Goals
Campus
Climate
We will work to create an environment in which all campus community members are welcomed and supported, and perspectives and contributions are sought out and valued.
Recruitment
& Retention
We will promote an ever-more-diverse student, faculty and staff community on campus and equip individuals with the support and opportunities necessary for their success.
Scholarship
& Teaching
We will be vigilant in ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational aspects of our educational program offerings and teaching methodology, and that scholarly research on diversity, equity and inclusion, and the scholars who produce it, are valued and supported.
2015
DEI Initiative Announced
President Mark Schlissel announces diversity, equity and inclusion across U-M as one of his key priorities and that a Five-Year Strategic Plan will be developed to evaluate and advance it.
2016
Year One
Campus units roll out and begin implementing nearly 2,000 action items outlined in unit DEI plans—along with the initial 34 campuswide central action items—formed to address the goals outlined in the university’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. A central office for DEI is established and DEI operational funding is included in the university’s annual budget process, and U-M’s first campus climate survey is conducted.
2017
Year Two
DEI continues to be embedded in the structures and processes of the university including faculty and staff recruitment, student recruitment and student success, professional development for executive leaders, and annual faculty and staff evaluation.
2018
Year Three
Our focus was on implementation: doing the daily work of creating long-term change throughout the university. Leadership began putting systems in place for early evaluation of DEI-related programs at both the central campus and unit levels.
2019
Year Four
Progress continues to grow for programs focused on college access, affordability and student success and 98% of faculty and staff completed a gender-based and sexual misconduct awareness module. As the pandemic unfolded, DEI efforts shifted to remote formats and DEI was a focus in the campus response to COVID-19. National unrest over police brutality and systemic racism deepened our commitment to achieving our DEI goals.
2020
Year Five
Efforts build on the foundation of progress and continuing needs, while refocusing our commitment to anti-racism and prioritizing health and safety and the disparate impact of COVID-19. We faced ongoing challenges that only deepened our commitment to achieving our vision of a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus.
2021
Evaluation, Planning and Transition to DEI 2.0
Our DEI efforts will continue unabated. With the conclusion of the initial 5-year DEI Strategic Plan, we are beginning a year-long evaluation process in which central and unit-level content and actions from DEI 1.0 will be thoroughly assessed. Findings from the evaluation period will help guide a year-long planning phase in 2022, leading to the university’s next DEI strategic plan, DEI 2.0. This second five-year initiative will launch in October of 2023.
Campus Voices
Continuing to lead, listen and learn
View this video of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Robert M. Sellers sharing insights on the Year Five DEI Progress Report. Link to “More Voices” below to read letters from the CDO and from President Mark S. Schlissel, and to view videos of students, staff and faculty reflecting on the impact of our DEI efforts and how we can move progress forward together.