Words into Action: U-M’s Culture Journey | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Integrity. Respect. Inclusion. Equity. Diversity. Innovation.

These six words represent the values that the University of Michigan adopted in 2023 as the foundation of its culture. These values are more than just words—they are a commitment to creating an environment of trust, where everyone can strive toward their fullest potential. As highlighted on the Culture Journey website, these core values define who we are, shape our purpose, and serve as our guide for decisions, actions and relationships within the University.

What is perhaps most notable about those six guiding values is that three of them overlap with pivotal work that the University has prioritized since 2016, when it created the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and implemented the DEI Strategic Plan.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are intrinsically linked to the University of Michigan’s core values, and it has never been more apparent than in how it aligns with the Culture Journey.

“We wanted to make sure the values reflected what the community thought as a whole,” says Krista Stelmaszek, a performance consultant for Organizational Learning (OL) and a member of the Culture Journey team. “[They utilized] polling, town halls, community forums and focus groups to gauge what people felt U-M should be valuing. Diversity, equity and inclusion rose to the top.”

“DEI kept coming up. Should DEI be a single value, or should they be separate entities?” notes Lynn Carruthers, senior marketing communications specialist for Organizational Learning and the Culture Journey. “The response was they should be separated and looked at individually.”

Both Carruthers and Stelmaszek credit the foundation and infrastructure from the first DEI Strategic Plan—DEI 1.0 (which ran from 2016-2022)—as creating the groundwork upon which these values can live.

DEI 1.0 gives us this roadmap—we’ve created an infrastructure for change…I think it says a lot about the organization’s commitment that [DEI] showed up as our values.

Krista Stelmaszek

“Would people have been so insistent about having those three words as our values? I think it says a lot about the organization’s commitment [to DEI] that those showed up as our values,” says Stelmaszek. “DEI 1.0 gives us this roadmap—we’ve created an infrastructure for change. How can we either model that or partner with that to make this culture change effort stick?”

Like the commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the Culture Journey began as a presidential initiative (with presidents Schlissel and Ono, respectively), signaling a long-term commitment to imbuing the entire U-M ecosystem with these values. Additionally, Vision 2034, another presidential initiative, uses these values in its framing, and Student Life has had a set of values in place that are closely related. Culture Journey has since been absorbed by Organizational Living, “weaving it into the fabric of everything we do here,” says Carruthers.

Currently in the socialization phase, the team recognizes that ingraining these values across the vast U-M network will take time. This effort is about more than just awareness—it’s about fostering a deep, shared understanding that transforms the university culture over time. Lightpole banners across campus that list the Culture Journey values on one side and DEI 2.0’s goals on the other are one example and one that continues to show the interconnectedness and synergy of DEI initiatives and the Culture Journey. These banners serve as a daily reminder of the university’s commitment to these principles, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the community’s minds.

Additional tools include educational resources on the Organizational Learning website, leadership development programs, a series of regular podcasts, a Culture Journey listserv, and the upcoming implementation of quarterly values, which is scheduled to begin in early 2025.

Reflects Stelmaszek about the work ahead, “a vision is somewhere you want to be. The values are the compass to get you there.”

To learn more about the impact of U-M’s culture journey, visit culturejourney.umich.edu.

In 1964, Justice Thurgood Marshall delivered the winter commencement address at the University of Michigan, emphasizing the vital role of free speech in fostering the progress of a democratic society. Six decades ago, Justice Marshall challenged the incoming generation to advocate fiercely for human rights and free speech. He underscored the arduous nature of this endeavor, stressing that genuine commitment to these principles necessitates sacrifice and relentless effort.

Unfortunately, there can be misconceptions that free speech on our campuses is sacrificed because of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and that one cannot support both DEI work and free speech. In reality, if those holding this belief had a more accurate and precise definition and understanding of DEI work, they would know otherwise.

As our campuses become more diverse in the ways we say we want, we should expect and welcome more diversity of thought, even diversity in what people think DEI is, should be, and how we should work toward those values. As we bring people in with diverse perspectives, our DEI work is foundational to educating university communities on how to use their free speech in ways that involve respect (challenging ideas, not the basic humanity of others) and to offer ways to engage even when ideas seem to conflict, even if there is vehement disagreement.

With regard to equity, if we support and protect free speech, we have to do so equitably across all communities. We can’t only protect the speech that we like; it also means protecting speech that we might find offensive or abhorrent. An equity-oriented approach to free speech means protecting the rights of those even with whom we disagree.

Where this implicates inclusion – inclusion should not be conflated with comfort or discomfort (e.g., if I feel discomfort, then I am not included). Inclusion means that community members feel valued, that their voice matters, that their presence matters, that they contribute to our environment, and that they have just as much right to use their voice as someone else. We can feel discomfort in learning new ideas and having our own ideas challenged and countered, but can still think that we’re an essential part of and included in a community.

It’s important to recognize that protecting free speech is not without its costs and tensions and that DEI work is hard work, as we see across our nation today. Indeed, speech can cause discomfort and harm; however, as educators, we have a responsibility to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment where ideas can be rigorously interrogated and tested, and students are pushed beyond their comfort zones. This kind of learning requires critical engagement, self-reflection and remarkable grace.

At the same time, free speech principles and DEI values call on us to consider both the rights and responsibilities of free speech and to weigh community health and harm – that is, just because we have the right to say something, does it mean we should? What is the purpose of expressing our views and in particular ways? How will our choices serve our goals and respect the humanity of others?

Higher education institutions are obliged to create and support spaces where diverse opinions can be offered and heard and flourish, not just simply hope that these voices emerge and that all perspectives are included. This is at the heart of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work.

The real test of our values and principles is whether we hold to them when it is not easy to do so. Indeed, all of higher education (and society) is being tested. Although challenging, the practices of DEI and free speech are worth it – as they are crucial in providing students with a superior education and equipping them to be effective contributors in a diverse democracy.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.