September 8, 2025

UW–Madison's Academic Structure: our data resource of the month and the focus of August's Badger Data Network

What is the Academic Structure? 

The Academic Structure represents the organization of UW-Madison's academics based on policies from the UW System Board of Regents, UW-Madison Faculty Policy and Procedures, and accreditation bodies. Academic units (departments) are approved through governance to offer courses, house tenured faculty members, and provide academic programs to students. 

What does the UW–Madison’s Academic Structure visualization show?  

UW–Madison’s Academic Structure visualization:
  • Lists the academic divisions (schools and colleges) and the academic departments within them. It includes the academic offerings of the institution, such as majors, certificates, and other academic plans and subplans within each department. You can also find which curricular subjects a department is responsible for. 
  • Provides a foundation of the institution’s structure that can connect across data domains and source systems. 
  • Includes identifiers, known as attributes, of schools and colleges, departments, and offerings that can be used for reporting and data analysis.

What are some examples of questions the visualization can answer? 

  • What are all of the academic offerings in a school/college, or department? 
  • Under what subjects are courses offered? Which department is responsible for a subject?
  • Which departments are eligible to be faculty tenure homes?

Recapping August's Badger Data Network—including how it is used in data and analysis.

During our August Badger Data Network session, we discussed UW–Madison’s academic structure in detail. Learn more.   

If you have questions about this visualization, email us. We are here to help.

Student privacy made simple: New resources from the Office of the Registrar
Several new and improved resources from the Office of the Registrar (RO) are available to help the University of Wisconsin–Madison community better understand the federal law governing student record privacy.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended – commonly known as FERPA – governs the privacy of student education records, access to those records, and disclosure of information from them.

Find out more.  

Bucky’s Data Viz Challenge: Share your visualization skills!
Are you a data storyteller eager to showcase your skills to the campus community? Are you a student looking for a fun way to highlight your data viz skills? Are you a researcher interested in new and innovative ways to communicate your research?

Bucky’s Data Viz Challenge provides a platform for UW–Madison students, faculty, and staff to showcase their creative data visualization skills. 

Check out the details for our student contest and faculty and staff competition. We are currently accepting entries. All entries must be received by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Headshot of Bucky Badger making a "W" with his hands.
Picture of badger in a red cloud depicting a network. Text indicates September 17 is the date for the next Badger Data Network gather.

Badger Data Network meeting details
Add to your calendar 

Date: Wednesday, September 17 from 10:00 to 10:50 am
Zoom link: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97601199317 
Zoom passcode: WeLoveData

We will cover two items in September.
  • Lonnie Morgan will have an update about data and reporting in Workday.
  • Lisa Johnston will highlight what we can expect to see over the next year for the data governance program.

Find out more about the Badger Data Network.

Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR)
 
 
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–MADISON
Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive  |  Madison, WI 53706
dapir@provost.wisc.edu
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