• The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program has an average graduation rate of 92 percent (compared to 89 percent for all UW–Madison students) over the last five years.
• The PEOPLE Program: 1,049 PEOPLE scholars have graduated from UW–Madison since its inception.
• The Posse Program increased student enrollment by 51 percent between 2009 and 2024, making UW–Madison one of the largest Posse partners in the country.
• The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program has supported the education of 28 eligible students each year for the past 28 years in acquiring the knowledge and skills to earn a PhD.
• The Network for the Development and Growth of Indigenous Scholars at UW (NDGNS UW) has provided wrap-around support and services to about 30 indigenous scholars per year since its inception in November 2022

The impact of DDEEA is apparent in other ways.

“We have had hundreds of scholars who have gotten degrees from here,” Charleston said. “We serve some of the more diverse students, whether it’s from rural communities or urban communities on campus. We’ve had a number of students who received fellowships. We’ve had a number of folks who have prepared for graduate school and go on to graduate school. We even have some alums who are professors now who are working in the programs that they graduated from. And they collaborate with our programs. We’ve been able to encourage our students to engage in what we call high impact educational practices. That means that our students overwhelmingly engage in undergraduate research. They engage in internships. They engage in study abroad opportunities. They take on leadership positions all around this campus, whether they are in student organizations or fraternities and sororities or business organizations or organizations affiliated with their majors. We are very, very proud of our students and our retention rate. Our students have been leaders and advocates. The UW-Madison has long been a place for activism. And our students are engaged in that as well as their scholarship. We are excited about their leadership and we encourage them as it relates to free speech, to advocate for the things that they need and advocate for a better society along with thriving in their academics and achieving the degree for which they came here for. That is really, really important as well.”

This work has continued in spite of a sometimes hostile environment in the society at large. At times, that hostility is unaware of how diversity benefits the students and UW-Madison as a whole.

“The work is challenging because these are challenging times,” Charleston said. “But it’s important. With our values at UW-Madison, we believe that diversity is a source of strength, creativity and innovation. We continue to believe that. We think that there is power in diverse perspectives coming together to solve the world’s most challenging problems. And we like if there is any place that would value that and encourage and give individuals the tools to come together to engage in diversity and difference, it has to be the public institutions of higher education. And so the work is challenging. There have been some headwinds as it relates to this. But I am wholly committed to helping create an environment where people can thrive, where they can bring their whole selves to the space, an environment that is characterized by inclusive excellence. It means that we value different perspectives and they help us come up with some innovative solutions to some of our challenges.”

If UW-Madison graduates are to succeed in an increasingly globalized economy and society, then they must learn how to navigate that world while they are students. Hence, diversity benefits everyone.

“UW-Madison is a place where there are opportunities to meet people from different backgrounds, with different perspectives and ideas,” Charleston emphasized. “We are also a microcosm of society. Some of the challenges that we see in society, we see here. Our job is to help students achieve success and to graduate and to give individuals, no matter where they come from, the tools to thrive and succeed. And so, it doesn’t matter where you are from, what your identity is or perspective is, this is a community and we are here to engage and dialogue and help one another grow. And you do that by stepping out of your comfort zones. Some would say that growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone. And so, it’s challenge that pushes people to think in different ways. Our students are our future leaders and so there is always opportunity to learn and to grow. And that’s why we’re here. That’s why in addition to being a two-time graduate, I found value here because regardless of the challenges that are in broader society, some of that find their way here on campus, we are here to help maintain and create an equitable and inclusive work and learning environment where students can thrive.”

While diversity and equity are seen as a matter of justice — and they are still important — DDEEA has kicked its game to a higher level, that diversity, equity and inclusion are vital for the overall success of UW-Madison students. Thus the term Inclusive Excellence. Everyone has skin in the game.

“Diversity is a source of strength, so we are leaning into our values around the next 5-10 years,” Charleston said. “We understand that folks are coming to our campuses actually less prepared than ever to engage others. But as we look into the world, the world is shrinking. And our students have to lead with the skills and tools to be culturally intelligent to engage across differences and can live in a global world. These next 5-10 years, we have some headwinds in society that attempt to divide us. Our goal is to realize the Wisconsin Idea and have everyone realize the Wisconsin Idea. What we mean by that is it’s a challenge to realize the Wisconsin Idea without looking at it from an equity-minded lens. What does that mean? It means that the people our students are going out to serve are different. They live in different parts of the state, country and the world. Their needs are different and so if we are going to realize the Wisconsin Idea and add benefit to society both within and outside the state of Wisconsin, we have to do that through an equity-minded lens knowing that people are different. So in the next 5-10 years, we are equipping folks with the tools to continue to be successful while cultivating a sense of belonging.”

And those tools are not one size fits all.

“We are here to help equip folks with the tools that they need to succeed,” Charleston said. “And those tools may be different whether you are a veteran, or whether you are from a rural community or an urban community. Or there is some religious or cultural differences or some disability or you are a first-generation college student. Those needs may be very, very different. And so that is what we are here to do when we think of inclusive excellence. That’s what we mean by that, giving folks the tools that they need because we know that when individuals have what they need, then we all succeed. And those needs may vary depending on where you are from and the things that you are exposed to prior to coming to UW-Madison. We want people to bring their whole self to this space and that contributes to the intellectual discourse and the dialogue that is happening around campus that helps facilitate academic excellence and belonging. Those are things that are really, really important to us.”

And so despite what may be going on in the broader political landscape, the work of Inclusive Excellence will continue.

“We know that we have had some challenges with the SCOTUS decision,” Charleston said. “And while we will abide by the law, our goal is to still broaden participation in the higher education enterprise. That could be among our first-generation college students. We want to increase those numbers of folks who are the first in their family to come here. We want to broaden participation in rural communities and urban communities to serve the state of Wisconsin and the world. And so we are still looking to diversify our student population, our faculty population and our staff population. In the next 5-10 years, we are looking forward to making progress in those areas.”

Next issue: The Father of DDEEA