Summer is almost here

(summer enrollment, that is)

Admitted and continuing Special students can begin enrolling for summer courses Monday, April 7 via My UW.

Admitted and continuing Guest auditors and Senior Guest auditors enroll starting Tuesday, May 27 via My UW after a “permission” from the instructor is entered on the computer system. Pick up a permission assistance form from our office or download the form from the Guest auditor page.

The Summer Class Search Timetable lists over 1500 courses offered for summer 2008. There are many exciting special summer programs offered for both credit and noncredit.

If learning a language is your goal, UW-Madison instructors will be teaching more than 30 different languages this summer. Need credit as a teacher? Check out the programs designed for educators. Summer is a great time to finish up courses!

Questions about your Special or Guest student status status? Contact us at 608-263-6960, assc@dcs.wisc.edu or see our Web page. If you're confused about the difference between Special student and Guest auditor status, this comparative chart may help. In many cases we can easily switch your status.

The Division of Continuing Studies (www.dcs.wisc.edu) also offers a wide range of noncredit courses in art, business, communication, music, nursing, and other subjects for summer (www.dcs.wisc.edu/classes/classtoc.htm).

Photo by Jeff Miller,
© UW-Madison University Communications

Summer Timetable Course Information

There are presently three ways to access UW-Madison summer 2008 course information:

1. The online summer 2008 Timetable (list of summer classes offered) is accessed using “Class Search” located inside your “Student Center” in your My UW account. You can now search for courses using key words, time of day, favorite instructor and different “modes of instruction” such as “Internet only.” There are more than 40 Internet only courses offered by UW-Madison for summer 2008.   
2. A paper Timetable is also available in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) form; view it online and print out entire department listings yourself.
3. The paper Summer Timetable is available at our office in the Middleton Building, 1305 Linden Drive and at the Registrar’s Office, 21 N. Park Street. Call (608-263-6960) or e-mail us and we’ll mail you a copy.

Free Summer University Forums

This summer the university will offer two free summer forums open to the public. Both forums are held from 7 to 9 pm Tuesday and Thursday nights in 1150 Grainger Hall:

• “Pop Culture, Corporations and Community”—May 27 to June 22
• “Science, Society and Policy”—July 14 to August 10 

For more information see www.dcs.wisc.edu/summer/spec_progs.htm.

Access to Campus Facilities for Summer Students

Special and Guest students who enroll for summer 2008 classes have different levels of access to campus facilities and services. This table summarizes the differences: www.dcs.wisc.edu/info/compare.htm.  New summer students can obtain a free PhotoID on campus (www.union.wisc.edu/photoid/) the day after enrolling for a summer class. A PhotoID is required to access libraries, recreational facilities and many computer labs.

For Special and Guest students currently enrolled for the spring (January to May, 2008) semester and not planning on enrolling in a summer 2008 class, please read on for summer access information. Check your online My UW "Student Center" to see if you are a continuing Fall 2008 student. If you see a Fall 2008 enrollment term in your account, you will be able to access all libraries and computer labs over the summer for free. If you wish to access the recreational facilities over the summer, Special students will need to pay a $15 fee and Guest and Senior Guest auditors a $45 fee. See http://recsports.wisc.edu/membership.html for details on how to pay this fee.

If you are one of our one-term only Special students and you do not see a Fall 2008 term in your My UW/Student Center, you will not have access to the libraries, computers and recreational facilities over the summer. In some cases, however, one-semester only Special students are able to continue beyond one semester and enroll in the next semester. Contact our office if you have any questions about your status or if you wish to check whether or not your situation would allow continuation: Tel 608-263-6960, assc@dcs.wisc.edu.

UW-Madison wants everyone to stay healthy! If you enroll in at least one credit as a Special student for the summer 2008 semester you will have access to University Health Services as part of your segregated fees. UHS offers basic medical, prevention and counseling services. (Guest and Senior Guest auditors cannot receive these services; continuing fall 2008 Special students can pay a $74 access fee for summer service). Special students enrolling in at least 3 credits during the summer are also eligible to purchase the university’s comprehensive health insurance policy, SHIP. A summer policy for a single student over 26 is $492. Family plans are offered as well.

Summer Housing Options

Special students are eligible for university housing, but there are a limited number of rooms available in UW-Madison dormitories during the summer. Please see the housing page for information and an application. Our interactive campus map can help you find housing locations on campus. If you need short-term accommodations please follow this link: http://housing.civc.wisc.edu/overnight.asp.

If you are interested in off-campus housing we encourage you to use the Campus Area Housing Listing Service.

Many students sublet their apartments during the summer. Check out these local Web pages to help you find sublet options: http://madison.craigslist.org/sub/; or www.badgerherald.com/sublet_guide/.

The Tenant Resource Center in Madison can assist you with your housing contract questions and problems.

Photo by Jeff Miller,
© UW-Madison University Communications

Buying or Borrowing Textbooks

Once you have enrolled in a class and obtained the class syllabus you may need to purchase textbooks. Most textbooks can be found at the University Book Store located in the State Street Mall. You also can order your books online through the University Book Store and have them shipped to you before you arrive in Madison for the summer, or held for pick-up at 711 State Street.

Here are a few other local bookshops close to campus which may also offer your textbooks: 
Avols Books at Canterbury, 315 W. Gorham
Paul’s Bookstore, 670 State Street. 608-257-2968
Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative, 426 W. Gilman
A Room of One’s Own, 307 W. Johnson
Underground Textbook Exchange, 664 State Street

There are also hundreds of Internet textbook sites you can Google to compare prices.

Also check to see if your course materials have been put on reserve within our library system or can be located within the Madison Public Library/Southcentral Wisconsin System. Many of your summer courses may be short and you may be able to borrow your book for the entire length of your class. Help both your budget and the planet by borrowing!

Sarah Stilp Joins Adult and Student Services Team

Sarah Stilp joined the staff of the Adult and Student Services Center in January. A UW-Madison alum, she spent more than five years as a transfer counselor at the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Sarah is excited to join ASSC and eager to explore her different roles in assisting students. One of her primary responsibilities is facilitating the admission and enrollment of Special students to special UW-Madison programs such as the summer language institutes. She will also work with colleagues on the ISIS (Integrated Student Information System) upgrade and other electronic processes and improvements. 

Fun facts about Sarah: She was born and raised in Madison, and doesn't plan on leaving.   (Unless it is to escape winter!) Favorite vacation spot: Disney World. Favorite food: pizza or chocolate...it's a toss up. Favorite Badger song: Varsity. Favorite campus spot: Camp Randall on a football Saturday.

Financial Resources for School

Continuing Education Grants are available to returning adult students with financial need who have had a significant break in their education and who enroll for credit on a less than half-time basis. Details and applications are available on-line or by calling our office at 608-263-6960. The application deadline for summer grants is May 1. The deadline for fall grants is July 1.

Please see our Financial Resources page for links to other funding sources for returning adult students, workshops, and the Child Care Assistance Program on campus.

Taxing Issues—The Federal Government Helping You with Your Continuing Education

If you paid UW-Madison tuition during the 2007 calendar year, you may be eligible for a tax credit on your 2007 return. The lifelong learning credit may enable you to recover up to 20% of the amount you paid in tuition. The Bursar’s Office should have already mailed you a 1098T form listing the amount you paid in tuition last year. For further information please see the Bursar’s link with frequently asked questions. You may also visit the IRS home page directly for information and downloadable forms.

Career and Educational Planning Workshops

Gain insight with a self-assessment tool that helps you understand your own personality (the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment) or find out how your interests match those of the happily employed (Strong Interest Inventory). Upcoming workshops (some free and some with fees) could be your gateway to a new career. A sample:

• Compare your interests with those of the happily employed using the Strong Interest Inventory, July 18, 12:30 to 4:30, 1305 Linden Drive. (Registration and fee due July 3)
• Thinking about becoming a K-12 public school teacher? A free information session will be held Tuesday April 15 from 6 to 8 pm at 302 WS Middleton Building, 1305 Linden Drive.
• Thinking about going back to school to finish an undergraduate or graduate degree but not sure where to start? Join us Monday, Apr 21, 6-7 pm, Lakeview Branch Library, 2845 N Sherman Ave, for a free workshop.

Please call 608-263-6960 or e-mail assc@dcs.wisc.edu to register for these free workshops.

Adult and Student Services Outreach Initiatives

Our office combines both an admitting office for Special and Guest students and a free career advising service available to the public. We bring these services to you during our daytime hours, 7:45 am-4:30 pm, as well as extended evening hours on Tuesdays (until 7 pm) and outreach visits to local libraries and events. If you can’t reach us at one of these times, please call or e-mail us at your convenience so we can help you get you where you want to go (608-263-6960, assc@dcs.wisc.edu)