Environmental Health and Safety

Coming to campus: bike-friendly changes

stuxbury — Mon, 20 May 2024 16:26:26 +0000

Coming to campus: bike-friendly changes stuxbury Mon, 05/20/2024 - 12:26

Nearly all of the ��-Dearborn community is committed to sustainability efforts and energy conservation, according to a U-M Sustainable Cultural Indicators Program survey. In the same report, respondents indicated that they knew very little about alternative transportation modes like biking. So ��-Dearborn’s Bikeable Campus Task Force looked into ways to support biking across ��-Dearborn to help bridge these two areas. “People indicated in the survey, which was from 2021, that they want to support environmental sustainability. We want to help them. But it's important to note that sustainability considers more than just the environment — it connects to human health, mental wellness and safety,” said Sustainability Programs Coordinator Grace Maves, who led the task force.

Campus bike-related changes coming this summer include:

Wayfinding signage and safety reminders will be placed on multi-use pathways and roadways that the task force identified as the safest campus bike routes
Sharrows, which help riders with wayfinding and safe positioning on roads, will be placed on areas of Fair Lane Drive and Monteith Boulevard to indicate shared roads
Bike racks will be redistributed to better serve often-used gathering spaces and stops along the recommended bike routes. For example, bike racks will be placed in the Chancellor’s Pond area.

The task force also made recommendations for the future, including adding a designated bike lane crossing through campus and along the campus portion of the Rouge River Gateway Trail.“Our leadership is committed to being a bike-friendly campus, and that kind of support is what makes sustainability achievable,” Maves says. “Yes, we are a commuter campus. But there are still ways to utilize alternative transportation methods, and make those modes accessible and safe. We want to create changes that support our campus’ needs.” She said a new survey will be sent to the ��-Dearborn community in fall 2024 to track changes in ridership and campus sustainability culture.

Maves hopes these changes will boost ridership on campus, better support the bike-riding events on campus, like the Chancellor’s Town and Gown bike ride and walk, and add safety features for the riders who currently bike to and from campus for classes and work.

Bike routes map

Human Resources Coordinator Jessica Calderón, who is also a student, said she is looking forward to seeing these changes on campus. To save money, reduce the carbon footprint and exercise, Calderón occasionally bikes to campus.

Coming from Oakwood Boulevard near Southfield, it takes Calderón nearly an hour on the days she’s commuted on her bright blue Aggressor Pro GT. She said she is thankful for the opportunity to ride — attending the Chancellor’s Town and Gown annual bike ride in the fall showed her how to navigate the city and end up on campus — and appreciates the work the task force has done to continue the biking education and momentum on campus.

“Sometimes you feel planted in your seat while in class or at work. It feels good to get up and explore our beautiful campus,” she says. “There’s shade from the trees. It’s scenic. And the people are friendly. It’s another great neighborhood to ride my bike in. I appreciate the efforts leadership is making to be more bike friendly. These safety routes will benefit faculty, staff and our students. Some people in our community don’t have the funds set aside for a vehicle — but they do have a bike.”

In addition to helping mobility, Maves says the changes this summer are a step in the right direction to reduce ��-Dearborn’s Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions — which include actions like business travel and commuting — and support a culture of sustainability.

“If there is not a demand, changes often don’t happen. I’m glad the ��-Dearborn community shared that they wanted to be involved in sustainable efforts — that helped move this forward,” Maves says. “Our goal is to create a culture of sustainability on campus, and if individuals continue to express interest, more initiatives like the Bikeable Campus Project will come out of that. As a starting point, I encourage everyone to become Planet Blue Ambassadors, to build a foundation for taking action on campus and beyond.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury. ��-Dearborn’s Bikeable Campus Task Force members include Landscape and Grounds Manager Steve Bernard, Lead Business Officer for Business Affairs Marc Brigolin, Police Sergeant Kaitlin Deslatte, Executive Director for Facilities Carol Glick, Maves, Police Officer Marty Morales General Services Manager Bonnie Southerland and Bike Dearborn founder Tracy Besek.

Sustainability

Environmental Health and Safety

Facilities Planning

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Mon, 05/20/2024 - 16:25

To support sustainability efforts and promote bike safety, sharrows and new signage will appear this summer.

Bikers travel paths to and from campus. Photo/Grace Maves

Staff Spotlight: Brad Walvort

stuxbury — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:56:17 +0000

Staff Spotlight: Brad Walvort stuxbury Wed, 10/05/2022 - 14:56

Brad Walvort has experienced some once-in-a-lifetime events during his career that included three presidential inaugurations and a U.S. visit by Pope Francis.

Walvort, ��-Dearborn’s new associate director of Emergency Management, said he’s enjoyed working in emergency management and he credits finding his right career path to his alma mater — the University of Michigan.

Emergency Management Associate Director Brad Wolvart

Get to know more about ��-Dearborn’s new Emergency Management associate director, his career highlights, love of U-M sports, and his appreciation for campus' BIRT program — which he plans to continue strengthening.

