The UW System LGBTQ Inclusivity Initiative first convened in October of 2003; the group consisted of students, faculty, staff and UW System Administration. The Inclusivity Initiative’s outcomes included expansion of domestic partner benefits and engaging in a campus climate study that eventually grew into a system-wide climate study that was completed in 2013.
2009
On June 29th, 2009, Wisconsin Governor Doyle signed domestic partnerships into law.
- Registering for Domestic Partner Benefits for employees with in the UW system
- Domestic Partner Registry - State of Wisconsin
A History of Working towards Domestic Partner Benefits
- Statement in support of domestic partner benefits ... from the UW System Inclusivity Initiative.
- The negative impact of not having domestic partner benefits ... from faculty and staff.
- Loss of Key Faculty
- Resolutions Pertaining to the Marriage Amendment and to Domestic Partner Benefits 2003-2007
- Domestic Partner Benefits in the News - a UW-Madison website
2005
- UW Colleges Senate passes resolution in support of domestic partner benefits
- Laura Gutknecht, OutReach Speakers Bureau, presents "Transgender 101" to Inclusivity Point People and to UW System administrators
- UW-Madison Council for Non-represented Classified Staff passes resolution against marriage amendment
Protections for transgender people added to UW System nondiscrimination statement by Board of Regents
2004
- UW-River Falls Chancellor Ann Lydecker asks UW System chancellors to appoint a liaison to the Initiative and to have that person complete the Matrix of LGBTQ Activities and Services across UW System
- UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard responds immediately identifying the importance of the work
- Mission, vision, goals, and work group tasks clarified
- Inclusivity Initiative overview posted to UW System Administration web site
- Research workgroup completes literature reviews on identifying LGBTQ persons for research purposes, and examines campus climate surveys re: LGBTQ students, faculty and staff
- Steering committee restructures climate workgroup to reflect needs identified by steering committee
- Research workgroup develops rationale for climate survey
- In response to request, national expert Dr. Susan Rankin submits proposal for study of campus climate for LGBTQ people
- Representatives of UW System student LGBT organizations invited to participate in email list
- Sixteen people volunteer to serve as point people from their institutions to the Inclusivity Initiative
- Institutions begin to submit information on LGBTQ activities
- All UW System Chancellors have appointed a liaison from their institution to the Inclusivity Initiative
- Presentation on Inclusivity Initiative to UW System Faculty Representatives
- SETBACK: UW System President Lyall determines that DP benefits can not be requested at this time due to state budget crisis
- SETBACK: UW-River Falls Chancellor Ann Lydecker, chair of Initiative advisory committee, dies in car crash
- UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Don Mash agrees to assist Initiative until a new advisory committee chair is identified
- UW-Madison Chair of the Faculty-Senate Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues requests meeting with UW System President Katherine Lyall and UW System Board of Regents Business and Finance Committee Chair Regent Mark Bradley to discuss domestic partner benefitsIn response to request,
- Dr. Susan Rankin submits proposal for expanded UW System campus climate study to include not only LGBTQ issues, but also women, race/ethnicity and disability
- SETBACK: Assembly Joint Resolution 66 passes, proposing an amendment to the State of Wisconsin constitution that would ban marriage, civil unions, or any other comprehensive legal rights for lesbian and gay couples
- UW Madison Alumni President Paula Bonner contacts UW-Madison and UW System administrators to inquire "where's the voice?" of UW System in response to the proposed constitutional amendment
- UW Madison Faculty Senate passes resolution opposing proposed amendment to Wisconsin State Constitution
- UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Don Mash denounces proposed amendment in remarks to University Senate: "In one breath state leaders talk about a constitutional amendment to clarify stance against gay marriage in Wisconsin (reportedly approved by two-thirds of state residents) and in the next breath talk about competitive Wisconsin attracting people."
- UW-Oshkosh Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Trans, Queer Education and Advisory Council changes from standing ad hoc committee to all-university panel
- All-Inclusivity meeting held in which Point People articulate a desire for a stronger role for themselves at the Institutions
- UW-Green Bay Provost Sue Hammersmith encourages colleagues to support system-wide, broad-based study of campus climate
- UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Rick Wells agrees to chair Initiative Advisory Committee
- UW-Oshkosh student groups co-sponsor rally against proposed WI amendment
- UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jack Miller directs architect to include space for an LGBTQ Resource Center in new student union planned for 2007
- Heads of UW-Madison Alumni Association, UW-Madison LGBT Alumni Council, UW-Madison GLBT Alumni Council, UW-Madison GLBT Issues Joint Governance Committee and Inclusivity Initiative meet to discuss support for the Initiative
- UW-Madison Compensation and Benefits Committee requests that interviewees for new UW System President be asked what efforts they would make to ensure domestic partner benefits in the UW System.
