U-M plans inaugural virtual symposium marking Juneteenth
Beginning June 14, and running through June 19, U-M’s inaugural campuswide Juneteenth Symposium will explore the theme of “Celebrating Black Joy, Hope, and Healing.” A partnership between U-M and the Ann Arbor Branch of the NAACP, this Juneteenth observance will be a series of virtual online seminars that aims to celebrate and recognize the liberation of all Black people from slavery, made official by the emancipation on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day. It is celebrated throughout the nation and as a state holiday in Michigan. It is also officially observed in Ann Arbor. The event aims to bring together the U-M and Ann Arbor communities virtually to underscore the importance of Juneteenth and to ensure that all students, staff, faculty and residents feel a deep sense of belonging. Learn more about the symposium at rackham.umich.edu/juneteenth-symposium.
Board of Regents to meet virtually June 17
The University of Michigan Board of Regents will conduct its June meeting virtually June 17. The meeting’s start time has not yet been determined. Additional information will become available when the meeting agenda is posted to the board’s website at regents.umich.edu at noon June 14. People who wish to offer public comments during the meeting can sign up at regents.umich.edu/meetings/public-comments/form by 9 a.m. June 16. They will receive instructions from the university on how to call in at the appropriate time to share their comments as part of the meeting. The public will be able to listen to the meeting by going to umich.edu/watch at the meeting’s scheduled time.
Canopy spaces available for reservation by units, student groups
As U-M prepares to welcome more faculty and staff back to campus, it is expanding options for outdoor meeting spaces by offering a reservation option for the four canopies erected in various locations. Canopies can now be reserved from 8-10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday for use by departmental units and student organizations looking to conduct university business outdoors. They will continue to be available for drop-in individual use by students and campus community members from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The four canopies are designed to give students and other university community members a place to study, eat and relax while keeping building densities low amid the coronavirus pandemic. They are at the Michigan Union and North Ingalls Mall on Central Campus, and Gerstacker Grove on North Campus. For more on how to reserve a canopy and a link to the reservation form.
UM-Flint introduces four new learning communities for fall
UM-Flint is introducing four new residential and theme learning communities in Fall 2021. The Residential Learning Communities are the Promise Scholar program and Global Learning Community, and the theme communities are Innovation & Technology and Gender & Sexuality. Residential learning communities provide students a shared experience with peers living and learning together in UM-Flint’s Residence Halls. Each residential learning community is tied to common academic courses and a residential experience that focuses on a deeper exploration of their common interests. For more information, visit the UM-Flint website.
Nominations sought to celebrate advocates for disability inclusion
Nominations are now being accepted for the 32nd annual James T. Neubacher Award, which celebrates passionate advocates for disability inclusion. Nominations are due by July 31. The award is presented annually to a U-M faculty or staff member, student, or alumnus or alumna for significant achievements in empowering people with disabilities, advocating for or advancing disability rights or disability justice, and increasing the accessibility of programs and services to promote disability inclusion. The award was established by the university’s Council for Disability Concerns in October 1990 as a memorial to Neubacher, a university alumnus and columnist for the Detroit Free Press who advocated for equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. It is supported by the Office of the President, the U-M Council for Disability Concerns, the Office of Institutional Equity, University Human Resources and Michigan Medicine. To learn more or submit a nomination, visit cfdc.umich.edu/neubacher.
Workshops available to help researchers use SciVal tools
A new series of workshops is available to help researchers more effectively use the tools provided by SciVal. Using advanced data analytics and super-computer technology, SciVal allows researchers to visualize their research performance, benchmark relative to peers, develop strategic partnerships, identify and analyze new, emerging research trends, and create uniquely tailored reports. The sessions will help users navigate the analyses and features within SciVal, facilitating information gathering and guiding data-informed decisions. The seven new sessions will be held bi-weekly beginning June 9. Find more information and register for the upcoming workshops at research.umich.edu/scival.
Program in Survey Methodology is now Michigan Program in Survey and Data Science
The U-M Program in Survey Methodology is now the Michigan Program in Survey and Data Science. The program offers Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees that blend traditional survey research techniques with new methods for working with complex, and repurposed data. Program director Fred Conrad said survey methodologists have been concerned with data quality for decades and have made substantial theoretical and practical progress. “The new name speaks to what we teach and work on at the intersection of social research and data science,” he said. “Our curriculum is concerned with a broad set of data sources including survey data, but also including social media posts, sensor data, and administrative records, as well as analytic methods for working with these new data sources.” Learn more about the program at surveydatascience.isr.umich.edu.
— Compiled by James Iseler and Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
