Government Relations

Unveiling a hidden talent

admin — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 12:38:57 +0000

Unveiling a hidden talent admin Fri, 10/18/2013 - 08:38

Hanan Nasser (left) and her family pose with "Self-Portrait" in the Anderson House Office Building.

Fast-forward to Wednesday, when her artwork was unveiled in the Anderson House Office Building—home to the Michigan House of Representatives. Her talent, it seems, is no longer hidden.

Nassar’s work, “Self-Portrait,” was among the pieces selected for Art in the House, a partnership between the Michigan House of Representatives and the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan. Each year, artwork created by students representing Michigan’s 15 public universities is displayed to promote art in everyday life.

“It was truly a joyous moment because it was an honor for doing what I have come to love,” Nasser said.

Nasser created “Self-Portrait” as part of an assignment for Applied Art 322: Intermediate Drawing. The assignment was to replicate a famous portraiture and then complete a self-portrait in a fashion similar to the original work.

She modeled her self-portraiture off of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Portrait of an Unknown Woman,” choosing to work with graphite on paper.

Nassar credits parental encouragement and a developing sense of the world with strengthening her resolve to follow her passion for art.

“Art should be seen as a kind of universal message. It is not just an expression, but rather a way of life,” she said. “I hope that my artwork will help others find their inspiration for what they love to do.”

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Government Relations

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Fri, 10/18/2013 - 12:38

Hanan Nasser sat in her family home, mindlessly sketching portraits of her siblings. In that moment, years ago, she realized she might have a hidden talent for art.

State finalizes fiscal year 2014 budgets

admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:59:16 +0000

State finalizes fiscal year 2014 budgets admin Fri, 06/14/2013 - 15:59

Last week, the governor signed the Education Omnibus (House Bill 4228) into law, cementing the Higher Education budget for Fiscal Year 2014, consisting of $1.4 billion – a 2.2 percent ($31,353,100) increase over the current year.

Under the distribution formula included in the budget, the University of Michigan–Dearborn will receive a state appropriation of $22,503,700 – a 1.2 percent ($266,400) increase over current year funding.

In addition to university operational funding, the School Aid budget included a $65 million increase for the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) grants. The GSRP grants, totaling $174,575,000, are awarded to centers throughout the state that provide preschool programs for four-year-old children who may be "at risk" of school failure.

Last year the Early Childhood Education Center, part of ��-Dearborn’s School of Education, received an $81,600 grant to provide 24 half-day slots for community children. With the increase in funding provided by the Legislature and the high quality education they provide, the ECEC has been allotted an additional 52 slots for the 2013–2014 school year, which will provide a grant of $275,000.

��-Dearborn Operating Budget Update: The university’s Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget will be submitted to the University of Michigan Board of Regents for approval at its next public meeting on June 20. Details of the budget will be shared by the chancellor on Thursday, June 20.

Want to stay informed of and advocate on Federal, State and Local issues impacting the University of Michigan–Dearborn? To receive pertinent information on a timelier basis by email, please contact Mike Latvis, ��–Dearborn’s Government Relations Manager, at latvism@umich.edu.

Faculty and Staff

Government Relations

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Fri, 06/14/2013 - 19:59

Fiscal Year 2014 state departmental budgets are being signed into law, as Gov. Rick Snyder and the Legislature have worked to finalize a balanced and on time budget for the third year in a row.

State House drops Right to Work penalty, offering clearer picture of university’s state allocation

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:38:56 +0000

State House drops Right to Work penalty, offering clearer picture of university’s state allocation admin Fri, 04/26/2013 - 13:38

Under House budgets, public entities receiving state funds would have seen anywhere from a 2 percent to 15 percent cut in their Fiscal Year 2014 state appropriation if they approved a union contract that did not realize a savings of 10 percent.

Specific to the university, the House Higher Education Budget (House Bill 4228) would have cut Fiscal Year 2014 funding for universities that approved union contracts by 15 percent. With the approval of renegotiated contracts by the University of Michigan Board of Regents, all three campuses would have been cut by more than $47 million. The University of Michigan–Dearborn could have seen a cut of $3,335,600 in Fiscal Year 2014 – a 14 percent cut over current year funding.

With the House of Representatives move to delete the penalizing language, the university’s state allocation now becomes slightly clearer.

Under the House Higher Education budget, ��-Dearborn would receive a Fiscal Year 2014 state appropriation of $22,470,600 – a 1 percent ($233,300) increase over current year funding.

Under the Senate’s budget (Senate Bill 193), ��-Dearborn would receive a Fiscal Year 2014 state appropriation of $22,684,200 – a 2 percent ($446,900) increase over current year funding.

Given the volatility of the state budget process, university leadership continues to draft various operational budget scenarios based on the actions of the Michigan Legislature. Regardless of the outcomes, there is still much work to be done both in Lansing and here in Dearborn.

The House and Senate budgets will now go before each chamber for a vote before being sent to Conference Committee, where the final details of the budget will be negotiated. The budget process is slated to be complete by the beginning of June.

Want to stay informed of and advocate on Federal, State and Local issues impacting the University of Michigan–Dearborn? To receive pertinent information on a timelier basis by email, please contact Mike Latvis, ��–Dearborn’s government relations manager, at latvism@umich.edu.

