Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day

Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day is celebrated throughout the nation on Thursday, April 28 as a way to share an enriching educational experience with children ages 5–18. While not every position or department at the UW is able to participate, The Whole U is helping those that can with some special activities that will get you and your kids exploring campus and understanding why working at UW is cool! Sign up to tour Husky Stadium, play a game at the IMA, take an environmental campus tour, or learn with UW Neuroscientist Eric Chudler at the HUB!

One-Day Mindfulness Retreat

Sponsored by The Whole U and UW Medicine, we invite you to experience a full day of mindfulness with Tim Burnett from Mindfulness Northwest on Saturday, April 30. Join us for a day of immersion into mindfulness, stress reduction, body awareness, and inner care. Formal practices including body scan, mindful yoga, sitting and walking meditation will be practiced together in silence. The day will conclude with small group discussion and dialog with the instructor on your experience of the day and how mindfulness can be integrated into daily life. The retreat is based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) —a well-researched class that has proved very effective in helping with many stress-related issues. The cost is $45 and there are 110 spots available. Friends and family members (over 18 years of age) are welcome. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. Register now.

Jewish Refugees in Wartime Shanghai

The Whole U is pleased to promote the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Exhibit at Hillel. Jewish refugees attempting to flee Europe before and during World War II had limited options because of immigration restrictions. Shanghai, however, was one of the few places that didn't require a visa. From 1933-1941, it welcomed over 18,000 Jewish refugees. This exhibition brings together photos, personal stories, and artifacts from the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum for the first time. The exhibition will run at Hillel at UW until Saturday, April 30. Sign up here.

Free Husky Baseball Tickets

Bring your family and friends to cheer for the Husky Baseball team as they take on Washington State University!Enjoy the spring weather at Husky Ballpark on Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free general admission for UW faculty and staff and up tofourguests. Thanks to UW Athletics for this Whole U appreciation Night! Register here.

UW Tree Walk with Kathy Carr

The 643-acre Seattle campus is home to 370 distinct tree species. Join us for a fascinating walk on our tree-filled campus and admire the beauty and grandeur of these magnificent living organisms! Kathy Carr, biological sciences librarian for Suzzallo-Allen, will take us to some of the more spectacular specimens. Kathy will share with us scientific and common names, interesting facts about the trees, sizes, and replacement values. Meet us by the Broken Obelisk in Red Square on Tuesday, May 17 or Thursday, May 19. Register now.

Professional & Organizational Development (POD) courses are open to all UW employees, subject to supervisor/budgetary approval and UW’s release time policy. Please view our policy page for additional information.

Lost in the Inbox Shuffle?

You start the day wondering whether to keep, move, or delete a jumble of old emails, switch gears to respond to an incoming message, and then, several tasks or hours later, end up staring at those old emails again. Sound familiar? These upcoming webinars can help: Managing and Organizing Your E-mail Inbox – MS Outlook explains a variety of time-saving functions and tools while Accomplishing More With Less focuses on managing time, priorities, and interruptions and dealing with information overload. View upcoming webinars.

Ready to End the Wild Goose Chase?

If your workload feels like a no-win situation, consider Kaizen. This holistic approach to seeing, understanding, changing, and verifying good work processes allows you to improve and streamline your efforts. Three half-day sessions provide an intensive learning experience with ample opportunity for practicing and implementing Kaizen. Register for Kaizen Methods and Practice.

Feel Like Your Spreadsheets Barely Function?

Three different webinars being offered this spring can give your Excel skills an upgrade: If you're still mastering the basics, MS Excel Techniques may be a good place to start. Check out MS Excel Macros if you're comfortable in Excel and want to increase functionality and automate repetitive tasks. If you've used PivotTables before, Advanced Microsoft Excel PivotTables may expose you to more sophisticated concepts and techniques. View upcoming webinars.

Tired of Taking the Scenic Route?

