Thursday, October 14, 1993

CO-OP INTERVIEWS are well under way -- the first-floor hallway in
Needles Hall is thronged with students in suits, hoping to impress
interviewers and land jobs for the winter term.  Some changes in the
job placement process were introduced this spring and are getting 
their first big trial in the fall term: students are now responsible
for preparing their own resume packages, for example, and the "Want Ads"
publication has been replaced with extensive postings on bulletin
boards.  The full "continuous placement" process is expected to start
in the winter term.

STAFF TRAINING:  Today is registration day for the fall 1993
courses being offered by the Staff Training and Development Committee,
for non-union staff members.  Titles include "StreetSmart for Women", 
"Dealing with Conflict and Confrontation", "Coping with Change", and (this
one is new) "Core Interpersonal Skills for Non-Management Professionals".

In addition, the "Frontline Leadership" and "Working" programs continue,
for managers and non-management staff respectively.  Information about
all these activities appears in a brochure that was distributed earlier
this week from the personnel department.  It also includes a list of
dozens of audiotapes, videotapes and books available for loan from
personnel, on subjects ranging from "power talking skills" to "how to
be an outstanding receptionist".

FOR PERSONAL DIFFICULTIES:  An announcement is just out from the Employee
Assistance Program committee about a new source of help for staff and
faculty members facing problems in areas ranging from alcoholism to 
bereavement and time management.  Besides on-campus help providers, EAP
has arranged a contract with two off-campus agencies that offer counselling
for a fee (sometimes partly covered by UW's extended health plan).  Full
information will appear in next week's Gazette.  Faculty or staff who
think the EAP might be able to help them can make a confidential call to 
Carole Hea of health and safety, ext. 6264, or David Dietrich of personnel,
ext. 3911.  The EAP operates on the principle that "employees, dependents,
colleagues and the university are winners if personal problems are resolved
before they become workplace issues."

WILDLIFE NOTE:  We get squirrels, we get muskrats, but skunks aren't often
found on campus.  But there have been several sightings lately, and it
appears that Mama Skunk and three babies are living under the Graduate House.  
Brian O'Riley, the grounds supervisor, said this morning that pest control 
experts have been called to trap the critters and transport them to an 
unpeopled area.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs
credmond@watserv1    ext. 3004