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WiscCal

Features

Direct Access to Others' Calendars

Do you waste valuable time exchanging phone calls and emails trying to set up meetings with others on campus? WiscCal is the only calendar software that gives you access to the calendars of 70,000+ campus users since all UW-Madison faculty, staff and students automatically have WiscCal accounts (though some departments currently use other calendar systems such as Outlook Exchange). Each user decides who and how much information others can see, as well as who has rights to set appointments with them.

Desktop, Syncing & Oracle Outlook Connector Clients

WiscCal can be accessed through any computer with Internet access, but users can also download an Oracle desktop client (for Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris), which provides the most flexible, user-friendly interface for accessing and managing your calendar. In addition, an Oracle Connector for Outlook, which supports Office 2007, is available for users who want to view their WiscCal calendar through Windows Outlook. PDA synching clients are also available for Palm, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and iPhone (via Synthesis AG's Todo+Cal+Sync application). All of these software clients are available for download.

Sharing Calendars (Share URL)

Share URL gives users direct access their calendar data, which opens the door to a wider set of options for viewing and presenting calendar data. For example, users can easily share their WiscCal calendar (including resource calendars) with those who do not use an online calendar or with users of other popular calendaring systems. It works by generating a unique "Share URL" that displays WiscCal calendar data as a simple Web page.

Role-based Accounts and Delegated Access

WiscCal accounts aren't limited to specific individuals. A role-based account can be associated with a position or job function, enabling a department to display conference room availability, manage the calendars of student positions that have frequent turnover, or schedule meetings with non-University staff who don't have WiscCal calendars. And if you're too busy to manage your own schedule at times, delegated access allows someone else to work on your behalf by granting them additional access rights to your calendar.

"In the past finding a good time for everyone to meet was a pain—now it's so simple! We coordinate a lot with librarians all over campus, and in the past with so many different schedules it was very difficult. We also use WiscCal to schedule rooms and service desks. I use the "search" feature (in the desktop client) to find/tally my vacation days." —Nancy McClements, Head of Reference, Memorial Library

Resource & Equipment Scheduling

In WiscCal, "resources" (e.g., meeting rooms, projectors, vacation calendars) can be assigned their own calendars for reservation and scheduling purposes. For instance, the Waisman Center uses WiscCal to schedule its sound booths and to keep track of staff schedules. Other groups, such as Facilities, Planning & Management and English as a Second Language, use the resource scheduling feature of WiscCal to reserve lab devices, conference rooms and audio-visual equipment.

Import Events & Class Schedule

UW Communications and WiscCal have teamed up to provide a way for users to import campus events and course schedules into their WiscCal calendars. You can select from hundreds of events in these categories, including department events (e.g., University Theater, Division of Continuing Studies), events tagged by key words (e.g., arts, volunteer opportunities), UW event series (Badger Football, Libraries Workshops) and class schedules (for students only).

WiscCal Scheduling Assistant

WiscCal completed a successful pilot with the School of Nursing in 2008 that enabled students to schedule time directly with their academic advisors during set timeframes that the advisors themselves established. This scheduling functionality has now expanded well beyond academic advising. Administrators can use it to reserve blocks of times for campus meetings, and departments can use it to reserve conference rooms or video equipment. In fact, any WiscCal user can share his or her availability parameters with any other specified WiscCal users. To learn more, see tools.wisccal.wisc.edu.

Manage Meetings & Tasks

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find a time when all participants can meet for a meeting. WiscCal's Suggest a Date/Time and Open Group Agenda features make it easy by searching for available times. You can also create recurring meetings, attach meeting agendas, set reminders and manage tasks with some of WiscCal's other helpful features. Learn more about these features by reviewing the tutorials in Training & Support or the FAQ.