- SETBACK: Joint Committee on Employee Relations approves compensation package that omits DP benefitsUW-Colleges Senate passes resolution expressing opposition to the Wisconsin legislature's joint resolution regarding a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage
- UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard requests proposal for an institution-wide LGBTQ Council
- UW Madison Academic Senate passes resolution opposing the proposed Wisconsin constitutional amendment
- UW-Madison Committee on Women passes resolution against marriage amendment
- UW-Madison University Child Care Committee passes resolution against marriage amendment
- Matrix of LGBTQ Activities and Services across UW System completed as last report is submitted.
- UW-Madison Daily News article on failure to attract and retain faculty due to lack of DP benefits
- Safe Space presentation to UW System Faculty Representatives
- UW-Stevens Point Assistant to the Chancellor and Director of Equity and Affirmative Action requests that some UW-SP bathrooms be designated as unisex to accommodate needs of transgender students and employees
- University of California (UC), San Francisco requests information about UW System Inclusivity Initiative as UC System is about to embark on a similar initiative
- Article on Inclusivity Initiative appears in UW-Madison Alumni Newsletter
- SETBACK: Inclusivity Initiative loses ¼-time student assistant
- UW-Oshkosh Dean encourages his colleagues to work toward expansion of domestic partner benefits
- UW-Madison Academic Staff Executive Committee learns in-state tuition benefit available to spouses will be extended to domestic partners
- UW-River Falls staff begin exploring creation of a faculty senate LGBTQ committee
- UW System Letters & Sciences Deans write to UW System Vice Presidents Cora Marrett, David Olien and Linda Weimer, urging them to play a leadership role in opposing the proposed amendment to the Wisconsin State Constitution that would discriminate against LGBT people. Inclusivity Initiative Chair asked to assess the level of support at UW System Administration, the UW System Institutions, and the Board of Regents for opposing the Wisconsin constitutional amendment
- UW-Madison asks Inclusivity Initiative to circulate announcements of search for a masters prepared Director of Diversity Programs and Initiatives, and Coordinator for Diversity Programs
- UW-River Falls Interim Chancellor Virgil Nylander requests assessment of Domestic Partnership "soft" benefits – to see what more can be offered; expresses interest in encouraging the UW Board of Regents to support benefits
- UW-Stevens Point's Domestic Partner policy posted to Diversity web
- UW-Platteville begins offering LGBTQ services through Women's Center
- UW-Parkside hosts Gay Civil Rights Diversity Circles Workshop
- UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago expresses support for the Inclusivity Initiative
- United Council of UW Students LGBTQ Issues Coordinator agrees to work with Inclusivity Initiative to identify student liaisons from each UWS Institution to the Initiative
- UW System Associate Vice President Ron Singer, UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Rick Wells, UW-Stevens Point Provost Virginian Helm and UW-Eau Claire Associate Vice Chancellor Kimberly Barrett meet to identify best ways to oppose Wisconsin constitutional amendment proposal
- UW System Administration Chairs of Diversity Initiatives gather to discuss mechanisms for coordinating and supporting the full range of diversity efforts
- UW-Superior Academic Staff Senate Resolution in support of the Inclusivity Initiative
- Data on Domestic Partnership "soft" benefits gathered from all institutions and posted on UW System Administration web site
- UW-Whitewater Chancellor Jack Miller has commissioned two faculty members to conduct a study of the campus climate for students, faculty, and staff who are: women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people of non-Christian religious beliefs/spiritual traditions
- Many letters of support for the work of the Initiative from faculty, staff and students
- New UW System President Kevin P. Reilly expresses support for the Inclusivity Initiative
- UW-Madison begins to offer non-resident tuition remission for domestic partners and their dependents
- United Council passes resolution against the proposed marriage amendment to the Wisconsin constitution
- Research workgroup completes literature review and proposal for state-wide, broad-based climate study to include race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity
- UW-River Falls includes "become an increasingly more open and affirming community for LGBTQ members" in its diversity plans
- All UW-System Chancellors agree to support the request for domestic partner benefits
- All Chief Student Affairs Officers across the UW System sign letter opposing the proposed marriage amendment to the Wisconsin constitution
