Group of people sitting around a table talking and listening intently.

Community Commitments

In spring 2025, Professor and Special Advisor to the Chancellor Percival Matthews was invited to lead a campuswide process focused on access and community at UW–Madison.

Matthews engaged in thoughtful, consultative efforts to gather input from students, faculty, and staff representing a range of viewpoints and perspectives and begin mapping feedback to a community belonging and engagement framework.

That work culminated in a set of expectations, or Community Commitments, designed to support the conditions necessary for all Badgers to flourish. The Community Commitments are an integral part of the Badger Way and broader strategic framework.

Graphic titled “Community Commitments.” At the center is a red diamond with the University of Wisconsin–Madison crest and the words “Community Commitments.” Surrounding it is a geometric ring with four segments. The highlighted red segment reads “Provide Opportunities for Growth and Success.” The other three gray segments read “Practice Civility,” “Foster Connection and Community,” and “Embrace Complexity.” To the right, supporting text reads: “Defining how we show up for one another as members of the UW–Madison community.”

Living our values

As part of the Badger Way, the Community Commitments help define what it means to be a Badger in a world of diverse identities, backgrounds, and viewpoints.

A thriving academic community depends not only on shared values, but also on shared expectations for how we interact and work with each other.

The Badger Way describes the qualities we strive to embody as members of this community. But these are not enough. To do our best work together, we also share a set of Community Commitments.

Grounded in respect for human dignity and the mission of our leading research university, these interconnected commitments help create a community where everyone can participate, grow, and contribute to advancing the Wisconsin Idea.

The Community Commitments help operationalize one key aspect of the Badger Way: how we show up for one another as members of the UW–Madison community. They help define what it means to be part of UW–Madison — not only what we believe, but also how we aspire to engage with one another in pursuit of learning, discovery, and the public good.

We will:

Practice civility. We engage one another with respect, humility, and care for the dignity of every person.
Provide opportunities for growth and success. We support all Badgers — students, faculty, and staff — as they learn, grow, and pursue excellence.
Embrace complexity. We approach difficult ideas with curiosity and critical thinking and invite the perspectives and experiences of others, welcoming opportunities to refine our views or challenge even our most deeply held convictions.
Foster connection and community. We cultivate belonging, mutual support, and meaningful relationships across our campus, recognizing that a thriving community allows people and ideas to grow and connect.