Our Wisconsin is an inclusion education program created to raise awareness of the diversity within our student population and to encourage an environment in which students are free to share their experiences and identities.
Historically, Our Wisconsin has been an in-person workshop taking place in the university residence halls. Beginning in Fall 2020, Our Wisconsin became a required online interactive module. Additional in-person opportunities to engage with programming about diversity, inclusion and social justice will also be available for students.
Fall 2024 Access Issue
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For continued issues, please visit support.vector.com, where you can access the Diversity & Inclusion Training help desk for additional support. For more information on this issue, please review the Learn@UW–Madison KnowledgeBase document. You can also find timely status updates on the DoIT Outages page. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this issue.
About the training
The Our Wisconsin experience consists of a required online inclusion course, follow-up online survey, and additional in-person programming opportunities.
Deadlines
Students will receive a message in their Canvas account to let them know Our Wisconsin is available and provide details on how to access the program.
Part 1 opens on Friday, August 5th must completed by Thursday, Aug. 29th, 2024. The program takes approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.
Part 2 takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be automatically available in the module 45 days after you complete Part 1. You may complete Part 2 then or anytime until the deadline on Friday, October 18th, 2024.
Learning outcomes
- Participants will learn about social identities and build awareness of how personal and systemic actions impact individuals’ experiences.
- Participants will make connections between systems that limit rights, freedoms, and access as well as those that create opportunities and benefits while considering the impact on individuals and communities.
- Participants will develop strategies for engaging in dialogue and action to build an inclusive campus.
Get started
- Go to canvas.wisc.edu and sign on with your NetID and password.
- Select the ‘Courses’ tab.
- Click on Our Wisconsin Fall 2024 to access the course.
- On the registration page you may be asked for additional information to complete the creation of your account. You will not need to create an additional username or password.
- You may login and out of the course at the end of each section. Section ends are marked with a “Next” button.
Important: Do not log out until you click the “Next” button or you will have to repeat the previous section.
- To log back into your account, always access Our Wisconsin from Canvas and follow steps 2 and 3.
I liked how we started as individuals, and by the end of the workshop we became a community.
-Student participant
Even though I wasn’t comfortable sharing all of my identities it [the workshop] made me more comfortable with myself and it showed that I am not alone, and that my residence hall is more diverse than it may seem at first glance.
-Student participant
FAQs
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Who has to take the program?
All incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students, including first-year and transfer students, must complete the online Our Wisconsin program. Other student groups and organizations will have the opportunity to engage in the Our Wisconsin online program and in-person programs as well.
How much time will it take me to complete the online program?
The online Our Wisconsin program Part 1 will take approximately 60-90 minutes to complete while Part 2 will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The module contains several activities and concepts that may be new or require reflection. We suggest that students take breaks between sections and complete the program over a period of time that allows for reflection and processing. The program will automatically save your place in the module.
When do I need to have the program completed?
- Part 1 of the program must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29th, 2024 and takes approximately 40-60 minutes to complete.
- Part 2 takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be automatically available in the module 45 days after you complete Part 1. You may complete Part 2 then or anytime until the deadline on Friday, October 18th, 2024.
It says the program is mandatory now. What does that mean?
The Our Wisconsin program is required for all incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students, including first-year and transfer students. Failure to complete the Our Wisconsin program will result in a hold on your academic record, preventing timely registration the following semester. You will not be permitted to register for the next term until you complete Our Wisconsin.
If I have questions or concerns about the program, who should I contact?
Students can reach out to ourwisc@studentaffairs.wisc.edu at any time with questions and concerns.
How are you tracking who has completed the program?
Incoming degree-seeking undergraduate first-year and transfer students will be auto-enrolled to the Our Wisconsin course in Canvas, which will track students progress and completion of the course.
I went through the in-person workshops a while ago. Is this different? Do I need to go through it again?
Beginning in the Fall 2020 semester the Our Wisconsin program will be different than the in-person workshop offered in previous years. The Our Wisconsin program is now an online module that is mandatory for incoming degree-seeking undergraduate students-including first-year and transfer students. If you are not an incoming degree-seeking undergraduate student then you do not have to complete the new Our Wisconsin program.
Can my staff, student organization, or program take the Our Wisconsin module? How can I sign them up to participate in Our Wisconsin?
Yes, learners who are not incoming undergraduate first-year and transfer students can still participate in the Our Wisconsin program. Contact us at ourwisc@studentaffairs.wisc.edu and we can work with you to have your group go through the course.
Where can I learn about the accessibility of Our Wisconsin?
Please review Diversity & Inclusion Training Accessibility & Usability Information (Students) KB for accessibility information about Our Wisconsin. For additional support and accommodation requests, email ourwisc@studentaffairs.wisc.edu