Daniel E. Little will serve as UM-Dearborn chancellor through June 2018. The Board of Regents approved his reappointment for an additional three years Thursday.
Little, who arrived as chancellor in July 2000, also is professor of philosophy in the UM-Dearborn College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and professor of sociology at U-M in Ann Arbor.
“Chancellor Little is a valued member of the university’s leadership team,” said President Mark Schlissel. “He has built strong ties to the local community, especially among businesses, and he has established a terrific rapport with UM-Dearborn’s students.”
As chancellor, he will continue to serve as the chief executive officer for the Dearborn campus and as an executive officer of the university.
“I am gratified by the vote of confidence this represents, from the Board of Regents and President Schlissel,” Little said.
“UM-Dearborn strives for excellence in teaching, learning, research and scholarship. We seek to be accessible and affordable, and to impact the community beyond us. It has been my honor to lead this endeavor, and I am quite pleased to look forward to the opportunities of the next three years.”
Little received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Illinois, and his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University.
In his current term, Little’s achievements have had broad and deep impact on the university and the community beyond.
He advanced UM-Dearborn’s metropolitan vision through initiatives such as opening the Office of Metropolitan Engagement, launching the Public Allies Metro Detroit program, and achieving the Carnegie classification for an engaged campus.
On his watch, campus enrollment grew to an all-time high of more than 9,100 students in 2014, and he opened UM-Dearborn’s first campus housing facility, in a public-private partnership that provides 504 of those students with on-campus accommodations.
The UM-Dearborn College of Education, Health and Human Services opened its doors during his tenure, offering new programs in public health, community health and health information technology, and he oversaw the first doctoral degrees awarded by CEHHS and UM-Dearborn’s College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2013.
Little is steadfast in his commitment to core university values of equity and inclusion, which is observable among UM-Dearborn’s increasingly diverse student body.
Little’s contributions to the greater community have been recognized by the NAACP Western Wayne County Branch Pathbreaker Award, the New Detroit Closing the Gap Award, and the Detroit Urban League Community Service Award.
Kevin Williams
I work for Dr. Little as the Chief of Police here at the UM-Dearborn Campus.
It should be no surprise that cops tend to be reserved in their public acceptance and acknowledgement of others.
I am writing to tell all that this man is exceptional and I am proud to be a member of his team. His reappointment is good for UMD and SOE Michigan.
Besides, he is simply a cool guy and we are lucky to have him.
Kevin W