Diversity video series features voices of faculty, staff and students

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Faculty, staff and students share their ideas for success in creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for the University of Michigan community in a video series launching this week.

Each short video of the eight-part series explores one idea for creating the model campus through the lens of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative President Mark Schlissel announced in November 2015.

The series is among several efforts to engage the campus community on the topic of diversity as the university works to create a comprehensive, universitywide plan to address diversity issues.

In this first in a series of videos, Martha Jones, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of history and Afroamerican and African studies; and co-director Michigan Law Program in Race, Law & History, explores the role faculty play in creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable U-M.

Video topics range from the importance of owning the message at the individual level to building trust between patients and physicians to save lives. They include:

• Faculty leadership: teaching courageously.

• Community health: building patient trust.

• Student support: making numbers real.

• Campus culture: owning the message.

• Public safety: serving the community.

• Student recruitment: always engaging.

• Problem solving: recognizing cognitive difference.

• Student impact: making voices heard.

The first video of the series explores the role faculty play in creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable U-M campus through the ideas of Martha Jones, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of history and Afroamerican and African studies, and co-director Michigan Law Program in Race, Law & History.

“I think there’s something about courage that is fundamental to living diversity every day,” Jones says.

“In order to have the kind of inclusive climate that we aspire to, we also have to be ready to have the hard conversations — to be courageous, in ways both big and small; to experiment with ideas; to try on new ideas; to speak across difference.”

All of the videos are available on the U-M YouTube channel under the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion playlist.

Last fall, the university began working on a five-year diversity strategic planning effort by calling on 50 university units to develop independent plans, which will be incorporated into a larger university plan by fall 2016, followed by implementation and evaluation through 2021.

The University Record will periodically share each video online throughout the summer. As each video is shared it also will be posted on the U-M Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website.

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Comments

  1. David Erdody
    on May 3, 2016 at 10:13 am

    Here is video that shows that the UM has been genuinely committed to diversity for a long time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH_RPOJQMZc

  2. Martin Jansen
    on May 4, 2016 at 8:41 am

    Thanks for the video David.

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