Skip to main content
2024 DEI 2.0 Plan Report

Community Engagement & Emergent Themes

Campuswide forums, feedback sessions, seminars and other outreach activities have always been a vital component of DEI central and unit plans. During the first year of DEI 2.0, community engagement events hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) were especially important as a means of informing, educating and collecting feedback from members of our campus community.

Since the rollout of DEI 2.0 in Fall 2023, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been listening, engaging, and gathering insights.

In addition to central-level engagement opportunities organized by ODEI, campus stakeholders have also had the opportunity to participate in hundreds of discussions, idea exchanges, and other events hosted by the university’s 51 units.

Through forums, information sessions, and other venues, we have created spaces and opportunities for all members of the campus community to connect with us and with each other. The feedback generated at these events has informed our actions and decisions on an ongoing basis. The net result has been productive exchanges, greater collaboration, a clear focus on targeted initiatives, and stronger grassroots engagement in the university's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

During Year One, ODEI sponsored several notable campuswide engagement efforts:

The DEI Summit
The University of Michigan's annual DEI Summit, organized by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), has been a cornerstone event since the launch of DEI 1.0, the university's first five-year DEI Strategic Plan. Held each fall, the summit serves as a platform to reaffirm the university's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion while energizing the campus community to make progress on established DEI goals.

The centerpiece of the summit is the Community Assembly & Discussion, which brings together members from across the university to engage with experts and industry professionals on critical DEI topics. This premier event has featured distinguished speakers, including Dr. Claude Steele, Diane Guerrero, Van Jones, Wendell Pierce, and Soledad O'Brien. These speakers have addressed a range of important issues, such as structural racism, immigration and undocumented students, and the intersection of DEI with spiritual identities, mental health, and the arts. Each assembly aims to provoke thought and action, challenging audiences to examine their perspectives and respond to calls for individual action that can lead to collective progress.

In Year One of the DEI 2.0 plan, the Community Assembly & Discussion focused on the theme "Truth Telling: The Kinship of Critical Race Theory and Hip-Hop," exploring the transformative power of storytelling in both movements. The event featured a panel discussion with David Banner, andre douglas pond cummings, and Marlanna “Rapsody” Evans, moderated by U-M faculty member Antonio Cuyler. The assembly incorporated the five elements of Hip-Hop: MCing, DJing, breakdancing, graffiti (visual art), and knowledge, attracting nearly 4,000 participants across in-person and virtual platforms.

The DEI Summit generates enthusiasm and momentum for DEI work as the university begins each new academic year, reinforcing the institution's commitment to creating a welcoming environment and sense of belonging for all in our community.

The DEI Student Showcase
Enhancing student engagement in our DEI strategic plan is a high priority for DEI 2.0. In year 1, we worked collaboratively with campus units to create multiple opportunities for students to create and share their ideas and work - from grant opportunities focused on research and practice, to student leadership development, to art exhibitions and performances. We brought together all of these efforts in a student showcase event featuring student posters, presentations and artistic performances, that addressed topics ranging from accessibility, to political and civic engagement, to health equity, among many themes. The posters are available for viewing at diversity.umich.edu.

DEI Information Session
During the Fall 23 term, community members had the opportunity to attend an information session on DEI 2.0 hosted by Tabbye Chavous, U-M’s Vice Provost for Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. This session provided an opportunity for members of our campus community to learn about the current five-year strategic plan, engage with each other, share their aspirations and goals, and explore options and opportunities for creating a campus where everyone feels welcomed and valued.

DEI Leads Meeting
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) coordinates monthly meetings for the DEI Implementation Leads Group (DEI Leads), a network comprising over 100 members from 51 campus units. These gatherings are instrumental in advancing DEI planning and implementation across the institution.

The monthly meetings offer a diverse range of activities designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange. These meetings establish a forum for sharing models and practice, engaging in collaborative problem-solving, promoting professional growth, and supporting rigorous assessment and evaluation.

