UWM Vision

We will be a top-tier research university that is the best place to learn and work for students, faculty and staff, and that is a leading driver for sustainable prosperity.

We will accomplish this through a commitment to excellence, powerful ideas, community and global engagement, and collaborative partnerships.

UWM Guiding Values

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty and staff during the 2012-2013 academic year drafted and approved the UWM Guiding Values.

We value:

  • Innovation, leadership, and collaboration that fosters learning through education, scholarship and research, and public service.
  • Opportunities for open inquiry to support the positive transformation of individuals (students, faculty, and staff), institutions, and communities.
  • A caring, compassionate, and collegial community characterized by mutual respect and safety.
  • Diversity in all of its definitions, including who we are, how we think, and what we do.
  • Ethical behavior, based on integrity, accountability, and responsibility
  • Transparent and inclusive decision making.
  • Stewardship of resources that promote sustainability, prosperity, and equity for all in the local and global communities.
  • Pride in our institution, our unique qualities, and our vital role.

University of Wisconsin System Mission Statement

The mission of this system is to develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses, and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities; scientific, professional, and technological expertise; and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this mission are methods of instruction, research, extended education, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth.

UW System Doctoral Cluster Mission Statement

As institutions in the Doctoral Cluster, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee share the following core mission. Within the approved differentiation stated in their select missions, each university shall:

  • Offer degree programs at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels.
  • Offer programs leading to professional degrees at the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels.
  • Conduct organized programs of research.
  • Promote the integration of the extension function, assist the University of Wisconsin–Extension in meeting its responsibility for statewide coordination, and encourage faculty and staff participation in outreach activity.
  • Encourage others in the University of Wisconsin System and in other state and national agencies to seek the benefit of the unique educational and research resources of the doctoral institutions.
  • Serve the needs of women, minority, disadvantaged, disabled and nontraditional students and seek racial and ethnic diversification of the student body and the professional faculty and staff.
  • Embrace and encourage student, staff, and faculty diversity in all areas and demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
  • Support activities designed to promote the economic development of the state.

UWM Select Mission Statement

To fulfill its mission as a major urban doctoral university and to meet the diverse needs of Wisconsin’s largest metropolitan area, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee must provide a wide array of degree programs, a balanced program of applied and basic research, and a faculty who are active in public service. Fulfilling this mission requires the pursuit of these mutually reinforcing academic goals:

  • To develop and maintain high quality undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs appropriate to a major urban doctoral university.
  • To engage in a sustained research effort which will enhance and fulfill the University’s role as a doctoral institution of academic and professional excellence.
  • To continue development of a balanced array of high quality doctoral programs in basic disciplines and professional areas.
  • To attract highly qualified students who demonstrate the potential for intellectual development, innovation, and leadership for their communities.
  • To further academic and professional opportunities at all levels for women, minority, part-time, and financially or educationally disadvantaged students.
  • To establish and maintain productive relationships with appropriate public and private organizations at the local, regional, state, national, and international levels.
  • To promote public service and research efforts directed toward meeting the social, economic and cultural needs of the state of Wisconsin and its metropolitan areas.
  • To encourage others from institutions in the University of Wisconsin System and from other educational institutions and agencies to seek benefit from the University’s research and educational resources such as libraries, special collections, archives, museums, research facilities, and academic programs.
  • To provide educational leadership in meeting future social, cultural, and technological challenges.

UWM Faculty/Staff Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct establishes guidelines for professional conduct by those acting on behalf of the University including executive officers, faculty, staff, and other individuals employed by the University using University resources or facilities, and volunteers and representatives acting as agents of the University. Download the UWM Code of Conduct (PDF).