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Office of the Provost
Office of the Provost

From the Desk of the Provost: February 2025

Provost McCauley poses in a blue suit by bannister in the Ruthven bldg

Provost Laurie McCauley

Rapid change across technology, government, and world affairs is introducing a degree of uncertainty into daily life that many of us recall from the height of the pandemic – and hoped to leave behind. 

At times when nimbleness is required, it is easy to fall into a cycle of reaction and focus on the near term. One differentiator of resilient intuitions like the University of Michigan is our ability to adapt to the moment while looking forward. Through world wars, societal upheavals, economic downturns, and a recent pandemic, our university has continued to make lasting contributions to the common good. We have done this by being responsive to emerging events, while keeping our values, our mission, and our vision in the foreground. 

Meeting the moment has required our leadership team, in partnership with deans, the Office of the General Counsel, ECRT, Public Affairs, and many others, to stay informed and responsive to executive orders coming from the federal government (see the EO Key Issues page for details). 

While that work is crucial, we also continue to take the long view and focus on making durable improvements to the lives of students, faculty, and staff on campus, whether through new support for faculty and staff with disabilities, fighting faculty threats and harassment, or convening people excited to work together on tough problems.

Making connections drives our research and teaching missions; collaboration and interdisciplinarity will remain keys to achieving the impacts our community identified in Vision 2034. And during times of pervasive change, making and strengthening connections is essential for other reasons. Authentic connections, whether with existing colleagues or new ones, make the university a more resilient, welcoming, and innovative academic community.

The Office of the Provost office is hard at work on exploring ways to connect faculty with one another. I have been attending “traveling office hours” meetings in units across campus, and faculty have been clear about the importance of finding new ways to connect with potential collaborators and colleagues in other departments and units. I look forward to sharing more of our office’s work to that end in the coming months. 

We are also invested in ensuring students from all backgrounds can flourish here. This month marks the official launch of the Student Success Initiative, led by Vice Provost Angela Dillard. With her dedicated team, Vice Provost Dillard has built an impressive Student Success Network to unite those invested in making Michigan a key player in the national student success movement. You can read about their many initiatives and subscribe to their new newsletter here. 

At the University of Michigan, we define student success holistically, which means mental health and well-being are essential components. But promoting them remains challenging, due in part to pervasive misconceptions. Fortunately, we have top-tier experts on campus to help dispel some of the most common mental health and well-being myths. 

We also know that broadening our students’ horizons is a cornerstone of student success: both in the classroom and through our top-tier study abroad programs. This month, Vice Provost Valeria Bertacco shares her perspective on the past and the very bright future of international studies at U-M.

These are uncertain times, but some things are certain: we are a place where students, faculty, and staff can pursue their career aspirations. We are driven to connect and empower people from every walk of life. We are united in service to generating and preserving knowledge. And no matter what the future holds, we will be pursuing those goals vigorously through myriad approaches.

Provost Launches New Advisory Committee on Disability Affairs

Provost Laurie McCauley has announced the formation of a new Provost’s Advisory Committee on Disability Affairs (PACDA), marking a significant step toward improving campus accessibility and support for the disability community.

The committee, which emerged from extensive community consultations held throughout summer 2024,will focus on the experiences and needs of faculty and staff in the disability community. Its primary focus will be advising the provost on education, policies, and procedures related to disability affairs.

“We want to ensure we’re taking a proactive approach to disability support,” said Provost McCauley. “That means hearing directly from a broadly representative group that knows the issues and brings fresh perspectives. I’m very excited about this committee’s potential to make an impact.”

The committee will meet with the provost 4-6 times per year and will be called upon to provide input on education, policies, and procedures related to disability affairs, share collective issues and concerns with university leadership, address emerging issues and situations affecting the disability community, act as a partner to the Provost on matters concerning disability-related concerns, issues, and affairs, and develop and prioritize actionable recommendations to promote equity, access, and inclusion for the disability community at U-M.

Members will serve two-year terms, with staggered service periods to maintain continuity.

Key priorities identified during community consultations include improving support for caregivers, aligning disability leave policies with peer institutions, and implementing accommodations across departments.

The initiative will complement, rather than replace, existing disability access work conducted by various units, including the Disability Equity Office within the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office (ECRT). 

The committee’s first meeting was held in late January.

Mythbreaking: Mental Health and Well-being at U-M

The topic of mental health on college campuses has gained increased attention in recent years, particularly following the pandemic. The University of Michigan has responded in a number of ways, including the establishment of the Well-being Collective and the creation of both a chief mental health officer in the Division of Student Life and a chief behavioral health strategist in University Human Resources.

Yet many myths persist around student, faculty, and staff mental health needs and the infrastructures in place to support them. Experts from the University of Michigan share their insights to dispel many common assumptions around mental health on our campus.