Careers often follow unexpected paths, but if yours has meandered too much or taken a wrong turn, it may be time to ask for directions or at least consult a map. One-on-one career counseling can help you assess your career fit, make the most of your strengths, prepare for a job search, or plot a new course for your career. Sessions with Training and Organizational Development Consultant Susan Templeton are $110 per one-hour session if paid with a UW budget number (with supervisor approval) or $127.16 if paid with cash, check, or credit card (due to a mandatory institutional overhead fee). Learn more about career counseling.

Be Prepared: Attend a SafeCampus Training

Do you know who to call when you are worried about a situation? Do you know what resources are available on campus for staff and students? Being able to answer these questions is one step toward preventing violence on our campus. Attend a SafeCampus Violence Prevention and Response training and get the information you need to be an informed member of the UW community. This training will discuss relationship violence, stalking, suicide and general warning signs of distress. There will also be a very brief portion on response to an active shooter.

Register for a Seattle campus training:

• Thursday, April 14, 2:30-4:00 p.m., Savery 260
• Wednesday, April 27, 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Health Sciences T439
• Friday, May 6, 9-10:30 a.m., UW Tower Auditorium
• Tuesday, June 14, 1-2:30 p.m., UW Tower Auditorium

All UW employees are required to attend this training every two years. If you would like to confirm when you last attended, email your full name and your UW NetID or employee identification number to safecampus@uw.edu.

UW GreenDot: Creating Active Bystanders

UW Green Dot is currently offering faculty, staff, and graduate student focused trainings. The Green Dot Emotional First Aid (EFA) trainings work to equip you with practical skills to be an active bystander with students and co-workers. The training will provide you an opportunity to learn about, discuss, and practice intervention skills related to preventing and responding to sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, harassment, and generally supporting students in distress.

Upcoming EFA trainings:

• Friday, April 29, 9-11am
• Friday, May 13, 9-11am

Sign up now and spread the word! If you have any questions feel free to email greendot@uw.edu.

Financial Education Seminars

Save more and better manage your finances with financial education seminars. Presented by two local nonprofit credit unions, WSECU and SECU, these free seminars are held at convenient campus locations during the lunch hour.

• Financial Yoga: Stretching Your Hard-Earned Dollars – Learn tips that will help you gain control of your finances and reduce financial stress.
• Scams, Shams, and Identity Theft – Learn how to better protect yourself, your money, and your personal information.
• Social Media and Your Child's Financial Future – Learn effective strategies for your child and the top 10 social media mistakes to avoid.
• Credit Reporting 101 – Come away with valuable tips to help you get the most from your creditworthiness.

Access seminar information and registration.

Take the Earth Day Challenge!

Help make Washington greener by participating in the Earth Day Challenge. Now through April 22, the UW Combined Fund Drive is once again partnering with EarthShare Washington to celebrate Earth Day, a day when we consider steps we can take to help make our planet cleaner and greener. Feel free to share the Challenge with your colleagues, friends, and family. Prizes will be given away throughout the Challenge!

There are three ways you can participate:

• Join the movement by selecting from 21 local organizations working right here in Washington and make a donation.
• Get out and volunteer. Choose a volunteer project in our parks, forests, and communities or create your own and then track your hours. Volunteer hours are included in the Challenge total and are calculated at $10 per hour. Visit the UW Earth Day calendar for even more ideas!
• Pledge to make one change. Make a pledge about something you want to do to help the planet. Tell others about your pledge or share on social media.

Celebrate Earth Month!

You're invited to attend Getting Around Puget Sound, an information-packed workshop featuring Seattle's own Transportation Choices Coalition and UW Transportation Services on April 21, 2016, from 12:05-12:55 p.m. in HUB 214. You'll hear the latest updates on topics including the future of transportation in Puget Sound, Link light rail, and UW commuter choices. Be one of the first 25 guests at the door and receive a complimentary water bottle from EarthShare Washington. Enter to win fun door prizes and enjoy light refreshments. The event is free, but registration is required. Open to all faculty, staff, and students. Sponsored by UW Combined Fund Drive and UW Transportation Services.

