Diversity

Diversity is central to the mission of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) in meeting the health needs of the people of Wisconsin and beyond through excellence in education, research, patient care, and service.

Therefore, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health is committed to:

1. Providing training dedicated to producing clinicians and scholars who understand the needs of diverse individuals, families, and populations;
2. Educating an ethnically and racially diverse group of clinicians and scholars;
3. Studying ethnic and racial disparities in health and health care and the potential Means to eliminate those disparities; and
4. Maintaining an open, inclusive and respectful learning and working environment

To achieve this vision, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health will recruit, admit and graduate a diverse student body; appoint and retain faculty, staff, administrators, residents and fellows from diverse backgrounds; employ a curriculum that includes emphasis on cross-cultural instruction and intercultural communication skills; advance a research agenda in areas of scholarship focusing on diversity and ethnic and racial disparities; and provide support for new and existing programs and resources to advance the diversity mission.

Office of Multicultural Affairs

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has an Office of Multicultural Affairs that provides academic and learning opportunities for students who are under-represented in medicine.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs strives to provide a climate that embraces diversity and supports professional development for all students. Some activities include:

• Coordinating and developing programs and activities for pre-college and undergraduate students
• Collaborating with undergraduate programs, pre-medical organizations, students and advisors and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Office of Admissions
• Advising and counseling medical students and monitoring academic progress

Anti-Discrimination Policy

The university is committed to providing equal opportunity and equal access and to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and UWS and university non-discrimination policies and procedures.

Following are the bases for covering students and applicants for admission to the university; employees and applicants for employment; and those wishing to take part in university activities including visitors to campus. Information concerning many of the bases listed can be found on the Office for Equity and Diversity's Web site.

Students

• Age
• Ancestry
• Color
• Creed
• Disability
• Ethnicity (specifically involving harassment by UW employees)
• Marital or parental status
• National origin
• Pregnancy
• Race
• Religion
• Retaliation for making a complaint of discrimination
• Taking part in an investigation relating to discrimination
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Employment

• Age
• Ancestry
• Arrest record
• Color
• Conviction record
• Creed
• Cultural background
• Disability
• Ethnicity (specifically involving harassment by university employees)
• Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Marital status
• Genetic testing
• Honesty testing
• Military obligations (including membership in the national guard; state defense force or any other reserve component of the military forces of the United States or the state of Wisconsin)
• National origin
• Pregnancy (including childbirth or related conditions)
• Race
• Religion
• Retaliation for making a complaint of discrimination or taking part in an investigation relating to discrimination
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Use or nonuse of lawful products off the employer's premises during nonworking hours

University Programs and Activities

• age
• color
• disability
• national origin
• Race
• Retaliation for opposing discrimination
• Making a complaint of discrimination
• Taking part in investigations of discrimination
• Sex

Filing a Complaint

Allegations of discrimination by students against other students are handled in two ways. A student who wishes to file a discrimination complaint against a fellow student acting in his or her role as a student should contact the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) at:

Room 75, Bacom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1380
Phone: 608/263-5700
Fax: 608/265-5646
TTY: 608/263-2400
Email: dos@bascom.wisc.edu

For additional information regarding the Office of the Dean of Students' complaint process please visit their Web site.

A student who wishes to file a discrimination complaint against another student who is acting in his or her role as an employee of the university (e.g., a graduate or teaching assistant, a resident assistant, or a student hourly employee) should contact the Office of the Dean of Students at:

179A Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706.
(608) 263-2378
Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1
Email: sappell@vc.wisc.edu

Additional Information and Resources

Visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) web site for extensive information on the employment laws they enforce. Information on the federal civil rights laws enforced by the US. Department of Education can be found at the Office for Civil Rights site. Read about discrimination prohibited by State of Wisconsin laws on line. Information about nondiscrimination on the basis of sex in federally assisted programs is available online at the Department of Energy.

The Office for Equity and Diversity

The Office for Equity and Diversity is located at:

Room 179-A Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
608/263-2378
Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1
FAX: 608/263/5562