The new William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center on Central Campus was created and designed to be an inclusive environment.
The interior walls of the first-floor lounge are lined with screen-printed images of student activism on campus that dates back to the 1960s.
The main staircase is accented with 558 photos of current University of Michigan students to represent the diversity of the student body.
Throughout the 20,000-square-foot building, brightly colored, mid-century-modern-style furniture is set off by abstract art and a muraled Desmond Tutu quote that promotes respect.
On Thursday, the U-M community is invited to celebrate the Trotter Multicultural Center opening in a new location at 428 S. State Street. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to learn more about the center begins at 11 a.m.
The $10 million center is prominently located near the heart of Central Campus, just a short walk from the Michigan Union. It will serve students of many cultural identities and is planned to be a home dedicated to celebrating and fostering U-M’s diversity in a way that is inclusive and more visible.
“This is a historic occasion, not just for the University of Michigan, but for our students and graduates, the society we serve and the shared future we hope to create,” President Mark Schlissel said.
“The Trotter Multicultural Center shows us the potential of what we can be, as a great public university, and what we must do together, to advance our values of excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Named after African-American civil rights activist William Monroe Trotter, the Trotter Center is recognized as the product of student resilience and activism. Inspired by the advocacy of the Black Student Union and with the support of campus leadership, the new facility replaces the center’s 11,000-square-foot Washtenaw Avenue location, which had been its home since 1972.
“Our students spoke up, and showed up, calling not just for a building, but for a home, the kind where they could connect with the history and energy of students who came before,” said E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life.
Visitors to the Trotter Multicultural Center are greeted by a wall of photos that feature current U-M students, reflecting the diversity of hte student body. (Photo by Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography)
The new facility features a variety of rooms including academic, meeting and performance practice spaces, group spaces for student organizations, a full kitchen, an outdoor roof-top garden, office space, a prayer/meditation room, and a foot bathing station — the first on Ann Arbor’s campus.
To maintain the history and significance of the Trotter Multicultural Center, students led and were actively involved in the entire updating process, including the selection of the location, interior design and determining the optimal use of the space.
The new Trotter Center building aspires to exemplify the student activism that produced it by providing its traditional staple programming, uplifting the memory of William Monroe Trotter’s activism and living into its tradition of being a home away from home, said Julio Cardona, who was appointed director of the Trotter Center last July.
“The center aims to provide an educational space that empowers diversity and uses social justice as a foundation for its commitment to the recruitment, retention and success of students,” Cardona said.
This article originally appeared in the April 8 edition of The University Record
The University of Michigan is organizing three Student Community Conversation events on March 25, 27 and April 2. Each event provides students with an interactive opportunity to share their ideas and experiences in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at U-M.
These events will help to generate feedback that will be shared with leadership and schools, colleges and units across U-M to shape the future of our DEI plans.
“Student input is one of our top priorities,” says Katrina Wade-Golden, Deputy Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Implementation for the DEI Strategic Plan. “As our student population evolves, it’s critical that we continue to gather their ideas and feedback in an effort to make U-M a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place for the present and future.”
The student engagement sessions include food/giveaway items, and are scheduled for:
• Monday, March 25, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Pierpont Commons, East
• Wednesday, March 27, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Couzens Hall, Multipurpose Room
• Tuesday, April 2, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Rackham Assembly Hall
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For accommodations or more information, contact Mary Rose ([email protected]) from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
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On Monday, March 25, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host the 2019 Nancy Cantor Lecture – What is Diversity Worth in Higher Education? at 4 p.m. in the Rackham Amphitheater.
The Nancy Cantor Distinguished Lectureship on Intellectual Diversity honors Cantor, former U-M provost, for her outstanding contributions to the University community and unwavering commitment to diversity.
