UW SYSTEM BEST PRACTICES IN DIVERSITY AND CURRICULUM AREAS

Plan 2008 Phase I Report from UW Campuses on Best Practices

2003

UW Colleges

Contact:

Nora McGuire
UW Colleges
780 Regent Street
Madison, WI  53715
PH: 608-263-0476
nmcguire@uwc.edu
Fax: 608-262-7872

• American Indian Studies Program (UW-Fond du Lac):  Curriculum development for an American Indian Studies Program was initiated.  Campus faculty teaching courses with AIS content met to jointly develop new courses, in conjunction with faculty at UW-Eau Claire.  The meeting was funded by a grant obtained from the Institute on Race and Ethnicity.  Several existing courses have now been cross listed as part of the new AIS Program, available for the first time in the UW Colleges 2001-2003 Catalog.  A UW Colleges/ UW-Eau Claire Program Transfer Guide was recently signed and made available in brochure form.  A faculty/librarian team has begun updating an existing website that provides resources on Wisconsin Indians. 
• Multicultural Lecture Series:  (UW-Fox Valley) A lecture series has been developed that emphasizes race/ethnicity for prospective students of color, current students, faculty and staff and members of the community.  There are ten to twelve lectures each year, with thirty to forty participants at each event. 

UW-Eau Claire

Contact:

• The Knight Foundation Journalist-in-Residence Program is a unique partnership between UW-Eau Claire’s Communication and Journalism department and South Dakota State University’s Journalism and Mass Communication department, with primary support provided from the Knight Foundation:  Two Knight Journalist-in-Residence served in the department of Communication and Journalism during 2001-2002.  They infused diversity curriculum into courses they taught, offering a workshop about American Indian and Hmong diversity issues for UW-Eau Claire students, high school newspaper advisers from the service area, and the general public.  One resident is continuing a part-time instructional position and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Education.
• Develop courses in American Indian Language(s). 

·        Developed and implemented course in Ojibwe.

·        Plans to offer Lakota language courses.

·        Plans to develop Ho Chunk language courses.

·        Successful completion meets the language and diversity requirements in the College of Arts and Sciences.

UW-Green Bay

Contact:

Michael Stearney
UW-Green Bay
Asst. Dean for Student Development
2420 Nicolet Dr, SS1929
Green Bay, WI  54311
PH:  920-465-2236
stearnem@uwgb.edu
Fax:  920-465-2954

• Messmer High School Interview Days:  The Interview Days Program is conducted as a part of the Life Skills and Choices class, a required course for all Messmer students.  It is an applied learning opportunity that is integrated into the course curriculum.  The Messmer students and faculty benefit from the university assistance and expertise, and the university benefits from the access to the students.

UW-La Crosse

Contact:

Al S. Thompson, Jr.
UW-La Crosse
1725 State St.
235 Graff Main Hall
La Crosse, WI  54601
PH:  608-785-8541
thompson.alfr@uwlax.edu
Fax:  608-785-8550

• Visiting Diversity Scholar Program:  Under the leadership of Dorothy Zeisler Vralsted, assistant to the provost, the campus’ first Visiting Diversity Scholar came to UW-La Crosse during the spring semester of 2002. Professor Samuel Regalado from California State University at Stanislaus taught the course HST 300: Sport in America: From Ante-Bellum America to the Present. He also delivered a series of public lectures on ethnicity and sports, especially in regard to Latin American ball players and the Japanese internment camps.  UW-La Crosse has made a commitment to expand this program by inviting a Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color for the fall semester of 2003 and spring semester of 2004. As before, the Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color will work closely with the Institute for Ethnic and Racial Studies and the Office of Multicultural Student Services.
• Ethnic Studies Minor:  An Ethnic Studies Minor was established in Fall 2000. Enrollments in the minor for Ethnic and Racial Studies have grown from 4 in the fall of 2001 to 27 in the spring of 2002 to 35 for the fall semester of 2002. The program now engages the efforts of two faculty members.
• The Institute for Ethnic and Racial Studies (ERS) has been quite active this past year in the area of curriculum development. An emphasis area is currently being implemented in American Indian Studies. New courses include: American Indian Contemporary Issues (cross-listed with Sociology/Archaeology), Introduction to Wisconsin Indians, and American Indians and the Environment (cross-listed with Sociology/Archaeology). Courses to be added next year include Tribal Laws, Treaties and Government and American Indian Gender Issues.

·        The University Curriculum Committee (UCC) and the General Education Committee under the category of “Self and Society” approved an additional course -Myth and Reality: An Examination of Ethnic and Racial Stereotyping. The course is designed to trace how popular entertainment mediums such as film, television, books, comics, “wild west shows,” music and cartoons have impacted perceptions of ethnic and racial groups from the early seventeenth century to the present. Besides analyzing the persuasive power of these types of mediums, the course will examine why such representations were created and why they still persist.

