KCP Visiting Professors Program

The Martin Luther King, Jr. • César Chávez • Rosa Parks Visiting Professors (VP) program was created by the Michigan State Legislature in 1986 as part of the larger King-Chavez-Parks Initiative, designed to stem the downward spiral of college graduation rates for students underrepresented in postsecondary education. The purpose of the VP program is to increase the number of instructors in the classroom to provide role models for academically or economically disadvantaged students.

General Provisions

1. The VP program is intended to increase the number of instructors in the classroom to provide role models for academically or economically disadvantaged students.
2. Preference for VP program award recipients may not be given to visiting faculty on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, or national origin.
3. Applications for VP program awards shall provide submit the Visiting Professor Program Application including supporting narrative and justification as to how the proposed activity will directly support academically and economically disadvantaged groups. Approval must be granted prior to expenditure of funds. Special consideration will be given to proposals which integrate with other KCP programs and activities, including the Future Faculty Fellowship program, Gear Up, and others.
4. The VP program funds classroom instructors to serve as role models for academically or economically disadvantaged students that can present a perspective that may not have been adequately represented among the ranks of the faculty.
   1. The KCP Initiative interprets “classroom” to include various locations on the university campus at which the event/course is being presented (e.g. auditorium, stadium, campus lawn). Special requests for an off-campus event/course may be presented to the KCP Initiative for consideration. Such requests shall include a justification of why the event will be held off-campus and transportation options that will not create attendance barriers for the target audience.
   2. The KCP Initiative interprets “instructor” to include individuals deemed by the university to be subject matter specialists and/or experts in their field.
   3.  Prior to approval, VP program representatives shall provide to the KCP Initiative a justification statement explaining how academically or economically disadvantaged students will be included as the target audience for the event/course being funded.
   4. Prior to approval, VP program representatives shall provide to the KCP Initiative a justification statement explaining how this instructor presents a unique perspective not already adequately represented among the faculty. 
   5. The university must match at 100% the VP funds.

For questions or more information regarding UM-Dearborn's VP program, please contact McKenna Maurino ([email protected]).