Skip to main content

2023 DEI 2.0 Plan Report

Spotlights

This goal reflects our efforts to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational aspects of our educational programs, teaching methodology, service and scholarly research.

Graduates holding up their commencement program booklets

Goal: Products

The following gallery features a number of campus spotlights sharing plans in scholarship and teaching from among the 51 unit DEI Strategic Plans.

  • A laptop with several graphs on the screen

    The Center for Academic Innovation

    Fostering Equitable Outcomes in Curricular Contexts: The Assessment Toolkit Initiative (ATI)

    The Assessment Toolkit Initiative supports leveraging campus data in order to critically evaluate outcome disparities across student identity groups and sharing those results with relevant campus leaders.

    During the past three years, representatives from the Center for Academic Innovation, the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, the College of Literature, Science & the Arts, the Marsal Family School of Education and Michigan Engineering launched the Assessment Toolkit Initiative. The overarching goal of this initiative is to help support a more equitable campus by comparing outcome disparities in course-related and other contexts across student identity groups, and then making those results available to university leaders.

    ATI has produced two customizable reports, each based on five years of enrollment and outcomes data, that reveal patterns in student outcomes. Originally developed by the Foundational Course Initiative at CRLT, the Course Equity Report shows these data at the level of a single course, while the Major/Department Equity Report reveals outcomes and patterns across a collection of courses. Explorable through a series of rich visualizations, these reports make it possible to identify potential course and/or curricular changes that could address any inequities. As part of DEI 2.0, the initiative will:

    • Share this work more broadly with the U-M community
    • Highlight opportunities for stakeholders to explore curricular experiences through an equity lens
    • Continue iterating the reports to create more effective tools and foster a more equitable campus


    Contact [email protected] for more information.

  • People listening to an audience member speaking into a microphone at an event

    Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning

    Centering Equity and Access in Teaching and Learning within Taubman

    To achieve curriculum reform, Taubman is working to challenge and dismantle the entrenched power structures, systems of privilege and claims of ownership that have long been institutionalized in design education generally.

    As Taubman College prepares to welcome the most diverse cohort of students in its history, the need to create an inclusive and adaptable curriculum to support their transition has never been more urgent. To achieve that goal, we are examining—and challenging—dominant perspectives while valuing cultural experiences and ways of knowing that have been marginalized in the discipline in the past.

    The College is currently approaching curriculum reform in a myriad of ways:

    • De-emphasizing the singular Western historical narratives of design education
    • Centering the global South and historically marginalized populations in particular
    • Performing a thorough equity analysis of our planning program’s structural requirements to ensure that all capstone projects maximize impacts for underserved and historically disenfranchised communities
    • Collaborating with the African Studies Center (ASC) to leverage the UMAPS program in AY24-25 and facilitate the hosting of a promising African scholar
    • Continuing to refine and expand an annual tuition framework that guarantees student-centered adaptability, inclusivity and fairness, thus enabling broader access to our comprehensive array of learning opportunities across programs
  • People talking together at an event

    College of Literature, Science, & the Arts (LSA)

    Building and Advancing LSA Unit-Level DEI Plans

    Following a key recommendation of the 2021 LSA Anti-Racism Task Force report, LSA will create a culture of accountability and partnership by requiring all local departments to develop individual, unit-level DEI plans.

    This includes all of the College’s academic units as well as Dean’s Office service units and undergraduate education. Due to the scope and complexity of LSA, local DEI plans will be generated over a two-year period. In AY 2023-24, units will evaluate their infrastructure for DEI work and determine the specific needs that inform their DEI goals.

    All units will prepare their three-year local DEI plans during AY 2024-25 and will enact those plans from 2025-28. Each individual plan will focus on impactful goals, and every unit will present yearly progress reports. During 2023-25, as the units prepare to implement this strategic objective, LSA’s Office of DEI will support their efforts with resources, training and consultation.

  • Three people standing together holding a glass award

    School of Nursing

    EPIC Pathways: The Nursing Health Equity Scholars Program

    A $1.8+ million grant will enable the School of Nursing to further its DEI initiatives and establish a scholarship program that dramatically improves educational access for under-resourced and economically disadvantaged transfer students.

    The School of Nursing has been awarded over 1.8 million dollars by the Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant Program and the Towsley Foundation to fund the EPIC (Empower, Practice, Inspire, Cultivate) Pathways Nursing Health Equity Scholars Program. First-year outcomes suggest that this health- and academic equity-focused program dramatically improves educational access for under-resourced and economically disadvantaged transfer students.

    During DEI 2.0, EPIC Pathways will provide need-based scholarships and stipends to as many as 70 BSN students. The program will also offer undergraduate nursing students:

    • Weekly peer-facilitated learning circles for science and math courses
    • Monthly academic skills workshops
    • Career development resources
    • Guided research opportunities with faculty
    • Professional memberships
    • Access to student/faculty/staff Zoom sessions with national and global health equity leaders

    Throughout DEI 2.0, the EPIC Pathways team will also partner with community and university organizations to develop an outreach strategy for supporting K-12 youth and high school graduates interested in a nursing career.

  • A screenshot of a laptop with two bar charts on the screen

    Stamps School of Art & Design

    The Digital Accessibility Project

    Through its new Digital Accessibility Program, now underway, Stamps will assure that all school-related information and resources are accessible to people of all abilities.

    Many people are first introduced to the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design through its digital resources. Whether they visit the website, view a social media post or receive electronic files and correspondence, it is crucial that everyone who encounters our school is able to fully access and engage with us. It is in this spirit that Stamps is now conducting a thorough accessibility assessment of its digital assets, analyzing every service and feature—from alt text (focused on setting unit-wide ALT Text standards) and captions (included for all video content produced) to color contrast and font sizes and types.

    Once a baseline has been established, the school’s marketing and communications team will make any necessary adjustments to update all current digital assets. As a final step, we will develop a digital accessibility guide as well as template materials for school-wide use by faculty and staff.

  • The exterior of the University of Michigan Museum of Art

    Museum of Art (UMMA)

    Shaping a Vital Exhibition Program and Collection for the Times We Live In

    Aligned with its commitment to anti-racist action, UMMA is using its collection to portray diverse cultures, revisit unsettled ideas, explore new ways of thinking and amplify marginalized voices, in particular.

    Historically, the collections, programming, staff and visitorship at U.S. art museums have not reflected the diversity of their local communities. More than 80% of artists represented in the collections of major U.S. museums are white, and more than 85% are male. Further, the majority of art museum employees are white. UMMA is no different. During DEI 2.0, UMMA has a powerful opportunity, and obligation, to reimagine art museums in a way that revitalizes the meaning, purpose and potential of a collection through installations that question global narratives of history and art history; expose colonial histories; reevaluate the race and gender of artists shown on our walls; and explore the complex role visual culture plays in our world.

    To achieve these goals, the museum is:

    • Using exhibition and program evaluation tools aligned with the UMMA Strategic Plan and Commitment to Anti-Racist Action
    • Conducting an accessibility review of websites and web resources
    • Continuing to expand open gallery hours
    • Developing events that serve the diverse needs of UMMA’s many communities
    • Deploying strategies and products that increase accommodation and accessibility for all museum visitors
    • Prioritizing the engagement of Title I and otherwise underserved K-12 school communities
  • A screenshot of a Zoom meeting about inclusive research

    Office of the Vice President for Research

    Advancing Research Equity, DEI Scholarship, and Inclusive Innovation

    As part of its DEI 2.0 efforts, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) will proactively identify, advocate for and invest in faculty-driven exploration focused on scientific discoveries that impact DEI and address significant societal challenges.

    To achieve this objective, OVPR will:

    • Evaluate Research Catalyst and Innovation (RCI) Themes focusing on anti-racism and emerging topics
    • Integrate DEI principles more actively into RCI theme areas biennially
    • Prioritize equitable forecasting of innovative areas of research, scholarship, and creative practice to strategically support

    The Office will also collaborate with Research Associate Deans and DEI Leads to explore research-related goals from the DEI 2.0 strategic plans across schools, colleges and units. The goal will be to determine optimal strategies for offering targeted support. Additionally, OVPR will develop a comprehensive data system to assess funding and research domain clusters for broadly diverse faculty groups. This system will generate valuable insights into the scholarly landscape and, more importantly, will serve as a guide to maximizing the effectiveness of strategic support for collaboration and innovation.

  • A person speaking and gesturing at a table during an event

    School of Public Health

    Incorporating DEI frameworks and content into the SPH Curriculum

    SPH is rethinking and refreshing its curriculum to help students think deeply about identity, systemic inequity and health

    The School of Public Health understands the vital importance of our graduates’ ability to contribute in positive ways to health equity efforts. For that reason, we have made it our goal to integrate DEI into our curriculum via frameworks such as equity-focused teaching, accessible design and instruction, anti-racist pedagogy and others. These equity-focused approaches will exert a positive impact on the classroom experiences of both students and instructors. They will also help prepare our students to better recognize and meet the public health challenges of today and tomorrow. Implementing this goal will involve a wide range of activities, including providing ongoing training opportunities for faculty and GSIs, integrating DEI-focused questions into course evaluations, and making DEI a core component of curriculum review and revision in the School.

  • Two women having a conversation

    Center for the Education of Women (CEW+)

    Aligning Goals for Equitable and Empowered Financial Decision-Making: The Financial Empowerment Initiative (FEI)

    As part of its DEI 2.0 plan, CEW+ is launching the Financial Empowerment Initiative (FEI), a program that encourages students to reflect on the psychosocial and emotional aspects of financial decision-making and to explore how their decisions align with their long-term goals and values.

