Campus Life

'A once in a lifetime experience'

stuxbury — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 21:38:28 +0000

'A once in a lifetime experience' stuxbury Fri, 07/25/2025 - 17:38

Intrigued by movies and books that featured the Eiffel Tower, senior Bryanna Worthy wanted to go to France. Learning more about the country, she saw something special in the architecture, the food and the culture. She started taking language lessons as a high school freshman and continued through college. But she didn’t know if or when she’d ever visit.

Earlier this year, thanks to ��-Dearborn’s faculty-led “France Sites of Memory” Study Abroad experience, Worthy spent a week traveling the country while earning course credit. She saw castles, World War II sites, famous paintings and — of course — the Eiffel Tower.

Director of Global Engagement Scott Riggs said the university wants any student who wishes to study in another country to have that opportunity. There are both exchange programs and faculty-led study abroad programs available for interested students on the M-Navigator website. Upcoming experiences include travel to Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Scholarships help students afford the travel — and the sooner students apply, the earlier they can learn about covered costs. “Applying does not mean you are committed to going — but it does start the process of seeing what scholarships and funding you qualify for,” Riggs said. “Last academic year, about $60,000 in aid for study abroad was given to 22 students. So it is not an insignificant amount.” A signature scholarship is the Go Global Guarantee, which is need-based support of up to $4,000. Interested in ��-Dearborn’s Study Abroad programs? Reach out with questions.

Bryanna Worthy, right, got to see the Eiffel Tower with her ��-Dearborn friends.

Worthy, who had her trip partially funded through the Go Global Guarantee, said her time in France was “a once in a lifetime experience.” And the communications major wanted to share it with readers in her words. Worthy is a blogger for the ��-Dearborn Admissions’ student blog. Below is an entry she wrote about her time in France, which is lightly edited for style and to add details.

Nothing is better than falling in love with a country after spending years learning the language. Over spring break, I had the opportunity to attend the France Sites of Memory 2025 study abroad. This experience was life-changing. I was able to connect with my professors, students and even the locals. As a student with eight years of experience learning French, here's a day-by-day rundown of how my journey went.

Day One: Bonjour, Paris
Our first day in Paris was short, but fun. We landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport around seven in the morning. Afterward, we headed straight for the hotel. Once we arrived, the rooms were not ready yet, so we headed to a nearby café, Le Bistro, for a coffee and lunch. I ordered a BLT with fries and everything was so fresh and amazing. After our petit lunch, we headed to see an antique chapel, Parisse Saint Merry, that was quite extraordinary,and went to Père Lachaise Cemetery where some of the most prominent French writers were buried. To top the night off, we headed to a quaint restaurant that had the best French onion soup I’ve ever tasted in my life. It was warm, rich and delicious.

The students explored the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.

Day Two: Bienvenue au palais de Versailles
During our trip to Versailles, we learned a lot about why the palace is built the way it is. Although the palace is 356 years old, it still holds its glory today. With an astonishing 357 mirrors in the hall of mirrors alone, the Sun King, Louis XIV, created a space that resembled the true French identity. For the duration of my visit, each and every corner of the palais left me in awe. From the jardins (gardens) to the private estates, Versailles won my heart. With the Greek and Roman influences, the palace has such a rich historical connection and display. King Louis XIV really demonstrated his power and achievements through the 357 mirrors in the “salle de glace” — hall of mirrors — which reflected the painted walls that displayed his achievements through Greek, Roman and Christian references. One day was not enough to see everything that Versailles had to offer.

The students saw art, like the Mona Lisa, while on a guided tour at the Louvre.

Day Three: Paris, Je t’aime toujours
Our third day in Paris was magical. We started our morning with the most perfect petit déjeuner (breakfast) that had croissants, fromage (cheese) and assorted fruits. In one word, it was parfait! After breakfast, we headed to Le Louvre, which had so much art history about France and other countries. Our guided tour provided stories behind these great works of art, one of which was the Mona Lisa. Leonardo da Vinci created it between 1503 and 1517 — and it was stolen from Le Louvre in 1911, returning a couple years later. Before leaving Le Louvre, we were able to stop at the iconic Laduree Patisserie, which had the best macarons and cutesy gift items a person could imagine. After our trip to Le Louvre, we visited an area in Paris not far from Notre Dame that had small cafés, shopping and plenty of sightseeing. We also had a movie-esque outdoor lunch with a view of the quaint streets of Paris. Once we finished our lunch, we headed to the Latin Quarter, where students of Paris have studied for many years. In this part of the voyage, we were able to witness beautiful architecture that was hundreds of years old. Afterward, we had dinner at Les Noces de Jeannette (the Weddings of Jeannette). This restaurant has every bit of elegance and composure that one could have imagined. The restaurant, located near the Opera, had timeless decor that brought the scenery to life. When our night came to an end, we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower. The tower is embedded with approximately 20,000 lights that sparkle over Paris. Every student that attended this part of the trip was blown away. We were taken aback by its beauty, by its culture and by its history. All in all, day three was most definitely my favorite!

