DEI November Updates | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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DEI November Updates

November 1, 2019
DEI UPDATES

UPDATES REGARDING FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENT DEI-RELATED ACTIVITY

Promoting an Equitable and Inclusive Climate

2019-2020 DEI Coalition
The first meeting of the Ford School DEI Coalition was Friday, October 25. The Coalition reviewed the charge of the Coalition, Ford School DEI efforts, strategic plan progress, and how these efforts are connected to positive organizational change. During the November meeting, the Coalition will identify ways to communicate these positive organizational changes to the Ford School community to increase transparency. Stay tuned for more information from this group! Members of the 2019-2020 DEI Coalition include:

  • DEI Officer - Stephanie Sanders, Chair
  • Associate Dean for Academic Affairs - Paula Lantz, Ex Officio
  • Director of Student Services - Susan Guindi, Ex Officio
  • Faculty representatives - Yazier Henry, Robert Hampshire (faculty co-lead)
  • Staff representatives - Heather Alemu, Mariam Negaran
  • Undergraduate representatives - Jacquelyn Wheeler, Nadia Hakim
  • Master representatives - Baltazar Hernandez, Safiya Merchant
  • Doctoral representative - Jasmine Simington

October Faculty Meeting
During the October faculty meeting, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Paula Lantz, discussed a new Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) resource. CAPS recently announced the publication of a new Faculty Toolkit to support student mental health on our campus - "Fostering a Campus Environment Supportive of Student Mental Health." All faculty received a copy of the toolkit in the mail.

Graduate Student Instructor Check-in (Offered October 11 and 17)
All Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) for Ford School courses are expected to attend one of the two check-ins each semester. GSI check-ins focus on teaching strategies and inclusive classrooms. The group format allows GSIs to gain content knowledge and draw on the collective experience of others in the group. The theme for fall semester was Global Education: Teaching International Students Pedagogy and Cross Cultural Group Work.

Mid-Semester Check-In Survey
As a way to maintain a strong classroom climate, students are invited to complete a short survey to solicit course feedback. The Office of Student & Academic Services compile all responses and forward them to individual faculty members for review. For questions, contact Susan Guindi ([email protected]) or Associate Dean Paula Lantz ([email protected]).

DEI Funding Request for Student Organizations
The Ford School is pleased to provide funding to student organizations who implement programs and initiatives that promote values related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The purpose of the funding is to encourage student-led programming that advance objectives in the Y4 Ford School Diversity Plan. Access the funding request form and send inquiries to [email protected].

Global Fordies, Language Exchange Program
The mission of Global Fordies is to provide a unique platform for international students to engage with the Ford School community and to promote multicultural perspectives. As a diverse linguistic community, Global Fordies created a new Language Exchange program as an opportunity to learn and/or share another language in an informal format. For more information, contact Gluay Hathaichoti at [email protected].

Gamma Rho Phi Mentorship Program
The mission of Gamma Rho Phi is to improve the quality of undergraduate experience in the Ford School. To this end, Gamma Rho Phi created a new mentorship program designed to foster inter-cohort relationships between juniors and seniors as well as support professional development. For questions about this new mentoring program contact Abby Takas at [email protected].

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Donuts & Deans (plus cider)
Monday, November 4 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM | Weill Hall, Great Hall
Enjoy one of the most delicious fall traditions in the Midwest: fresh apple cider and donuts. Even better? They’ll be available for free and served by Ford School Deans: Micahel Barr, Liz Gerber, and Paula Lantz.

Veterans Week
The University of Michigan is proud to offer a week of events that educate and celebrate the experiences and sacrifices of those who have served our country. All events are free and are open to the entire university community and to the general public. We encourage you to attend as many of these events as you can.