This year’s lecture panel will focus on the investment of diversity in higher education and its outcomes. Moderated by Earl Lewis, panelists include Mark Perry, UM-Flint Professor of economics and finance; Rick Sander, UCLA Professor of Law; Margo Schlanger, U-M Professor of Law; and Roger Worthington, former Chief Diversity officer for University of Maryland -College Park.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR AND PANELISTS
Earl Lewis is noted social historian, author and academic leader who rejoined the University of Michigan faculty in March 2019 following his term as President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation A professor of history and Afroamerican and African Studies, Lewis is a passionate advocate of the arts, humanities and higher education. [MORE]
Mark Perry is a professor of economics and finance in the School of Management at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in economics and finance since 1996. Perry is also an American Enterprise Institute Scholar, and creator and editor of the economics blog Carpe Diem. [MORE]
Margo Schlanger is the Wade H. and Dores M. McCree Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan. She is a leading authority on civil rights issues and civil and criminal detention who joined the Law School faculty in 2009. Schlanger founded and heads the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. [MORE]
Richard Sander, is an economist and professor of law at UCLA. He is a leading authority on two issues where race, law, and social policy intersect: affirmative action in higher education, and the persistence of housing segregation in urban America. [MORE]
Roger Worthington, is the founder and executive director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education and professor in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. Worthington was a founding member of the board of directors for the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, served as chief diversity officer at two public research universities, and is the principal author of the Standards of Professional Practice for CDOs. [MORE]
Organizations need both diversity and inclusion to be successful. That was the sentiment shared Friday by a panel of business and university leaders convened during the 37th Annual Women of Color Task Force Career Conference.
Special guest Cynthia H. Bowman, chief diversity and inclusion officer for Bank of America, highlighted a few of the strategies the financial giant uses to foster inclusive work environments, where all employees feel they are truly welcome, safe and free to be themselves in the workplace.
As an overall strategy, the company wants its workforce to mirror the communities it serves, Bowman said.
“This is not just about the right thing to do,” she said. “The fact is, it’s imperative for our business and for us to be a viable organization.”
university and banking institution are vastly different, the group shared general principles and practices that any organization can strive for to move beyond diversity to inclusion and equity.
An organization’s leadership plays an important role in creating a workplace culture that welcomes all employees, Thomas said.
Thomas praised President Mark Schlissel for his commitment to diversity and his approach to ensuring the university is cultivating an inclusive and equitable campus.
“This president asked to hear every voice,” she said. “He challenged us to make this a grassroots, as much as a top-down, commitment. He has been courageous in the commitment he is leading to make this campus leaders and best in the journey to inclusion.”
Thomas explained that prior to the launch of the university’s five-year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, university leaders called for input from the entire campus community to learn what people’s experiences were. They did so with the belief that the best ideas are typically among the people that carry out the university’s mission on the front lines, every single day.
Along with a strong dedication from leadership, the panel noted that in order for an organization to excel, employees must feel valued, respected, accepted and encouraged to fully participate in the organization.
The group discussed how conversations about diversity and inclusion can be awkward and sometimes even painful. But getting through discomfort is a necessary first step toward employees gaining perspective and understanding among one another.
Through a program called Courageous Conversations, Bank of America encourages its employees, clients and community partners to have an open dialogue on important, societal topics as a way to foster deeper learning and understanding Bowman said.
“It’s usually not about right or wrong, but about people sharing their stories,” Bowman said. “The power of telling a story is incredibly impactful. What these conversations are doing I think, is creating empathy and understanding around differences.”
Lastly, the panel stressed the idea that diversity and inclusion cannot be viewed as simply “’checking off boxes.” Successful diversity and inclusion efforts require investment — a proactive commitment of tangible resources to enhance the recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse professionals.
“You can’t have progress without investment,” Das said. “If we are going to make some change, we have to invest.”
Innovation drives new ideas, creativity, and belief in the potential to improve. Dr. Robert Sellers, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, has encouraged the University community to think big about innovation.
With the establishment of the DEI Innovation fund, supported by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, these grants aim to support faculty, staff and student projects. The goals are to approach DEI opportunities and challenges with an innovative lens at the University of Michigan.
This opportunity supports projects that have already been implemented and are looking to expand, or those seeking to fund long-term, transformative change.
NEW PROJECT AIMS FOR CHANGES IN MEDICAL PERSONEL REPRESENTATION
A newer initiative, the Mentorship-led Pipeline Program Between the U-M Medical School and Kellogg Eye Center, is driven to address minority representation in ophthalmology, and to develop a more diverse pool of applicants for residency programs.
“The number one thing is providing good mentorship for underrepresented minorities,” says Dr. Shahzad Mian, Ophthalmologist and Principle Investigator of the project. “[Mentees] can ask questions, gain exposure, and learn to be good students and be good stewards.”
Through the mentorship program, the goal of increasing the level of diversity among ophthalmologists aims to represent better the patient populations they serve and help reduce inequalities in vision care.
