Date: October 21st, 2016 (Event)

The University of Michigan has had a historic commitment to diversifying academia, and STEM disciplines have been one of the greatest areas of need to increased representation of historically underserved communities. Efforts across the University have been diverse themselves, with current initiatives ranging from providing opportunities for high school students to design, build, and test robotics to learning design and architectural engineering.

The NCID brought together campus partners as part of our Growing STEM priority area to connect every part of the pipeline into higher education, so that the University community can build partnerships that sustains our commitment to students from the first day they engage with Michigan to when President Schlissel congratulates them at graduation. As Director Tabbye Chavous said, the NCID is working to "Better support leveraging the expertise at Michigan, while serving as a partner and hub to connect expertise in synergistic ways."

Derrick Scott, Angela Dillard, and Deborah Goldberg discussing initiatives to support student pathways into STEM education and professions.

Growing STEM represents a partnership across Michigan's Literature, Science, and the Arts, Engineering, and Medical schools, where three of Michigan's largest schools are working together to understand how recruitment initiatives can begin and thrive within academic units, changing the traditional model where initiatives originate within administrative units. As Angela Dillard, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education in LSA, put it, Growing STEM is building a "Sustainable, cross-campus, grassroots movement to support students from one end of the pipeline to the other."

Following a poster session discussing ongoing efforts, Robert Jagers gave a special introduction to Wolverine Pathways, one of the most innovative pipeline programs that offers local middle and high school students additional academic preparation and provides those admitted to Michigan with a full-tuition scholarship. Representing the epitome of a connected pipeline, this program provides students from Southfield Public and Ypsilanti Community school districts with the opportunity to participate in additional programming and educational opportunities that can make a difference in any child's life, and is just one of the many ways Michigan is working towards more diverse, equitable, and inclusive higher education.

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