
Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
The School of Nursing actively fosters an environment of inclusive excellence that welcomes diversity among its students, faculty, and staff. Awareness of diversity and promotion of inclusivity is central to our curricula, social and educational events, and resources and services.
We embrace a definition of diversity that acknowledges the intersection of multiple factors, perspectives, and identities, which include but are not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, age, and physical characteristics.
In 2021 the School received an Insight Into Diversity magazine’s Health Professions HEED (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity) Awards.
Inclusive Excellence Plan (pdf) Anti-Racism Commitment (pdf)
Our tradition of integrated research and practice focuses on the needs of those whose health status or social condition leaves them vulnerable or places them at risk. Our collaborative innovations increase the diversity of participation in healthcare research, promote sharing of diverse interprofessional perspectives, provide tools to support those working with vulnerable populations, and enhance community engagement.
Get Involved
2022-2023 Interprofessional Equity & Diversity Lunch & Learns
Join our interprofessional community for a series of free workshops and conversations focused on topics related to equity, diversity and inclusion that deeply impact our work and our practice. The series meets online, and registration is required for each workshop.
Native Nations Nursing Summit
The Native Nations Nursing Summit, held in November, focuses on educating nurses about the public health needs of Wisconsin Native communities while highlighting the use of an integrated team model in healthcare.
LGBTQ+ Health Summit
The LGBTQ+ Health Summit educates and activates the health sciences community on LGBTQ+ health, creating new pathways to serve LGBTQ+ communities.
Multicultural Student Nurse Organization
The Multicultural Student Nurse Organization is a student-founded and directed organization dedicated to improving students of color’s experiences, expertise, and preparedness for succeeding in nursing curriculum and professions and for caring for patients of all backgrounds across care settings.
Badger Nurse Mentorship Program
The School of Nursing created the Badger Nurse Mentorship Program to build more connections between our alumni and current students. One of the most effective ways to build a sense of belonging for students of color is to pair them with alumni of color who have similar experiences. For this reason, the Badger Nurse Mentorship Program pairs students and mentors using a variety of criteria, which includes pairing them based on their racial/ethnic background if they desire.
Underrepresented Student and Alumni Reception
The underrepresented student and alumni reception is an annual event held in the fall for all nursing students and alumni who identify as racial/ethnic minorities. The event is an opportunity to engage students of color and alumni of color with networking and community building activities.
Inclusion Across Campus

Events
- February
- February 4Black and Old Gold Sneaker Ball: Networking in the Arts Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha7:30 PM, Tripp Commons, Memorial Union
- February 6
- February 7PEACEPracticing English And Cultural Exchange5:30 PM, South Mezzanine (M), Armory and Gymnasium (Red Gym)
- February 8
- February 8UW Women Veterans Coffee ClubFree coffee and community!3:00 PM, Caucus Room (4th Floor), Student Activity Center, 333 East Campus Mall
Understanding diversity is an ongoing process that involves lifelong learning, and we believe that this continued learning is crucial to improving health, ensuring equity, and providing a positive, supportive climate in which all individuals are welcome.
DEI in Research and Practice
Data for All
School of Nursing staff and alumni are demonstrating why diversity within research is critical to health outcomes.
More than Medicine
Professor Linda D. Oakley, PhD, RN, is taking a heart-health message to historically marginalized Black communities and nursing students. As the Louis J. and Phyllis Clark Jacobs Professor in Mental Health, Oakley is committed to using science to find health and well-being solutions to systemic hypertension present in Black communities.
School of Nursing Earns INSIGHT Into Diversity 2022 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for Second Year
For the second straight year, the UW–Madison School of Nursing has been selected as a Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
Dr. Jeneile Luebke Receives Award for Study on Indigenous Survivors of Gender-Based Violence
Jeneile Luebke, PhD, RN, received a subaward to support the community engaged study Healing from Within: Identifying and Understanding the Intersecting Barriers to Help-seeking after Experiences of Violence for Wisconsin American Indian Women through Survivor-led Research.
2022-2023 Interprofessional Equity & Diversity Lunch & Learns
Join our interprofessional community for a series of free workshops and conversations focused on topics related to equity, diversity and inclusion that deeply impact our work and our practice. The series meets online, and registration is required for each workshop.
- More Stories about Diversity & Inclusion
DEI Resources
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Nursing Resources
A collection of downloadable and web-based articles and resources to help understand and teach about diversity issues in nursing. We can help connect you with other resources that you need.
