Campus Climate Progress Report – Spring 2020

(Download a PDF version of this report: Campus Climate Progress Report – Spring 2020.)

UW–Madison is committed to creating a welcoming environment that enables all students, faculty and staff to thrive. Individuals and groups from across campus have embraced this challenge and devoted significant time and energy to moving the campus forward. These efforts build on the campus Diversity Framework and its implementation plan, R.E.E.L. Change.

Here’s some of what we accomplished this past fall with our Diversity Framework goals in mind:

FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION: The Target of Opportunity Program (TOP), begun in 2018, has made significant strides in recruiting faculty from underrepresented groups. A component of the broader Faculty Diversity Initiative, it provides departments with increased financial support from the central administration to pursue and hire outstanding individuals. So far 58 recruitment proposals have been approved. Ten faculty supported by TOP funding arrived in 2019–20; to date seven more have been hired for 2020–21. Five offers are pending, and 16 recruitments are in progress.

  • Diversity Framework Goal Four: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Five: Improve institutional success through improved retention.

SCHOOL/COLLEGE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PLANS, DIVERSITY OFFICERS: Every school and college is reporting out on their diversity and inclusion efforts, which include an array of recruitment and retention initiatives, utilization of TOP funding and a variety of workshops and training opportunities offered at the local level. In addition, LaVar Charleston was recently named the School of Education’s first associate dean for diversity and inclusion and Lisa Imhoff was named assistant dean of diversity and inclusion initiatives at the School of Pharmacy.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Four: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.

DIVERSITY FORUM 2019: More than 1,300 people took part in the UW–Madison Diversity Forum on Nov. 5 and 6. The annual event, which has doubled participants in just four years, featured keynote speaker John Quiñones, longtime ABC News correspondent and creator and host of the “What Would You Do?” television program. Plans are already underway for the fall 2020 Diversity Forum, which will feature keynote speaker Dr. Robin DiAngelo, bestselling author of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism. A call for proposals for Diversity Forum 2020 breakout sessions has been sent to stakeholders throughout the state and region.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Three: Engage the campus community for diversity and inclusion.

A RETURN TO THE SMITHSONIAN: In a partnership between the Multicultural Student Center (MSC) in Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA), 53 students and four staff members visited the nation’s capital in December to see National Museums of the American Indian and African American History and Culture. This was a return visit – UW–Madison students saw history in the making in 2016 when they traveled to Washington, D.C., for the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.

IDENTITY AND INCLUSION IN STUDENT AFFAIRS: The 2018–19 reorganization of Student Affairs gave equal priority to identity and inclusion programs that support underrepresented groups, alongside services that address health and well-being, leadership and engagement, and student advocacy. The new Identity and Inclusion area, led by Associate Vice Chancellor Gabe Javier, promotes ongoing collaboration across Student Affairs and provides a cabinet-level perspective on inclusion efforts and programs in the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC), International Student Services, the MSC, and the McBurney Disability Resource Center.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Four: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.

2019 CAMPUS PRIDE INDEX RANKING: UW–Madison received 4.5 out of 5 stars for LGBTQ+ friendly campuses in the 2019 Campus Pride Index, which is the premier LGBTQ+ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campus communities.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Four: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.

PEER ADVISORS FOR VETERAN EDUCATION: Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) is a peer support program that connects incoming student veterans with peer advisors who can offer the resources, support, and advocacy needed to help them achieve an undergraduate degree at UW–Madison. Through University Veteran Services in Student Affairs, UW–Madison became one of 27 PAVE partner campuses nationwide beginning this academic year. The university had 42 new undergraduate student veterans in the fall semester who could benefit from the program.

  • Diversity Framework Goal Four: Improve institutional access through effective recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff and through effective relationship building with the wider community.

A number of additional initiatives are moving forward over the academic year, including:

CAMPUS STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: UW–Madison has finalized a Strategic Framework for 2020-25 with a call to build a campus community that fosters engagement, inclusion, diversity and equity. In addition to providing an inclusive and environment for learning and working, the framework emphasizes enhancing diversity among students, faculty and staff, building upon our strong commitment to diversity to create a welcoming, empowered and inclusive community.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Two: Improve coordination of campus diversity planning.

‘WHY I LOVE UW’: The DDEEA has launched a video storytelling project called “Why I Love UW” to celebrate individuals who are creating positive change and impacting their communities because of their experiences at UW–Madison. The first video featured the story of the Rev. Alex Gee; “The Perseverance of Everett Mitchell” and “The Community of Gabriel Stulman” will be released this spring.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.

BIAS INCIDENT REPORTING: The Dean of Students Office in Student Affairs elevated its bias response position from coordinator to assistant director in 2019 to better support the university’s commitment to providing an inclusive campus environment. Jenna Hee-Jung Friedman, an experienced advocate for students, was hired in this role to proactively educate faculty, staff, and students on the diversity of bias incidents, the reporting process, prevention, and resources. She also works with colleagues in Student Affairs and with key campus partners to address incidents when they occur. Reports are posted online with information on what actions were taken in each case.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: University Health Services in Student Affairs hired additional mental health providers focused on students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Mental Health Services expanded to evening hours for students whose schedules could not accommodate daytime appointments. Several workshops and group counseling sessions are also dedicated to students of color, LGBTQ+, and TGNC (transgender or gender non-conforming) students. In the last three years, mental health services have grown to include Let’s Talk — no-cost, informal, confidential consultations for students to access support at locations around campus including the MSC, GSCC, Black Cultural Center and Center for Academic Excellence.

  • Diversity Framework Goal Two: Improve coordination of campus diversity planning.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Five: Improve institutional success through improved retention.

PUBLIC HISTORY PROJECT: The university’s Public History Project, an effort to uncover and elevate underrepresented voices from the past, had a strong start in the fall semester. In the spring, the team plans to continue researching in the archives and begin interviewing oral history participants. This project will be most successful when it deeply engages all of those in our community. If you have a story to share, an event you think should be researched, or a person you think has been overlooked, email publichistoryproject@wisc.edu.

  • Diversity Framework Goal One: Promote shared values of diversity and inclusion.
  • Diversity Framework Goal Three: Engage the campus community for diversity and inclusion.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES REPORT: For more information on diversity and inclusion efforts on our campus over the past five years, please see the Diversity and Inclusion report recently shared in the community by the chancellor.


All of these actions build on steps UW–Madison has taken over the past several years to expand need-based aid and improve the recruitment and retention of students of color and other underrepresented groups.

Evidence of the impact of our efforts includes:

• Over the last decade, the presence of students of color on campus has grown from 13 percent to 17 percent of the student body.
• Faculty of color have increased from 17 percent to 22 percent.
• UW–Madison’s retention rate (freshmen returning for a second year) is 93 percent for historically underrepresented students and 95 percent among all other students.


As Chancellor Blank has said, becoming a more welcoming and inclusive campus requires long-term engagement in a process of self-evaluation and change. This is not something that happens easily or quickly in some cases, but the depth of commitment throughout the institution provides important momentum to continue us moving forward.