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Campus environment will be the key to diversity plan 

"I feel that the American Ethnic Coordinating Office's support and constant push [toward diversity plan] have created a daily environment that has led to a vary high comfort level, and for these reasons I have decided to seek my other graduate education here at UW-Eau Claire," said Maiknue Moua, student of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, at the Board of Regents' meeting Oct. 4.  

There have been a number of achievements, but also other areas, such as graduation rates, will require a longer period to be improved, UW System concluded in the biennial report of Plan 2008.

"Precollege program participation has already met 10-year goal," said Patrick Boyle, member of Board of Regents, who acted as a mediator in this session.

The initiate goal for precollege program participation was to reach 7,200 K-12 students, but within the three years from 1997 to 2000 its number reached to 8,050 in 2000 from 3,855 in 1997.

However, retention rate and campus climate haven't been improved and need to be reconsidered, the two other presentations mentioned.

Alicia Chavez, dean of student of UW-Madison, and Rick Wells, chancellor of UW-Oshkosh, gave presentations about retention rate and campus climate to lead members of regents make comments and questions. 

Alicia said that diversity is already there, and the main concern is how UW System can make this more effective for all UW institutions to improve campus climate. 

Alicia also said that regarding to campus climate there are three threats on students of color: physical threat, verbal threat and power of put downs. 

Mentorship relationships between university staff and faculty and students, and students' feeling of belonging are the two requirements all university staffs and faculty members have to think, Alicia said. The problem is not the retention rate itself but the circumstances that students of color face, she said.

Wells simply mentioned why the study of campus climate is important and when to operate the research on the campus climate. The presentation is simply giving the information how the study is operated so that the regents can ask questions after the presentations, he said.

Patrick Boyle, member of the Board of Regents, said that their task as regents is identifying  the best practice among various possibilities to improve diversity and extend the practice.

Boyle also said that diverse representation on the board will encourage ethnic diversity among UW institutions as well, and the board needs to function that way.

Boyle said the Board of Regents will come back to these issue periodically throughout the year as a general topic and educational agenda and the Education Committee by itself will discuss these issues periodically as well.