Contributors include:

  • Jolene Bostwick, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
  • Mary Jo Desprez, MLIR, Director of Health Promotion and Wolverine Wellness which serves as the backbone structure for the Well-being Collective
  • Lindsey Mortenson, MD, MS, Executive Director of University Health & Counseling & Chief Mental Health Officer in Student Life
  • Kelcey Stratton, PhD, Chief Behavioral Health Strategist, University Human Resources

Myth: “Student mental health challenges are serious, but they impact a relatively small percentage of our student body.” 

Fact: Among the fall 2024 freshman undergraduate class, 73% reported a history of receiving mental health care prior to starting college, demonstrating a massive generational and societal shift around help-seeking. This figure would likely have been much lower when most faculty and staff at U-M started college. More people now are talking about mental health, and more people are willing to get help.

However, while students overall have more experience with mental health care, their needs and expectations are different from those a generation ago. Many institutions of higher education have simply increased counseling staff in recent years, but just adding more counselors does not alone address the larger stressors on the mental health care system.

At U-M, mental health experts have worked to strengthen supports and systems on all levels, particularly through collaborations between the Well-being Collective, University Health & Counseling, University Human Resources, and the Center on Research on Learning & Teaching (CRLT).

Most recently, CRLT and the Well-being Collective have developed a Canvas course titled, “An Instructor’s Guide to Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-being.” Modules can be completed consecutively or independently. Understanding the time pressures that instructors face, as well as the diverse experiences faculty bring to the classroom, course designers ensured the modules are self-paced and allow users to engage in whichever sections may feel most relevant.

And the recently redesigned Mental Health Continuum of Care illustrates the spectrum of resources and supports, from policies that affect the entire university to inpatient care for acute needs. Every individual may move back and forth across the continuum in different ways at different points in their life.

Myth: “My leadership or supervisor will find out if I use U-M’s mental health services.”

Fact: Mental Health Counseling and Consultation Services are completely confidential, and the licensed professional social workers and psychologists ethically and legally cannot disclose who engages in services. This includes the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office (FASCCO) for all faculty and staff at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses and the Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience (OCWR) for Michigan Medicine employees.

These teams offer short-term, evidence-based counseling support and maintain separate and unique record-keeping systems that are not part of the University of Michigan Health medical record, nor have any connection to an HR or employment record.

To further support privacy and confidentiality, FASCCO and OWCR are flexible in how they offer services. Many faculty and staff choose to see a counselor via Zoom or in person. Faculty and staff are not required to disclose to their supervisors or leadership that they are participating in mental health services.

OCWR and FASCCO can also offer confidential referrals and information on additional U-M and community-based mental health resources. They understand the sensitivity of discussing mental health in a work environment, and they are committed to providing confidential, compassionate support that meets the diverse needs of our U-M community.

If you have any questions about services, or if you would like to learn more and explore options, please contact FASCCO (call 734-936-8660 or email [email protected]) or OCWR (call 734-763-5409 or email [email protected]).

Myth: “I’m not a mental health expert, so I can’t provide emotional support to students.”

Fact: Often talking with a trusted faculty or staff member who can empathize and suggest resources is just what a student may need–no expertise required. To better prepare you to feel comfortable in these conversations, you can access the new Canvas course, “An Instructor’s Guide to Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-being.” This is in addition to existing resources such as those listed on the Well-being Collective or a faculty-facing Compassionate Conversations training through Wolverine Wellness. 

But importantly, because faculty and staff are often the first people students in distress may turn to, caring for your own well-being is all the more critical. You can’t pour from an empty cup. The privilege of being a trusted resource for students can become a burden.

Please take the time to learn about and utilize resources through FASCCO or OCWR, the Well-being Collective, and MHealthy, which has many helpful emotional health resources. And remember you are not alone. According to the 2023-2024 Faculty and Staff Report from The Health Minds Study, nationally 43% of faculty and staff surveyed indicated a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health disorder, 35% indicated psychiatric medication use in the past year and 32% sought mental health therapy or counseling in the past year.  

For further information please refer to the following resources:

 

Q&A with Valeria Bertacco, Vice Provost for Engaged Learning

Valeria Bertacco, vice provost for engaged learning

Valeria Bertacco, vice provost for engaged learning, leads the university’s efforts to expand and enhance experiential learning opportunities for students, with a particular focus on global engagement. Under her leadership, the university launched an ambitious Global Engagement Strategic Plan in 2023 and has seen significant growth in education abroad participation. Global Engagement is also a pillar of U-M’s strategic vision for the next decade, Vision 2034. We sat down with her for a timely discussion on U-M’s recent recognition as the top-ranked public university for study abroad and her vision for the future of global engagement. 

Vice Provost Bertacco also oversees many other areas and units as part of her vice provostial role, which will be the subject of a future interview. 