When in Tours, the students visited several castles, including Château de Chambord.

Day Four: Les Châteaux
Day four was a sweet memory as well. Monday morning, we woke up early and headed to Tours, France, where we went to tour the castles. Upon arrival, Provost (now Chancellor) Gabriella Scarlatta gave us the historical background of the castle we visited. After the guided tour of Château de Chambord, we had lunch right on the premises. Then once we were finished, we headed to our second castle, Château D'amboise, which was — in one word — magnifique! It had the most gorgeous small chapel on its grounds, as well as a beautiful view from the top of the castle that overlooked the town and river. For dinner, we went to a fun and elegant restaurant called Bistro Rossini, where I ate a chicken and potatoes dish that went along with a tomato sauce on top. When the day came to an end, we headed to our hotel, aptly named Le Grande Hotel De Tours. A hotel that was, in fact, grand.

Bryanna Worthy saw the sea for the first time when at the Gulf of Saint-Malo.

Day Five: St. Malo
Day five is another one of my favorites. We started the day early and took a walk around the city of Tours, where we saw ancient buildings, many from the medieval period, that were still intact. Then, after visiting a few hidden gems, we visited our last castle, Château d'Azay- le-Rideau, which was one of my favorites. It had a beautiful, serene stream running through it and a gorgeous, petite garden all around. The castle itself was small, but had a demanding presence. After our tour (which had a guided speaker phone), we headed to St. Malo, which is where we saw the sea. This was my first time seeing the sea, and I have to say, it was magnificent. As the day was winding to a close and the sun was setting on the horizon, it was a moment I will never forget.

Students took photos as they approached Mont St. Michel.

Day Six: Mont Saint-Michel
Day six was probably one of our busiest days. We headed to the tidal island of Mont St. Michel, located off the coast of Normandy, to visit the monastery, which is hundreds of years old. The monastery was massive and currently houses 10 monks and 10 nuns. The building has had many uses since it was first built, including its original purpose as a monastery and as a prison cell in the 17th century. This gothic site of memory left many students astonished. Also, in order to visit the monastery, you must walk up the steps to the top and, once you leave, you have to pay to return. Although this site involved a lot of cardio, it was still a cool experience. To end the evening, we had dinner in an old farmhouse that’s now a restaurant, La Ferme Saint-Michel, and finished off our feast with a game of Uno.

Day Seven: Bayeux
For day seven, we made our way to the Utah Beaches located in Normandy, where WWII took place. Here we had a tour guide who took us through the Utah Beach Landing Museum and gave us a historic lesson on what happened during WWII, and the Utah Beaches, specifically. Our tour guide even gave us time to look inside the building, which had various WWII machinery and artifacts. We also had a chance to visit the beaches themselves, which were gorgeous. After our trip there, we took our bus to Bayeux. Since we only had the chance to spend half a day and the night in Bayeux, we stayed in this beautiful hotel called Lion d’Or (which several celebrities stayed at). After we received our rooms, we headed out for lunch and went to visit this very ancient cathedral, the Notre Dame de Bayeux (during Lent). The cathedral there was one of my favorites because it was so dark and medieval, yet it still had so much history behind it. To end the night, we separated into three main groups. Those who were tired could rest at the hotel, those who wanted to visit more historical sites, and those who wanted to go shopping. I was in the shopping group and got a purse, shirt and a dress.

Day Eight: Au revoir à France
Our final day in Paris was divided up between travel and exploring. We took a bus from Normandy, France, down to Paris. We arrived around noon and strolled the streets of Paris and ate lunch near the Eiffel Tower. After our lunch, we headed to the Catacombs of Paris. Although the experience as a whole was quite intriguing, it was probably my least favorite. We walked 100 steps underground to reach the catacombs. It's so far down that it is underneath the metro. You also can't return the way you came in, you must continue straight out of the underground. Since the last day was unlike the rest, we did have more time to go shopping in Paris, where we went to the Opera shopping district, which was exhilarating. Finally, to end the night, we had an “Au revoir” dinner at this amazing Italian restaurant, Les Rupins, and we watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle one last time.

Story by Bryanna Worthy and Sarah Tuxbury. Photos courtesy of Bryanna Worthy.

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Fri, 07/25/2025 - 21:36

Communications senior Bryanna Worthy, who traveled to France for a 2025 Study Abroad program, shares what it was like to explore a country that she's always wanted to see.

In spring 2025, ��-Dearborn students — including Bryanna Worthy, third from right — experienced France through a Study Abroad excursion.

News

Top 10 Study Spaces on Campus

jpow — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:10:40 +0000

Top 10 Study Spaces on Campus jpow Tue, 06/03/2025 - 11:10

Blog Post Written by Bryanna Worthy

As a senior, I’ve spent some time scouting out my favorite study spots on campus. I have recommendations whether you want something chill and social, or a quiet place to focus. In this blog post, I will guide you through the best places on campus to suit your vibe.

CASL Atrium
The College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) atrium is notably one of the best social study spaces on campus. It’s located right in the center of the building. With varied seating and great lighting provided by its floor-to-ceiling windows, the CASL atrium is a great place to both study and daydream.
The Language Lab
The language lab is a great space for students to work individually or with friends. It’s located on the third level of CASL and is equipped with computers connected to television screens, projectors, charging stations, tutors who specialize in Arabic, French, and Spanish, and more.
Mardigian Library - Floors 1 & 2
The first floor is the perfect place to take a break, grab a snack from Mug Life Café, or visit the Stamelos Art Gallery (an art exhibit that showcases regional artists). The second floor features several cozy areas for studying, complete with movable charging stations. It also contains various meeting rooms, a computer station, and several whiteboards.
Mardigian Library - Floors 3 & 4
The Mardigian’s third and fourth floors are less of a social area and more of a quiet studying space equipped with desks designed for focus and concentration.
Wolverine Commons
After its recent remodel, the Renick University Center (RUC) holds several notable study spots. For starters, Wolverine Commons, located on the second floor, is a great place to study by yourself or with friends. This area tends to lean more social with a variety of seating arrangements, making it perfect for study groups.
RUC’s Newly Renovated Lounge
The newly renovated study lounge in the RUC is another great place to either sit by yourself on the couches or join friends at the study booths. The university's new fireplace and updated seating make it the perfect cozy environment to get your work done.
The Natural Science Building (NSB)
Located at the south end of Dearborn’s campus, the NSB holds some of the most aesthetically pleasing study areas. Each of the three floors has a specific color scheme and contrast; some of which have great scenic views. The different areas also include whiteboards and markers, as well as charging stations and plenty of seating in case you want to study with others.
Tony England Engineering Lab Building (ELB)
The ELB, which is notably one of the newest and most stunning buildings on campus, is a top choice for students to study at. From its diverse study areas with large windows, great lighting, and accessible whiteboards to its more enclosed lounge spaces, the ELB truly holds one of the best study areas for meeting with friends or teammates.
RUC Patio
With its beautiful landscape and easy accessibility to both CASL and the RUC, the patio located behind the RUC is considered one of the best spots to study at during the warmer months. From its gorgeous landscape to its wide selection of seating, the RUC patio is not only great for solo study dates but is also a great place to hang out.
The Chancellor’s Pond
Not only is the chancellor's pond a great and relaxing spot on campus, but it is also a great place to study. The pond features a fountain that is brought to life every spring. Next to the pond are yellow cozy chairs and stone benches where you can eat your lunch or read a book. The chancellor’s pond is every student's dream during the non-winter months.

Campus Life

��-Dearborn Experience

Tue, 06/03/2025 - 15:10

After spending a few years on Dearborn's campus, senior Bryanna walks through some of the best places to study on campus. What does each place offer? What are the vibes? Is it better for solo or group study sessions? All questions and more answered in this week's post.

��-Dearborn Admissions Blog

How the women’s ice hockey team helped two siblings reconnect

lblouin — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:13:51 +0000

How the women’s ice hockey team helped two siblings reconnect lblouin Mon, 03/24/2025 - 08:13

The day Nicole Hahn scored her first goal for the ��-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey team, her sister Victoria, who was in goal that night, threw her arms in the air, bolted down the ice and gave her a huge hug. It’s the kind of on-ice moment you’d think they, as sisters who grew up playing hockey in central Ontario, would have shared dozens of times. But this is actually the first time the Hahn sisters have played on the same team. Victoria, who’s 23 and the oldest of four hockey-playing sisters, and Nicole, 19, the youngest, were a bit too far apart in age to play together in youth leagues that typically grouped kids in two-year ranges. That meant they still usually had a Hahn sister by their side — just not each other: Nicole often played on the same teams with her older sister, Alexa, and Victoria got used to keeping an eye out for her younger sister, Jessie, who she says “was a good little skater but the shortest out of all of us.” “My mom likes to tell this story about when we were kids and Jessie was in the corner and this girl came up and hit her and she went down,” Victoria says. “And the next shift I went over to this girl and hit her and told her she better not touch #16 again.”

The Hahn sisters lace up their skates for practice.

Victoria and Nicole say they’re still both really protective of each other, though most often that takes the form of support rather than taking a run at people on the opposing team. Having a sibling on the roster does seem to give them a little extra something. Because they know each other’s games so well, they’re often each other’s best source for candid feedback when one of them is struggling on the ice. And their connection is also a big boost with the mental part of the game. “Like, if someone says something that upsets me, I’ll look over at Nicole, and she’ll already be looking at me,” Victoria says. “She knows me, and she knows what’s going to calm me down. And when she builds me up, it means more.” Victoria says it’s also just straight up more fun with Nicole on the team.

Nicole (left) and Victoria tape their sticks before practice.

Victoria, who started at ��-Dearborn in 2019, had three years with the team before her younger sister joined her. But Victoria says she didn’t try to influence Nicole’s decision about where to go to college when she was getting scouted, even though Victoria thought it would be pretty amazing to be going to the same school. “I actually moved out when I was 17 so I could play hockey on a team in Windsor. So I kind of missed out on that last year at home with her, and I did really miss her,” Victoria says. “But I didn’t want her to feel pressure. I didn’t want her to come here and feel like, ‘Oh, my big sister is here so I can’t do whatever I want’ — like I’m her mom or something.” Nicole says the fact that Victoria was already here didn’t factor too heavily in her decision, though it has proven to be a big positive in her life. “We had basically five years where we only saw each other on special occasions or during the summer, and now we see each other almost every day,” Nicole says. “So it’s been this period of not ‘meeting’ her again, but rebonding. And the things we would have talked about when she was 17 and I was 13 are a lot different than the things we talk about now.” The sisters say they’ve found the right balance living in the same building, but not the same apartment — though Nicole has unlimited unannounced drop-in privileges at Victoria’s place.

Players on the ��-Dearborn Women's Ice Hockey team smile after the national anthem is played on Senior Night.

The team gathers pucks after practice.

Victoria (back row, left) and Nicole (back row, right) listen during practice.

Nicole dives for a puck during the Senior Night game against Michigan State on Feb. 15.

Victoria looks at a Senior Night banner during warm-up. She'll be graduating this spring.

Victoria, in goal, hugs the post during the Senior Night game against Michigan State.

Victoria looks up ice at her teammates during practice.

Victoria may have had a little more direct, though still unintentional, influence on her sister’s academic path. Victoria started off as a business major, but decided late in the game to add a second major in behavioral and biological sciences with a minor in psychology. Nicole entered school with a biology major in mind, but also made a switch to biological and behavioral sciences. Victoria, who graduates this spring, says she is thinking about a career in genetic counseling and recently accepted a job in Southeast Michigan as a behavioral technician working with children with autism. Nicole is working on a minor in criminology and criminal justice and is thinking about a career working with young people who are impacted by the justice system.

Nicole (far left) and Victoria (third from right) pose for a photo with their family during Senior Night on Feb. 15. Victoria is graduating this spring.

Next year is poised to bring a different rhythm of life for the Hahn sisters. This is Victoria’s final season with the team, which means Nicole will be losing her biggest cheerleader and “the person I cheer the loudest for.” “It’s started to hit me these past couple of months that she’s not going to be here,” Nicole says. “Like, at senior night a few weeks ago, I got a little emotional about it, just thinking what it’s going to feel like to not have her next door anytime I want.” Victoria is more blunt about what it’s meant to have her sister with her these past two years. At a few points in her life, Victoria says she’s struggled with “falling out of love with hockey,” and as she closes out her college career, she’s definitely feeling a bit of that burnout. She had an extra year of athletic eligibility because of COVID, and she says she may not have played this year if Nicole wasn’t here. “But it’s my sister. And when are we going to have another chance like this? She made it worth it.”

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Story by Lou Blouin. Photos by Annie Barker.

Campus Life

Athletics

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Mon, 03/24/2025 - 11:40

Playing ice hockey at ��-Dearborn gave Victoria and Nicole Hahn an unexpected opportunity to grow closer as sisters.

After growing up playing hockey in central Ontario, sisters Victoria Hahn (front) and Nicole Hahn are finally getting to play on the same team.

News

Class project sparks new student club for future educators

lblouin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:39:03 +0000

Class project sparks new student club for future educators lblouin Wed, 03/19/2025 - 07:39

Identifying and creating a solution for a real community need is one of Education Professor Chris Burke’s go-to project-based learning assignments in his place-based education course. Students form small groups and then brainstorm ideas, after which they pitch them to the larger group and the class votes on which project they’ll work on that semester. During the Fall 2024 semester, when McKenna Shelide was a student in the course, her small group came up with an idea to start a student organization for pre-service teachers. “It’s kind of surprising, but there wasn’t a club for us. And we really thought there was so much we could be doing,” Shelide says. Students ended up picking another idea for their class project. But after class, Burke pulled Shelide and the other students in her group aside and told them if they were really serious about starting a club, he could connect them with some folks who could help. Shelide and the other students jumped on the idea, and within a couple weeks, they had their own campus chapter of Aspiring Educators, the student arm of the National Education Association and Michigan Education Association.

