University of Michigan - Dearborn
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Presidential Statement on Civic Engagement - Daniel Little, Chancellor of University of Michigan-Dearborn
The mission statement of the University of Michigan-Dearborn demonstrates that we are an institution committed to being an integral part of our community and to developing in our students the practical skills necessary to institute positive change in their environments. Our mission statement highlights that "…Our programs are responsive to the changing needs of society; relevant to the goals of our students and community partners; rich in opportunities for independent and collaborative study, research, and practical application; and reflective of the traditions of excellence, innovation, and leadership…" Through our mission and our actions, the University of Michigan-Dearborn is a vital partner in Dearborn's community and in the Southeast region of Michigan. The value of stimulating positive change in our communities through partnership is one that we instill in our students, faculty, and staff.
As a commuter campus is close proximity to a large urban area, UM-Dearborn takes seriously the charge to engage our students as civic participants and leaders. Over 80% of our alumni stay in SE Michigan after graduation, and many become leaders in their communities. Many of our students come to campus already aware of the challenges, as well as the benefits, of the communities they have lived in for the past 18+ years. This brings a unique richness to our campus experience, as our students are not only focused on Dearborn as their community, but also see all of SE Michigan as their home. As our students are exposed to new theories and strategies in their curricular and co-curricular education, they are able to take this information back to their communities every day and integrate this knowledge to better their communities.
Since UM-D is educating many of the region's future leaders, it is imperative for our university to succeed in carrying out these components of our mission. Following are some examples of how we accomplish our mission and promote service and civic engagement on our campus:
-Faculty members from across academic departments encourage students to become engaged in their educational experience through experiential learning opportunities and use local issues as case studies in their discussions. Several professors also use service learning methodology to engage students to connect their academic learning with their civic and personal development.
-UM-D's student organizations are committed to creating community service projects and philanthropy drives to benefit the local service agencies. Organizations often collaborate with one another, as they become aware of problems and needs in their members' home communities. Also, because of our diverse student population, many of our students are acutely aware of global problems as well. Our students think globally, and act locally.
-Because of UM-D's location near Detroit and other suburban areas, and our prominence in Dearborn's community, our institution is constantly collaborating with community businesses and service agencies in order to build mutually beneficial partnerships. One example is the support that our campus community contributes to the International Association of Organ Donation (IAOD) in an effort to encourage organ donation among different social, cultural, and religious groups. Another example is our collaborative relationship with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), an agency dedicated to meeting the needs of a significant population in Dearborn. Both of these community partnerships offer unlimited opportunities for our students to become engaged in service and represent many other successful partnerships that have developed within the campus.
-UM-D's Student Government is actively engaging other students, faculty, and staff in one of the most basic aspects of civic engagement-registering to vote. Students have also spent time researching and promoting the effects of Proposal 4, which if passed would eliminate a substantial amount of scholarships for UM-D students.
-UM-D's Child Development Center recently received a grant from the Michigan Department of Education's Michigan School Readiness Program to fund tuition for at-risk children to attend the CDC's preschool program. The grant will allow eight at-risk children per year to attend the CDC program for four half-days free of charge.
-This fall, a new initiative is forming to create a community service program within the Student Activities Office, which will coordinate larger service projects, such as monthly days of service with Habitat for Humanity Detroit, local soup kitchens, and other identified service projects. This program will also begin to serve as a clearinghouse for contact information and volunteer opportunities with local agencies to assist both students and organizations interested in volunteering, as well as faculty interested in potential service learning placements.
As an institution, the University of Michigan-Dearborn embraces the responsibility to prepare our students for their future, both in their professional and personal lives. On our campus we are creating change agents by challenging our students: to change what they think about their communities, their neighbors and themselves; to build on what they know; and to discover how they can act in order to create positive change in others.