This Friday, Oct. 12, the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be hosting its biannual Diversity Forum. The Diversity Forum is a place for students, staff, faculty and administration to discuss the challenges that UW-Madison faces regarding race, religion, sexuality, gender identity and social class. All students are welcome to attend, and student input is crucial for helping determine UW policy for diversity in the coming years.
In the past 25 years UW-Madison has made substantial efforts to increase diversity, improve campus climate and encourage non-traditional students to succeed academically. These efforts have led to the creation of the Multicultural Student Center, the ethnic studies requirement for all undergraduates and various scholarship and pipeline programs to help disadvantaged students attend and succeed at the university. The majority of these programs came from student-led initiatives to make the UW-Madison a more open and accepting university for all students.
Yet despite all of the effort over the last 25 years, UW-Madison is still struggling with respect to issues of diversity and equity. Many groups, particularly black, Latino/a, southeast Asian and Native American populations are highly underrepresented on our campus when compared to the demographics of Wisconsin. Retention rates for these students are also substantially below those for white and East Asian students. Also, many students of color and students in the LGBT community find campus unsafe and unwelcoming, and campus is dominated by middle and upper class students, with very few students from poor or working class backgrounds.
For these reasons and many more, it is essential that students are actively involved in the discussion about diversity. UW-Madison must do more to ensure that all students have access to the university and that it is a safe and welcoming place for people of all backgrounds and cultures. Only students have the ability to shape this discussion and inspire new and more assertive action.
To register for the forum, you can visit the website of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement or visit this website: http://diversity.wisc.edu/spotlights/diversity-forum-embracing-our-past-to-chart-our-future/. The forum will be held in Varsity Hall in Union South, and it will take place from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Whether you care deeply about diversity or are simply interested and want to find out more, the Diversity Forum is a great way to get involved and help shape the future of our university.
Justin Bloesch is a member of the Associated Students of Madison Diversity Committee. Please send all letters and feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
