SUBJECT: To another semester!
April 17, 2023 at 11:35 AM
Dear Colleagues;
Here we are in the last week of the winter semester! It has been very busy but also very rewarding. The Provost Office is very much looking forward to summer and to a some-what slower pace. One can only dream …
I want to send you my heartfelt thank you for all you have done for our students, each other, and our campus! I wish you the best with the end of the semester to-do list, wrapping up classes, final exams, Commencement and summer semesters!
As usual, below you will find some updates and important date reminders.
Important Upcoming Events and Dates:
- Classes End – Tuesday, April 18
- Study Day – Wednesday, April 19
- Examinations – Thursday, April 20 - Friday, April 21 and Monday, April 24 - Wednesday, April 26
- Mardigian Library Hours
> The Mardigian Library is open extended hours in preparation for final exams starting
April 17th. Hours are:
+ Monday, April 17 - Thursday, April 20: 9 a.m. - Midnight
+ Friday, April 21: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
+ Saturday, April 22: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
+ Sunday, April 23: Noon - Midnight
+ Monday, April 24 - Wednesday, April 26: 9 a.m. - Midnight
> Drop in de-stress activities will occur on the first floor of the library on Tuesday, April 18
from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Grab and Go Coloring Kits will be available Wednesday, April 19
from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. and Thursday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
> In between semesters, the library has reduced hours.
+ Thursday, April 27 - Friday, April 28: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
+ CLOSED Saturday, April 29 - Sunday, April 30
+ Monday, May 1 - Tuesday, May 2: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
+ Wednesday, May 3rd - return to normal operating hours - CASL and COB Deans’ Reception - Deans Raju Balakrishnan and Marty Herschock’s Reception will be on Wednesday, April 26, at 4 p.m. in the Michigan Rooms, FCS
- Medallion Reception - Thursday, April 27, 4:30-6:00 p.m, Michigan Rooms, FCS
- Commencement – Sunday, April 30
- Summer Term and Summer I Classes Begin – Wednesday, May 3
Summer Orientation Dates:
FTIAC Orientations
- Tuesday, June 13
- Thursday, June 15
- Monday, June 19
- Wednesday, June 21
- Monday, June 26
- Wednesday, June 28
- Tuesday, July 11
- Wednesday, July 19
- Wednesday, August 9
- Thursday, August 24
Transfer Orientations
- Wednesday, June 7
- Thursday, July 13
- Wednesday, August 2
Final Exams Schedule and Grade Submissions – The Winter 2023 Final Exam Schedule can be found on the Final Exam Schedule webpage of the Registrar’s Office website. Please remember that all instructors must submit final grades within 48 hours of the final exam or no later than the posted deadline date. It is vital that instructors adhere to the 48 hour deadline as failing to do so will have a significant impact on end of term processing, including managing the awarding of degrees for graduating students; academic probation/dismissals; degree honors; athletic eligibility recertification; financial aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress reporting, among other processes.
Engaged Scholarship Showcase, Urban Futures – The 2023 Engaged Scholarship Showcase took place on Friday, April 14. The focus of the presentations this year was on the Urban Futures initiative. Dr. Jonathon Massey, Dean and Professor at UM-Ann Arbor’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, whose expertise spans from sustainable design to architectural history, gave an exciting and engaging keynote address. There were also two panels of presentations from our own faculty from each of the colleges whose work embodies the spirit of Urban Futures. You can view the recording of the showcase here.
Search Updates on the CASL and COB Dean Positions – Many of you have participated in the two CASL Dean candidates’ on campus visits last week and we have two more scheduled for this week, today and tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for your involvement and input thus far. The COB Dean candidate on campus visits will begin later this week. Keep a lookout for additional information.
2023 Engage Detroit Workshops Grant Program – As a reminder, proposals to receive grants to support workshops or speaker series are due April 28, 2023. You can find more information about this wonderful program here.
Senior Students vs. Senior Leadership Kickball Game – Yes, you read that right! It's a friendly kickball game between our wonderful senior students and our “not-necessarily prepared to play kickball” senior leadership. When is this event, you might be asking? Thursday, April 27 at 1:30 pm. More details to come!
Informal and Formal Reporting Processes – Academic Code of Conduct As a reminder, the Academic Code of Conduct provides faculty multiple mechanisms for handling academic misconduct matters that may arise. Informal reporting can be utilized when a faculty wishes to resolve misconduct at a classroom level, if the student has accepted responsibility, and if agreement is reached on restorative measures. Formal reporting means the student will have a record in the University’s academic misconduct database. Please don’t hesitate to contact Ryan Neloms, Assistant Director of Student Conduct at [email protected] with questions.
New Tableau Enrollment Dashboards – Now available by visiting the Institutional Research and Effectiveness webpage. These new dashboards ensure that we have a single source of shared data to facilitate strategic conversations and decision-making. Public and internal facing dashboards were developed to offer the ability to analyze the data with regard to various demographics, characteristics, and populations. The internal facing dashboards are only available to UM-Dearborn faculty and staff who have gone through data usage and privacy training. If you do not already have access you can request it using the WebFOCUS access request form. Tableau dashboards are a complementary tool to our current enterprise WebFOCUS reporting environment that continues to provide reporting for important operational purposes.
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) – Exciting news! The SURE program has the largest cohort of faculty and students this summer - 34 unique projects from all four colleges - and SURE will have its kickoff event on May 17. For more details, please see this announcement.
Graduate Student Summer Writing Camp – Applications to participate are open until May 5. This cohort experience is an opportunity for Masters and Doctoral level students to develop their academic and professional writing through sustained peer writing support groups throughout the summer.
Work+ Grant – EXP+'s partnership with ASU on the Work+ grant begins with a “discovery sprint” on June 5 and 6 and involves units from all over campus discussing and redesigning the student employment experience to better help our students translate their on campus work experiences to workforce skills.
Study Abroad – Efforts across campus are starting to see real progress in providing accessible global experiences for students. Around $120,000 in need-based study abroad aid was made available to UM-Dearborn students this year. 71 UM-Dearborn students are planning to travel in UM-Dearborn-led or -promoted programs, and they will be joined by 25 students from institutions like UM-Ann Arbor, Wayne State, and the University of Gdańsk in a broad array of transformative practice-based learning opportunities.
Hub Summer Programs – The May 8th - 19th Small Changes: A Course Improvement Studio (CIS) will engage faculty in cohorts that meet regularly to provide accountability and support for teaching improvements. Last year’s participants reported that the program helped them make small but meaningful changes that improved their courses’ organization and interactivity. Very limited spots remain. If you can’t make CIS but want to make some changes to your teaching, Hub Instructional Designers are available over the summer for working meetings or even just a quick chat.
Fall 2023 Higher Learning Commission Campus Visit – As mentioned, the Higher Learning Commission will be visiting our campus in the Fall. You can visit our campus’s HLC Visit Preparation webpage to find out additional information and learn more about the preparation efforts!
Finally, as we say in Italian, I wish you “in bocca al lupo!” (good luck) in wrapping up the semester! Enjoy the summer months and some well-earned time off!
With best wishes,
Gabriella
Gabriella Scarlatta
Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs