Legislative Mandate

Photo by: Michael Forster Rothbart

Chapter 36 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides guidelines for the University of Wisconsin System. The following statutes pertain directly to the Board of Regents and the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:

36.25: Special Programs
36.34: Minority student programs

Chapter 36. University of Wisconsin System

Wis. Stat. @ 36.25 (1993)

36.25 Special programs

(14) The board shall establish a grant program for minority and disadvantaged graduate students enrolled in the system. The grants shall be awarded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (4)(b). The board shall give preference in awarding grants under this subsection to residents of this state. The board may not make a grant under this subsection to a person if it receives a certification under s. 49.855 (7) that the person is delinquent in child support, medical expenses or birth expense.

(14m) (a) The board shall allocate funds under s. 20.285 (4) (a) to fund programs for recruiting minority and disadvantage students and to fund programs for minority and disadvantaged students enrolled in the system. The funding under s. 20.285 (4) (a) for these programs is in addition to any other funding provided by law.

(b) By April 15, 1992, and annually thereafter, the board shall adopt a precollege, recruitment and retention plan for minority and disadvantaged students enrolled in the system. The plan shall include allocations from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (4) (a).

(c) By April 15, 1992, and annually thereafter by April 15, the board shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3). The report shall include all of the following:

1. The plan adopted under par. (b); and
2. All financial aid distributed to students, categorized by ethnic group, class level and dependency status. The report shall include information on financial need, percentage of need satisfied by loan, percentage of need satisfied by grant and the percentage remaining unsatisfied.

Wis. Stat. @ 36.34 (1995)

36.34 Minority student programs

1. Ben R. Lawton minority undergraduate grant program.
   1. In this subsection “minority undergraduate” means an undergraduate student who:
      1. Is a Black American
      2. Is an American Indian
      3. Is a Hispanic, as defined in s. 560.036 (1) (d).
      4. Is a person who is admitted to the United States after December 31, 1975, and who either is a former citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia or whose ancestor was or is a citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia.
   2. The board shall establish a grant program for minority undergraduates enrolled in the system. The board shall designate all grants under this subsection as Lawton grants. Grants shall be awarded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (4) (dd). The board may not make a grant under this subsection to a person if it receives a certification under s. 49.855 (7) that the person is delinquent in child support or maintenance payments or owes past support, medical expenses or birth expenses.
2. Pilot minority student tuition award program.
   1. In this subsection, “minority pupil” means a pupil who:
      1. Is a Black American
      2. Is an American Indian
      3. Is a Hispanic, as defined in s. 560.036 (1) (d).
      4. Is a person who is admitted to the United States after December 31, 1975, and who either is a former citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia or whose ancestor was or is a citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia. (am)
   2. The board shall establish a pilot minority student tuition award program for minority pupils who meet academic criteria specified by the board, who need financial assistance and who are enrolled in high schools selected by the board. The board may select a high school only if it has an enrollment of at least 50% minority pupils. The board shall select at least 3 high schools in school districts organized under ch. 119. Awards shall be made from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (4) (de). The board shall provide an evaluation of the program under par. (am) to the governor and the joint committee on finance on October 1, 1991.
   3. No award may be made under par. (am) for periods beginning after June 30, 1995.