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Life Design with Mike O’Connor

Are you the best version of you?  

Let us help you with the answer! Join Mike O’Connor, Riaz Waraich Dean of the Center for Career, Life, and Community Engagement to learn how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do for a living, or how young or old we are. Design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy!  

This is an exclusive early look at the new fall class UNIC 153: “Designing Your Life After Lawrence”  

Join us on Instagram Live! – @lawrenceuni_clc  

Thursday, May 21st at 4:30p.m. (CDT)

Return to On-Campus Work for Non-Essential Staff

Dear Staff Colleagues,

First, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for your individual and collective efforts to support the education and wellbeing of our Lawrence students, as well as the greater mission of the University during these challenging times. The resilience during this rapidly changing and unpredictable environment has been inspiring. 

Lawrence’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has, and will continue to be, focused on the health and safety of our students, staff, and faculty. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all members of our community. We recognize that the threat from COVID-19 is not over, and it will continue to affect our community in different ways, including how, when, and where many of us are able to work.

Beginning on Monday, June 15, 2020, Lawrence University will begin returning non-essential staff back to campus in a gradual and controlled manner based upon determined University guidelines. We anticipate the return of non-essential employees to be a multi-phased process. Phase one is outlined in the Return to On-Campus Work for Non-Essential Staff.

In alignment with recommendations from the CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health, Lawrence requires that all employees returning to campus in Phase 1 wear masks when they are in interior public areas or when gathering in a group both indoors and outdoors.If any employee is in need of a cloth mask, the University will provide one. To request for a cloth mask, please complete the request form here. Masks will be sent to your office via the University campus mail.  If you do not have a cloth mask to wear on your first day back to campus, a scarf, bandana, disposable mask, or other face covering can be worn until you receive your mask. Our appreciation goes out to the Costume Shop and the Lawrence alumni who have been making the cloth masks for our community.

The Wellness Services team is currently finalizing COVID-19 training, which will be required for all returning employees. Training will include a general overview of COVID-19, symptoms and transmission, prevention, sanitation practices, and effective use of masks and face coverings, among other topics. Watch for additional details to be shared in the LU Insider in the coming weeks.

The guidelines for future phases are still being determined. Predetermining the specific time frames and lengths of each phase is not something we will be able to do. University decisions will be informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and community health partners in both northeast Wisconsin and the City of Appleton. In all phases, the health of our community and the University’s business needs will be considered.

A final note, as the end of the academic year is in our sights and summer approaches, the University has historically provided information regarding flexible summer hours for staff employees. In light of the modifications to our work brought on by COVID-19, many colleagues have already made adjustments to their work schedules to address the changes and new responsibilities in our personal lives. As a result, the University is not issuing specific guidance regarding flexible summer hours this year. Instead, we ask that you please make arrangements with your supervisor to adjust your hours or request time off.  

As we have all experienced over the past two months, this is a rapidly changing situation. Our guidance today is based on current conditions and could change during the coming months. We expect the guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities will evolve. We all have an important role to play in keeping our Lawrence community safe and healthy, and building on our current actions and adhering to these new guidelines will be vitally important. Please keep informed by reviewing the COVID-19 blog for regular updates. Thank you again for your dedication to Lawrence, and I wish you and your loved ones the best during this time.  

Take care,

Tina

Family Concert at Riverview Gardens

Join us for Lawrence’s second annual Family Concert at Riverview Gardens in Appleton on Sunday, February 23rd!

Part of the Music For All series, and co-presented by the Mile of Music Music Education Team, this concert is designed for children of all ages, but especially geared toward elementary-aged children.

The event begins at 3 p.m. with experiential music-making stations around the building. A short, interactive concert in the Community Hall follows from 3:30-4:15 p.m.

Bring the young people in your life, along with your inner child, and get ready for magical, musical adventures! 

Riverview Gardens is located at 1101 S. Oneida St., Appleton.

The event is free and open to the public.