- UW-Eau Claire unveils a newly-designed, and very inclusive diversity web site: Equity, Diversity + Inclusivity
- Fringe Benefits Advisory Committee passes resolution to add domestic partner benefits to UW System benefits
- Plea for Domestic Partner benefits made to Board of Regents Business and Finance Committee; full Board requests information for following meeting
- Individual and Family Life Insurance Domestic Partner Coverage added to UW System benefits; employees already enrolled in the life insurance plan can add their domestic partners and eligible children
- Action Wisconsin holds Town Hall meeting about the marriage amendment at UW-Eau Claire
- UW-Parkside Student Government passes resolution of support for the Inclusivity Initiative
- UW-Eau Claire Women's Studies committee sends letter of support for the Inclusivity Initiative
- UW-Whitewater passes resolution against proposed marriage amendment to Wisconsin constitution
- UW-Stevens Point Foreign Language Department endorses resolution in support of domestic partner benefits
- UW-Platteville Women's Studies Program writes to UW System President Reilly and VPs Olien and Weimer, asking them to take a stand against the amendment
- UW-Green Bay Student Senate passes resolution against the amendment
- UW-La Crosse Faculty Senate passes resolution supporting domestic partner benefits
- UW-Milwaukee Faculty Senate passes resolution against the amendment
- UW System Regent Bradley asks for estimates of what it would cost to provide domestic partner health insurance
- UW-Superior Chancellor Julius Erlenbach writes memo of support for Dianna Hunter's work informing the campus community about the potential negative impact of the marriage amendment
- UW-Stevens Point School of Health Promotion and Human Development memo to UWSA administrators in support of the Inclusivity Initiative
- UW-Madison Committee on Women passes resolution against marriage amendment
- Board of Regents approves including domestic partner benefits in the pay plan request to the Governor
- Associated Students of Madison pass resolution against amendment
- UW-Stevens Point Philosophy Department writes memo to UW System administrators in support of Inclusivity Initiative and domestic partner benefits
- United Council issues statement of support for domestic partner benefits for UW System employees
- UW System Women's Studies Consortium passes resolution in support of domestic partner benefits
- UW System Women's Studies Consortium passes resolution against marriage amendment
- UW-Green Bay Faculty Senate passes resolution against the amendment
- UW-Stevens Point English Department passes motion in support of Inclusivity Initiative and domestic partner benefits
- Update on Inclusivity Initiative presented to the Board of Regents by UW System Senior Vice President Cora Marrett, UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Rick Wells, UW System Academic Planner Christine Flynn Saulnier, United Council Academic Affairs LGBTQ Issues Director David Glisch-Sanchez, UW-Oshkosh student Crystal Heckert, UW-Eau Claire student Jessica Janiuk, and UW Green Bay student Aaron Hulse, is very well received.
- Regent President Toby Marcovich states the UW System should be at the forefront of inclusivity.
- Regents request draft resolution to include transsexual people in UW System anti-discrimination policy
- UW-Stevens Point Faculty Senate passes resolution against marriage amendmen
- tUW-Stevens Point Department of Psychology endorses resolution in support of domestic partner benefits
- UW-Extension Faculty Senate passes resolution against marriage amendment
- UW-Platteville Faculty Senate passes resolution in support of domestic partner benefits
- UW-Oshkosh Academic Staff passes resolution against marriage amendment
2003
- First meeting of student, faculty, staff and administrator representatives called by University of Wisconsin System Administration staff to discuss LGBTQ issues
- UW-Extension explicitly extended 4-H programs to LGBT youth
- UW-Oshkosh Student Assembly Resolution opposing Wisconsin Defense of Marriage Bills
- Second UW System meeting, now called Inclusivity Initiative; workgroups form
- UW System Senior Vice President Cora Marrett identifies the need for an advisory committee and begins to appoint administrators and faculty from across the UW System
- UW-River Falls Chancellor Ann Lydecker agrees to chair the Inclusivity Initiative advisory committee
- Advisory committee meets and is given its charge by UW System Senior Vice President Cora Marrett
- Steering committee meets and is given its charge by UW System Senior Vice President Cora Marrett
- UW-Milwaukee enacts a Domestic Partner Policy and posts it on its web site
- UW-Milwaukee faculty member notifies UW-M and UW System administrators that lack of Domestic Partner benefits has been raised as a problem in 3 UWM searches this year
- Quarter-time student employee assigned to Inclusivity Initiative