Michigan sports were a staple of his undergrad — and, at work, he’s still hanging at the Big House.

“I was at U-M from 2006 to 2010. There were a lot of fun games that I went to with my dorm mates. With football, we started off with Lloyd Carr and then went into the Rich Rodriguez years. Even though we didn’t always win, it helped me appreciate wins more when we got them. For basketball — that’s my favorite sport — I was there when Michigan made it to the NCAA tournament in 2009 after a long drought. I even went to Kansas City to watch them play Clemson.

I still go to the games, but now I support the team in a different way. On the emergency operations side, we make sure there is a response for any situation that could arise. If there is someone having a reaction to a hot day, we get them water. If there is an unruly fan, we handle that situation. It’s not something that I thought much about when I was a student — but that’s a good thing. If you don’t think about it, it means the people in emergency operations are doing their jobs.”

This career fits with how his brain works.

“I’ve always been the person who thinks ahead and wants to know what I can expect, anticipate or predict. My mind creates possible scenarios and responses — so I want to be prepared…just in case. It drives my wife a little crazy. Lucky for me, I found a career where I can funnel that into a productive outlet.”

While in Washington, D.C., he saw three different presidential transitions.

“An internship I had while at Michigan got me out to Washington, D.C., eventually leading to a full time opportunity. I later worked in emergency operations for the House of Representatives, with the sergeant-at-arms in the Emergency Management Division.

While I was in Washington, D.C., I was part of three inaugurations — President Obama’s second one, President Trump’s inauguration and President Biden’s inauguration. These are major events and people were there to remember the moment. But when you are working, you’re trying to get through the next task on the list. You aren’t there as a spectator. You still absorb the experience, but it often only hits later when you think about all you saw and all you did.

Even if it’s not for a major event, try to get to Washington, D.C. if you haven’t been. Go to take a look at the Capitol lit up at night. It really is quite the sight.”

He’s a fan of the campus’ Building Incident Response Team (BIRT) program.

“I want people on campus to know that the Department of Public Safety and the Office of Emergency Management are here to help and that we have training to help you be prepared in case of an emergency. One of the best ways we can do that is to continue to build the BIRT program, which was created to promote a more coordinated emergency response for campus. But between managing the pandemic response and staff turnover, we can continue to grow. We want to help get re-trained for key responsibilities in leading emergency response actions. The faculty and staff on campus know their buildings and who is in them on a particular day more than anyone else — and we want to help team members be prepared and supported."

There’s no place like home.

“I like when people walk by and say, ‘hello’ or ‘good morning.’ I took that for granted until I left the state. People are really friendly here and I appreciate it more now. But, with that said, sometimes I am guilty of mentally being in emergency management mode and moving fast. Even if I appear to be walking with a purpose, please say hello. I want to get to know people on campus and I am grateful for this opportunity. This state and this university are my home — and I really couldn’t be happier to be here."

Staff Spotlight by Sarah Tuxbury.

Faculty and Staff

Leadership

Environmental Health and Safety

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Wed, 10/05/2022 - 18:55

Get to know more about ��-Dearborn’s new Emergency Management associate director, his career highlights and his appreciation for campus' BIRT program — which he'll continue strengthening.

Photo of a 2017 ��-Dearborn BIRT program training exercise in Fairlane Center.

Keeping Dearborn Wolverines safe

rudmehta — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 19:06:18 +0000

Keeping Dearborn Wolverines safe rudmehta Thu, 07/14/2022 - 15:06

This article was originally published on October 7, 2020.

There’s confusion about the status of COVID-19-related executive orders throughout the state after the recent Michigan Supreme Court rulings regarding Gov. Whitmer’s emergency powers.

As a campus community, it’s important to reaffirm and clarify ��-Dearborn’s commitment in protecting one another and taking precautions for students, faculty and staff to stay safe and healthy during this global pandemic. Since March, the university has made decisions regarding campus’ response to COVID-19 based on the best science and public health-informed guidelines and will continue to do so.

��-Dearborn adheres to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Executive Order issued on Oct. 5, 2020.

The following health and safety guidelines remain in place on the ��-Dearborn campus:

Limited Density - ��-Dearborn will continue to limit the density of people on campus, with only those required coming to campus for classes or work.
Daily Health Screening - Before coming to campus everyone must complete the ResponsiBLUE daily health screening and follow the provided prompts.
Face Coverings Required - Face coverings that cover the mouth and nose are required on campus at all times. This includes both when inside campus buildings and when outdoors. The university has developed procedures for responding to students, faculty and staff who fail to follow the face-covering policy.
Building Screening - Academic buildings where classes and research activities are happening are accessible via a screening process. These buildings are locked and have a designated entry point. At the entry point, a screening station greeter verifies that visitors have been pre-approved for entry, have received a ‘green screen’ approval from ResponsiBLUE and have a standard temperature.
Social Distance - While on campus, everyone must stay at least six feet from other people at all times, including while in classrooms and labs. In addition, avoid crowded places and mass gatherings.
Wash your Hands - Handwashing is encouraged with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, as much as possible throughout the day. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizer stations have been placed throughout campus.
Signage - The university has placed signage throughout campus providing guidance, helpful tips and reminders on how to stay safe. Be sure to follow the directions as displayed.