The University of Michigan was just named the country’s top-ranked public university for study abroad. What does this recognition mean to you?

VB: This recognition really validates the incredible work of our entire education abroad community. We’ve built a robust ecosystem that supports students at every step of their journey, from first considering an international experience to returning home and reflecting on their growth. But what makes me particularly proud is not just the numbers – though seeing 5,462 students participate in international experiences this year is remarkable – but the increasing diversity of our programs and participants. We’re making real progress in ensuring these transformative experiences are accessible to all U-M students.

Can you tell us more about the initiatives driving this increased accessibility?

VB: Absolutely. When we developed our Global Engagement Strategic Plan, we knew we needed to address both financial and cultural barriers. Last year, we launched several exciting initiatives, including our First-Generation Education Abroad Scholarship program. The stories from our scholarship recipients are incredibly moving – students like Julia Kassab, who studied design thinking in Spain, and Mahmuda Chowdhury, who studied Arabic language in Morocco, who didn’t think studying abroad was possible for them but are now having these life-changing experiences.

We’ve also expanded our outreach significantly, participating in 22 events that reached 6,000 incoming students. Our “Go Blue, Go Abroad” workshop series has been particularly successful in engaging first-year students. And we’re seeing results – there’s been a 44% increase in first-year participation in education abroad programs. We’re also proud that Pell Grant recipients now make up 24% of our participants, and we’re seeing steady increases in participation from first-generation students.

How are you working with faculty to diversify program offerings?

VB: We’ve introduced two exciting grant programs that are really reshaping our portfolio of faculty-led programs. We awarded grants to support eight new programs this year, with a particular focus on less-traveled destinations in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. For example, Professor Brian Stewart from LSA led a fascinating archaeological program in Lesotho, where his students learned the full excavation process through hands-on fieldwork. Professor Maria Arquero de Alarcon from Taubman developed a program in Brazil that really emphasizes equitable partnerships with local communities. In that program, students investigated the anticipated impacts of a large redevelopment project in São Paulo City, creating maps and supporting local efforts to secure housing. Another really impressive program, led by Professor Susan Atkins from Education, took English language development students to Cuernavaca, Mexico, to study Spanish and engage with children in local classrooms. 

We’re also investing in faculty development, offering workshops and resources to help them create meaningful international experiences. This year alone, we conducted seven workshops reaching 182 faculty participants. It’s not just about adding new destinations – it’s about ensuring these programs are well-designed and impactful for our students. Students in that program learned about the Thai healthcare system, then spent almost two weeks immersed in the clinical setting, providing care in patient’s homes, schools, and clinics. They also got to meet and socialize with Thai nursing students. It’s really a model of the entire Michigan ethos – education and impact through research and experience. 

What’s your vision for the future of global engagement at Michigan?

VB: While we’re proud of reaching nearly 6000 international experiences this year, we’re just getting started. Our strategic plan is ambitious – we want to continue expanding both the number and diversity of opportunities available to students. This means developing more programs in underrepresented regions, creating more accessible short-term options, and strengthening our support systems for students before, during, and after their experiences abroad.

We’re particularly excited about scaling up successful pilot programs. For instance, our First-Gen Education Abroad Scholarship will support up to 100 students this year, a tenfold increase from last year. We’re also focusing on innovative programming that makes international experiences more accessible, like our Passport Day initiative that provided 200 passport grants to first-time passport holders.

Finally, what’s one thing about global education that might surprise people?

VB: I think many people still picture study abroad as just semester-long programs in Europe, but the reality is so much more diverse and dynamic. We have students doing dental outreach in Chile and nursing clinical field experiences in Thailand, learning about marine energy systems in Taiwan and reproductive health in Denmark, and participating in law externships in India and project-based service-learning programs in Zimbabwe. Some experiences are just a few weeks long, others span a full year. Some students are earning academic credit, while others are gaining valuable co-curricular experience through internships or research. This diversity of opportunities is what makes our program special – there’s truly something for every student, regardless of their major, background, or circumstances.

What can you tell us about your experience as a faculty member outside your vice provostial duties?

I am a faculty member in Computer Science and Engineering, researching technologies on how to better design the complex silicon microchips that support today’s electronic devices. We are experiencing an inflection point in the semiconductor field because we are reaching the limit of how small of a transistor we can manufacture. A primary way the industry has traditionally created value has been to leverage a current chip design and move it to a smaller and faster transistor technology. Today that is no longer possible. Thus, the industry has shifted towards leveraging more new and innovative chips. A key challenge in doing so is that there are not enough engineers that can design chips. So, one of my research goals is to enable broader participation in the field, which is accomplished in part by developing new design tools that lower the complexity of designing complex chips, and in part by exposing students in middle and high school to the world of silicon chips, so that they can fall in love with it. Because, who would not fall in love with it, if they got to know the world of hardware design?

