This story appeared in the Spring 2021 Letters & Science magazine.
Updated on 6/16/2021: DeVon Wilson is now the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the College of Letters & Science.
For the last fifty-five years, the L&S Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) has offered support, guidance and a sense of community to underrepresented students at UW-Madison. Known in earlier years as the Academic Advancement Program, and at its inception in 1966 as the Five-Year Program, CAE’s foundational goal, set by its first director, Dr. James Baugh (PhD ’73), was ambitious: Change the trajectory of students’ lives in a way that will lift up their families and influence succeeding generations.
It’s that potential to transform that motivates DeVon Wilson, director of CAE, and his team. (Wilson was recently named the first-ever Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in L&S.)
“I watch young people come in, unsure, and I see them seize opportunities and take things to the next level while they’re here,” Wilson says. “They graduate and do things they never thought they could do when they came in. Some of these students feel that people doubt them. We never doubt them. There is an expectation of excellence, and students can feel that energy.”
The push to create the Five-Year Program came from trailblazing politician and educator Ruth Doyle (the late mother of former Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle). Today, CAE provides academic advising, leadership development, access to career preparation, and lots of opportunities for students to connect with each other and with groups across campus and beyond.
“We are best described as a one-stop shop,” says Wilson. “We want to make the Wisconsin Experience a reality for all students.”
CAE academic advisors build long-term relationships with students, helping them articulate their goals and dreams and pointing out high-impact learning opportunities they might otherwise miss, such as undergraduate research opportunities and First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs). They listen. They build trust.
“Our team understands that the students we work with have a lot of talent. Our advising starts with assets, rather than deficits,” says Wilson.
Peer mentors are key: They help others new to college break down the complexities of the academic environment. They model effective study habits, share tips on exam-taking and time-management skills, and encourage interaction with faculty. Students can join the Student Advisory Council, sharing ideas and perspectives. They can also just come to CAE and hang out in a safe space, with people who care.
“Community building is critical,” says Wilson. “We come at it in multiple ways. We host Study Jams during finals week. We just hosted an online cooking class. It was the greatest experience ever.”
Wilson navigated a steep challenge last fall when COVID-19 made in-person, high-touch experiences impossible. The biggest risk, he says, was losing some of the cohort of new students he tries so hard to bring in every year.
“We had a level of determination to get it done,” he says. “We had to try new things, not be afraid to fail. Through it all, we really tried to make them feel they were coming to a place where we would help them and be committed to their success. We stayed present with them, and I think they could feel it.”
The effort paid off: Wilson and his team ended up bringing in the largest cohort of CAE students ever.
Among Wilson’s long-term goals for the program: Make CAE a destination resource for graduate schools and employers looking for skilled, motivated, diverse employees. Develop students as leaders and mentors. Make UW-Madison accessible to as many people as possible. Above all, change lives.
“If we fulfill Dr. Baugh’s vision, we’re doing great work,” he says.
Jaylah Batemon ’22
HOMETOWN Milwaukee, Wis.
MAJOR Psychology
"It can be intimidating coming to a prestigious university. If I’m being honest, without CAE I probably would have transferred. Transition to college is definitely hard, especially for a first-generation student. Adding to that, being a black woman on a predominantly white campus would be a lot harder to navigate without this community. CAE is a place to go and see people like me, which may not sound that important, but after a long day in lecture halls with people who don’t look like you, it is great to have this space to just breathe. I can debrief, break some things down, ask questions, and get support.
Meeting with my CAE advisor, Blaine Harvey, has had a lot to do with my success here at UW. He encouraged me to try new things outside my comfort zone. Hearing about his travel experiences encouraged me to apply for a Global Gateway Fellowship to go to Botswana. It was canceled due to COVID, but I still have the stipend to apply for another program in Ghana. I was encouraged to apply to be a peer mentor for the Multicultural Learning Community. I serve in a leadership position on the CAE student advisory board. What I love most about that is how responsive they are to our feedback about what’s making life difficult for us here on campus.
Here at UW, I am majoring in psychology with a certificate in disability rights and services. I know I want to go to graduate school. I know I want to work with kids. It is a matter of figuring out the career that suits me. It is a journey."
Mia Farias ’23
HOMETOWN South Bend, Ind.
MAJOR Psychology
"I went to a large high school, but I was the only one in my graduating class to come to UW-Madison. I didn’t think I would get in or know how I’d fit in.
Through CAE’s summer program [Summer Collegiate Experience, or SCE], I was put into a cohort of kids who are very much like me. They want similar things out of college. Being a minority student at a school that is predominantly white, you are looking for that community. You look at those statistics and it can be intimidating. CAE is very good at creating community for us.
The journey of belonging for me started with my academic advisor, Almira Karajic. She has always promoted my growth. She gave me a token of wisdom: Your major does not define your path. It’s all about building a skill set and your narrative. Almira always encouraged me to hold onto my curiosity, and she’s helped me find a lot of different opportunities. I took a Criminal Justice FIG [First-Year Interest Group] that made me want to be a lawyer. I’ve changed my thinking on that. I am doing my own research now and am interested in media psychology. I have a Sophomore Research Fellowship and am working with the faculty director of the UW Survey Center, Jennifer Dykema. We talk about what it’s like to find work in this field.
I am part of the new CAE student advisory board. We’re working to help CAE make stronger connections with other organizations on campus that have similar missions and goals. That is what’s great about CAE: They encourage each of us as individuals to branch out, network with other organizations, meet our business goals, and just generally feel more confident."
Demitrius Nelson ’21
HOMETOWN Milwaukee, Wis.
MAJOR Communication Arts/English
"I am a first-generation student. My mom didn’t go to college. My dad was not in the picture. Out of 2,000 kids in my high school, I was the only one to go to UW-Madison. To me, that’s surprising—my school is right here in Wisconsin, just two hours away in Milwaukee. I saw CAE mentioned in my acceptance letter. I didn’t know what that was. I did participate in SCE [Summer Collegiate Experience, for incoming first-gen students]. But even that didn’t really prepare me—I was pretty lost at first. It wasn’t until I came to CAE and met a few people there—including my advisor and Rachel, my current boss, that I began to feel more connection. Working for CAE has helped me find my groove. I developed a sense of stability in my new environment. CAE not only put me onto a few jobs, they put me onto my fraternity, too. I met a lot of people through CAE. And those people were like me.
Whenever I have imposter syndrome, and I start feeling like I can’t do it, and asking myself what am I doing here, someone at CAE will say, 'But you are doing it.' And look at me now: graduating in May.
What I would tell a freshman: Who you are now does not determine who you will be. In high school, I thought: Is this all there is for me? Coming to college, I have been able to explore so much, and I realize that, yeah, there are going to be a lot of things I can do. I am an English/Creative Writing major and a Communication Arts/Radio, TV and Film major. CAE set me up with career and academic career advising. My resume is ready to go!"