“Our goal is to have some of [the students], if not most of them, pursue careers in ophthalmology so we can increase the number of optimists who come from underrepresented minority backgrounds, therefore addressing the issue of patient care.”
The program includes core areas of support, such as recruitment, mentorship, surgical simulation, and networking, all of which are made possible with the assistance of the DEI Innovation Grant fund.
“It’s impacted [the program] immensely,” says Mian. “We wouldn’t be able to get things started – it takes funds to be able to organize actives for the students and residents and to give them the appropriate mentorship they need. Our hope is that this will generate better discussion on healthcare disparities [and] support for students to pursue careers in ophthalmology – to help build the field, and be truly representative of our patient population.”
LONG-STANDING PROJECTS BENEFIT, ADAPT WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
The Gender Consciousness Project (GCP): Girls Learn Resistance to Gender Injustice Starting in High School, is a faculty-led initiative that aims to cultivate long-lasting, cultural change.
Established in 2000, GCP is a grassroots program that develops awareness surrounding the complexities of gender discrimination. The program recently completed its second year impacting high school-aged young women in Ypsilanti, Belleville and Ann Arbor.
“What we do is try to get the girls [to] not really look at the injustices, but how they participate in the injustices themselves,” says Nesha Haniff, Ph.D., principal investigator for GCP.
The program also addresses issues of race, religion and ethnicity, all of which Haniff says must be part of the conversation when addressing gender injustice.
GCP students attending U-M continue their involvement with the program as engaged learning interns through the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) in the School of Literature, Science and Arts (LSA).
As an ongoing program, continuing support is essential.
“The Innovation Grant helps pay students who work with the committee,” says Haniff.” “We got a grant of $10,000, but the work we have done in these schools and these communities is much larger than that.”
Another ongoing initiative receiving Innovation Grant funding support is the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP). Founded nearly three decades ago, PCAP brings those impacted by the justice system and the University of Michigan community into artistic collaboration for mutual learning and growth.
The program reaches thousands of people each year through five undergraduate courses and weekly creative arts workshops in 16 prisons and youth detention and treatment centers. Additionally, an annual literary journal, arts program for individuals released from prison, and a theatre exchange program with two universities in Brazil, make up core components of the project.
A cornerstone of the initiative, the Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners, now in its 24th year, is one of the most extensive exhibits of its kind in the world. It brings the work of nearly 600 artists to the Duderstadt Gallery for a two-week show.
Vanessa Mayesky, Associate Director of the Prison Creative Arts Project, has witnessed the positive impact of PCAP.
image courtesy of lsa.umich.edu
“PCAP offers an authentic way for people who might not otherwise meet, to connect with, and learn from one another,” she says. “This collaborative approach is what first drew me in as an undergrad and what has kept me involved in the years since.”
While the program has been a staple of LSA for nearly 30 years, the DEI Innovation Grant, which funded a new curatorial direction for the Annual Exhibition at a pivotal time for PCAP, was essential as two tenured faculty-curators retired.
“We needed to build a more inclusive and sustainable curatorial process,” says Mayesky. “We used the Innovation Grant to move from centering the curatorial work around two faculty members to a team approach that includes formerly incarcerated artists, students, staff and artists from the community. Our curator group has brought new perspectives to the artistic direction of the exhibit and new ideas.”
The impact of the new curation approach can be experienced March 20 – April 3 at the PCAP 24th Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners.
To learn more about DEI Innovation Grant opportunities, visit myumi.ch/LBY58.
To encourage campus-wide efforts that promote, enhance and celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion, the Office Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has established a dedicated DE&I Innovation Fund to support projects that advance an innovative approach to DEI at U-M.
The recommended average size of grants should range between $2,000 and $5,000. Students, staff and faculty are eligible to apply. Requests of up to $10,000 may be considered under unique circumstances. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2019; funds are available upon approval of the application and are to be expensed by June 30, 2020.
Funding Criteria
In the spring of 2016, Michole Washington became only the ninth African-American woman to graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics.
Despite Georgia Tech’s location in Atlanta — a city with a 54 percent African-American population that proudly fosters and celebrates the educational, political and economic achievements of black people —Washington’s position in its history books is not all that surprising.
