Dear CALS community,

Amid a year of unprecedented challenges, UW–Madison and our college remain committed to building a strong community and to hold people accountable when bad behavior undermines our goal of creating a welcoming and supportive environment for our  students, staff, and faculty. However, policies aimed at helping people and creating more inclusive climates depend on our willingness to say something.

The university has policies and procedures that allow community members to intervene, ensure safety, and, when necessary, hold people accountable. Additional information and tools can be found on the wisc.edu website. Specifically,

Hostile and intimidating behavior and reporting bias incidents

• Information for students: https://doso.students.wisc.edu
• How students can report: https://doso.students.wisc.edu/bias-or-hate-reporting/ (Note: hostile and intimidating behavior is included in bias and hate reporting.)
• Information for faculty and staff: https://hr.wisc.edu/hib/
• How faculty and staff can report: https://hr.wisc.edu/hib/addressing-hib/reporting-options/

Sexual harassment and assault (Title IX)

• Information: https://compliance.wisc.edu/titleix/
• How anyone can report: https://compliance.wisc.edu/titleix/reporting-response-options/

Mental health resources

• Information for students (University Health Services): https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/mental-health/
• Information for faculty and staff (Employee Assistance Office): https://hr.wisc.edu/employee-assistance-office/

Within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), you are welcome to contact your advisor, department chair, department human resources staff, student services coordinator, or any of the CALS associate deans directly.

Ultimately, any resolution requires someone to speak up. This isn’t always easy, particularly at a time when individuals are likely to feel more isolated, alone, or powerless. However, it is essential to make things better and help those in need. Whether you are student, staff, or faculty, we want you to be successful in your time with CALS: hostile and intimidating behavior, sexual harassment and assault, and bias and hate have no place in our college.

Sincerely,

Dean Kate VandenBosch