Shelide, who’s currently serving as the group’s president, says one of their primary goals is to provide learning and professional development opportunities that complement their formal coursework, and the affiliation with the MEA has proven to be an effective way to do that. For example, at one of the club’s first meetings, a representative from the MEA talked about the ins and outs of teachers unions. And last November, the students attended an MEA conference that included sessions like “The Tea on Teaching,” which featured early-career teachers sharing their honest takes on finding their footings in the profession. Kamryn McCutcheon, the club’s vice president, says she found the session on prep for the state certification exam particularly helpful. “We got to talk through some sample questions, what to expect on test day and how the exam is going to be laid out,” McCutcheon says. “It’s obviously pretty stressful thinking about that test because you have to pass in order to get a job. So it just makes you feel better going into it when you know what to expect.”

Shelide and McCutcheon say the club is also focusing on service projects. For example, for Valentine’s Day, they got together to make homemade valentines for children in foster care. And they recently received a $2,000 grant from the NEA to partner with an elementary school in Allen Park to fulfill a student and teacher “wish list” of supplies and resources. Shelide says these service projects are obviously about giving back. But they also provide a venue for visiting schools, networking with teachers and getting more practical experience working with kids.

For one of their recent service projects, members of Aspiring Educators made valentines for children in foster care. Photo by Serena Cowette

Of course, the group is also providing some much needed camaraderie. Teaching is not the easiest profession to be going into these days. It’s demanding and stressful, the pay isn’t great and the hyper-partisan politics in America have spoiled some of the trust that used to exist between parents, teachers and students. With all of those challenges, Shelide says you have to really want to do it, and having a solid group of people around you who have similar worries and aspirations helps a lot. “My mom was a teacher and she had such a great group of friends at her school and I always kind of hoped I’d have the same thing — like, the people you go to chat with after the bell rings,” Shelide says. “With this club, I’ve met a bunch of great friends. Really, Kamryn’s probably like, ‘Can this girl stop texting me?’ So to be able to share your excitement — or if you need to complain about something — it’s just been so nice to have this group to rely on.”

Burke is excited to see the group is taking root. Student clubs can be hard to maintain long term, and he says the college has had a few iterations of student groups for pre-service teachers over the years. But those were all organized by faculty and failed to gain enough traction with students. “I think that’s the main reason you’re seeing a lot more success with this group. They have this core group of members and now they’re connecting with their classmates and friends, so you have this natural networking effect,” Burke says. “Plus, because it’s coming from them, they know what they need. We faculty have good intentions, but we can just kind of make guesses at it.”

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Story by Lou Blouin. If you want to learn more about the club, email McKenna Shelide.

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Wed, 03/19/2025 - 11:25

��-Dearborn’s education students have a new group for peer support, professional development and community service.

Kamryn McCutcheon (right) and McKenna Shelide helped launch the Aspiring Educators club, the first student organization ��-Dearborn has had for education students in a number of years. Photo by Annie Barker

News

Renick University Center debuts first floor makeover

lblouin — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:24:39 +0000

Renick University Center debuts first floor makeover lblouin Mon, 03/17/2025 - 07:24

A big chunk of the Renick University Center’s first floor has been closed for renovation since April of last year. If you’ve been wondering what the remodeled space was going to look like, you can now come take it all in. The RUC fully reopened on Monday last week, showcasing a host of improvements, including a lot of U-M-themed branding, a fireplace, plenty of spaces to hang out and study, and new homes for several key campus offices, including Career Services and the Student Advising and Resource Team, or START. Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Emily Hamilton, who oversaw design of the project, says one of the goals was to make the east end of the building, which faces the campus’ large surface parking area, feel more like a front door to the university. “Now, you walk in and it just feels like a more fun place to go to school,” Hamilton says. “It’s more open. You immediately see lounge and hangout spaces. There’s a fireplace and a big ‘Hail to the Victors’ on the wall and some very recognizable colors. You know where you are when you walk in the door.”

Senior Architect and Project Manager Kal Haddad says the RUC renovation went a little "above and beyond" on materials, design and color compared to some other recent projects.

Indeed. The maize and blue and other U-M touches are the driving force behind the aesthetic overhaul. In addition, Hamilton says there were a lot of meaningful changes to the building’s floor plan so some core student services could be relocated to a more convenient location. A couple of the biggest changes: There’s a new shared suite for START, which is moving down from the RUC’s second floor, and Career Services, which was located in Fairlane Center North. In addition, the One-Stop office has a much more open floor plan. The renovated first floor is also gaining several smaller meeting rooms, as well as a large meeting room for hosting tour and orientation groups. To do more with the same amount of space, Hamilton says the team drew on newly adopted compact space guidelines for offices, made considerations for office sharing where it made sense, and stocked communal spaces with moveable furniture so they could easily transition from meeting rooms to lunch rooms. The design team even chose barn door-style office entry doors to eliminate the space that’s needed for conventional inswing doors.