  • Speaker Event with Michael S. Erwin: Solitude is Practice for Tomorrow’s Leaders
    Wednesday, November 6 | 7:30 PM | Weill Hall 1120 Annenberg Auditorium
    The volume of our communication, and our unfettered access to information and other people, have made it more difficult than ever to focus. Despite this reality, there is another truth: Opportunities to focus are still all around us. Before you can lead others, the first person you must lead is yourself. Mike Erwin was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. He has dedicated his life to serving the nation---and empowering people to build positive relationships. Currently, Mike is leading another non-profit organization that he co-founded in 2015: The Positivity Project. Its mission is to empower America’s youth to build positive relationships through a deeper understanding of positive psychology’s 24 character strengths.
     
  • Conversation on National Security, Service, and Policy
    Monday, November 11 | 4:00 - 5:20 PM | Weill Hall 1120 Annenberg Auditorium
    Please join the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy for a conversation with LTG James Clapper (USAF, ret.), LTG Michael Nagata (USA, ret.), and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) on national security, service, and policy. This wide-ranging discussion in honor of Veterans Day will cover current national security issues, as well as the importance of public service. The conversation will be moderated by Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence Javed Ali. The event will be livestreamed for those not able to attend.

To view a complete schedule of Veterans Day events visit: https://vets.umich.edu/vetsweek/.

  • VETx: Student Veteran Storytelling
    Friday, November 8 | 15:00 - 8:00 PM | Ross School of Business, Robertson Auditorium
     
  • ROTC Flag Raising and Flag Lowering
    Monday, November 11 | 8:00 AM/5:00 PM | Law Quad Flagpole
     
  • LGBT Panel
    Tuesday, November 12 | 9:00 - 10:30 PM | Michigan Leagues, Kalamazoo Room
     
  • The Diversity of the Military
    Tuesday, November 12 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM | Michigan Leagues, Kalamazoo Room
     
  • Suicide Prevention in Veteran and Military Service Members
    Wednesday, November 13 | 2:30 - 4:00 PM | Michigan Leagues, Kalamazoo Room
     
  • Women in the Military
    Friday, November 15 | 9:00 - 10:30 AM | Michigan Leagues, Kalamazoo Room

Public Policy and Institutional Discrimination Discussion Series
The Ford School of Public Policy is proud to announce the Public Policy and Institutional Discrimination Discussion Series. The series, open to students, faculty, and staff, is designed to foster dialogue on important issues of U.S. public policy. Each session will focus on an optional reading and includes small and large group discussions. Sessions are facilitated by a faculty discussants. Students are encouraged, though not required, to attend as many sessions as possible. Fall sessions include:

  • Thursday, November 14 | 11:45 AM - 12:50 PM | 1120 Weill Hall (Annenberg) "Employment and Racial Discrimination” with faculty discussant Fabiana Silva, Assistant Professor of Public Policy. RSVP here.

    Optional Reading. Western, B., & Sirois, C. (2018). Racialized Re-entry: Labor Market Inequality After Incarceration. Social Forces, 97(4), 1517-1542 Access: https://justicelab.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/laborinequity.pdf.
     
  • Wednesday, December 4 | 11:45 AM - 12:50 PM | 1110 Weill Hall (Betty) “Housing Insecurity among Former Prisoners” with faculty discussant, Jeffrey Morenoff, Professor of Public Policy. RSVP here.

    Optional Reading. Herbert, C. W., Morenoff, J. D., & Harding, D. J. (2015). Homelessness and housing insecurity among former prisoners. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 1(2), 44-79. Access: https://www.rsfjournal.org/content/rsfjss/1/2/44.full.pdf.
     
  • Wednesday, March 11 | 11:45 AM - 12:50 PM | Room TBD "FinTech, Consumer Lending, and Discrimination” with faculty discussant Adrienne Harris, Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence. RSVP here.

    Optional Reading. Bartlett, R., Morse, A., Stanton, R., & Wallace, N. (2019). Consumer-lending discrimination in the FinTech era (No. w25943). National Bureau of Economic Research. Access: http://www.phd-finance.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:139b84f5-afb8-40ac-b255-83b5386431ff/FS_spring18_paper_Morse.pdf.

 

FORD SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

We take pride in highlighting a wide array of team players and personalities at the Ford School. This month the spotlight features Mariam Negaran, Administrative Assistant with the Program in Practical Policy Engagement, and Stephanie “Steph” White, Ford School MPA student.

Department
Program in Practical Policy Engagement

Years employed at the Ford School:
My Ford one-year anniversary is October, 2019.

What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
Since I joined UM over ten years ago, I have always been motivated to help support the achievements of our exceptional staff, students, and faculty. Throughout my career, I have truly enjoyed getting to work with and inspire students to successfully navigate the university and take on their future careers with the skills they need to succeed. I am able to continue that work at the Ford School Program in Practical Policy Engagement (P3E) by helping it grow and expand its programming and footprint. In addition to launching our new website this year, in the fall, we are introducing community engagement workshops for students to more effectively engage with communities, in addition to many other beneficial workshops and events. It’s a privilege to be part of the outstanding P3E team and I look forward to our continued successes.

What has been your favorite project so far?
By far, my favorite project has been collaborating with the Ford Communications & Outreach office to put together a promotional video for the Strategic Public Policy Consulting course (PubPol 578). It was wonderful to work with the team to interview and gain the perspective of the students, faculty, clients, and mentors who were involved in a very successful consulting project. It’s such a wonderful opportunity for our students!

 

Stephanie “Steph” White, a new MPA student is part of the project that is interviewing political figures regarding their attitudes towards trans individuals.

The National Center for Transgender Equality and its political action arm, the NCTE Action Fund is posting a series of candidate interviews online in its Transform the White House project.




 

NEWS AND UPDATES

  • Native American Heritage Month 2019 launches with a feast to honor community. In 1990 President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Since then, the title has expanded to celebrate the heritage, history, art, and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Ford School is proud to honor the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors had lived in North America for hundreds of years.

    Each month, Organizational Learning posts a new set of videos created by diversity trainer Dr. Steve Robbins. The videos can be watched alone or with groups to promote discussion and understanding. Watch the new Diversity Education Month videos for Native American Heritage Month and sign up to receive future videos. Be curious and get inspired by watching heritage month videos that spotlight “hidden figures” during heritage months!
     
  • For more information on U-M DEI Initiatives, visit http://diversity.umich.edu/.

RESOURCES

  • The Ford School emergency fund is designed to provide financial assistance to Ford School students who face an emergency (unforeseen or unexpected) situation during their degree program. Routine expenses are generally not covered by this fund. More information may be found here. Situations eligible for funding include events such as:
    • Unexpected food or housing insecurity
    • Medical, dental or mental health emergencies for the student or, in some limited circumstances, for immediate family members
    • Major accidents and events such as fire and natural disasters
    • Expenses related to the death of a family member
       
  • Turn on the news, skim through your newsfeeds, or look at social media, and it's likely you'll be bombarded by outrage. Many people have come to believe that the only way to spark change is to incite anger. This episode of Hidden Brain explores how outrage is hijacking our conversations, our communities, and our minds.

 

Ford School of Public Policy

  • Susan Guindi, Director, Student and Academic Services
    [email protected] | (734) 615-7408
     
  • Robert Hampshire, Associate Professor of Public Policy
    [email protected] | (734) 615-6975
     
  • Paula Lantz, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs;
    Professor of Public Policy | [email protected] | (734) 764-8976
     
  • Stephanie Sanders, Ph.D., Diversity, Inclusion, Equity Officer/Lecturer III
    [email protected] | (734) 615-4402
     

Campus Resources

 

Got news?
Do you know of an upcoming DEI related event that may be of interest to others? Send your news updates to [email protected] or call (734) 615-4402.

Thank you for supporting our DEI mission.

Best wishes,


Stephanie Sanders
Diversity Officer/Lecturer III