What's Your Next Move?

HomeStreet offers free lunchtime seminars to help you learn about a variety of homeownership issues related to budgeting, buying, remodeling, refinancing, and selling your home.

Buying a Condominium

• The pros and cons of condo ownership
• Ways that condos differ from single-family homes
• How to find the right community
• How to secure the right financing

Buying a Home

• Today's real estate market
• Role of the real estate agent
• Pre-approvals vs. pre-qualifications
• Mortgage applications, home inspections, and appraisals

Buying a Home with Down Payment Assistance

• Low down payment programs and strategies
• How to use down payment assistance and the eligibility requirements
• Which down payment assistance programs are in your area
• How to assess your eligibility for programs

Access event information and registration.

Free Home Ownership Counseling

Are you thinking of buying or refinancing a home but not sure how to get started? Why not schedule a free personal home ownership counseling session with a HomeStreet Bank representative who can walk you through the process? These 30-minute, one-on-one sessions are both private and informative. Your spouse, partner, or potential co-signer is welcome to attend with you. To schedule an appointment, call 206-628-0207.

UW CareLink Spring Seminar Series

UW CareLink presents the Spring 2016 Seminar series! Join us in the HUB or the UW Tower at noon for one, two, or all three sessions, and feel free to bring your lunch! Seminars are free for all UW faculty and staff. Please register for each session you plan to attend.

Emotional Intelligence - Tuesday, April 26 | UW Tower Auditorium
Getting along with others is the key to success. This session examines healthy relationships in the workplace. We'll delve into feelings, and how they affect moods and daily life.

Resiliency - Wednesday, May 18 | HUB 334
Are you prepared for life's challenges? We'll look at how to manage life to the best of our ability so that challenges are dealt with and we rebound quickly. Practical goal-setting strategies will be discussed.

Levels of Care for Our Elders: Choosing a Facility and Care - Thursday, June 16 | UW Tower Auditorium
Do you understand long-term care options for your loved one? This session examines the different options available. From home care to retirement communities, we'll break down the level of care, and the pros, cons, and potential costs of each.

Dealing With Conflict: Take It Step by Step

Conflict is unavoidable, therefore managing conflict is a skill everyone should learn. Below are a few strategies that will help you navigate those adverse moments and come out with a positive outcome.

This month's Balanced Living article, Dealing With Conflict: Take it Step by Step, helps you navigate those moments and create a positive outcome. This month's tip sheet has additional tools and suggestions for working through conflict.

UW Carelink will also broadcast a one-hour webinar "Conflict Management in the Workplace" on April 19 at noon. In this session, you will define conflict, discuss the five basic styles of conflict, learn to assess and manage your own personal style, and learn steps to avert conflict situations. Register now (enter "UW" as the code). The webinar will also be archived on the site and available for viewing by the beginning of May.

UW CareLink, our employee assistance program, can connect you with counseling experts who will help you navigate life's challenges, like conflict. Call them 24/7 at 866-598-3978 to speak with a licensed counselor who will listen to you and assess your needs. They will help you set up an in-person counseling session with a local, licensed professional. Receive up to five free confidential counseling sessions. For more information, visit the UW CareLink webpage.

Ready to Retire?

If you're thinking of retiring within the next 12 months and you want to prepare a sound retirement strategy, consider attending a free workshop based on your current plan and/or eligibility.

• Retiring from UW Retirement Plan (UWRP)
• Retiring from Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

Remember, you must apply for PEBB retiree benefits, or deferral of insurance, 60 days after UW-paid or COBRA coverage ends. If you miss that deadline, you will need to go back to work to re-qualify for PEBB retiree coverage.

UW Supplemental Retirement Plan Workshop

Most UW Retirement Plan (UWRP) participants know that by contributing to their retirement plan, the UW matches employee contributions 100 percent and the employee invests total contributions into UWRP-approved funds. Not everyone realizes that there is a second part to the UWRP—the UW Supplemental Retirement Plan (UWSRP). Learn about UWSRP, eligibility requirements, and details of how the benefit is calculated. Offered May 18 and June 16. Register now.

