American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference (AMSLC)

AMSLC Report Links: Background | Purpose | Core Functions | Funding | Planning | Registration & Logistics | Activities | Conclusion | Planning & Implementation Diagram (PDF) | Planning and Implementation Checklist (PDF)

American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference (AMSLC)
The University of Wisconsin System
Report of the AMSLC Workgroup August 2006

This report serves as a guiding document for UW System and its institutions to provide consistency and continuity in the future planning and implementation of the American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference (AMSLC). The report provides background information on the conference, its purpose and core functions, and an overview of the planning and implementation process, which includes the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the conference.

Background

Since 1983, AMSLC has been fostering leadership and excellence among Wisconsin students of color and economically disadvantaged students by providing them with the opportunity to come together each year to engage in lively discussions, hear motivational speakers, develop networks, and celebrate their achievements. The conference was previously held in the spring. However, the time of year was changed to the fall in order to avoid conflicting with American Indian celebrations in the spring. Although student participants are primarily from UW institutions, host institutions may invite students of color and economically disadvantaged students from private Wisconsin colleges.

The conference is traditionally hosted by a different UW institution each year. Future AMSLC locations and host campuses are:

• October 13-15, 2006 at UW-Milwaukee
• October 2007 at UW-Whitewater
• October 2008 at UW-Oshkosh
• October 2009 at UW-Stevens Point
• October 2010 at UW-Platteville

In the recent past, AMSLC has received corporate sponsorship from companies such as JohnsonDiversey, Walgreens, American Family Insurance, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and M & I Bank from 2002 through 2005. Economic challenges in the private sector coupled with shrinking state support for higher education prompted the establishment of an AMSLC Workgroup in April 2005 to review the primary purpose and functions of AMSLC, including the funding structure.

The Workgroup is composed of Multicultural/Disadvantaged Coordinators and Precollege Directors from across UW institutions as well as staff from the UW System Office of Academic Diversity and Development:

Vicki Washington, UW System
Christa Bruhn, UW System
Barbara Stewart, UW-La Crosse
Al Thompson, UW-La Crosse
Ruby Parades, UW-Madison
Linda Huang, UW-Milwaukee
Bridgette Johnson, UW-Parkside
Carlos Wiley, UW-Platteville
Chip Beal, UW-Superior
Richard McGregory, UW-Whitewater
Roger Pulliam, UW-Whitewater

In June 2005, the AMSLC Workgroup discussed the history and development of AMSLC and began to formulate recommendations for the future of AMSLC. Then in August 2005 at the Multicultural/Disadvantaged and Precollege Director Joint Meeting, the Workgroup solicited input from meeting participants in order to inform its work. The Workgroup incorporated this feedback into final recommendations for AMSLC, which were shared with the group at the Multicultural/Disadvantaged and Precollege Director Joint Meeting in December 2005. This report provides a summary of the Workgroup’s findings as well as recommendations and guidelines for future UW hosts of the conference. UW-Milwaukee is the first UW institution to host AMSLC since the proposed changes.