Action Item (as stated with DEI strategic plan launch in 2016)
Major cities and urban areas produce many outstanding students from diverse and underserved communities. However, due to a variety of institutional barriers and systemic inequalities these highly talented students are not always aware of the post-secondary educational opportunities that are available to them outside their communities. In recognition of this fact, the University of Michigan will establish more formal relationships with highly effective college access organizations and community advocates across the country with the goal of encouraging students from these high need communities to apply to and attend U-M. Previously, this initiative focused exclusively on recruiting underserved students from urban schools but has been expanded in the last year to include rural and suburban communities so as to increase the footprint of our recruitment outreach efforts. These recruitment and enrollment programs will include in-person site visits and application workshops to meet students in their communities as well as on-campus visit programs and individualized digital engagement efforts.
DEI 1.0 Evaluation Update
In Year Five, the recruitment and enrollment initiative grew in scope to include rural and suburban communities. New outreach efforts took a variety of forms. In-person site visits and application workshops allowed university recruiters to meet students in their communities and were supplemented by on-campus visits and individualized digital engagement campaigns. Energy was also redirected to building and sustaining intentional partnerships with community-based organizations in urban areas in order to make connections and strengthen relationships.
In the last two years of DEI 1.0, this program successfully increased the number of applications and diversified the admitted cohort. During that two-year period, 212 applications were received, 127 applicants were admitted and 43 students matriculated.
Of those who matriculated:
72% identify as members of a historically underrepresented minority group
67% have parent(s)and/or legal guardian(s) who self-report as a low-income household
60% will be the first in their family to graduate from college
Responsibility: Office of Enrollment Management