Year 1 Progress Report
Information Session
Thursday, October 24, 2024
9:00am – 10:30am
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invites you to a dynamic and thought-provoking session on our first year of progress on the university’s DEI 2.0 Plan. We will explore the strategies and initiatives in our initial year of implementation and discuss progress on the university’s campuswide action items and highlight some of our significant unit-level achievements.
Participants will be able to view this year’s presentation by CDO Tabbye Chavous by visiting our website at https://diversity.umich.edu where the event will be streamed live. Community members are encouraged to read the Year One Progress Report that will be released on October 15th.
The goals and major campuswide actions that will be highlighted are a reflection of the dedication and commitment exhibited by our community to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution. These goals are an outcome of feedback from students, faculty, and staff collected during outreach events which were analyzed and synthesized to identify key themes and priorities that define our approach.
More Centrally Sponsored Events
HEY, WE NEED TO TALK! | ART EXHIBIT
August 31, 2024 – February 9, 2025
UMMA Eleanor Noyes Crumpacker Gallery
Curated by Visiting Artist Philippa Pham Hughes, “Hey, We Need to Talk” at UMMA explores American identity through art and conversation. The exhibition features a vibrant wallpaper of 50 state flowers by artist Ouizi, symbolizing national unity, alongside selected works from UMMA’s collection. Through interactive social events, Hughes aims to strengthen democracy by encouraging visitors to engage in honest discussions about civic responsibility and national identity. The exhibition invites participants to contemplate personal and community flourishing, fostering new connections through the power of community, sustainability, dignity, and beauty.
CENTRAL CAMPUS VOTING HUB | VOTE AT UMMA 2024 U.S GENERAL ELECTION
September 24, 2024 – November 5, 2024
UMMA Multi-Purpose Room
In partnership with the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office, the Creative Campus Voting Project and the UMICH Votes Coalition, UMMA will once again be your election hub for the 2024 U.S. General Election. For the general election in November, UMMA will transform into a satellite location of the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office and a one-stop-shop for anyone looking to vote in Ann Arbor. Register to vote, update your registration, request an absentee ballot, and vote early! Throughout election season, the UMICH Votes Coalition will offer a range of special activities that include entertainment, artmaking, and snacks, and celebration to make your visit to the election hub fun! NEW for 2024: All Ann Arbor voters can vote early at UMMA from Oct 26 – Nov 3, 2024.
NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH (NDEAM) KICKOFF & RESOURCE FAIR
Thursday, October 3, 2024
10 am – 3 pm | Weiser Hall – 1010 | Register Here
Join the Disability Equity Office as we kick off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) 2024 with a meet and greet and resource fair on Thursday, October 3, 2024. You’ll meet representatives from various campus offices and disability groups who are working to advance inclusion and accessibility every day! Come for conversation, try ergonomic office items, and take a snack break as you learn more about the many opportunities to advance accessibility at U-M.
NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH (NDEAM) KEYNOTE: WORKING CRIPISTEMOLOGICALLY BY LIZA SYLVESTRE
Thursday, October 3, 2024
3 – 4 pm | Weiser Hall – 1010 | Register Here
Join us for the NDEAM keynote speaker, Liza Sylvestre, a deaf transdisciplinary artist, co-founder of Crip: Cripistemology and the Arts, and Research Assistant Professor within the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign as she discusses: Working Cripistemologically. “Crip moves away from the problem-solving approach to disability in the arts and towards a creative methodology that utilizes a Crip framework as an integral part of art critical discourse and production.”
“BRIEF TENDER LIGHT” FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION WITH FILMMAKER, ARTHUR MUSAH
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
5 – 6:30 pm (Film Screening) | 7 –8 pm (Discussion)
Hatcher Graduate Library Event Space | Register Here
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Join the International Center, the African Studies Center, and the U-M Library for a film screening and discussion on African student experiences with Ghanaian filmmaker, Arthur Musah. His documentary, “Brief Tender Light,” follows four undergraduate African students during and following their enrollment at MIT as they strive to become agents of change for their home countries Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Following the film screening, there will be a discussion with Arthur Musah moderated by Professor Omolade Adunbi, Director of the African Studies Center at U-M.
