SUBJECT: Practice-Based Learning at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

Dear Colleagues,

I hope your summer is going well and not too fast, like mine.

I am writing to provide you with an update on PBL (practice-based; problem-based; case-based; project-based learning) on our campus. As you know, in the past two years, our campus has been promoting PBL as part of our strategic planning efforts — Go BLUEprint for Success — as a way to provide students with an opportunity to experience in their studies more courses with hands-on projects, experiential learning, and skill-based activities. Furthermore, one of Chancellor Domenico Grasso’s priorities since the beginning of his tenure has been to position UM-Dearborn as the premier learning institution for practice-based learning in our state.

A group of dedicated faculty in the WPI Collaborative — Anys Bacha, Christopher Burke, Yi-Su Chen, Amanda Esquivel, Marcus Harris, Katie LaCommare,  Emily Luxon, Lisa Martin, Jen Proctor, and Carla Vecchiola — participated in a year-long virtual community of practice to support faculty exploring PBL implementation in their courses and programs.  I thank them for their time and commitment to move this high-impact practice forward and for coming up with recommendations for the next phase, including embedding PBL more widely on our campus; continuing critical supports for this initiative; and providing an intentional focus that highlights the incredible work that our faculty have done and continue to do at UM-Dearborn.

Together with this faculty and the four colleges, the Provost Office has worked to intensify PBL efforts by providing resources to the colleges and organizing showcases (such as PBL Palooza in November 2022 and the Engaged Scholarship Showcase: Urban Futures in April 2023).  In addition, the Provost Office has created a dedicated page for PBL (to which the college-specific pages are also linked). We are excited to continue this work in the fall, when our new Provost Fellow, Dr. Amanda Esquivel, will focus part of her time to coordinate and further this campus-wide initiative and work closely with the colleges.

The Office of Metropolitan Impact has also focused their efforts on PBL: they are developing a PBL Toolkit that is currently being tested by a group of faculty and will be rolled out in Fall 2023. In addition, OMI is working on populating our Collaboratory database (which will include all Urban Futures and community-engaged/related projects); please reach out to Elspeth Muzzin ([email protected]) for more information or to set up a meeting to learn more!

The infusion of PBL across campus has been a collective effort which has set the stage for UM-Dearborn. I thank everyone who has dedicated their time and resources to PBL and for intentionally and thoughtfully providing these important educational experiences for our students. I truly appreciate your efforts and time!

In the next year, we will work to track PBL courses, initiatives, and goals. If you are passionate about PBL and interested in moving this initiative forward on our campus beginning in the fall, please reach out to me!

Thank you,

Gabriella

Gabriella Scarlatta
Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs