After evaluating the effectiveness of Plan 2008, UW-Madison's 10-year plan to increase diversity on campus, officials are focusing on the creation of a more comprehensive plan to improve campus diversity.
The main goal of Plan 2008 was to increase the numbers of several target minority groups on campus. Although the plan generated greater numbers of these targeted minorities on campus, many felt the plan could have done more to include the campus community as a whole in diversity discussions.
Using the results of Plan 2008 as a stepping stone, UW-Madison officials announced the university's new ""Inclusive Excellence for Diversity"" plan this fall.
Vicki Washington, associate vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion for the UW System, said under Inclusive Excellence, UW-Madison institutions are looking at all dimensions of diversity and developing strategies in each department on campus where needed.
According to Damon Williams, UW-Madison vice provost for diversity and climate, the program's concept, which was approved by the UW System Board of Regents in March 2009, does not stand alone as a static plan. Williams said it is infused directly into UW-Madison's strategic goals as a university.
""The chancellor is very committed to infusing this conversation throughout the university and not having it be a standalone enterprise, but being an enterprise that's actively incorporated into all that we do,"" Williams said. ""But at the end of the day, it is not about increasing numbers, but it's fundamentally about how we're going to prepare all of our students for the world that we live in today.""
Steven Olikara, Associated Students of Madison's Diversity Committee chair, said he is excited about the concept of Inclusive Excellence because, unlike Plan 2008, it does not simply focus on just numbers.
""It's talking about connecting diversity to the institution's core missions, making sure it's reflected in student life and how campus units operate,"" he said. ""I think that's exactly the direction we need to go in.""
According to Washington, for Inclusive Excellence to succeed, it must build on the aspects of Plan 2008 that were successful.
""They really need to have a clear sense of what is working well for all of the student populations and where they need to focus their time and energy, and then integrate the strategies into their existing academic planning so that they work to really utilize diversity to the benefit of learning,"" she said. ""As opposed to having a separate standalone plan that doesn't work very well.""
Olikara said because Plan 2008 successfully increased the numbers of certain minorities on campus, UW-Madison officials must take their efforts to the next level to include the entire campus community.
""They talk a lot about recruitment and retention of these specific minorities, but now we need to focus on improving the climate on campus,"" he said.
Olikara said UW-Madison's campus has come a long way in reaching greater diversity from 11 years ago when Plan 2008 started, citing that ""we now live in a post-Barack Obama world.""
An example of the sort of actions Inclusive Excellence should include, according to Olikara, is the way the campus has focused attention on hip-hop as a way to foster greater understanding of diversity.
He added that UW-Madison needs a diversity program that is up to date with the current diversity climate on campus.
""Clearly our generation is more connected and more diverse, and therefore our diversity programs need to reflect that,"" he said.