Now, as a current University of Michigan student pursuing a master’s in applied mathematics and doctorate in mathematics education, Washington recently attended the Marjorie Lee Browne Colloquium, an event hosted annually by the Department of Mathematics during the university’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium. Browne was U-M’s first known African-American woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics in 1950.
Washington attended the event to discuss the barriers that prevent girls from underrepresented groups from excelling in math, as well as the strategies to overcome them. She said her pursuit of math spawned from the need to escape a tumultuous home environment.
“I’d literally go to the library and work on math problems all day,” Washington said. “I’d go in the summer and do math problems because I didn’t want to deal with what was happening at home. I did that year after year after year and ultimately ended up being ahead in math at every grade level.”
Women of color are still significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. According to the National Science Foundation, few women and even fewer African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans complete doctoral degrees in mathematics. And while Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native American people represent a quarter of the U.S. population, they earn less than 5 percent of the doctorate degrees in the mathematical sciences.
Washington said that for progress to be made, black girls like her need the resources, support and opportunities to succeed.
Research from the American Association of University Women has shown girls can excel in STEM subjects when they feel confident in their math and science skills. African-American girls actually begin showing an inclination toward these fields earlier than their peers, according to the research
Suzanne L. Weekes, professor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute was the keynote lecturer for the colloquium and focused her presentation on challenging the ideas of the stereotypical mathematician and creating an environment within the math community that is welcoming to diversity and inclusion.
“We all deserve a seat at the table,” said Weekes, the second known black woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics and scientific computing from U-M. “We all deserve the right to be mathematicians. We have to make sure we are leaving behind or creating space where everyone feels welcomed to take their place.”
Weekes has lived out this advice by founding and co-directing the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Undergraduate Program (MSRI-UP), a comprehensive program for undergraduates that aims to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in mathematics graduate programs by providing research opportunities, long-term support and mentorship.
During the talk, Weekes also emphasized the significance of mentorships and the development of a professional network — both elements Washington said she initially lacked.
“They only way I got through my undergraduate program was by pushing myself,” said Washington. “People would often say to me ‘I don’t know why you just don’t switch your major,’ and ‘I don’t know why you just don’t do something else,’ but nothing else made sense to me.”
“I had to keep reminding myself,” she said. “I had to keep thinking back to those summers in the library.”
In attempt to alter that experience for a generation of black girls that will come after her, Washington created Afrithmetic, a math tutoring company. She also works to develop relationships with like-minded women such as Brittany Rhodes.
Rhodes holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Spelman College and recently founded Black Girl MATHgic, the first and only monthly subscription box dedicated to inspiring math confidence and alleviating math anxiety in black girls.
Rhodes and Washington connected with one another on Instagram and met in person for the first time at the colloquium.
“There are a number of factors that disadvantage girls – especially black girls – that can stifle their pursuit of STEM fields,” said Rhodes. “I always say, ‘you can’t have STEM without the M.’ Math is a critical element in science, engineering and technology.”
Rhodes said she created Black Girl MATHgic, which targets African-American girls ages 8-16, in an effort to increase their mathematics confidence and aptitude.
“I want to assist in the creation of many more Marjorie Lee Brownes, Professor Suzanne Weekeses and Michole Washingtons.”
Black Girl MATHgic will launch in the Spring.
To track Washington’s journey to her doctorate, follow her on Instagram at @mathematichole, and to learn more about Black Girl MATHgic visit www.blackgirlmathgicbox.com.
Named in honor of Dean Emeritus of the School of Social Work, this award was established in 1996. It recognizes faculty whose service goes above and beyond their regular duties and contributes to the development of a culturally and ethnically diverse campus community.
Nominations will be accepted for all regular instructional and research faculty, including librarians, curators, and archivists on the Ann Arbor campus (including the Medical School).
Nominations can be made by faculty, staff, and students, and must include a nomination letter, which should not exceed 2,000 words.
The nomination letter should explain the particular distinction that makes the nominee exceptionally qualified for this honor using one or more of the following criteria:
The nomination letter may incorporate quotations from former and current students, peers, faculty, and communities impacted by the nominee’s work.
Up to five awards are made annually, which includes a $5,000 stipend for each honoree.
Nominations must include the nomination form, a letter from the nominator regarding the nominee’s service and accomplishments in the areas described above, and a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vita.
Please send the nomination packets as a single PDF to: [email protected]
Nomination deadline: March 23
If you have questions, please call Laura Harrington at (734) 764-3982