Our Vision
Many perspectives, one Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Exchange: Pluralism in Practice is a campuswide initiative to enhance viewpoint diversity at UW–Madison, to promote vigorous discourse and debate, and to intensify our campus culture of civil dialogue across many backgrounds, viewpoints, identities, religions, political perspectives, and ideas. That’s what we mean by pluralism.
We strive for a campus where different points of view are both expected and respected. We encourage the meaningful, productive — and sometimes uncomfortable — exchange of ideas.
Why are we committed to this initiative?
National surveys show that 77 percent of Americans report having few or no friends with different political beliefs. On college campuses, nearly half of students say they would not “dorm across the aisle” with someone who voted differently in the last presidential election.
The Wisconsin Exchange is grounded in the recognition that we sometimes do and will continue to disagree on important ideas and issues. We don’t expect or want everyone to agree. But we are determined to keep talking — and listening — to each other.
UW–Madison has a long-standing commitment to free expression, academic freedom, and civic engagement. We work to prepare our graduates to thrive in a complex and ideologically diverse society — by engaging respectfully in the face of disagreement and seeking solutions that pull people together, rather than apart.
Our goal, over time, is to serve as a national model of a flourishing, pluralistic campus and as a thought leader in this space.
Why launch this now?
The Wisconsin Exchange will build on existing efforts to foster productive discourse on campus even in the face of real disagreement. It continues UW–Madison’s long-standing commitment to free expression, academic freedom, and civic engagement.
At a time of deep polarization, college campuses including UW–Madison have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help people gain understanding, build bridges, and develop greater skills for constructive engagement across their differences. This institutional priority is generously funded by gifts from donors.
How has UW–Madison supported free expression before this initiative?
In 1894, UW President Charles Kendall Adams affirmed the university’s duty to welcome “a vast diversity of views” and to “follow the indications of truth wherever they may lead.”
“More than 130 years later, we continue to believe that civil discourse is one of this university’s most vital contributions — to our students, to our state, to the search for truth, and to our nation’s pluralist democracy,” explains Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “The state of Wisconsin and UW–Madison are home to a wide range of voices, and we see that as a strength that we should lean into and further develop.”
How can I get involved?
The Wisconsin Exchange belongs to everyone in the campus community. Students. Faculty. Staff.
Many perspectives, one Wisconsin.
Initiative goals
- Enhance the practice of pluralism and civil dialogue as key aspects of the UW–Madison education and experience
- Build awareness of activities already underway and identify new opportunities
- Engage the full campus community and extend bridges beyond campus through partnerships with national organizations
The pursuit of knowledge is not a straight path — it’s a dynamic process of sifting and winnowing that occurs when we acknowledge and embrace the coexistence of multiple perspectives. Every day, we encourage students, staff, and faculty to challenge assumptions, engage with a diversity of ideas, and bring a willingness to listen to learn. The Wisconsin Exchange will help us strengthen a culture where our community expects this of one another.