Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus met Wednesday to begin discussing the university’s next strategic diversity plan to improve campus climate, which must be drafted by April 1, 2013.
The Campus Diversity and Climate Committee, a shared governance committee consisting of faculty, staff and students that advise administration on diversity policy and planning, addressed the creation of a special ad hoc committee to draft the new diversity proposal.
CDCC Co-Chair Marlys Macken, professor of linguistics, said the process needs to be tighter and more effective than the creation of the last diversity plan, which expired in 2008.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to do something important, but it’s a very short timeline,” Macken said.
Macken said ideally the ad hoc committee will consist of representatives who are passionate and have the necessary background in diversity to understand current campus issues.
CDCC student representative Britt Moes said she would like to see a broader definition of diversity encompassed in the new plan, such as taking into consideration people with disabilities and different religious affiliations.
Faculty, staff and student representatives on the CDCC also sparred over the specific size and makeup of the ad hoc committee.
CDCC members debated the proper proportions for representation on the committee.
Members first called for an 18-member committee that would be split equally between faculty, staff and students, but eventually agreed on a 20-member committee with eight seats for students and 12 seats for university employees to be split among faculty, academic staff and classified staff.
Moes argued in favor of a strong student voice on the committee, saying the student appointees must represent the combined undergraduate and graduate student opinions of a large and diverse student body.
Damon Williams, Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Climate and CDCC member, said he also supports a strong student presence on the committee.
“Students have been really pounding for this for last couple of years,” Williams said. “And finally we have student leaders that have been very well trained and that are ready to be involved at a high level.”
Upon calling to question the 20-member committee, Mackens realized the committee did not have the required amount of voting members present to take an official vote.
The CDCC will meet again Monday to take a formal vote on the proposed structure of the special ad hoc committee.
