The Department of Sociology is a close-knit community of students, faculty, and staff. We teach thousands of students every year about topics like marriage and family, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, research methods, and statistical analysis, all through a sociological lens. We pursue research that is leading many sociological subfields in new directions, and public service is one of our key values. In the tradition of William H. Sewell, we value and promote methodological, social, and cultural diversity; basic human decency to others at all times; and excellence in everything we do.
How your gifts make an impact
The Graduate Student Support Fund helps to sustain graduate training and research in sociology. Grad students are the lifeblood of our department: they teach many undergraduate classes, conduct research with faculty members, and are valued members of our community. They are the next generation of scholars and teachers in our field; they embody who we are as a department.
It’s expensive to be a grad student. Along with tuition and living expenses, grad students often need to travel to perform field research and present research findings at conferences. Travel expenses add up quickly, and both field research and conferences are essential to a graduate student’s career. Conferences provide opportunities to present their work, improve their research by receiving feedback from others, and make connections with other sociologists who might play an important part in their future careers. The skills and networks our students develop prepare them for careers in academia and beyond. Between significant cuts to grant revenue and the budgetary constraints we are facing due to political choices beyond our control, the funding we are able to offer our graduate students for travel have substantially declined.
Why we need your support
We are facing extreme uncertainty around federal research funding; that uncertainty has rippled through higher education as an industry and this campus in particular. State support has not kept pace with the needs of the university and we are facing campus-wide budget cuts of 5-7% for the upcoming fiscal year.
We are determined to continue to champion the extraordinary people that make up our department. Our students, staff, and faculty continue to excel despite many challenges. At this year’s American Sociological Association annual meeting, several UW Sociology members presented research, received awards, and were elected to leadership roles. In part due to the generosity of those who contributed to last year’s campaign, we were also able to bring ten of our undergraduates to the conference! Staff are navigating major structural changes in both the University of Wisconsin System and the College of Letters & Science. The members of this department have demonstrated creative problem solving and extraordinary perseverance. You support is vital for maintaining the quality of our graduate program and, through their work as instructors and mentors, enriching the undergraduate experience at UW Madison.
Now more than ever we need your help to sustain the next generation of research, teachers, and leaders in the field of sociology. Thanks for all you do to maintain our community!