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Dear Colleagues,

The month of February has brought some uncertainty and confusion, particularly to our world of higher education. Please rest assured that we are closely monitoring the situation on all fronts, in particular our research enterprise. Please monitor our website for the most updated information and notices related to federal orders and policies. We also want to reassure you that every single program (major, minor, certificate, concentration) counts, matters and is valued despite the latest news. What you are doing in the classroom and in your research space matters to our students, to our educational mission, and to the campus community.

Black History Month
February 2025 marks 55 years that ������-Dearborn has been celebrating Black history. Starting in 1970, “Black Awareness Days” were officially celebrated on campus and included important dates throughout the year related to Black history. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” For more see our University History | University of Michigan-Dearborn. 

Below, please find some important information and event dates:

• “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” Campus Panels
  • Detroit Neighborhoods (e.g. Delray, Rosedale Park, Indian Village, MorningSide, etc.): 
    • Thursday, February 20 from 4-5:30 pm
    • Event Space, First Floor of the Mardigian Library
  • Dearborn/Dearborn Heights Neighborhoods: 
    • Wednesday, March 19 from 4-5:30 pm
    • Event Space, First Floor of the Mardigian Library
• Graduation & Retention Summit, Friday, February 21 from 11am-4:00 pm
• Spring Break, Saturday, March 1 to Sunday, March 9
• Commencement, Saturday, April 26 
  • Faculty please plan to attend. Students want to celebrate with you, introduce their family to you, and take pictures with you. Faculty presence at graduation is very important and much appreciated!

Save the date! OCEL’S Seed Grant Applications
The Office of Community-Engaged Learning’s annual Community-Based Research (CB-R) and Community-Based Project (CB-P) Seed Grant applications will go live on Monday, February 10th, 2025.  The purpose of these seed grants is to support faculty in conducting community-based work that is developed in collaboration with industry, business, government, and community partner organizations and/or their clients and demonstrates mutual benefit. Fund requests for seed grants may range from $500 - $5,500.  Grant applications will be due by March 14, 2025. If you have questions please reach out to OCEL, [email protected].

Articulation (and Transfer) Agreements 
An articulation agreement defines a relationship between the University of Michigan-Dearborn and another institution that enables students to more easily transfer academic credit to this campus.This Academic Affiliation Agreements | University of Michigan-Dearborn webpage provides the most up-to-date information on the campus’ agreements by college. Faculty can work with Enrollment Management to develop articulation agreements within their departments and colleges. 

Engage Detroit Grant Program
Please consider applying for the 2025 Engage Detroit Workshop grant program, which supports small groups of U-M faculty and staff members. Continuing the university's deep commitment to partnerships with Detroit, this grant provides up to $15,000 in funding for workshops or speaker series that foster meaningful relationships and connections on a topic connecting faculty and staff at the University of Michigan with Detroit communities. Submissions are due by March 9, 2025; an is available. You can read more about this in this , or on the .

Undergraduate Recruitment Events  
High School and Community Counselor Appreciation Events
We are excited to host our High School and Community Counselor Appreciation events on Tuesday, February 25th. These events are a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate the dedication of counselors who support the academic and personal growth of students.

• **High School Counselors & Principals Breakfast:** 9-11:00 am
• **Community College Counselors Luncheon:** 12- 2:00 pm

Both events will provide a chance to connect with counselors, where they will learn more about ������-Dearborn's admissions process, and hear insights from staff, faculty, and students. If you're interested in attending to engage with our guests, please .

Save the Date - Spring Open House!
We are excited to announce that our Spring Open House will take place on Saturday, May 3, where we invite high school students to explore the vibrant community at ������-Dearborn! This event will provide prospective students with a chance to learn about the admissions process, discover academic programs, and explore the many opportunities available on campus. Faculty and staff will play an important role in making this event a success, so stay tuned for more details on how you can get involved. For now, be sure to save the date and help us spread the word to prospective students!

MSU Summer Intensive on Community Engaged Scholarship
The annual MSU Summer Intensive on Community Engaged Scholarship will be occurring again this summer from June 2-6. This week-long program is open to graduate students, post-docs, extension and academic staff, and faculty that have an interest in collaborating with the community. The program will include workshops, community partner dialogues, case studies, consultations and other resources. ������-Dearborn faculty have been participating in the great opportunity for several years and consistently report back having a very valuable experience. If you are interested in applying to be in this year’s cohort, applications are due April 4^th, 2025. More can be found here.
 

Digital Accessibility Strategic Initiative
The University of Michigan has announced it has entered the public phase of the Digital Accessibility Strategic Initiative, an effort designed to ensure digital accessibility and compliance with federal requirements across all university campuses and Michigan Medicine. This initiative was developed to support the university mission, uphold the highest teaching standards and align with updates to Title II regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act that require public universities to comply with digital accessibility standards by April 2026. Please see the campus communication from Friday, February 7th for more information, and feel free to reach out to the Associate Provost Joan Remski ([email protected]) with any questions. 

Thank you for reading this long letter and for all that you do!

With all my best wishes 

Gabriella

Gabriella Scarlatta
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs