Action Item (as stated with DEI strategic plan launch in 2016)
Many schools and colleges have long-term relationships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) across the country. In an effort to increase graduate student applications from MSIs, the Rackham Graduate School will convene a working group to establish a coordinated strategy for supporting MSI initiatives in individual schools and colleges. In pursuit of this goal, the group will develop an approach for cultivating new alliances and enhancing existing partnerships with MSIs and will create a process for funding MSI initiatives within individual units.
DEI 1.0 Evaluation Update
Following the launch of DEI 1.0, the Rackham Graduate School convened a working group whose primary goal was to establish an overarching strategy and funding process to support MSI initiatives in individual schools and colleges within the University of Michigan (U-M).
Guided by that planning initiative, the Rackham Graduate School facilitated and hosted Minority Serving Institution disciplinary hub meetings, with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. These meetings were co-sponsored by the National Forum for the Public Good in Higher Education and the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID). Rackham also coordinated efforts to collaborate with U-M graduate and professional programs with the goal of attracting, recruiting, and supporting students from MSIs.
As of June 30, 2021, the Rackham MSI Initiative has hosted three coffee chats spotlighting U-M units and several of their MIS collaborators, as well as three additional chats featuring scholars and practitioners nationwide. In all, Rackham Graduate School received 122 coffee chat registrations, primarily from the U-M community.
In Year Five, Rackham continued to collaborate with the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and other MSIs. The graduate school also hosted a virtual visit with the McNair Program from the California State University, Long Beach campus; participated in an event with the Cheatham White Scholars from North Carolina Central University; and, coordinated a healing circle for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other MSIs.
Responsibility: Rackham Graduate School