New ‘Think’ campaign encourages respect, inclusive campus climate

Members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison community are being encouraged to “Think” about using the power of respect and positive action to promote a welcoming and inclusive campus climate.

Square, black posters for the campaign, which read, “I think, I respect,” are going up around campus. Faculty, staff and students are also wearing black buttons with the “Think” logo.

“We are asking students to ‘Think’ about being more respectful to each other, to ‘Think’ about how they can encourage inclusivity and to ‘Think’ about ways to personally take responsibility for campus climate,” says interim Dean of Students Lori Berquam, who has organized the campaign in collaboration with students from the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) Diversity Committee and Multicultural Student Coalition.

While there is no single definition for campus climate, it generally is known as students, faculty and staff feeling valued and respected, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, job class, ability/disability or any other characteristic.

In addition to promoting respect in words and actions, a secondary goal of the effort is to involve the campus community in a range of programs and activities geared toward promoting a welcoming atmosphere for all.

Embedded in the poster design are dozens of suggestions for how individuals can personally work toward a better climate. They include “Become a Big Brother or Sister,” “Express Your Views Respectfully,” “Confront Inappropriate Jokes” and “Put Up a ‘No Hate’ Sign in Your Room,” among many others.

“We’re asking students to take action through an organized activity, such as volunteering or service-learning, or even a simple act of kindness,” Berquam adds, noting that a collection of diversity-focused events is listed on a Creating Community Web site.

Students, faculty and staff are also invited to hear a presentation of the “Think” program during the seventh annual Diversity and Climate Campus Forum at Memorial Union on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Chancellor John D. Wiley says the campus has seen improvements in climate during the past few years. However, an anti-gay incident in University Housing last spring — one of the driving factors behind the campaign — demonstrated that the campus community still has more work to do.

“We are committed to creating and sustaining a campus community that is open, diverse and inclusive,” Wiley says. “We want a campus that embraces difference and where respect is rampant. We will not tolerate bias, racism, disrespect or hate.”

To counter racism in any of its forms, Berquam is launching a bias reporting mechanism through the Offices of the Dean of Students Web site.

At the site, students can download a reporting form and submit it to the Student Advocacy and Judicial Affairs (SAJA) unit of ODOS, 75 Bascom Hall. Students are encouraged to include contact information.

Students can report anything, from a hate crime to graffiti to verbal harassment. SAJA will attempt to follow up in every instance, contingent on the information provided, to investigate possible misconduct and to provide resources to the victim.

Berquam says that many hate or bias incidents are relayed anecdotally to ODOS staff. The reporting form is one way to quantify how many incidents take place on campus and provide a method for following up.

The “Think” campaign is being led by the Offices of the Dean of Students, Office of the Chancellor, the ASM Diversity Campaign and the Multicultural Student Coalition.

For more information or to get involved, call (608) 263-5700 or e-mail dos@bascom.wisc.edu.

To submit an event related to the Think Campaign, visit http://www.today.wisc.edu/submit/.