·        In October 2002, the Institute also received approval from UCC to offer a new course entitled Hmong Americans.  This is being done in conjunction with the Sociology Department. While Dr. Jac Bulk from Sociology will be the primary instructor, arrangements have already been made for six Hmong elders and leaders from the local community to present much of the course’s historic and cultural components.  Dr. Charles Lee from the History Department is also providing his expertise.

UW-Madison

Contact:

Ruby R. Paredes
UW-Madison
354 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI  53706
PH:  (608) 262-5175
rparedes@bascom.wisc.edu
FAX:  (608) 265-6099

• PEOPLE Program:  In June 2003, the first group of 24 Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) PEOPLE students who were admitted to UW-Madison’s undergraduate program enrolled in the eight-week Summer Bridge courses for college credit.  The outcomes for this first PEOPLE Cohort show that of the 66 students who were accepted into the program in 1999, 60 stayed in the Milwaukee Public Schools.  Of these 60 retained students, 59 or 98 percent graduated from MPS schools in June 2002.  Fifty-five or 92 percent enrolled in higher education:  24 or 40 percent were admitted to UW-Madison, 6 or 10 percent in one of the UW System institutions, 6 or 10 percent at Milwaukee Area Technical College, 7 or 12 percent enrolled in a Wisconsin private college or school, and 12 or 20 percent enrolled in an out-of-state college or university.
• Environmental Chemistry and Ethnicity (Chem 201) is the first Chemistry course to qualify for the Ethnic Studies Requirement.  Billed as the first ethnic studies course to “break the science barrier,” Chem 201 studies uranium mining and its effects on the Navajo community.  The course was designed, developed and team-taught by Catherine Middlecamp, Distinguished Faculty Associate and Director of the Chemistry Learning Center, and Omie Baldwin, Senior Student Services Program Manager and Counselor in University Health Services.
• Programs to enhance the First-Year Experience, including Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs), the pilot SuperSOAR Program, the Multicultural Learning Community (MLC) and the creation of the new Office of Orientation and New Student Programs. A FIG is a cluster of three (3) courses taken together by groups of 20 students.  Anchored by a small, faculty-led seminar that helps to integrate learning in all three courses, most UW-Madison FIGs include an ethnic studies course, and are meant to encourage students to complete their ethnic studies requirement early in their undergraduate careers.  Ideally, students in a FIG have the opportunity to address race matters in a climate of diversity and trust.  Because our FIGs initiative came directly out of a Plan 2008 recommendation, the Diversity Oversight Committee for Plan 2008 will continue to monitor the funding levels and sources of this program.  In addition, we continue to build residential learning communities.  The pilot SuperSoar is designed to make early connections for entering students of color to academic advisers and CAS staff.
• S.E.E.D. seminars and the Leadership Institute are held each semester; the new Student S.E.E.D. started this Spring Semester.  S.E.E.D. arrived at UW-Madison through the initiative of vice chancellor Paul Barrows and faculty member Richard Davis. The first trained facilitators are Seema Kapani in the Equity and Diversity Resource Center, Hazel Symonette in Student Affairs and Academic Services and faculty member Lydia Zepeda.   Kapani describes what happens in the seminars as a yearlong “learning journey.”  The enrolled academic and classified staff, faculty, administrators and teaching assistants will meet about once a month. Kapani says this seminar's direction will be articulated and pursued entirely by the participants themselves.  Seminars regularly have 30 to 35 participants drawn from across campus and the Madison community.

UW-Milwaukee

Contact:

Gary L. Williams
UW-Milwaukee
Mitchell Hall, Rm. 225
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI  53201
PH:  414-229-5566
glw@uwm.edu
Fax:  414-229-2479

• Goals are to provide high school students (the majority of whom are minorities) with quality arts classes taught by university staff in UWM facilities in the hope that the students will learn creative techniques to better understand themselves and improve their communications skills.  In summer 2002, the first year of the arts camp, 62 students (114 total enrollments) enrolled in eight courses.  Of these, over 55% were minority students.  In 2003, the arts camp is offering 12 classes and anticipating an enrollment of 80-100 students.  This new program demonstrates the interest in college-level arts instruction among urban high school students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience various arts courses such as electronic music composition, multimedia, filmmaking, dance choreography, theatre, painting, etc.  It is hoped that these students might consider a career in the arts and enrolling in the PSOA arts degree programs.
• Summer Enrichment Program, Level 1, 15 pre-enrolled freshmen.  The SEP I a six-week, 180 hour, comprehensive non-credit academic summer program that provides non-credit instruction in mathematics, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, English composition, study skills, and cultural competence. SEP I will enrolls at least 15 disadvantaged pre-freshmen who have been admitted to UWM CHS or Med-Prep, first year UWM freshmen who have expressed interest in enrolling in CHS/Med-Prep, and/or CHS/Med-Prep freshmen whose performance suggests the need for additional preparation in order to be successful in their second year.
• Summer Enrichment Program, Level 2, 15 enrolled sophomore undergraduates. SEP II is a six-week, 180 hour, comprehensive non-credit program that introduces students to an overview of the professions. At least 15 disadvantaged 2^nd or 3^rd year CHS or pre-med majors receive non-credit instruction taught by CHS-HCOP Instructor/Coordinators.
• MCAT Intensive Review Course.  12 Wisconsin pre-health undergraduates.  One means of nationally comparing and assessing student’s academic achievement is through the MCAT.  Students obtain a competitive edge by joining other area minority students in participating in Intensive MCAT Science Review Course. This comprehensive review course thoroughly addresses: Physics Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Biology.  Each session employs frequent and repeated self-testing and a fully simulated MCAT exercises.  Students are able to monitor their progress as they study – eliminating any weaknesses and reinforcing strengths.  Under-represented Wisconsin resident minority students who are interested in enhancing their MCAT scores are eligible. 
• Dance Program’s Partnership with Ko-Thi Dance Company.  Affiliation began in 1989; has been on-going since.  Goals are to offer exceptional African and Caribbean dance courses at UWM and to support creative research in African movement traditions and contribution to the survival of the Ko-Thi Dance Company, a local cultural treasure.
• The DUIT (Diverse Urban Interdisciplinary Teams) Project.  This project recruits and prepares underrepresented personnel from early childhood special education, occupational therapy and communication and sciences and disorders to provide services to young children with disabilities and their families within in an interdisciplinary model.   Project faculty is collaborating across the target disciplines and with family members and community professionals. Trainees are underrepresented graduate students in the fields of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Early Childhood Special Education, and Occupational Therapy.  Up to three semesters of tuition and stipends are awarded. 