PENNY STAMPS SPEAKER SERIES – RADICAL CONVERSATIONS
Thursday, October 10, 2024
5:30 pm | Michigan Theater
In a divided society, embracing diverse perspectives can drive meaningful change. This panel explores how to foster honest, caring, and courageous conversations across boundaries, featuring insights from Professor Jenna Bednar and artists Pablo Helguera, Philippa Hughes, and Lexa Walsh. They will discuss the transition from transactional to relational public policy and reflect on American identity and societal flourishing. The event is presented in partnership with UMMA as part of VOTE2024 and the Creative Campus Voting Project through UMICH Votes.
WHO BELONGS? POLITICS OF IDENTITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
3 – 4:30 pm | Virtual Event | Register Here
The concept of belonging is increasingly replacing or complementing DEI initiatives, focusing on inclusive practices that support marginalized groups and foster equitable outcomes. This shift occurs amid targeted campaigns against DEI, affecting legislation and institutional practices. The panel will explore how belonging is constructed by individuals and institutions, examining the socio-political factors that shape identity, values, and acceptance. Scholars will discuss the structural nature of belonging and its impact on community and individual experiences, moderated by William Lopez and featuring panelists Natalie Mousakas, Sy Stokes, and Nira Yuval-Davis.
THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK PRESENTS: NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES REALIZING JUSTICE AND EQUITY IN THE LONG ARC OF HISTORY
Thursday, October 17, 2024
10 am – 11:30 pm | Michigan Union Rogel Ballroom & Zoom | Register Here
The Social Justice Changemaker Lecture was established by a generous gift from Dr. Neil C. Hawkins and Annmarie F. Hawkins and the Hawkins Family. This annual lecture focuses on important global social justice issues including race and nationality, immigration and refugees, income inequality, gender identity and sexual orientation, education, health, and mental and physical disabilities. The Social Justice Changemaker Lecture aims to bring prominent social justice experts and advocates from multiple disciplines including social sciences, science, humanities, the arts and other professions to the University of Michigan Campus.
KATIE BARNES: HOW DID WE GET HERE? QUEER AND TRANS ATHLETES IN SPORTS
Thursday, October 23, 2024
6:30 – 8 pm | UMMA Helmet Stern Auditorium
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Join us for an interview-style talkback and Q&A with ESPN sports journalist Katie Barnes who will discuss their work covering transgender student athletes. In addition to discussing their recent book, “Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates,” Katie will provide historical context on how we as a society have gotten to a place of anti-trans legislation that impacts the experiences of student athletes around the world.
JAMES S. JACKSON CAREER AWARD LECTURE
Monday, October 28, 2024
3 – 4:30 pm | Rackham Graduate School Amphitheatre | Register Here
The National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) are pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Sellers, the James S. Jackson Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Education, Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan, was selected as the 2023 recipient of the James S. Jackson Distinguished Career Award for Diversity Scholarship. On Monday, October 28, please join us as we honor Dr. Sellers with a series of insightful panels, a distinguished lecture, and celebratory activities.
TOWARD AN ANTI-ABLEIST ACADEMY CONFERENCE | KICKOFF AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
11 am – 1:30 pm | Palmer Commons Great Lakes Room 4th Floor | Register Here
Toward an Anti-Ableist Academy is a conference that invites the campus community to learn more about creating a welcoming University climate that actively works toward embracing disability culture and experiences. This year’s conference will feature keynote speaker: Bonnielin Swenor, PhD, MPH, BS who is the Founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center. Visit the conference website for more information.
FALL 2024 DEI SYMPOSIUM: NAVIGATING OUR DIFFERENCE TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
9 am – 12 pm | Power Center for the Performing Arts | Register Here
The Fall 2024 DEI Symposium at Michigan Medicine will feature a performance of “Breaking Ice,” one of Pillsbury House Theatre’s signature, award-winning programs. This entertaining and thought-provoking theater experience is designed to foster better understanding and communication around difficult issues. Using drama, humor, poetry, and monologue, “Breaking Ice” explores how systemic inequities, unconscious bias, and misperceptions manifest in relationships, creating friction that impedes innovation, motivation, and productivity. Following the performance, a facilitated discussion will allow participants to reflect and engage in dialogue, helping to translate insights from the performance into positive action.