About
The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Employee Network is a group of campus employees focused on improving the overall work experience of BIPOC employees at UW–Madison through raising awareness of issues that impact BIPOC employees, advocacy, and community-building. This group recognizes that the historical systems which continue to influence UW–Madison’s culture and campus experiences can be isolating, exclusionary, and alienating to BIPOC communities. The BIPOC Employee Network’s goal is to intentionally center the voices and needs of BIPOC employees to create a campus culture and community that is more welcoming and inclusive, which ultimately contributes to enhanced BIPOC employee retention and work engagement. This group works to be inclusive of all employment categories and does not represent the university or any specific academic or work unit.
Download a BIPOC Employee Network poster to share with employees
History
In 2020, a small group of BIPOC employees identified a need to learn more about the experiences of BIPOC employees within advising and career services on campus as it relates to recruitment and hiring. This group collected quantitative and qualitative data to ultimately recommend strategies to diversify advising and career services employees on campus. Based on the data collected, more prominent needs around retention, community-building, and engagement were identified. The BIPOC Employee Network was developed as an outcome of these initial efforts to collect and analyze data on BIPOC employee recruitment and hiring.
BIPOC Employee Community Gatherings
In partnership with campus stakeholders, the BIPOC Employee Network plans and hosts monthly community gatherings for BIPOC employees on campus. These gatherings are intended to hold space for connection, care, and individual, interpersonal and collective well-being of BIPOC employees on campus.
Community Gathering Intentions
- These are BIPOC-affirming spaces that centers the needs and experiences of BIPOC employees.
- These are community spaces intended to cultivate individual and collective care and build connection through shared experiences.
- Approach and join these spaces with care, compassion, kindness, respect and grace for self and others.
- These are non-violent spaces that honors diverse and intersectional experiences, needs, confidentiality, and pathways for shared understanding.
Contact
To learn more about the BIPOC Employee Network or to support the network’s efforts, please contact eiew@ohr.wisc.edu.