During the design phase, Hamilton says some staff were initially a little anxious about the smaller offices. But now that they’ve seen them in person, people seem totally fine with the smaller footprints. “This is the first time we’ve designed a project with this post-COVID office philosophy in mind,” Hamilton says. “In fact, right now, we’re working on moving the College of Education, Health and Human Services into the Administration Building, and we gave them a tour of the RUC to give them a sense of what the space would feel like. They really liked it, and so I think having this project as an example is helping allay people’s fears about what shrinking your office size actually looks like.”

The new fireplace is the centerpiece of a cozy first floor lounge area.

The Career Services staff is particularly enthusiastic about its move to the heart of campus. Jennifer Macleod, the senior professional development program manager for Career Services, jokes that they’d grown used to correcting students, who assumed Career Services was already located in the RUC. Now that Career Services is actually here, she’s hoping for a lot more drop-in traffic from students. Moreover, the shared space with START will make collaborating even easier. “We’ve done a lot of programming with START over the years and there’s a natural back-and-forth between our two teams,” Macleod says. “A student might be working with us on career coaching, but there is a lot of planning of academics that goes into that, whether it’s changing a major or exploring different majors. So that’s when you need to help students connect with their START advisor, and now, we can basically just walk a student down the hall. Any time you can remove a barrier like that, they’re more likely to follow through and get the help they need.” Similarly, Macleod says it’ll be huge to be able to take students who might be struggling with, say, the stress of a job search, directly up to the staff at Counseling and Psychological Services, which is located on the RUC’s second floor.

Not surprisingly, students are already laying claim to the new hangout and study spaces. Grad students Devraj Amin and Theekshana Vishnu Kumar, who were studying in one of the new lounge areas on Wednesday last week, say they’ve already sought out their favorite spot a couple times. “The furniture is very comfortable and it’s very cozy and classy,” Kumar says. “Everyone enters from here, and when [students] see this place, I think they’ll get more interested. It looks very appealing and eye-catching. I think this will be one of the hotspots to sit and study or hang out. It might be one of the coziest places now.”

The RUC is now packed with different kinds of study spaces for students.

The renovation at the RUC is part of an ongoing multi-phase effort to transform the building, the neighboring Mardigian Library and the space between the two buildings into a central hub for campus. You can read more about this and other major design projects that are in the works in our most recent story on the comprehensive campus plan.

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Story by Lou Blouin, Cayley Catlett and Ben Vertin. Photos by Annie Barker

Off

Mon, 03/17/2025 - 11:18

A lot of maize and blue branding, a hangout area with a fireplace and new spaces for core student services are some of the highlights of the recent renovation at the RUC, which fully reopened last week.

With lots of new maize and blue design elements, the renovated first floor of the Renick University Center leaves no doubt that you're on a U-M campus.

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Highlights from the 2025 State of the University

lblouin — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:41:50 +0000

Highlights from the 2025 State of the University lblouin Mon, 02/03/2025 - 12:41

Chancellor Domenico Grasso hosted his annual State of the University address last Thursday before a standing-room-only audience of more than 250. Grasso shared the university’s progress toward key milestones, as well as some concerns and challenges, before handing the mic over to the offices of the Provost, Institutional Advancement and Facilities Operations, as well as several ��-Dearborn students, to discuss new initiatives and their impact, along with some future plans. Key takeaways from the event are below.

More students are crossing the finish line to graduation.

Several key metrics in the GOBLUEprint for Success — the university’s strategic plan — are well on track. The four-year graduation rate has climbed from 22% in 2018 to 38% in 2024. “That's a 16% increase. That is truly incredible,” Grasso noted. “Many factors have led to this success in graduation rate: our students’ determination, our professors’ skill and mentoring, our campus resources and a community that is dedicated to seeing students across the finish line.”

The transition to a need-based financial aid model means that 94% of ��-Dearborn undergraduate FTIAC students now receive enough aid that their remaining obligations are less than $2,000 a year. And half of classes on campus now include a practice-based learning component. “This approach provides distinctive and creative opportunities for our students to prepare for the next phase of their careers,” Grasso observed. “I commend the faculty who design these courses and the department chairs and deans who support them.”

Faculty continue to excel: In the past two years, faculty and staff annual citations in publications have grown from 13,500 to over 22,000, and ��-Dearborn faculty experts appeared in 119 major local and national media outlets in 2024. Research awards continue to climb as well. While the university aimed for $9.8 million in research support in FY2024, that number actually reached nearly $12 million. Awarded and recommended funding for the first six months of FY25 now exceeds $14 million.

Grasso celebrated last year’s launch of the Office of Holistic Excellence, noting that the office was supporting several storytelling initiatives as a means of building empathy and a sense of inclusion across campus, as recently discussed in Insight into Diversity magazine. He noted that the campus community will see a new set of KPIs related to belonging and inclusion. The latest GOBLUEprint for Success KPI report was emailed to campus following the event.

