Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit
October 2019
Summary
University of Michigan leaders shared notable progress in the implementation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan during the 2019 DEI Summit. More than 1,500 faculty, staff, and students participated in the Community Assembly in-person or online, featuring keynote speaker Van Jones. Additionally, more than 100 central and unit sponsored events occurred across campus throughout the month of October.
READ MORE: 2019 DEI Summit: U-M has made gains, has more to do
2019 DEI Summit Promotional Video
View the 2019 DEI Summit video encouraged students, staff, faculty and leadership, to attend many of the DEI Summit events throughout the month of October.
10/01: Ignite and Implement: Student Engagement with DEI Initiatives
Transparency, inclusivity, communication, and engagement -these were the topics shared through dialogue by students across campus, Trotter Multicultural Center, and Student Life, in an effort to strengthen the campus climate around topics of diversity, equity and inclusion.
10/07: Community Assembly & Discussion
A community assembly kicked off the 2019 DEI Summit. Opening remarks were made by President Schlissel and Chief Diversity Officer Robert Sellers. The event’s featured guest Van Jones (CNN Commentator and President & Founder of the nonprofit, Dream Corps) discussed the importance of inclusivity in the workplace, and the necessity of diverse working environments in order to be successful.
10/07: DEI Leads Luncheon
The DEI Leads Luncheon brought together the nearly 100 unit DEI leads from across campus to celebrate the successes of the past year and discuss their unit plans for the future.
10/16: DEI Community Conversations: Year 3 Report Update
This event included an interactive, multimedia presentation on the Year Three progress of the University of Michigan’s Five-Year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. Faculty, staff and students were also updated on the outcomes from the Community Conversations events that happened across campus earlier this year.
10/21: “An Ingenious Way to Live” – Fostering Disability Culture in Higher Education
In this panel event, scholars and practitioners discussed opportunities for ingenuity as a growing number of higher education institutions shift toward an intersectional cultural model of disability.
10/22: DEI and Faith in Secular Spaces: Respecting Religious Identity
This first-of-its-kind panel discussion brought together diverse and diverging student perspectives on the meaning of faith and practice – from liberal to conservative to orthodox – on a largely secular campus.
10/23: From #MeToo to #NowWhat: Cultivating Safe, Harassment-Free Learning and Working Environments
This interactive event updated the campus community on the current status of the Sexual Harassment/Sexual Misconduct initiative, reflecting on the work that has been undertaken over the past 18 months and why our efforts matter. In addition, the event discussed the shift from education and training to transformational culture change. The event closed with a large, World Cafe-style group dialogue to connect diverse perspectives.
10/24: Young, Gifted, @Risk and Resilient: Promoting Mental Health and Well- Being Among Students of Color
This day-long conference brought together leading researchers, practitioners, administrators, faculty and students that focused on campus climate and mental health among young adult and college students of color.