The University of Wisconsin–Madison is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where students, faculty, and staff feel welcome and supported. This work has been guided by the campus Diversity Framework and its 10-year implementation plan R.E.E.L. Change.
As R.E.E.L. Change sunsets, we strive to meet four priorities reflected in this Campus Climate Progress Report:
- Build a culture of organizational learning deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging for all, alongside a commitment to free expression and civil engagement across differences;
- Foster a culture of belonging to enhance the recruitment and retention of students, staff, and faculty, especially those from underrepresented and underserved populations;
- Facilitate an effective model of distributed strategic diversity leadership for shared visioning and implementation;
- Utilize and maximize data to inform equity-minded policies, practices, and decision-making.
Individuals and groups from across campus have embraced this work and devoted significant time and energy to making systemic change. Below are some recent examples of the efforts in these areas.
Campus Events Address Political Climate and Promote Unity
UW schools, colleges, and divisions have been addressing political polarization to foster unity through various events, hosting hundreds of community members. In March, the Division for Teaching and Learning and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement hosted a special screening and panel discussion of the Academy Award-nominated film “Stranger at the Gate,” a collaboration between a Jewish director and a Muslim story of compassion and overcoming hate. In April, the La Follette School of Public Affairs hosted New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, who presented “Why We’re Polarized,” examining the roots and impacts of American political division.
Mental Health Counseling Expands to More Campus Locations
University Health Services mental health counselors will have a dedicated presence at the Red Gym (home to several programming spaces, offices, and centers that serve specific student populations) and Indigenous Student Center beginning in fall 2024. UHS Let’s Talk drop-in counseling sessions also expanded to the Disability Cultural Center during the past academic year. Peak wait times for counseling appointments have dropped by 40 percent in the past two years.
McBurney Creates Classroom Guide for Faculty and Instructors
The McBurney Disability Resource Center in Student Affairs has developed an “Instructor Guide to Student Accommodations” to provide information and resources on the instructor’s role, responsibilities, and support for students with disabilities. The guide is a four-topic, on-demand resource for new and current instructors, including faculty, instructional staff, and teaching assistants.
Dinners Bridge Divides While Breaking Bread
Deliberation Dinners, begun last fall, bring together 100 students of diverse backgrounds once a month in small groups to eat dinner with a faculty member who helps them discuss a polarizing topic like abortion or gun rights. The small groups include students who are ideologically, politically, and geographically diverse. The intent is to provide students with new skills for talking and listening to people who have very different views from their own.
Badger Dialogues Create Opportunities for Connection
Since the fall of 2023, the Badger Dialogues initiative has offered spaces where campus administrators and students from a variety of backgrounds can discuss their experiences of belonging alongside the university’s inclusion efforts. Student Affairs hosted 19 sessions with nearly 200 student participants between October through March 2024.
Mnookin Advances Free Expression and Civic Engagement
Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin joined a consortium of 60 university leaders nationwide to enhance higher education’s role in preparing students to uphold free expression and advance civic engagement. Participating presidents will take campus-specific and collective action, reflecting three shared civic commitments: educating for democracy; preparing students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society; and protecting and defending free inquiry.
MLK Symposium Inspires Renewed Commitment to Civic Engagement
More than 500 community members and UW–Madison students and employees attended the 2024 MLK Symposium, co-hosted by Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement, in partnership with the Wisconsin Union Theater. The annual symposium honors the legacy of late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King. Writer and actress Anna Deavere Smith was this year’s keynote speaker, reading King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Smith advocated for bringing together people of differing opinions and urged the audience to “hear the things you don’t agree with.”
Cheri Barta Joins as Inaugural Director of Experiential Learning
In January, the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement welcomed the inaugural director of experiential learning for high impact practices, Cheri Barta. With Barta’s leadership, DDEEA scholars will have access to a broader and more impactful range of experiential learning experiences, providing them with invaluable tools and resources critical for professional and personal development. Barta is responsible for overseeing the Internship Program and the Global Scholarship Program, and she is also focused on expanding undergraduate research support for the division’s scholars, particularly new and transferring students.
Indigenous Health and Wellness Day Highlights Career Paths for Students
On April 26, the Native American Center for Health Professionals in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) co-sponsored the 20th annual Indigenous Health and Wellness Day. Alaqua Cox, a Menominee woman and Disney+ star, was the keynote speaker. The event drew 77 middle and high school students, representing Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee, Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, Menominee, and Potawatomi tribal nations. SMPH ranks among the top 10 medical schools for graduating American Indian/Alaska Native students.
Go Big Read Selection Centers Conversation on Disability and Accessibility
This year’s selection for Go Big Read, the university’s common book program, is “Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body” by Rebekah Taussig. A combination memoir, essay collection and call to action, the book raises important questions about disability, ableism and the narrative of “normal.” All first-year students and new transfer students will receive free copies at Convocation. Taussig will be welcomed to campus for a keynote event on Oct. 16.
Ad Hoc Study Group to Issue Report on Black Community Experience
The report is expected to include critical findings and recommendations from the Ad Hoc Study Group charged by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin in Fall 2023 to address the long-standing challenges faced by Black students and employees on campus. Chancellor Mnookin tasked the committee to develop tiered recommendations to address the root causes of the issues at hand, paving the way for substantive and sustainable change.