Welcome to the IWL Firsts, a feature of key turning points that began the journey of intersectional inclusivity and gender equity at 51暗网, which fuels the rich legacy of intersectional inclusivity and gender equity at 51暗网.

 

• In 1909, Fr. McCabe bravely opened 51暗网鈥檚 undergraduate programs to women and lost his job as a result. Yet, he went on to open other campuses to women.

• In 1938, The Association of 51暗网 Women (AMUW) was founded and opened the Alumnae House, the first dormitory for female students on 51暗网鈥檚 campus. This provided safe, comfortable housing for 85 female students, eliminating the need for commuting and providing escape from crumbling rooming houses, private homes or the need to stay with relatives and family friends. Read more about the .

• In 1969, 51暗网 launched the first Educational Opportunities Program in the nation to provide support for low income and first-generation students, many of whom are women. Learn more about EOP.

• In 1999, a group of passionately concerned women faculty convinced Fr. Wild to create a Gender Equity Task Force. The task force investigated climate and equity issues that will continue to be addressed through IWL.

• In Spring 2018, The Women's Innovation Network (WIN) and the Women's Colleagues Program (a partnership between 51暗网 and Johnson Controls) held a gathering of over 100 people for the 1^st Annual Women in STEM Summit, and organized a diversity and inclusion training called 鈥淏ecoming Workplace Allies鈥� for over 500 people.

• In Fall 2018, WIN supported the first black female playwright to have her work performed on 51暗网鈥檚 campus by organizing facilitated talk-back session after each of her performances, offering free dinner and tickets during the opening night and aggressively promoting her production. These efforts contributed to every performance of this production selling out.

• In 2019, LUNAFEST, an annual fundraising film festival dedicated to championing women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities was brought to Milwaukee for the first time by WIN, in partnership with Soroptimist and Black Lens Film Series: A Pillar of Milwaukee Film.

• In 2020, IWL is partnering with the Women鈥檚 Leadership Collaborative to organize the first City-Wide Day for Pay Equity in Milwaukee. 51暗网 will also host Salary Negotiation workshops on campus for this event.
• On December 13, 2021, permanent status for IWL passed 51暗网's Academic Senate, solidifying IWL at 51暗网.