During a ceremony at the State Capitol on Oct. 29, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Campus Climate was honored with the 2021 Ann Lydecker Educational Diversity Award from the State Council on Affirmative Action.
The award honors institutions of higher learning for exceptional efforts in preparing people with marginalized identities, women, and persons with disabilities for employment in the state of Wisconsin. The State Council on Affirmative Action noted the Department of Campus Climate’s commitment to the recruitment, retention and promotion of a diverse workforce through various initiatives and programs.
“Our campus climate department is a relatively new department on campus, built to be a hub for communication, resources, training and programming to support an inclusive and respectful campus environment,” said Angela Miller, assistant chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and chief diversity officer. “The efforts to establish this department and the hard work of our Campus Climate leadership – Emily Stier [campus climate coordinator] and Kayden Carpentier [campus climate trainer] – in pulling together campus resources, communicating campus wide, and building training and awareness programs has been tremendous. We are honored to have these efforts recognized statewide with such a prestigious award, and I think that honor underscores the quality of the work being done in this area.”
Of particular note by the State Council on Affirmative Action, was the annual Midwest Culturally Inclusive Conference. Hosted by the Department of Campus Climate, this year’s conference was held in the format of a month-long virtual conference series with 27 events for participants to engage in. Presentations covered topics in mental health, LGBTQ+ identity, cancel culture, race and more. More than 600 participants registered for the conference.
“This award represents the collective work that our department, colleagues, students and institution has put forward to invest in the inclusivity and well-being of our campus communities,” said Stier. “This award is a reminder that the fight towards equity and justice is never-ending. This isn’t the finish line, but rather a handing of the baton in a long relay race. Let’s keep moving forward together.”
“We are incredibly grateful to receive this recognition and also want to acknowledge that our efforts are the culmination of the work that has been paved before us, the insights of those around us, and the funding streams that made our roles possible,” added Carpentier. “Improving the social climate and addressing the inequities within a campus community takes all of us and we are just getting started.”
Housed under the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Department of Campus Climate provides educational resources, cultural programs and trainings that engage the UW-Platteville community in building a more equitable and inclusive campus climate. For more information, visit www.uwplatt.edu/department/campus-climate.