    This initiative is expected to attract a diverse array of students across socio-economic statuses and demographics. Continuing CEW’s tradition of unit partnerships, a task force is being established to set priorities for the work and its goals. Currently, the group includes representatives from the Office of Financial Aid, Wolverine Wellness, Student Life, LSA, SSW, Pharmacy, Wolverine Support Network (CAPS), the Office of the Provost and the U-M Center for Innovation in Detroit. The task force will be guided by a financial therapist, with faculty from the Ross School of Business providing additional support.

  • Staff talking near outdoor wheelchair storage at Michigan Medicine facility

    Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS)

    Building DEI Programs to Strengthen DPSS External Partnerships and Community Engagement

    In order to provide inclusive, high-quality programs that directly address issues and challenges unique to the diverse communities it serves, DPSS is working to better integrate DEI strategies into educational initiatives offered through its new Training and Education Center.

    The Division of Public Safety and Security Training and Education Center (D-TEC) was established to provide training and professional development programs for DPSS and university staff, local public officials and community members. From content development to program facilitation, the Center works to assure a high level of inclusivity in its training and learning opportunities.

    During DEI 2.0, D-TEC will continue to leverage DEI initiatives such as its current partnership with Spectrum Center and Academic Innovation. The Center will also utilize The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) community guidelines during training and educational sessions to promote inclusivity and assure that all learning environments are safe spaces.

    The holistic integration of DEI and D-TEC will ensure a more systemic approach to cultivating inclusivity and equity in all service sectors while placing an emphasis on operational accountability across DPSS. In addition, DEI goals and objectives will be linked to the performance review process. Using the Center as a major hub for modeling and facilitating DEI will also strengthen the academic enterprise through interactions with those conducting scholarly research on related topics.

  • A woman wearing a U-M sweater having a conversation in a library

    College of Literature, Science, & the Arts (LSA)

    Faculty Equity-Minded Practice Initiative

    To assure that all faculty have the skills necessary to provide truly inclusive and equitable instruction, LSA will strengthen and expand equity-minded tools and educational programs already in place, among them anti-racism workshops and an inclusive teaching website.

    Building on prior work within its Undergraduate Education Division—most notably an inclusive teaching website and anti-racism faculty engagement workshops—LSA will continue to strengthen faculty learning in these areas. In Year One, the College will launch a new committee to tackle Equity-Minded Practice/Pedagogy (including the website) and develop an infrastructure for where this work will live. To reinforce ongoing efforts of the website team, LSA will promote the materials on equity-minded teaching currently on its Inclusive Teaching website while also rebranding the website to emphasize teaching for equity. Finally, the College will partner with the SEISMIC NSF learning community project planned for 2023-24 to develop a faculty learning community model that could be piloted in the second year of DEI 2.0.

    This action item builds on the assessment of DEI 1.0. It also responds to findings from both the 2021 U-M Campus Climate Survey report and feedback from faculty and student focus groups that highlighted the need to increase DEI competencies among faculty.

  • Students in a classroom watching a lecture

    Ford School of Public Policy

    Integrating Anti-racism into the Curriculum

    During DEI 2.0 and beyond, Ford School faculty will continue to think, speak out, and teach about structural inequality and differential outcomes for Black people and other marginalized populations in education, policing, health, economics, finance and other key systems.

    In AY 23-24, the Ford School AY 23-24 will offer curricular and co-curricular courses and events that explicitly focus on issues related to race, racism, and racial justice within the policy landscape. These include:

    Curricular Offerings

    PubPol 475/750: Racial Foundations of Public Policy

    PubPol 475/750: U.S./Latinx Policy Perspectives

    PubPol 475/750: Race & Urban Policy

    PubPol 475/750: Race, Technology & Public Policy

    Co-Curricular Offerings

    • CRJ’s Racial Foundations of Public Policy - a fall speaker series focused on the historical roots and impact of race in shaping public policy as both a disciplinary field and a course of action
    • CRJ’s Racial Justice Reading Circles - winter-term interdisciplinary gatherings of graduate students, post-docs, faculty and research staff who collectively explore a topic relevant to the study of race, (anti)racism and racial justice
    • CRJ’s Racial Justice in Practice Workshop Series – offering students, faculty, staff and U-M community partners tools, strategies and resources to enhance their work around advancing racial equity
    • CRJ’s Masterclass in Activism Series - a biannual event series in which noted activists and thought leaders speak on their activism journeys

Note: The spotlights from various unit plans featured throughout this section are broadly representative and were chosen to showcase diverse areas of focus. These summaries are intended merely as examples of DEI-related work taking place at the unit level and by no means represent all of the exciting unit-based initiatives currently underway. A comprehensive overview of school, college and unit plans is available here.