Faculty and Staff

Government Relations

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Fri, 04/26/2013 - 17:38

Last Tuesday, the Michigan House of Representatives abandoned its pledge to penalize universities, local governments, schools and colleges that approved union contracts before Right to Work legislation took effect on March 28.

University receives $30 million capital outlay to renovate Science Building

admin — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:22:01 +0000

University receives $30 million capital outlay to renovate Science Building admin Mon, 07/16/2012 - 11:22

With plans to capitalize on a recent surge in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs, the University soon will renovate one of its oldest buildings with some help from the state.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently approved a $30 million capital outlay that will help ��-Dearborn fund its Science Building renovation project.

“I am confident that a renovated Science Building not only will better serve our students in the near term, but also be a wise investment in the future of preparing students for the jobs and economy of tomorrow,” ��-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little said.

STEM jobs grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs over the past decade, according to a 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce report, and are expected to grow another 17 percent by 2018.

��-Dearborn students are aware of the expected job growth, which likely played a role in a 21 percent enrollment spike in Department of Natural Sciences courses over the past five years.

But in order to best prepare students for high-demand careers in the sciences, while also providing proper facilities for cutting-edge faculty research, ��-Dearborn needed to upgrade the Science Building, which was constructed in 1959.

The $51 million project already is underway, as the Facilities Planning Team is finalizing the design phase. Once that phase is complete, faculty and staff members located in the Science Building will be informed about relocation schedules.

There are a series of projects that still must be completed before faculty and staff members can be relocated, which will take about a year. The actual renovation of the building is expected to take about 2.5 years to complete.

In addition to developing a building that prepares its students for 21^st century issues, skills and careers, ��-Dearborn also plans to maintain sustainability. The renovated Science Building is expected to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs and minimize the University’s carbon footprint.

University-wide

Government Relations

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Mon, 07/16/2012 - 15:22

University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Science Building will look a whole lot different in a few years.

��-Dearborn set to begin $51M project to renovate campus's science, computer information science buildings

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:37:51 +0000

��-Dearborn set to begin $51M project to renovate campus's science, computer information science buildings admin Mon, 03/28/2011 - 04:37

��-Dearborn is in the initial stage of its $51 million capital outlay project to renovate and provide building infrastructure improvements for the campus's Science Building (SB) as well as parts of the Computer Information Science (CIS) Building.

The main project on tap is the rehabilitation of the Science Building, which was one of the original buildings completed on campus in 1959. Since the SB shares infrastructure with the CIS Building, renovation to parts of the CIS building is included in the project as well to update the mechanical, electrical and data systems and adapt both buildings to meet current teaching and safety needs, according to Kathleen Pepin, director of facilities planning.

"We are in the architectural selection stage right now," Pepin said. "The Request for Proposal (RFP) is awaiting approval from U-M's Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) office. Once approved, we'll send the RFP to six pre-qualified Michigan companies who have a proven track record of working with science and laboratory educational facilities."

Pepin and other campus representatives will work with U-M's AEC to select an architect, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of next month.

In the meantime, Department of Natural Sciences faculty members will gather for an academic retreat in early April on the theme "Building for the Future" where they'll have a chance to discuss the department's anticipated needs for the coming years. The department has been growing steadily over the past five years, and in 2001, it instituted a master's degree program in environmental science. The growth in biological sciences has been particularly steep, with the number of declared majors having more than doubled to more than 500 students over the past four years. With the advent of the internet connectivity and newer, computer-based instruments for scientific investigations, methods of teaching, curriculum structure and pedagogy, and the range of available laboratory techniques have drastically changed.

A renewed facility would provide students and faculty with a venue to facilitate closer academic-industry and student-industry collaboration. Many of ��-Dearborn's undergraduate computer science students go on to join local industries. The revitalized Science Building will enhance undergraduate research experience, closing the gap between academic curriculum and the needs of an advanced work force.

In December, the state Legislature approved a bill that will partially fund the renovation of three U-M academic buildings, including ��-Dearborn's Science Building. The other two University buildings to receive funding are the G.G. Brown Memorial Building renovation project on the Ann Arbor campus, and the Murchie Science Laboratory Building renovation project on the Flint campus.

The state will provide $30 million toward ��-Dearborn's $51 million Science Building renovation project. Lawmakers limited funding to no more than $30 million for an individual project.

��-Dearborn will raise the remaining matching obligation for the capital outlay project through the issuance of tax-exempt debt and/or private giving.

It's anticipated that the first phase of construction could begin in the fall of 2012. The time frame of the entire project will span through the fall of 2014, the expected construction completion date.

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Government Relations

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Mon, 03/28/2011 - 08:37

Government Relations

Unveiling a hidden talent

State finalizes fiscal year 2014 budgets

State House drops Right to Work penalty, offering clearer picture of university’s state allocation

University receives $30 million capital outlay to renovate Science Building

������-Dearborn set to begin $51M project to renovate campus's science, computer information science buildings

��-Dearborn set to begin $51M project to renovate campus's science, computer information science buildings