Mammography Screenings for UMP Members

If you're a woman age 40+ who's enrolled in the Uniform Medical Plan, consider scheduling your next routine mammogram at the MammoVan! The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance MammoVan is a customized, mobile breast imaging clinic bringing the latest technology in digital mammograms to you at your workplace. The average appointment time is just 15 minutes.

The MammoVan is scheduled to visit on Wednesday, May 11 at the Southwest corner of UW Tower at 11th Ave. and NE 43rd St. Appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Note: Group Health members are required to receive all mammography services directly from a Group Health Cooperative facility.

Access screening information and schedule an appointment.

Whether you're starting out, building wealth, or getting ready to retire, UW Benefits sponsors free seminars packed with information that can help you through your journey. Below are seminars offered on campus by Fidelity Investments. Access event information and register here.

Preparing Your Savings for Retirement Learn ways to help boost your savings while you're still at work, and steps you can take today as you prepare for your transition into retirement. Designed for individuals age 55 or older who are 2-10 years from retirement and who would like to learn how to develop a retirement income plan.

Designing Your Financial Roadmap Learn how to design a financial roadmap to help you achieve your savings goals, how to establish a budget and manage debt, and how to balance and prioritize other nonretirement goals such as college planning.

Income Strategies for Your Retirement Learn about the importance of asset allocation in retirement, elements for building your retirement income strategy, and considerations for portfolio withdrawal rates. Designed for those who are less than one year from retirement and would like to learn how to establish and maintain income during retirement.

Spring into Fitness with Recreational Sports

Do you want to become or remain active this spring? Then consider classes offered by Recreational Sports Programs for UW students, faculty, and staff members. It's not too late to sign up for a cardio, dance, mind/body, or strength and conditioning class.

Several single day classes are being offered during the work week to accommodate busy schedules, such as Hatha Flow, Vinyasa Flow, Introduction to Meditation, and Tahitian Dance.

Registration is still open for Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes.

If you can't commit to a quarter long class, look at the drop-in offerings, including Cardio Ballet, Indoor Cycling, Beginning Yoga, and Hatha Flow all offered on Saturdays throughout the quarter. For more drop-in offerings visit the Recreational Sports Program website, which will be updated the week of April 18.

Free Victim Advocacy Services

Are you feeling unsafe or controlled in your relationship? Do you have other safety concerns? Talking with a victim advocate can help answer questions about your rights, community resources, and reporting options. UW offers free advocacy and support for employees. Advocacy is asafe starting point for UW employees affected by a variety of concerns. Meeting with an advocate willnot automatically trigger any kind of investigation by the University or the police. The UW Police Department's Victim Advocate, Natalie Dolci, can be contacted at 206-543-9337 or dolcin@uw.edu. She is available to meet with faculty, staff, and students.

Not concerned for yourself, but for a UW student? Refer them to the UW Police Department victim advocate as well as UW Health & Wellness student advocate who meets only with students. Dana Cuomo, Health & Wellness advocate, can be reached at 206-685-4357 or hwadvoc@uw.edu.

U Link, 520 bridge, and Bike Month Oh My!

Now is the time to take advantage of faster, more reliable transportation choices! In March we saw the most significant improvements for UW transit commuters since U-PASS launched 25 years ago:

• UW Link light rail station opened, followed by Metro and Sound Transit bus changes.
• Live on the Eastside? In April, the opening of the new 520 bridge with HOV/transit lanes means enhanced commutes for people who share the ride with two or more people (three people total).
• It's also time to start getting your team together for May's Bike Month challenge, including a new UW Bike Buddy program. Join a huge community of riders from the UW and beyond, logging trips throughout May for a chance to win great prizes every week.

Receive personalized help to get you started with any of these options and more with UW's Commute Concierge.