Key components of the DEI Leads meetings include:

  1. Unit presentations highlighting successful strategies and case studies
  2. Guest speakers addressing important DEI topics
  3. Implementation process updates to keep the Leads community informed about events, special meetings, and available resources
  4. Networking opportunities that allow Leads to connect and build community

To further enhance support, ODEI arranges semesterly touch-base meetings between DEI Leads and Assistant Vice Provosts, who act as liaisons to the 51 units. These meetings provide DEI Leads with the opportunity to share achievements, seek guidance, and address challenges in collaboration with the central office. Additionally, DEI Leads are offered two professional development opportunities each academic year, further strengthening their capabilities and impact.

Emergent Themes

Open forums, educational programs and other events provided ideal venues for students, faculty, and staff to share their experiences, express their opinions and engage in candid, wide-ranging discussions. Below are several key themes that emerged from ongoing community engagement. These are topics that will continue to guide our DEI work and shape future initiatives at the central and unit level throughout the coming year:

Overarching Community Themes from Year One Engagement:

  • Provide opportunities to amplify understanding of religious and spiritual diversity on campus
  • Establish clear learning pathways to educate our community to engage in constructive dialogue
  • Provide enhanced support and address any discrimination and harassment of Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian community members
  • Increase disability awareness, culture, physical and digital accessibility, and accommodations
  • Address any discriminatory policies, resource accessibility, and identity recognition for LGBTQIA2S+ community members

Expand the accordions below to view from specific stakeholder groups—including undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty.

Undergraduate and graduate students emphasized the need to:
  • Strengthen recruitment, retention and comprehensive support programs to cultivate a diverse student, faculty and staff community.
  • Foster constructive dialogue among students by welcoming diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideologies.
  • Enhance the accessibility, inclusivity and availability of spaces, facilities and resources.
  • Allocate additional resources to bolster student safety networks, coalitions and support services.
  • Actively promote an inclusive campus and classroom environment that values diversity and equity.
  • Provide robust support for the development of intercultural awareness and effective engagement skills.
  • Address the pressing concerns of affordability for low-income and underrepresented students.
  • Proactively tackle climate issues encompassing microaggressions, discrimination and incivility.
  • Establish clear mechanisms to ensure accountability of administration and faculty in upholding DEI values.
Staff feedback centered on:
  • Addressing equity issues and income disparity by closing the wage gap and expanding support services for staff in lower salary grades.
  • Implementing strategies to reduce bias across the entire recruitment process.
  • Enhancing support systems to retain and advance BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) staff.
  • Establishing inclusive and accessible work environments that cater to diverse needs.
  • Enhancing the organizational climate by making cultural competency training mandatory and integrating cultural competency into job descriptions and performance criteria for all staff, faculty and leaders.
  • Providing comprehensive educational and development training on diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on supervisors and managers.
  • Increasing support and resources for affinity groups to help create spaces where diverse communities feel an increased sense of belonging and support.
Faculty feedback centered on the need to:
  • Support faculty in successfully integrating diversity and inclusion principles into their teaching practices.
  • Provide more tools and training to enhance diversity skills and inclusive teaching strategies among faculty in all departments.
  • Focus on women and underrepresented minority faculty, who are more likely to report experiences of bias and exclusion and are also more likely to report not having influence and voice within their departments.
  • Recognize the limited presence of underrepresented groups as a key issue. Engage multiple mechanisms to better understand and address the various issues that have led to an insufficiently diverse faculty.
  • Address the fact that minority faculty, and faculty from other underrepresented groups, are disproportionately called upon to take on roles related to issues of diversity, which are too often undervalued within their units and the academy at large.
  • Provide opportunities for underrepresented minority faculty to serve in more highly regarded academic leadership positions.
  • Recognize, and begin to correct, the fact that the foci and methodologies of DEI scholarship are undervalued and receive less support than other forms of research.
  • Diversifying the research faculty to expand the diversity of thought and approaches in research methodologies.