A reception sponsored by Stone Arch Brewpub follows the event.

Web Redesign Update

Dear LU Community, 

In October, the Communications and Web Development teams announced a redesign of the Lawrence University website. Since this announcement, our teams have been hard at work on the initial stages of this important and comprehensive project. Below is a quick refresher on the scope and goals of the project, an update on our work to date, a list of important upcoming deadlines (please at least read this section), and ways you can help us with the project. 

Project Overview 

We are currently undertaking a full redesign of the main Lawrence University website, including overall navigation and information architecture, to compete digitally with other schools, better represent the on-campus educational experience, and meet the needs of the internal community. We have allotted roughly a year to this project and plan to launch our new site in fall 2020. The goals of the redesign are to:

  • Encourage prospective students to apply and enroll. 
  • Encourage alumni, parents, and friends to support Lawrence.  
  • Make daily operations for faculty, staff and current students easier.  
  • Inform the community about operations and events. 
  • Inform and delight prospective employees.

To meet these goals, we will:

  • Reorganize content for improved discoverability, navigation, and user experience.
  • Review all content to ensure it is current, necessary, and compelling.
  • Optimize website architecture, technology, and content for improved visibility in search results (e.g., Google).
  • Focus the website experience on external constituents (prospective students/families, alumni/donors, campus visitors, prospective employees, news/media).
  • Provide a separate, dedicated web experience for Lawrentians (students, faculty, staff).
  • Improve data and insights to better inform future spends of time and money.
  • Plan for ongoing website maintenance, including potential investments in software and personnel. 

Work to Date

The Communications and Web Development teams have spent our first few months on the project focused on back-end content and development work. This work is not easily visible to those outside of the project but is highly important and time-intensive—it provides the foundation for our new website and its success. This work includes content review and organization, including discussions of site navigation, and foundational work on the website’s structure, design, and maintenance. We have established regular meetings of the Web Stakeholders Group (see list of names below), which is charged with representing the interests of primary university offices, departments, and constituent groups during the redesign process. We have also begun meeting with various university offices and departments to discuss content needs. The Stakeholders Group will continue to meet monthly until the redesign is complete, and members of the Communications team will reach out to other offices and departments regarding content in the coming weeks. 

Upcoming Deadlines & Items of Note 

Because content on our current website will need to be manually migrated to the new website, we are making plans now to ensure a smooth transition. This includes establishing a number of deadlines on content creation and maintenance that will allow us to fully account for all site content during the redesign process. Please note the following deadlines: 

  • December 21, 2019: web editors will no longer have permissions to create new pages; the process to update pages will continue as usual. Contact Communications if new pages are necessary to conduct university business.
  • May 01, 2020: only critical updates to existing pages; updates must be communicated to Communications.
  • August 01: no updates to existing content unless there’s an urgent reason; contact Communications to make changes or additions.

 We know and appreciate that the work of the university will continue through the redesign process and will work to ensure that these deadlines do not impede our work. We are also working closely with members of the Web Stakeholders Group to understand and account for how content needs intersect with these deadlines. Please contact us (communications@lawrence.edu) if you have any questions about the deadlines or need assistance on the website.  

How You Can Help

Even if you aren’t directly involved with the website, there are still ways that you can contribute to this important project! 

  • Help us understand how you use the current website and what resources you use most by taking this quick survey.
  • Volunteer for usability testing. We’re looking for users of all ages, interests, abilities, and levels of experience with technology to help us test ideas for the new site. If you’d be willing to spend 30-40 minutes trying our new concepts and giving us your thoughts, please email communications@lawrence.edu with the subject line “Usability Testing Volunteer.”
  • Stay tuned to the LU Insider and your inbox, as well as notifications from members of the Stakeholders Group. 

 Thank you in advance for your patience and assistance throughout this process. As always, please reach out to communications@lawrence.edu if you have any questions. 

