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News & Events

Community & Organizational Development major prepares students to change the world

A student speaks from their seat during a Community & Organizational Development class.

Story by Carolee Dodge Francis, Ecology of Human Well-Being Professor and chair of the School of Human Ecology Civil Society & Community Studies Department

Human Ecologists are constantly adapting to the ever-changing conditions of our environments and evolving to meet the challenges of our time.

A recent example of adapting to thrive within our own educational programs is our newly renamed Community & Organizational Development major, formerly named Community & Nonprofit Leadership.

While it’s true that our degree program is well known for preparing students for thriving careers in the nonprofit sector, our graduates are also finding phenomenal career success at many other types of organizations and settings, including businesses, government agencies, cities, hospitals/health care, museums, social justice movements, advocacy campaigns, higher education and more.

Feedback from our students and alumni helped us understand how the former name (Community & Nonprofit Leadership) did not reflect the full scope of what is being learned through coursework, projects and internships, as well as the wide array of careers our graduates pursue.

“I came into the program with the intention of working with nonprofit organizations because of their impact in civil society, but I ended up seeing more opportunities outside of nonprofit work to also make that impact.”         – Student survey comment

The new name — Community & Organizational Development — better reflects how our students and our program are changing, including new courses and career pathways, and it emphasizes how organizations and communities are central to developing and advancing progress.

Our students bring diverse interests and passions to our program, and each is drawn to the opportunity to learn how to create positive and lasting change. Our program is proud to boast several nationally acclaimed Truman Scholars and many campus notable grads. Our graduates are connected to a global network of extraordinary alumni who have built thriving and meaningful careers that are making a difference.

A Native American Indian woman, with light brown curly hair, wearing a royal blue dress with silver beads.
Carolee Dodge Francis, Ecology of Human Well-Being Professor and School of Human Ecology chair of Civil Society & Community Studies Department

Both the breadth and depth of our program are points of pride, and because of it, our graduates are prepared to lead and problem solve from day one. There is no limit to what they can accomplish. It fills me with great hope for the future to imagine the possibilities with more professional changemakers in the world.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this process!

On, Wisconsin!

To learn more, please visit our Community & Organizational Development major page or contact our Advising & Career Center.