��-Dearborn’s leadership will continue to monitor COVID-19 throughout southeast Michigan and follow any changes to the guidance from public health professionals. The university will adjust health and safety guidelines as required to prioritize the well-being of students, faculty and staff.

For more information on the university’s response to COVID-19 visit the website.

Coronavirus

University-wide

Environmental Health and Safety

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Wed, 10/07/2020 - 05:00

Campus looks to science and public health-informed guidelines when responding to COVID-19.

��-Dearborn community members, like Facilities painter Tyler Petee, will continue to wear masks while on campus.

University of Michigan-Dearborn announces innovative and flexible approach to safety for the Fall 2021 semester: COVID vaccine or testing requirement

stuxbury — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:21:42 +0000

University of Michigan-Dearborn announces innovative and flexible approach to safety for the Fall 2021 semester: COVID vaccine or testing requirement stuxbury Fri, 04/23/2021 - 11:21

University of Michigan-Dearborn announced an innovative approach to keeping its campus community safe this coming academic year. This fall students, faculty and staff will be required to provide either documentation of a weekly negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or that they are fully immunized with a vaccine that has received FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

The announcement, effective September 1, 2021, applies to all students, faculty and staff that will be coming to campus for any reason. The university, which has operated in a predominantly remote capacity since March 2020, plans a robust return to campus this fall, with most classes taught fully in person or in hybrid fashion and a return of on-campus student support services, co-curricular activities and campus services.

"Throughout the pandemic the university has fulfilled its mission of educating our students, while prioritizing the health and safety of our campus community,” said Domenico Grasso, chancellor, ��-Dearborn. “This announcement allows us to move forward with our plans of a return to on-campus activities, which we know are so important for student success, while continuing to keep our campus community safe and healthy.”

Students, faculty and staff who are fully remote will not need to meet this requirement.

The leadership of the university's Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and Student Government have all endorsed this plan.

Additional details regarding how this process will be implemented and how this information will be collected and maintained will be shared with the campus community in the coming weeks. There will also be guidance ahead regarding how this policy applies to campus partners, visitors and events.

About ��-Dearborn
University of Michigan-Dearborn was founded in 1959 through an innovative partnership between the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company, with Ford providing an initial gift of just over 200 acres of land and $6.5 million. ��-Dearborn is a regional university, committed to excellence rooted in strong academics, innovative research and scholarship, as well as accessibility and affordability. The university has nearly 8,800 students pursuing more than 100 bachelor's, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees in liberal arts and sciences, engineering and computer science, business, education, health and human services. A top-ranked university with an inclusive campus community, faculty devoted to teaching and students committed to achievement, ��-Dearborn has been shaped by its history of partnering with industry and community leaders, and is committed to finding solutions for today’s most pressing challenges.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus Communications

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Fri, 04/23/2021 - 15:20

The university plans a robust return to campus this fall, with most classes taught fully in person or in hybrid fashion and a return of on-campus student support services, co-curricular activities and campus services.

Get Emergency Alerts

stuxbury — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 22:52:45 +0000

Get Emergency Alerts stuxbury Mon, 10/19/2020 - 18:52

Graphic for Emergency Alert

All three University of Michigan campuses moved to a new emergency alert notification system this weekend.

To help increase reliability, communication send time, reporting, and ease of use, U-M selected the Rave Alert platform.

In order to help accelerate the delivery of important emergency notifications, a secondary system has been added so that — when needed — emergency messages can be simultaneously posted to the university website, social media channels, desk and laptops, and digital message boards.

Faculty, staff and student contact information was pulled from the old system, Wolverine Access or ��-Dearborn Connect (for students). Students, faculty and staff are asked to verify their mobile number is correct in the system by Friday, Oct. 23.

��-Dearborn students, faculty and staff must sign into the network and accept the Rave Alert terms and conditions before verifying their information.

“One of the most important safety measures members of the ��-Dearborn community can take today is ensuring that they will receive an alert when there’s an emergency on campus,” says Emergency Management Director Laura Drabczyk.

While verifying your mobile number, students, faculty and staff can also add additional phone numbers in the system and enroll to receive alerts from any U-M campus.

The ��-Dearborn Emergency Alert is an urgent, mass notification system that keeps students, faculty and staff informed about major active emergencies on campus. The university uses the system to provide timely and accurate information that empowers members of the campus community to make critical decisions about their safety during an emergency.

Other ways to stay informed during an emergency? Twitter, Facebook, the ��-Dearborn homepage and ��-Dearborn digital displays across campus will share emergency information.

University-wide

Emergency Management

Environmental Health and Safety

Public Safety (Police)

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Mon, 10/19/2020 - 22:50

U-M moves to new emergency alert notification provider, campus encouraged to verify information.