Dear Fordies,
Welcome to the new academic year!
And welcome to the Sunday Night Message. We’ll continue this tradition each Sunday night to help keep us connected, and I’ll ask other school leaders to lend their voices here throughout the term as well. After all, each one of us shapes the culture we hold dear at the Ford School–each one of us leads from where we are.
In that spirit, I invite you this year to invest in the health of our community. Participate in the life of the school; build trust by building relationships; and come into your interactions with a spirit of curiosity, empathy, and excitement about our shared passion for policy solutions. Be open. Ask for support. And find the joy that this experience has to offer you.
Keep reading for lots of news and plenty of ways to invest. Please remember to join our Fall Launch for food, games, and fellowship in our courtyard this Tuesday, August 27th starting at 4:00 pm. I’ll make some welcoming remarks at 5:00 pm.
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Voting, democracy, and engagement
Many of you are deeply involved in this election season, registering voters, working on campaigns, and volunteering your time. That’s wonderful, and I encourage all members of our community to lean in and participate in this critically important right and responsibility.
Have questions about voting? Visit the University’s brand new website govote.umich.edu for step-by-step guidance and registration and voting resources. Our own Jenna Bednar leads the University’s voting infrastructure, and you’ll see lots more from the Ford School and across campus about voting as we count down these last 71 days until the election.
Jenna Bednar, LSA Dean Rosario Ceballo, and I are co-leading the University of Michigan's Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment & Global Engagement. The theme year was inspired by the first of four key impact areas in the U-M’s Vision 2034.
Our North Star question as we planned the year was, "How do we inspire engagement in our democratic future?" We’ve set out to build on Michigan’s commitment to democratic values by fostering dialogue across differences; meet the moment by seeking to understand our current global, national, and local political context; educate the next generation of leaders about the value and promise of global and civic engagement; and invest in cutting-edge research, pedagogy, and engagement opportunities to bolster our commitment to democracy.
The theme year is a cross-campus initiative, but much of the work intersects with what we do at the Ford School. I hope you all find ways to engage! For example, our school events calendar this semester is packed full of content on voting, civic engagement, and democracy. Here are just a few highlights:
September 9: Immigration on the Ballot hosted by our Center for Racial Justice. A conversation on the landscape and implications of immigration policy between experts in the fields of sociology, public health, and political science.
September 13: Homecoming Reunion. Events will include an exhibition of political cartoons from Ford’s era; a superstar panel discussion on the Nixon pardon; an all-community celebration in the Becky and the plaza; and a happy hour for current and alumni members of Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP), Out in Public, and other student orgs.
September 19: Election 2024 and U.S. climate policy, a Ford School-Brookings partnership.
September 26: Special Ford School community event at UMS presentation of "Fight Night", featuring both the production and a debrief with the show's director and cast members.
October 9: Governors John Kasich and Steve Bullock tackle policy questions from our faculty and students.
And lots more! Details coming soon on a partnership with Trotter House on a series of election events, panels on voting within Arab-American and LatinX communities, and a special voting-related taping of Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness’ podcast, “Getting Curious!”
On a less formal note, if you’re fascinated by policy and politics, find yourself reading half a dozen news outlets each day, and are longing to talk about policy outside as well as inside the classroom … we have just the gathering you crave. Food for Thought is a monthly lunchtime opportunity for Ford School students, faculty, and staff to come together and discuss the breaking news or most compelling policy issues of the day. We'll provide the FOOD and get the conversation started with a couple of faculty or student leader perspectives. Then it's up to you to share YOUR thoughts. Food for Thought is hosted by associate dean for research and policy engagement Jeff Morenoff. The conversation will not be recorded and is not open to the press. Look for a monthly RSVP email to reserve your spot!
What’s new?
We added a significant new student resource this year, the Policy Analysis Learning Lab (or “the PAL” for short.) A complement to our amazing Writing Center and Leadership Initiative, the PAL will be a learning support space to give students the skills to use policy analysis for the public good. Led by Alton Worthington, the PAL will provide centralized peer tutoring for quantitative courses, software support for quantitative courses, support by appointment for any students with quantitative questions, and pop-up workshops in specific methods, techniques, and applications. Over time, the PAL will support qualitative research skills as well.
Returning Fordies will find Weill Hall in fine shape, with new carpeting and fresh paint in classrooms, hallways and offices. Thanks to our Student Affairs Committee and facilities team, we’ll have some exciting new study spaces coming later this fall!
Welcome new faculty
We had a very successful year for faculty recruiting, and I am so excited to welcome our new scholars and teachers. Our new and newly-promoted faculty are experts in childhood education, health and aging, better government, and criminal justice policy. And they include distinguished policymakers in residence, including two former mayors of major American cities, a former U.S. Ambassador, and a county health director. Please read more about them all here.
Welcome new students
It was such a delight to meet many of our new students at Welcome Week activities. We have 7 doctoral students joining us, three economists, two political scientists, and two sociologists. Two of them are Global Fordies, one from Singapore and one from China.
Our graduate class of 98 MPP and 3 MPA students is strong and diverse. Nearly one-third of them are international. About two-thirds identify as female, and their average age is 26 years old. 37% of our domestic master’s students are from underrepresented groups. They include four PPIA alumni, one Fulbright student, one student with the prestigious Rangel Fellowship, two from the U.S. military, and one from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
Eighty-five juniors will be joining us as BA majors. 55% are out-of-state students, 45% are Michiganders. 72% identify as female, and of the domestic students, 38% are students of color. We will also have 28 new BA minors joining us.
A culture of belonging
The DEI Team invites you to share a piece of your hometown with the Ford School community. Add a sticker to the Fordies Across the World map on the second floor of Weill Hall, (across from Students & Academic Services) to mark your homeplace(s). The map will be displayed throughout the semester, and all students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate.
You all belong here–Fordies from so many different backgrounds, holding different beliefs and sharing many of the same values. Welcome, and welcome back to our community, dedicated to the public good. Together, let’s get to work!
Very warmly,
Dean Watkins-Hayes