UW-Oshkosh

Contact:

Muriel Hawkins
UW-Oshkosh
Dempsey Hall, Rm. 131
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI  54901
PH:  920-424-3080
acadsupp@uwosh.edu
Fax:  920-424-0836

• The Aspiring Pupils for Professional Leadership in Education (APPLE) Program, a partnership between the DAS and College of Education and Human Services, began in Summer 2002 as a pilot in conjunction with the Precollege Enrichment Program.  The goal of APPLE is to expose students of color to education and facilitate enrollment and graduation.  APPLE will provide a one-week course of study to focus on math and English necessary for students entering an education program.  The APPLE program will expand into a two-week residential program in the summer of 2004 with full funding through the DAS, the College of Education and Human Services and through a grant from the Department of Public Instruction.  Twenty multicultural students are expected to participate.
• The UWS Women in Science Program, housed at UW Oshkosh, offers workshops for two days every October that trains new system math and science professors in teaching strategies, other than lecture, that have been shown to enhance learning and improving retention for women and multicultural students.  Assessment of this program demonstrated that 100% of participants used workshop materials and administrators noted increased discussion of pedagogical techniques when their faculty had attended.
• The UWS Women in Science Program holds a five-day Curriculum Reform Institute at UW Oshkosh each June, designed to help teams of science educators from the UW System and throughout the country revise courses or establish new ones that address the needs of diverse student populations to aid in their retention as science students. Between 30-70 faculty members have participated each year.   The WSP program recently received national recognition for the success of its programs.

UW-Platteville

Contact:

Carlos Wiley, Director
UW-Platteville
1 University Plaza
Platteville, WI  53818
PH: 608-342-1332
wileyc@uwplatt.edu
Fax: 608-342-1508

• Fostering interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies offering by cross listing courses between Ethnic Studies and other disciplines. Ethnic Studies courses have been developed and extensively cross-listed in Women's Studies, English, Sociology, History, Art, Music, Criminal Justice, Economics, and Education.

UW-Stevens Point

Contact:

Ronald M. Strege
UW-Stevens Point
Multicultural Affairs, 202 SSC
2100 Main Street
Stevens Point, WI  54481
PH:  715-346-3574
rstrege@uwsp.edu
Fax:  715-346-3744

• Adherence to the letter and spirit of Act 31, which requires that all Wisconsin teacher-education students receive information on Wisconsin Native American culture and history, has resulted in the implementation of a Native American Studies (NAS) minor to replace the defunct Tribal Sovereignty minor.

UW-Stout

Contact:

Mary Riordan
UW-Stout
Student Support Services
217 Bowman Hall
712 S. Broadway
Menomonie, WI  54751
PH: 715-232-1381
riordanm@uwstout.edu
Fax: 715-232-1696

• Hmong Course Development. New under Plan 2008.  Partners:  MSS; College of Arts and Sciences; Departments of Foreign Languages and Social Sciences; Continuing Education.  Goals and Duration: To develop Hmong language courses and a course in Hmong History and Culture as part of the curriculum.

UW-Whitewater

Contact:

Roger L. Pulliam
UW-Whitewater
226 McCutchen Hall
800 W. Main St.
Whitewater, WI  53190-1790
PH:  262-472-4985
pulliamr@uwwvax.uww.edu
Fax:  262-472-2794

• During the Spring semester of 2003, faculty were invited to submit proposals for the infusion of diversity into their courses.  A total of 29 proposals were submitted, and approximately $80,000 in grants was awarded.  By infusing diversity into approximately 100 courses, the faculty not only become more aware of the importance of diversity themselves, but they affect the education of thousands of students in their classes.