Program Expectations & Campus Engagement Opportunities

Sample Participation Plan – First Year through Graduation

NDGNS UW will help you connect with programming and resources to succeed, grow, and thrive during your time at UW! Scholars work with us to plan ahead and customize a participation plan that reflects their own interests, goals, and needs – from your first year through graduation! NDGNS UW scholars are required to participate in one approved activity each Fall and Spring semester. Some opportunities run a full calendar or academic year, while others are for one semester or term.

Below is a suggested engagement plan for NDGNS UW scholars, from your first year at UW-Madison through graduation. This plan highlights how a student could realistically participate in additional opportunities, if desired (listed as “optional” in this sample plan).

Year 1 – Get to know campus and start to develop a support network

• Apply to live in the NDGNS Community in Housing for Fall and Spring (meets participation requirement)
• Enroll in CP125 for Fall (optional), and/or
• Enroll in Earth Partnership: Indigenous Arts & Sciences FIG (optional)
• Enroll in American Indian & Indigenous Studies course for Spring (optional)

First-year participation expectations:

NDGNS UW is designed to enhance your undergraduate experience, not add unmanageable responsibilities above and beyond academics. There are expectations that scholars must meet of being actively engaged to fully take advantage of our network of ongoing support, encouragement, and experiences that will enhance your academic success and experience at UW-Madison. We also recognize that each scholar is unique, and that your first-year in particular is a time to learn how to balance responsibilities and to build trust in yourself while learning your own capacity and developing healthy boundaries for commitments. 

We encourage scholars to participate in one campus activity per week. Some approved campus engagement options will easily allow you to meet this, some may offer less frequent engagement. You can look at the NDGNS UW event calendar (on Canvas) for additional opportunities. The four required events for all NDGNS UW scholars, and mentorship/advisor meetings for first-year students, count as participation.

There may be times when you have more than one activity per week, and times you cannot participate at all during a week. The most important thing is that you fill out the bi-weekly NDGNS UW reflection forms. If you miss participation for a week due to class/academic needs/illness, etc., you should still fill it out! If you have a week of no participation, let us know why in your reflection. You will still be able to use this opportunity to reflect on how your semester is going overall. The reflections help us check in with you on a regular basis, and offer support if needed. They are also a major part of your application to the NATIVE fellowship in future years, and consistency in completing your reflections equally as important as active program participation.

Year 2 – Engage in meaningful campus experiences, while having plenty of time to focus on academics

Think about summer or winter opportunities to gain new experiences.

It’s never too early to start thinking about and preparing for what’s next, including grad school or professional degree programs!

• NATIVE Fellowship (meets participation requirement)
• Study abroad during the Winter term (optional)
• Apply for a Summer research opportunity (optional)

Participation expectations for second-year students and above:

Native Fellows, please review our fellowship participation expectations.

All other NDGNS UW scholars are expected to fill out the bi-weekly NDGNS UW reflections, demonstrating how you have been actively engaged in campus programming over the past two week period. Our scholars can be engaged in a wide variety of activities on campus – this is our way to check in with you and see how you’re doing.

Year 3 – Focus on academics, nurture relationships you’ve built, and gain new experiences

What do you still want to gain from your undergraduate experience? Start thinking about after graduation, and what opportunities will position you for success.

• NATIVE Fellowship (meets participation requirement)
• Apply for a research opportunity (optional – Fall, Winter, or Spring)
• Apply for a Summer internship (optional)

Years 4+: You’re getting closer to graduation!

What opportunities will enrich your professional or academic experience, and add to your resume?

• Another campus engagement option, such as:
  • McNair Scholars Program (begins in late Spring, through graduation), or
  • Tribal Court Legal Advocacy Certificate

This is just one example of what an NDGNS UW scholar’s plan could look like, choosing from our approved engagement options. Each individual student’s plan will vary. NDGNS UW encourages active campus involvement, while allowing flexibility for the differing interests, needs, goals, and capacity that scholars have.

For example, a first-year scholar may not want to live in a Learning or Theme Community, and may already have a full academic course-load. They may choose to enroll in the one-credit CP125, and this alone would fulfill their participation requirement for Fall. Or, they may choose to actively participate in a Registered Student Organization, or Indigenous Language Tables.

NATIVE Fellowship Detailed Two Year Participation Plan

Suggested Courses

This section is primarily intended for first-year students, but may also be helpful for second year students and above.