Best,

Megan Scott

Associate Vice President of Communication

Web Stakeholders Group

Jaclyn Charais, ACE
Jay Dansand, IT 
Chris Fohlin, Consultant 
Jody Fraleigh, Student Life  
Jaime Gonzalez, Admissions & PCDA
Alison Gunther-Pal, Faculty 
Mackenzie Huber, Communications 
Kelly Landis, Communications 
Katie C. Mills-Erickson, Admissions 
Morgen Moraine, Conservatory 
Amber Nelson, Development 
Matt Schmeltzer, Communications
Claudena Skran, Faculty 
Megan Scott, Communications
James Sweetack, IT 

Inform the new website by taking this survey

The Lawrence community is currently working on a shiny new website and looking to make it more user-friendly for students, faculty, and staff. Help us understand how you use the current website and what resources you use most by taking this quick survey.

Take the survey

Want to be even more involved in the process?

Volunteer for new website usability testing

As we build the new site, we’ll be testing new ideas along the way with short, 1-on-1, task-based testing sessions one morning each month.

We’re looking for users of all ages, interests, abilities, and levels of experience with technology.

If you’d be willing to spend 20-30 minutes trying our new concepts and giving us your thoughts, please email communications@lawrence.edu with the subject line “Usability Testing Volunteer” and we will work to schedule a time.

Thanks for your help as we build a new site!

Worship-Yom Kippur and Taizé

Taizé

On Sunday, October 6, the Lawrence community is welcome to gather at All Saints Episcopal for an interfaith contemplative worship experience. Join with community, candles, silence, chant and prayer from the Christian tradition.
Light dinner to follow services.

Yom Kippur

On Tuesday and Wednesday, October 8-9, services for Yom Kippur will be held at Moses Montefiore and B’nai Israel. Lawrentians are welcome to meet at the Wriston turnaround for walking groups and shuttles.

Meet Tuesday, 10/8
at 5:15 to walk to Moses Montefiore
at 6:30pm for the shuttle to B’nai Israel

Meet Wednesday, 10/9
at 8:45am to walk to Moses Monetefiore
at 9am for the MORNING shuttle to B’Nai Israel.
at 1:30pm for the AFTERNOON shuttle to B’Nai Israel.

Contact the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life with additional questions.

On Afrotropic Art Histories: A Conversation

The Department of Art & Art History is pleased to present a conversation with Dr. Huey Copeland & Dr. Krista Thompson of Northwestern University. 

Thursday, September 19

5 PM – 6:30 p.m.

Wriston Art Center Auditorium

Link to Facebook event here 

Huey Copeland is Arthur Andersen Teaching and Research Professor, Associate Professor of Art History, and affiliated faculty in the Critical Theory Cluster, the Department of African American Studies, the Department of Art Theory & Practice, the Department of Performance Studies, and the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.

Krista Thompson is the Mary Jane Crowe Professor of Art History, and affiliated faculty in the Department of African American Studies and the Department of Performance Studies. She researches and teaches modern and contemporary art and visual culture of the Africa diaspora and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on photography. 

Sponsored by the Jordan Fund for the Arts.

“They Call Us Illegals”: A documentary film and virtual reality simulation

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion is pleased to be partnering with Lawrence’s Film Studies Program, the Diversity and Intercultural Center, ESTHER, and the Appleton Dignity & Respect Campaign to bring you two films in one event: Los Sueños de Anita and The Unafraid.

Los Sueños de Anita is a virtual reality experience that immerses viewers into the life of two undocumented parents as they raise their young daughter Anita and face struggles much too familiar to the community. It runs about 9 minutes and will be available for viewing between 3pm-4:15pm and 7pm-8pm.

The Unafraid follows the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia as they take on activism in a state that has banned them from attending their top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. The screening (which will take place in the Warch cinema) starts at 4:30pm on September 26 with a Community Conversation and short survey afterward, and viewing the virtual reality piece will be available again until 8pm.

This event is free and open to the public.