to register.
Starting Strong and Staying on Track: Strategic Goals for Planning and Productivity
Monday, Aug. 26 | 11 am – 12:30 pm | 1310 Sterling Hall
In this presentation for graduate students, Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track, will introduce you to holistic strategies and tools for strategic goal-setting and planning so you can achieve your vision of success in graduate school and beyond.
Learning objectives:
- prioritize responsibilities so that productivity is not sacrificed
- understand the presenter’s 7 Domains of Professional Development: Academic, Network, Leadership, Career, Funding, Personal, and Well-Being
- develop strategies to enjoy yourself while working toward your goals
Reception with refreshments and time to speak with Fatimah Williams will follow.
Flourishing in Graduate School: How to Manage Stress and Maintain Your Mental Health
Tuesday, Aug. 27 | 1 – 2:30 pm | Union South (Check Today in the Union)
Want to make graduate school a time to thrive and not just survive? 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.
Time Management for Graduate Students
Tuesday, Aug. 27 | 3 – 4:30 pm | 1310 Sterling Hall
In this interactive workshop, you will learn tips and techniques for staying on track and managing your time. We’ll cover goal-setting, minimizing distractions and staying focused, and overcoming some of the most common challenges to staying on task. Participants will leave with strategies that they can apply immediately. The strategies we’ll cover are appropriate for students in any discipline.
Cool Tools: App and More to Increase Productivity
Thursday, Aug. 29 | 3 – 4:30 pm | 1310 Sterling Hall
Prepare to maximize your time and energy this semester by taking advantage of software available to UW–Madison graduate students that can help streamline your workflow. This hands-on workshop, presented by Software Training for Students (STS), will introduce you to both basic and advanced software tools, including cloud storage services, notetaking apps, mobile scanners, research tools, tasks managers, password managers, lifestyle apps, and more.
Multicultural Graduate Network Welcome Celebration
Thursday, Aug. 29 | 5 – 7 pm | University Club, 803 State St.
The Multicultural Graduate Network, through the Graduate School at UW–Madison, kicks off the start of a new school year with a large celebration to invigorate the vibrant community of graduate students on campus.
Graduate School 4th Annual Degree Dash
Friday, Aug. 30 | 8 am Doctoral Derby | 8:30 am Master’s Mile | Library Mall
Get your semester off to a fast start! Join fellow graduate students, faculty, and staff for the 4th Annual Degree Dash run/walk/roll hosted by the Graduate School at UW–Madison.
Recognizing and Reducing Implicit Bias
Tuesday, Sept. 3 | 11 am – 12:15 pm | Reception to follow from 12:15 – 1 pm | Industry Room, Union South
Building cultural competence is critically important for graduate students and professionals across all disciplines. This interactive talk introduces graduate students to the concepts of implicit or unconscious biases and assumptions about diverse groups of people by treating the application of such biases as a habit of mind. Students will learn how to uncover their own biases, discover the underlying concepts and language used in the psychological and social psychological literature to describe such processes, and learn evidence-based strategies for reducing the application of these biases as they cultivate relationships with people from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Stick around after the event for a reception where you can enjoy lunch (with vegetarian and gluten free options) and network with other graduate students who value diversity and inclusion.