Resources

• Black Lives Matter
• Anti-racism training (free, online)
• Our statement in observance of #Strike4BlackLives

List compiled by the TAA

• Milwaukee Freedom Fund + Legal Support Request form
• Free the 350 Bail Fund (Dane county)
• LINK. Madison WI
• Urban Triage
• Freedom Inc.
• Freedom Youth Squad
• Donate to Jacob Blake’s medical expenses

• We are working along side the department to create an APS Bridges Program in our department for under-represented minorities in physics.
• Particles for Justice
• Academics for Black Lives
• APS Webinar: From Passion to Action. Panelists present and answer questions regarding police brutality and the abysmal lack of support and representation of Black physicists.

• TAA Mutual Aid Fund – financial aid for grad students or their loved ones, related to COVID-19 or otherwise.
• Grad School Emergency Short Term Loans – For students experiencing an unanticipated financial crisis.

• Physics Department Student Awards – Annual, one application for all awards made possible through very generous donations by alumni and friends of the department.
• Student Research Grants Competition – To aid in presenting research at conferences and/or research travel in preparation for your thesis.
• Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) – Various scholarships available to UW students in a variety of themes.

• UW 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan – Graduate assistants are eligible for this retirement plan!
• IRA accounts – If you would like to save for retirement but prefer not to use the University organized plan, you can also check out IRAs which are available at many banks. This allow you save up to $6,000 of pre-tax dollars per year (amount varies year-to-year but this is for 2020).

While the PGSC is here to support grad students in any way possible, there may be times when students need help from trained professionals or university representatives. There are many resources available to graduate students at both the department and campus levels. Below are a few of the resources available to grad students to help them manage their mental and emotional health, and to address grievances (harassment, retaliation, unhealthy work environment, etc.).

For 24-hour crisis services, call 608-265-5600 (option 9)

• Mental & Emotional Health Resources:
  • UHS
    • Mental Health Services
      • Individual and Group counseling (note the Graduate Students’ Group under “Support/Theme Groups”)
      • Let’s Talk – informal, confidential consultations for any topic that is bothering you.
      • SilverCloud – self-guided online-only mental health resource
    • Violence Prevention Services
    • Survivor Services
  • Badger Spill – a peer-to-peer support network made OF and FOR UW-Madison students. Spill your guts here, confidentially, and you’ll get feedback, empathy, and encouragement from fellow Badgers who can relate.
• Grievance & Misconduct Reporting Resources:
  • Physics Graduate Student Handbook – “Grievances”
  • A number of resources for addressing grievances are given here (in particular, the Ombuds office and Dean of Students Office might be good first stops)
  • TAA  (the UW-Madison  Graduate Worker  Union,  not  just  for  TAs)
    • Visual flowchart guide to workplace abuse
    • The Contract Enforcement Committee (cec@taa-madison.org) – a group of students who have read a bunch of university policy and can advise you at any step before, during, or after the grievance process.
  • Graduate Assistant Policies and Procedures (GAPP)
• Student Life Resources:
  • For international students
  • For all current students (includes a section about halfway down the page with resources for reporting incidents)
  • “Thriving in Grad School” guide

This is not an exhaustive list of resources, and if you cannot find something that suits your needs, please feel free to contact a PGSC representative or Michelle Holland. The PGSC comment box welcomes any anonymous feedback.

In light of the recent announcement by Chancellor Blank, we want to give students, faculty, or whoever, a convenient place to find resources relating to the impact of COVID-19 on the UW-Madison campus, including tips for making the transition to online-only classes. If you are having trouble understanding what any of these announcements/resources mean for you, feel free to contact a PGSC representative.

• University-level announcements/resources:
  • Original announcement (moving to online-only classes until at least April 10th) and UW-Madison press conference
  • The campus COVID-19 website
  • Graduate student COVID-19 website & an earlier (perhaps partially outdated) Guidance to graduate students
  • Instructional continuity website and website announcement
• Physics department resources:
  • Operations during the COVID-19 disruption
• TAA resources:
  • Mutual Aid Fund – request or donate funds for students who are struggling financially
  • Official letter to the chancellor (outlines major grad student concerns during this transition)
  • Outline of current GAPP policies for leave (we hope these will be updated soon to account for COVID-19)
• Resources from other departments:
  • Select Resources for Quickly Handling the COVID-19 Online Pivot (from Geography Department)
• Resources from other universities:
  • Cornell: Preparing for alternate course delivery (useful checklists to make sure you are ready)
  • University of Colorado Boulder: Free online interactive physics labs/demos
• Health organization resources:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 website
  • CDC Advice for those returning from countries with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice
  • World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 advice for the public
• Other resources:
  • List of community resources for COVID-19 impacts & tracking of closures. Includes financial help, delivery services for those under quarantine, etc.
  • AFT has compiled information for international students and scholars in the US
  • Madison IWW General Defense Committee mutual aid fund for anyone facing financial hardship due to COVID-19
  • Charter will be offering free internet to students (who are new subscribers) whose schools have gone online-only. Some restrictions may apply.
  • Instructions for absentee voting
  • Comparison of several free remote classroom software options (Note: not necessarily supported by UW-Madison)
  • Zoom’s tips for educators in remote learning environments

The officers of the PGSC completely understand the need and desire for additional funding and that it can be hard to locate sources for financial aid, so we’ve listed some below pertaining to both personal and professional financial aid.

Financial Aid Resources

• For Personal Assistance
• For Work/Project Assistance

This is not an exhaustive list of resources, so if you cannot find something that suits your needs or believe that something is missing, please feel free to contact a PGSC representative or Michelle Holland. The PGSC comment box welcomes any anonymous feedback.

We will use this space to answer some Frequently Asked Questions among Graduate Students. If you have experience you’d like to share, please feel free to use this form: https://forms.gle/td7HWxJ4wp3aTX666 and we will choose some helpful responses and common thoughts to include on this page.

Note: You have to be signed into your UW G-Suite account to access this form.

Department Chair: Mark A Eriksson

Director of Graduate Studies: Kevin Black For academic needs, ex. getting your minor coursework approved.

Graduate Coordinator: Sharon Kahn For any administrative needs, ex. filing warrants, course enrollment, changing advisors, etc.

Other Helpful Department Staff:

• I need to reserve a room. Who do I talk to? Karen Hester, khester2@wisc.edu
• I need to submit receipts for reimbursement, or I need to make travel arrangements. Who do I talk to? Karen Hester, khester2@wisc.edu
• I have questions about payroll, health insurance, etc. Who do I talk to? Aimee Lefkow
• I have questions about TAing. Who do I talk to? Jim Reardon