Advice

Familiarize yourself with campus resources and be prepared to refer students to appropriate resources as needed. These resources can also be highlighted in the Course Orientation materials.

Academic Support Services

There is a wide range of support services available on campus. While students will have been introduced to these during events like SOAR, by calling attention to these in specific places in your Canvas course, you provide a timely and contextualized reminder and emphasize the connection between the support available and the specific challenges students may be facing as they work through your course.

Some academic services you may want to highlight include:

• Library Services: UW’s Libraries can support students in many ways, including equipment checkout, help with Interlibrary loans, reserving study space, help with finding articles, and conducting research. Check them out!
• Undergraduate Advising: This website has many tools and resources, from a GPA calculator to finding an advisor.
• The Writing Center: Make an appointment to get help on writing or sign up for a class. This website also has a writer’s handbook.
• Greater University Tutoring Service (GUTS): Student-run tutoring service that provides free academic, language, and study skill support services taught and facilitated by students for all UW-Madison students.
• GUTS Study Skills Sessions: The study skill sessions are individual advising sessions and group workshops. The sessions focus on helping students develop learning strategies.

Health-Promoting Resources

A wide range of resources are frequently updated in the Healthy Academics Toolkit (a resource that provides many resources and strategies that focus on health and academics for our students). Familiarize yourself with the Strategies & Resources in the toolkit, or use the contact information on the main page to arrange an individualized consultation. Following are some resources to consider:

• University Health Services (UHS) offers a wide range of medical and mental health services, as well as campus-wide health-promotion efforts through prevention and campus health initiatives:
  • Mental Health Services offer an open, free, safe, and confidential environment to help students through issues that may interfere with their development, well-being, and academic productivity. The Mental Health 24-hour Crisis Service is an essential resource for students and instructors.
  • Survivor Services: Support for victims/survivors and those seeking information on how to support a survivor of sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, and/or stalking.
  • Sexual Health Services provides no-cost screening, diagnosis, and treatment through UHS.
  • Prevention & Campus Health Initiatives offers campus-wide Student Suicide Prevention Training. Encourage students to be allies and complete the training.
  • Medical Services offers high-quality medical care to all UW-Madison students.
• Student Assistance through the Dean of Students Office to help with personal problems.
• Open Seat Food Pantry relieves the stresses of food insecurity by providing food assistance.
• Financial resources to cope with the impact of COVID and other economic concerns.
• Gender & Sexuality Campus Center: Supporting LGBTQ+ students and their communities is a unit of the Division of Student Life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Division of Student Life: This website has more information and resources, from campus safety to international student services.

Technology Resources

For students to succeed, it is vital to provide access to technical support services and resources from your Canvas course so that students know how to use tools and get help if they run into technical problems. Following are some resources you can share:

• The Campus Software Library offers no-charge access to selected software.
• Students who need a laptop can check one out at UW laptop lending.
• Students and staff can access free online training, including a full library of self-study software tutorials through LinkedIn Learning.
• Students and instructors can contact the DoIT Help Desk for technology assistance.
• Software Training for Students helps students and instructors succeed by teaching technology skills.
• IT Services: The Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) Help Desk assists with computing issues, from email to software to hardware.