We encourage scholars – particularly in their first year – to consider certain coursework as part of their NDGNS UW engagement plan. There are reasons we choose certain courses, some of which build on and complement each other.

This section is intended as a general guide only. Scholars should always discuss for-credit courses and verify how they fit into their academic plan with an academic advisor. You will be assigned to meet with an academic advisor at SOAR to select courses for your first semester at UW-Madison. Once you are on campus, you can find your academic advisor in your MyUW Student Center.

NDGNS UW staff are not academic advisors. We do not provide individual guidance to students on degree planning or which courses to select.

CP125 – NDGNS UW Section 028 for Fall

Counseling Psychology 125 is a great way to learn more about resources to succeed on campus, while meeting other students and staff in the NDGNS UW program! It’s a one credit course designed specifically for first-year students, and can be easily be incorporated into full credit load for most students. We highly recommend that all first-year students consider CP125!

Email us for permission to enroll in NDGNS UW CP125 – Section 028

If our section doesn’t fit your schedule, or you’re in a program that requires a different section of CP125, you may enroll in a different section.

Center for Healthy Minds – The Art & Science of Human Flourishing

This course is intended for first-year students. It’s a semester-long academic and skills-based course which supports student mental health, well-being and overall flourishing – all goals that NDGNS UW promotes. Watch this short video featuring Yelih, and NDGNS UW alum, to learn more!

Ethnic Studies and the Leadership Certificate

All UW-Madison undergraduates complete 3 credits of coursework in Ethnic Studies as part of their General Education Requirements.

As part of our NATIVE Fellowship, scholars work on tasks that lead to completion of a non-academic Leadership Certificate.

As part of the Leadership Certificate, scholars complete coursework in the categories of Global and Cultural Competence or Leadership Studies. NDGNS UW lists these categories under “Additional courses to consider” – read on to learn why.

The Leadership Certificate will accept any course that is designated as Ethnic Studies as meeting their “Global and Cultural Competence” criteria. This means that you can fulfill this requirement for the Leadership Certificate while also fulfilling a general education requirement of the University, rather than having to take an additional course specifically for the Leadership Certificate. And, you can complete this course in your first year at UW-Madison if you choose, prior to beginning other work for the Leadership Certificate. Earlier is typically better, as most students will work on general education requirements before moving into major coursework.

Now, we will share more about some of our suggested courses that fulfill the Ethnic Studies requirement.

First Year Interest Groups (FIGs) 

FIGs are open to first year students only, and are only offered in the Fall. FIGs are a great way to create connections on campus, while completing coursework that fulfills various general education requirements, and offering the opportunity exploring a specific academic interest! FIGs are groups of usually three classes, taken with a small cohort of students in the Fall semester of your freshman year.

There are two FIGs in particular that we suggest choosing from. Both of these FIGs align with our program values, and include courses that fulfill the Ethnic Studies and other general education requirements:

• Earth Partnership: Indigenous Arts & Sciences
• Listening to Land: Indigenous Education & Foodways

You may consider any other FIGs – there are over 60 to choose from! Different FIGs will fulfill different academic requirements – so be sure to discuss the FIGs you are interested in with your academic advisor at SOAR.

FIGs are highly encouraged for first year students, and your first Fall semester at UW-Madison is your ONLY chance to have this experience!

American Indian & Indigenous Studies (AIIS)

In alignment with our program values, we highly encourage all NDGNS UW scholars to consider completing at least two courses in AIIS; one Indigenous language course and one non-language course.

Non-language AIIS courses will nearly always meet the Ethnic Studies designation (always verify course designations in MyUW Course Search & Enroll or with your academic advisor).

If you do not take one of our suggested FIGS, and still need to fulfill your UW-Madison General Education Ethnic Studies requirement, courses in AIIS are a great option for NDGNS UW scholars!

We highly encourage our scholars to engage in continued learning through American Indian & Indigenous Studies course offerings! They offer a Certificate, which is popular with NDGNS UW scholars.

NDGNS UW does not require students to complete any coursework. All courses we list as program engagement options are suggested only. Non-course participation options are always available to all NDGNS UW students.

The NATIVE fellowship is structured to allow students to complete a non-academic Leadership Certificate, by breaking tasks towards completion of the certificate into manageable steps throughout the year. Final completion of the Leadership Certificate is not required by NDGNS UW, although regular NATIVE participation and following our program engagement will allow scholars to complete the majority of tasks required for the certificate. Activities that are required for payment of NATIVE fellowship stipends do not include any coursework.