UW-Milwaukee students call for enrollment increase for Black students and faculty

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Monday, May 8, students on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus called for more Black representation in both the student and faculty enrollment numbers.

Students with UW-Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a national student activist organization, said they are seeking to hold the university accountable for the low number of people of color on the university's campus.

"We've like recognized Black enrollment and graduation rates are absolutely terrible on campus," said Patricia Fish, a sophomore at UW-Milwaukee and member of SDS.

Fish said the current student and faculty population is not a true representation of the city of Milwaukee.

"We believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion at SDS, and we believe that these should be protected and UWM's campus should better reflect the city," said Fish.

Recent events in the state Capitol, such as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos calling for schools in the UW System to cut nearly $14 million for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, have students like Fish on high alert.

"We believe that this is wrong, these programs are here to help the students, especially students from marginalized communities," said Fish.

UWM did send CBS 58 a statement that reads in part:

"UWM is committed to addressing achievement gaps across our community with a focus on equitable outcomes for all students. This is a complex issue that goes well beyond enrollment and UWM, as many factors play into whether a student applies for college and continued to graduation. Those factors include opportunities to build community and find connections within an institution, availability of finances, and academic preparedness, to name a few."

Despite the school's efforts, students are calling for more action.

"We need more support from the university, especially our Black students, our students of color, we really need that support," said Fish.