UW-Milwaukee’s nursing faculty, staff, students and alumni are committed to providing an environment where everyone feels welcomed. We’ve created an inclusivity statement that demonstrates this commitment, and we’re crafting a strategic action plan – developed by our diversity, equity and inclusion task force – to ensure these ideals and values show through in all of our work. The plan, which includes implementation and evaluation of whatever work is necessary, will be created in the next year.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leaders

Sandeep Gopalakrishnan
  • Associate Professor
Lynne Woerhle
  • Associate Professor
  • MSP Director
Student Nurse in PPE, standing in Clinical Sim Center
Over25%of nursing students are first-generation
37%of students self-identify as non white ethnicity

UWM Resources

UW-Milwaukee offers many resources and support services related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Here are just some of the places that faculty, staff and students can call upon for assistance.

Women’s Resource Center UWM’s multicultural student centers offer holistic advising and sociocultural program to help each and every student succeed.

Nursing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Activities

Respect for human dignity, social justice, diversity and inclusion is deeply ingrained in the values of UWM’s Nursing faculty, staff and students. We reaffirmed our commitment to these values in the wake of murders of Black Americans and the anti-racism groundswell in the summer of 2020. We embarked on several anti-racist campus initiatives in our Nursing community, including Black, Indigenous and people of color listening sessions, student focus groups, book clubs and professional development.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force continues that work, collaborating on an inclusivity statement with faculty, staff, students, retirees and alumni. This statement is the foundation for our DEI work going forward.

Ebony Cobb meeting with nursing students
Ebony Cobb (center), academic success coordinator, working with nursing students.

Taking Action

The task force is working to recommend changes that reduce racism, bias, and discrimination across our academic, research and community engagement efforts. We will create a committee within the governance structure to develop and lead a strategic action plan and regularly evaluate our inclusivity statement.