Overall enrollment is encouraging, but there is still work to do.

Grasso was candid about the fact that the university’s highest hurdle — one shared by nearly every college and university in the state and many across the country — is enrollment. "There are simply fewer college age students today than a decade ago, especially here in Michigan, but there are still growing opportunities,” he said. “We currently enroll 8,100 students, and have challenged ourselves to enroll 10,000 by 2032. We have experienced modest increases in undergraduate students, which is encouraging. More students should experience everything we have to offer here at ��-Dearborn.”

Grasso shared two concerns about graduate enrollment: first, it has declined, and second, the new presidential administration could severely limit the ability of prospective international students to enter the U.S. “The encouraging news is that the Institute of International Education believes enough members of Congress appreciate what international students contribute to our communities and economy,” Grasso observed. “Our university, too, will continue to advocate for this important community.”

He added that he is meeting with executive officers across all three campuses daily to monitor changes in federal policies, and that the university is regularly posting information on federal orders, policies and regulations on the Key Issues section of the ��-Dearborn website. He urged faculty, staff and students to visit this page for the latest information pertaining specifically to the Dearborn campus.

Grasso also addressed enrollment concerns in the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and the resulting need to collaboratively reimagine the college’s future. “Together, let’s focus on creative and lasting solutions,” he said. “I would love nothing more than for the University of Michigan-Dearborn to create novel approaches for increasing the attractiveness of the arts and humanities that could serve as models for higher education.”

Fundraising is essential to maintaining the mission.

Grasso then passed the mic to Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Casandra Ulbrich, who shared details about the university’s recently launched five-year “Look to Michigan” fundraising campaign. After announcing the campaign goal of $60 million, she shared short videos from three donors who choose to support ��-Dearborn in diverse ways: Mark Ritz and L. Lee Gorman have made a multi-year gift of $500,000 to install solar panels on the roof of the England Engineering Lab Building; Sadaf Lodhi and Riz Hussain have directed stock to the Student Opportunity and Engagement Fund; and Altair’s corporate contribution created the Altair #OnlyForward Scholarship Fund in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Ulbrich then spoke with two #OnlyForward scholarship recipients, CECS juniors Rehab Jadalla and Jide Owo, about the impact of the award. “Receiving the scholarship, to me, it means that, instead of spending time taking on additional jobs and taking on work to try to make ends meet for each semester, I have the space to take on the opportunities that I'm passionate about and are related to my ultimate career goals,” Jadalla, who is studying software engineering, said.

CECS juniors Rehab Jadalla (right) and Jide Owo (middle) spoke to the crowd about the impact of the #OnlyForward scholarship, sponsored by Altair Engineering.

“I also grew up in Dearborn, so I'm really, really proud to be attending this university," she added. "Just the culture of how encouraging and supportive the faculty and staff here are and the other students, and also the opportunities that I've had over the past three years, I don't think I would find at any other university."

Student success initiatives are having a big impact.

Associate Provosts Maureen Linker and Joan Remski discussed several initiatives led by Experience+ and the Office of Academic Success, all of which are seeing impressive results. These include the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, the Wolverine Mentor Collective, a new peer-to-peer tutoring program that enables students to get help with their studies 24/7 and the STEM Scholars program, which supports STEM majors from low-income backgrounds throughout their time at ��-Dearborn and boasts a 98% retention rate. Two STEM Scholars, Myriam Hazime and Zahra Alemarah, joined Remski on stage to reflect on their experiences. “I was always provided with a very strong support group that I felt like other students outside of STEM scholars didn't have,” Hazime, a CECS sophomore majoring in software engineering, told the audience.

Alemarah, a CASL junior majoring in biochemistry, echoed her sentiments: “Something that's really important, especially at ��-Dearborn as a commuter campus, is building a relationship your first year, your freshman year. Through STEM Scholars, I had so many different friends, and it was very crucial to keep me going to study when it feels impossible, to ask for help when I need it.”

Great spaces encourage students to stay.

Executive Director for Facilities Carol Glick closed out the event with a quick check-in on the Comprehensive Campus Plan, an overview of the design process, and a look at five priority projects, all in different phases: the Computer and Information Science Building (investigation phase), Mardigian Library (conceptual design), Social Sciences Building renovations for the College of Business (schematic design), Administrative Building renovations to support the move of the College of Education, Health and Human Services (design development) and the Renick University Center first floor, which is currently wrapping up construction. Glick shared a few “before and after” renderings and photos, revealing a significantly transformed space complete with a fireplace where students won’t just pass through, but will want to hang out for hours. After the event, many attendees took advantage of tours led by the facilities team and the University Unions and Events office to see the changes in real life.

Executive Director for Facilities Carol Glick gave an update on the Comprehensive Campus Plan.

