How do you successfully develop a diverse, equitable and inclusive community? The University of Michigan aims to answer this question through the activities of the fall 2017 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit, part of the ongoing DEI efforts campuswide.
As a recent undergraduate student at U-M, Sheena Bahroloomi often found it difficult to keep her grades up due to a combination of factors — including a challenging workload, a lack of confidence in her academic abilities and other personal obligations.
“Even though I always knew that I wanted to be a physician, there were definitely times where I questioned the path that I was on,” said Bahroloomi, a U-M graduate who is now interviewing at medical schools across the country. “In 2013 and 2014 — when I was a freshman and sophomore — my struggles in science classes clouded the clear vision I once had regarding my ambition to become a doctor.”
Fortunately, Michigan Medicine offered Bahroloomi a chance to get where she wanted to be.
Read this article in its entirety on the Michigan Medicine website.
SHARE YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE | NOW – DECEMBER 15
[infobox color=”#EFEFEF” textcolor=”#5d91bf” icon=”book”]LEARN MORE: All-student survey seeks to assess campus climate on DEI[/infobox]
What is the All Student Climate Survey?
The University of Michigan is committed to the creation of scientifically valid metrics for monitoring the campus climate over time. To this end, starting on October 30, we’ll be launching the All Student Campus Climate Survey effort, which aims to gauge the climate regarding diversity, equity and inclusion among students on the Ann Arbor campus.
The web-based survey will help schools, colleges and units create a baseline for measuring climate in their local environments that can be repeated across time to measure progress toward established goals. It will also provide insight into key climate issues that warrant a deeper level of assessment.
When does the survey open and who can participate?
The All Student Climate Survey will be open from October 30 – December 8, 2017, and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. All students across the university are strongly encouraged to participate. The survey findings will provide critical information for assessing climate and will inform future DEI-related initiatives in every school, college and academic unit.
Is the survey confidential?
Yes. The U-M survey is completely confidential and voluntary. To ensure confidentiality, the survey is being managed and hosted by SoundRocket, a survey research firm based in Ann Arbor that specializes in large-scale institutional data collection and has particular expertise in web-based surveys. SoundRocket is a fully independent entity that is not affiliated with the U-M through owners, staff or board members. A contract between the U-M and SoundRocket specifically requires this level of confidentiality.
SoundRocket incorporates and enforces stringent privacy, confidentiality and ethical research practices in all research activities and goes beyond minimum requirements. SoundRocket ensures that respondent confidentiality is protected through a multifaceted approach that includes ongoing training (including employees, clients, subcontractors and other collaborators); robust data systems (using industry standard network security, logical access controls, monitoring and support); secure physical spaces (all SoundRocket property has physical barriers to access); and strict policies around data protections (including media handling, survey procedures, data transfers and ongoing risk identification).
All U-M faculty, staff, and student identifiable data will be destroyed by SoundRocket on contract termination, or sooner if requested by U-M and no further scope of work requires its use. SoundRocket is also bound by a survivability clause that includes confidentiality beyond termination of the contract. You can view their f ull privacy and confidentiality policy at soundrocket.com/privacy-confidentiality
What will the survey ask about?
The survey includes questions that provide students the opportunity to share their perspectives, opinions and experiences associated with diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, as well as questions about demographic and background characteristics.
How were the questions created?
Survey questions were developed over the course of the past year by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in consultation with a faculty advisory committee and a student/staff advisory committee. Subject matter experts from the campus community and survey research experts from the university’s Survey Research Center also collaborated on the development of the survey.
When will the results be available and how will they be used?
The survey findings will be available by Spring 2018 and will provide unit-level reports to help schools, colleges and other academic units that developed DEI strategic plans to measure those efforts over time. Note: the availability of reports will be predicated on a high enough response rate within each unit to protect respondent confidentiality.
How is this different from the climate survey last fall?
Starting in October 2016, the university surveyed a scientific sample of the campus community, including 3,500 students, 1,500 faculty members and 3,500 staff members across the university. The All Student Campus Climate Survey effort differs from the sampling effort because it is open to all students (undergraduate and graduate) at the university. These surveys will provide schools, colleges and other academic units with information about their local climates, whereas the earlier sampling effort provided university-level data.
As a reminder, no one at the university will have access to any identifying information, and every measure possible has been taken to ensure respondent confidentiality.
Recipients of the ninth annual Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award for University of Michigan staff were celebrated Tuesday at a breakfast ceremony at the Michigan Union.
The award recognizes individual staff members and teams for their extraordinary commitment and dedication to diversity at U-M.
Pamela Heatlie, senior associate director of the Office for Institutional Equity, served as master of ceremonies and recognized the outstanding support of Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity, inclusion and chief diversity officer, and Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources.
Read this article in its entirety on the University Record website.
The recipients of the 2017 Center for the Education of Women’s Carol Hollenshead Award for Excellence in Promoting Equity and Social Change are Katrina C. Wade-Golden, deputy chief diversity officer, and Trina R. Shanks, associate professor of social work.
The award, which honors retired CEW Director Carol Hollenshead and was presented Nov. 15 at the 2017 CEW Spectrum of Advocacy & Activism Symposium, is given annually to University of Michigan faculty and staff whose sustained efforts have resulted in greater equity in regard to gender, race, class, age, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Read this article in its entirety on the University Record website.
The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus was recognized among the best schools for veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement for 2018 by the Military Times.
The Military Times: Best Colleges 2018 is developed by Gannett’s Military Times, which provides news and critical information to U.S. military forces and veterans worldwide. Hundreds of universities and colleges apply to the list each year.
[infobox color=”#dddddd” textcolor=”#0a0a0a”]Lea la historia en español[/infobox]Grand Rapids native Sheila García fell in love with being a librarian while working with immigrants and the Latino community in her city’s library.
For Jesus Espinoza, it was helping community members navigate the digital work that did the trick.
And for Edras Rodríguez-Torres it was helping document the work of Puerto Rican civil rights advocates in Chicago that helped cement his love for working in a library.
All three arrived on campus this fall as the cohort of a new Resident Librarian program that focuses on diversity, part of a nationwide initiative to increase diversity within the ranks of academic and research libraries.
Read this article in its entirety on the University Record website.
Katrina Wade-Golden, director of implementation for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has been named to the new position of deputy chief diversity officer for the University of Michigan.
“Katrina has played an intricate and vital role in the success of the five-year strategic planning process at the University of Michigan,” says Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. “As we move into our second year of this universitywide effort, I am confident her dedication to DEI will continue to drive impactful and lasting change across our campus community.”
Wade-Golden’s appointment was formally announced at last week’s Community Assembly, part of the Diversity Summit week at U-M.
As deputy CDO and director of implementation, Wade-Golden provides critical support and leadership for the DEI strategic planning process, campuswide climate survey assessment, and assists Sellers with planning and execution of administrative processes.
Read this article in its entirety on the University Record website.
The University of Michigan hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday to officially launch construction on a new, $10 million William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center near the heart of Central Campus.
At the same time, a national search for a new Trotter director has been launched.
The center 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.
“The new Trotter Multicultural Center will be a new hub of hope for our campus, one that unites us as a community around our most cherished values: the inseparable values of diversity, equity, inclusion and academic excellence for the public good,” says President Mark Schlissel.
Read this article in its entirety on the University Record website.
