University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel E. Little has been awarded for his longstanding commitment to engagement.
He is the recipient of the inaugural John DiBiaggio Beacon Award for Presidential Leadership. The award, conferred by Michigan Campus Compact (MiCC), recognizes a university president or leader who significantly contributes to creating a culture of community engagement on campus.
Little was recognized during the MiCC Awards Gala on Thursday, April 7.
“What a great honor it is to receive this inaugural award for presidential leadership from the Michigan Campus Compact…UM-Dearborn is deeply proud to be a strong supporter and partner of the Michigan Campus Compact and its important mission,” Little said in a pre-recorded acceptance speech.
“I am fortunate to lead a campus community that understands, appreciates and embraces community engagement. I look forward to continuing this work and making UM-Dearborn a national model for community engagement, student enrichment and innovation in this important area.”
According to Robin Lynn Grinnell, MiCC executive director, Little was selected for his support of MiCC and his clear commitment to engaged scholarship and community partnerships.
“Chancellor Little is a collaborative visionary and a true leader,” she said. “His commitment to his students, his campus, the surrounding communities and to creating a better world for all is inspiring. He has had a positive impact on all of us in many different ways and we are grateful for all he does.”
Little has served as UM-Dearborn chancellor since 2000. During his tenure, he has established the university’s Metropolitan Vision, working with faculty, staff and students to advance university approaches to institutionalizing engagement activities.
Under his leadership, UM-Dearborn has established programs to encourage academic service learning courses and faculty-community research partnerships. He created what is now the Office of Metropolitan Impact—which has helped forge dozens of robust university-community partnerships—and supported the university’s establishment of Public Allies Metro Detroit.
In 2015, UM-Dearborn was named an engaged campus by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and was recognized as MiCC’s Engaged Campus of the Year.
Off campus, Little is actively involved in metropolitan affairs. He serves on the boards of nearly a dozen community organizations, including New Detroit—which partnered with UM-Dearborn for its first Conversations on Race in 2004—City Year Detroit and Citizens Research Council of Michigan.
As one nominator said, “Dr. Little’s leadership, as demonstrated through his service with numerous local and regional organizations, serves [as a] model for the campus community. His clear and consistent message about the importance of engagement is no longer his message—it is the true vision of the campus.”