Concluding the event, which took place on a nearly 40-degree day, Grasso invited attendees to stick around for the Winter Carnival. “We actually have winter this year,” he’d noted earlier in his address. “Sort of.”

###

Story by Kristin Palm. Photos by Annie Barker. Watch the recording of the event.

Administration & Governance

Institutional Advancement

Off

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:40

Chancellor Grasso’s annual address covered enrollment good news and challenges, major research wins, promising student success initiatives and more.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso speaks to a crowd of more than 250 at the 2025 State of the University event.

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Wolverine Welcome Day hosts record number of attendees

kbourlie — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:54:31 +0000

Wolverine Welcome Day hosts record number of attendees kbourlie Fri, 08/30/2024 - 16:54

Faculty, staff and university leaders took part in scavenger hunts, selfie stations and more to introduce themselves. Dearborn Wolverines walked throughout campus to check out 125 student organizations booths. And 1,100 new first-year, transfer and graduate students had the opportunity to make new friends. Wolverine Welcome Day and Go Blue Bash, which took place Thursday, is a fall tradition to get new students familiar with campus and excited about this chapter in their lives.

Students pose for a photo with Bruce the Goose at Wolverine Welcome Day.

“I like the vibes, the music,” said first-year engineering student Faisal Abushaban as he waited for festivities to begin. He was looking forward to meeting up with friends from Edsel Ford High School who would be staffing student group tables at the Go Blue Bash later in the afternoon. “Hopefully they can help me get started and know where my classes are,” he said.

Campus Wide & Family Programs Coordinator Jennifer Kowalcyk said ��-Dearborn hosted a record-number of Wolverine Welcome Day attendees this year. “It’s much larger this year — I’ve heard this may be our biggest first-year student class yet,” she said. “This is a great event to get students out to explore campus, learn about resources and see what being a Dearborn Wolverine is all about.”

With many upper-level ��-Dearborn students focused on service and volunteering, there was a new focus added to the day. Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai' James said each student registered for the Welcome Day of Service was given a t-shirt with a checklist of volunteer opportunities on the back. A group of first-year and returning students checked off one box by helping place native plants around the Environmental Interpretive Center during the event.

“I know that planting those plants, they’re going to stay there for a while and actually make a difference for a little while,” said sophomore Traven Yarbro, who is studying economics and computation. It was Yarbro’s first visit to the EIC, but he enjoys walking around campus and said he will likely add the EIC trails to his outings. “Now that I know there’s trails back there that’s probably where I’ll start going,” he said.

Among other items on the list: Get civically engaged and sign up for a campus volunteer opportunity. “We hope that the shirts invoke some excitement and commitment to continuing to attend and support different volunteer initiatives and activities on campus.” James said. “It’s a fun way to prompt students to ask themselves, ‘How engaged am I?’” She said it's also an opportunity to promote Civic Action Week, which takes place Sept. 16, and National Lands Day, which is Sept. 28. “Our goal is to help students locate a community initiative they are personally passionate about and guide them to becoming community leaders.”

Dean of Students Amy Finley, along with other ��-Dearborn leaders, spoke to students at the event. She said time goes fast — and Wolverine Welcome Day is a first step in a fulfilling journey.

“You’ll look back at this time and be proud of the work you’ve done, the life-long friendships you’ve built and the ways that you’ve grown and changed,” Finley said. “But today, my friends, whether you’re a first-year student, a transfer student or a graduate student — today is the day where you start to feel transformed. Today is the day where you start reaching for the stars, for your dreams. Today is the day where you start figuring out who you are and what you are going to do to help transform our world. Today you truly become a part of our ��-Dearborn community.”

Students ended the day with new connections. “I met a young man early on from Pakistan and he’s awesome,” said first-year CASL student Andi Basnaw, who is from Port Huron and came to the event not knowing any fellow students. Basnaw was looking forward to learning more about the Association of Student Anthropologists and PRIDE at the Go Blue Bash.

Mercy Tum, a software engineering graduate student from Kenya, enjoyed taking in the campus for the first time. “The day has been great,” she said. “I got lost a couple times but thankfully there are a lot of nice people to show you around.”

College of Business first-year student Connor Swank came from Traverse City to join the men’s lacrosse team. “I fell in love when I visited,” he said, noting that he committed to the team the following day. Wolverine Welcome Day and the Go Blue Bash only made him feel more enthusiastic. “Everyone is so welcoming, it’s really cool,” he said. “I have no anxiety. It just feels like home already.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury and Kristin Palm

Campus Life

New Student Engagement

Student Life

Off

Fri, 08/30/2024 - 20:30

The ��-Dearborn orientation event saw 1,100 participants, added an engagement initiative and connected Dearborn Wolverines to new friendships and activities.

Students arrive at Wolverine Welcome Day. Photos/Annie Barker

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