In solidarity with UW-Madison’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement, the Department of French and Italian believes that “Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW–Madison.” Our department’s faculty, staff, and graduate students constitute a multi-national community that seeks to foster diversity in all domains, and to create an inclusive and equitable environment. We value the contributions of all members of our community, the students we teach, and the people with whom we interact in other campus units. We are committed to treating every individual with respect, and we condemn discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation or social-economic status. The goal of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is to oversee activities that support those principles in our teaching, research, and outreach.
Our department endeavors to:
· Foster collective and individual reflection on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion
· Enhance access and opportunities for underrepresented students, first generation college students, and women
· Eliminate the achievement gap between majority and underrepresented students
· Recruit, support, and retain more diverse faculty, staff, and students
· Prepare all of our students, staff and faculty to thrive personally and professionally in a diverse world.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop since time immemorial.
In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory.
Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.
This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation.
Today, UW–Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin.
We in the Department of French and Italian continue to critically and intentionally reflect upon this history, legacies of colonization, and our shared future on campus as we carry out our work as students, staff, scholars, and instructors. Please join us in uncovering these truths every day.