Campus Cares

In 2020-2021 UWM transitioned rapidly to remote learning and work in response to the pandemic. While the campus successfully mobilized to operate in unprecedented ways, the transition has taken a toll. Through survey data, we have consistently learned that UWM students, faculty, and staff miss campus and long for connection with each other.

We set out to gather solutions and action items to help resolve this lack of community and connection. In March 2021, over 40 UWM community members (students, faculty and staff) participated in a design think process facilitated by the Lubar Entrepreneurial Center (LEC). A design think is a structured problem-solving process, using interviews and strategy sessions focused on those affected by the issues, prototyping and testing ideas together, etc.

As part of the design think process, the 40 participants each interviewed at least three community members—students, faculty, and staff. We estimate that through interviews, over 150 people were involved in this process.

As a member of this original design think noted:

“The theme I keep reflecting on that we discussed in my group is how both before COVID and during the pandemic, we are telling students what ‘the UWM experience’ is but they aren’t experiencing it that way (both because they aren’t able to right now and because the [marketed] experience is somewhat forced or false). It’s being passed from staff to students instead of students informing staff what it means to be a UWM student.”

Campus Cares emerged from this initial design think in Spring 2021 to address the experiences of trauma, stress and distress, loss, and disconnection many campus members experienced over the previous year and a half. This team included members from across campus.

Many of the participants in the design think continued to help lead in Campus Cares. This work was highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education and across the country as being a novel and unique approach to wellbeing and culture change.

Another action items from this design think was to further probe into community values and identify what does it mean to be a Panther. In Fall 2021, a second team of students, faculty, and staff from all over campus participated in another design think exercise to begin to articulate that Panther identity.

There is a clear connection to work being done across campus, including significant overlap the UWM’s strategic plan and divisional strategies.

However, the unique nature of this campus cares and community building work is that it is a grassroots effort that has involved a significant number of campus partners (faculty and staff) to developing a campus community focused on people and care for each other.

Reports related to the creation of Campus Cares

Panther Identity Design Think
UWM Community Design Think

To fully realize a culture of care at UWM by:

Offering opportunities to explore interpersonal connections and personal wellness pathways, providing inclusive support to all members of our community.

Transforming our community by encouraging the exploration of identity, wellness, and vision to support individual and collective care and sense of belonging for all members.

Taking grassroots action with members of the community so that all can participate in self-care and care for others.

Empowering community members to take responsibility, seek empathy, and advocate to translating values into behaviors.

Campus Cares is run by a strategic visionary team and project team that work collaboratively, side-by-side under the Campus Cares vision. Membership for each of these teams is made up of staff and faculty from across all UWM divisions, schools, and colleges.  The teams will engage in broad interests and will have a diverse membership.

• Seeking input and engaging in action moving campus towards the culture of care and wellbeing identified in the Framework
• Working assess and analyze current health and wellbeing systems currently in place at UWM in order to identify needs related to health equity, student success, and employee wellness
• Fall Campus wide health and wellness  symposium for students, faculty, and staff.
• Spring Campus wide storytelling program.
• Collecting and assessing data influencing and impact the UWM culture
• Developing communication strategies including the Wellness Wednesday email to amplify resources and stories reflecting the culture of care.
• Developing ambassador and community building programs alongside campus partners, including Human Resources
• Supporting existing and new initiatives related to the UWM culture of care framework

A vision outlining behaviors that translate ideals into programs, policies, actions and everyday behaviors that persist over time and develop and strengthen a culture of care at UWM. View the entire Campus Cares Framework.

• Trauma Informed Care Toolkit