Diversity is more than race and ethnicity, it comprises many other facets of who we are as a society. Diversity provides a richness to our environment and our growth as a community. The Wisconsin Alumni Association's mission is to provide programming that is inclusive to all alumni, but to do this we need the alumni voice.

There are many changes happening on and off campus surrounding diversity. We encourage you to get involved by updating your alumni information so we can keep you informed of the efforts in your area and on campus. Also, let us know how you would like to connect back to the university, and we welcome your feedback on how we can better serve you.

There are many opportunities to be heard and get involved as alumni. The first step is to let us know! For more information, contact Faustina Bohling, WAA's Director of Diversity at fbohling@waastaff.com or (608) 263-4506.

Check back soon for more upcoming events!

The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) works in partnership with campus affiliates to create a more diverse and inclusive campus, by developing programs designated to enhance the academic achievements of our students and alumni.

Through educational, social and cultural offerings, WAA provides opportunities for a broad range of people to come together, including prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the community. From lectures and discussions to cultural celebrations and art exhibits and more, the diversity department of WAA offers a number of programs that everyone is invited to participate in. Thanks to these activities, the diversity department is able to help recruit, support and graduate students of color at UW-Madison.

Click here to find out more and check out upcoming events.

African American Alumni Association (AAAA)

The mission of AAAA is to promote the welfare and advance the objectives of programs affecting the success of African-American students. Encourage prospective, current and former students to play an active role in the policy development of educational initiatives to support African-American students. Provide a forum for African-American students to communicate sensitive issues to the university administration. Provide mentoring services for African-American students at the middle school and high school levels. Participate in college recruitment activities in conjunction with the admissions office of UW-Madison. Meet with UW-Madison faculty and staff to develop plans to encourage African-American participation in all aspects of the operations of the university.

Click here for more information: AAAA

American Indian Alumni Council (AIAC)

Since 1861, WAA has provided a lifelong link between alumni and the university. Now WAA and the AIAC are actively seeking to represent the full spectrum of UW-Madison's global community.

The AIAC challenges itself to use creative, innovative, and community-inspired programs to assist American Indian students in preserving their diverse cultural values while successfully initiating and obtaining their individual educational goals.

Your voice, thoughts, and energy inspire the vision of WAA, and each individual's input is vital to the success of the university's multicultural initiatives. Most importantly, your participation can become an inspiration to those as yet unknown, who aspire to follow in your footsteps.

Click here for more information: AIAC

Hispanic/Latino Alumni Association (HLAA)

In 1991, a group of very committed alumni organized the Hispanic Latino Alumni Committee to work with the Wisconsin Alumni Association is establishing a Hispanic Latino alumni organization that would be recognized by, and affiliated with, the university.

Click here for more information: HLAA

The Campus Climate Network Group says campus climate is "behaviors within a workplace or learning environment, ranging from subtle to cumulative to dramatic, that can influence whether an individual feels personally safe, listened to, valued and treated fairly and with respect." (2002). The University of Wisconsin-Madison has made a commitment to improve diversity and campus climate for ALL students, not just the majority.

A diverse campus offers differing viewpoints and perspectives, personal values, customs and life experiences, varying backgrounds, and gender and ethnic differences, which provides a unique learning experience that prepares students for the "real" world in which they work with a wide variety of people.

To create a more diverse and inclusive campus, we need to break down the barriers that separate people, by creating programs that will enhance the academic achievements of our students and developing activities that promote cultural diversity, both on campus and off.

Through educational, social and cultural offerings, WAA can provide opportunities to bring a broad range of people together, including prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni and people in the community. To accomplish this goal, we need to offer programs and services that invite people from all walks of life to participate in a variety of academic, cultural and social activities, from lectures and discussions to cultural celebrations and receptions, to art exhibits and more.

The diversity department of WAA has created a number of programs that look to recruit, support and graduate students of color at UW-Madison.

The Wisconsin Alumni Association is proud to be a part of America's oldest state celebration that pays tribute to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King changed the world with his vision of freedom and equality.

Wisconsin's Annual Statewide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is an uplifting and inspirational event that brings the extended community together to honor his legacy.