Mythbreaking: Education Abroad

In this edition of Mythbreaking, the Global Engagement team addresses some of the misconceptions surrounding education abroad. 

The University of Michigan has long been a leader in education abroad. Our schools and colleges offer an unparalleled range of international opportunities for students to engage globally. From study abroad programs to internships, from research to volunteer trips, more than 5000 U-M Ann Arbor students participated in experiences in more than 120 countries across the globe in the 2023-2024 school year.

While study abroad participation is rebounding and nearing pre-pandemic levels, the Global Engagement Strategic Plan, launched in 2023 by Vice Provost for Engaged Learning Valeria Bertacco, aims to dramatically increase and diversify student participation in international experiences over a five-year period. In the first year of the plan, new programs promoted early awareness of education abroad opportunities, diversified program offerings by location and format, promoted accessibility and affordability of education abroad programs, and enhanced pre-departure and post-experience support.

Yet, many students and their families remain hesitant to pursue education abroad, and these apprehensions are often grounded in persistent myths. To shed some light on the truths about study abroad, let’s dissect and debunk some prevalent myths and juxtapose them with the eye-opening realities.

 

Myth: Studying abroad won’t help students in their future careers. Employers don’t value international experiences.

Fact: Studying abroad helps students gain important skills needed in the 21st-century workplace. Some career-related outcomes of studying abroad include:

  • Increased Intercultural Understanding: In our increasingly globalized world, the ability to navigate different cultures and understand various perspectives is invaluable. Employers seek candidates who can operate effectively in diverse environments.
  • Broadened Worldviews: Living and studying abroad exposes students to different ways of thinking and problem-solving. This broadened worldview can make them more innovative and adaptable—a highly sought-after trait in any professional setting.
  • Better Contributors to Diverse Teams: The modern workplace often involves collaboration across international borders. Students who have studied abroad tend to excel in diverse teams, bringing unique insights and demonstrating cultural sensitivity.
  • Stronger Qualifications for Future Employment: Many employers actively look for candidates with international experience, as it signifies independence, initiative, and resilience. 
  • A Broader Range of Career Opportunities: Students who study abroad often find that their career options expand. They might build networks across different countries or discover new fields of interest through their international studies.

 

Myth: Studying abroad extends a student’s time to degree, preventing them from graduating on time.

Fact: Study abroad is considered a high-impact practice closely linked to student success. 

Both national and institutional studies suggest that studying abroad does not extend a student’s time to degree.

In fact, at the University of Michigan, undergraduate students who participated in an educational opportunity abroad experienced the following:

  • Higher Graduation Rate: U-M undergraduate students who participated in educational opportunities abroad graduated at a higher rate than their peers who did not study abroad.
  • Same or Slightly Less Time to Degree Completion: U-M undergraduate students who studied abroad took the same amount of time, or even slightly less, to obtain their bachelor’s degree than students who did not opt for an international experience. 

These trends persisted for underrepresented minorities, Pell grant recipients, first-generation students, and STEM students.

 

Myth: Studying abroad takes students away from their home campuses, negatively impacting their sense of belonging.

Fact: Study abroad programs are designed to foster community and ensure that students build valuable connections both during and after their international experience.

Some outcomes of study abroad which positively impact students’ sense of belonging include:

  • Building Communities with Diverse Peers: Far from being isolated, students who study abroad often form strong bonds with peers from their home institution and from other countries. These connections can last a lifetime and are instrumental in fostering global citizenship.
  • Increased Self-Awareness and Understanding of Intersecting Identities: Living in a different cultural context encourages students to reflect on their own identities and how they intersect with the world around them. This self-awareness is enriching and enlightening.
  • Deeper Relationships with Faculty: Many study abroad programs are led by faculty members. This close interaction can deepen academic relationships and mentorship, contributing to students’ personal and academic growth.
  • Continued Engagement with the Campus Community: Upon their return, students often find they have much to contribute to the campus community, bringing back new perspectives and experiences that enrich classroom discussions and social dynamics.

From the Desk of the Provost: October

Provost Laurie McCauley standing in front of the Michigan Union.

One perk of working in the Ruthven Building is that you can walk outside and find yourself suddenly immersed in a sea of third-graders. Our proximity to the Museum of Natural History means that busloads of fieldtripping gradeschoolers are a regular feature of the administration neighborhood. These students radiate enthusiasm and curiosity. When you encounter them in all their wide-eyed excitement, it is a potent reminder that what we do on this campus can inspire that rarest of human emotions: awe.

This is why we are here: to give people of every age and background the chance to nurture their curiosity, dive into the world’s mysteries, and experience lasting epiphanies. As Shalanda Baker, our inaugural vice provost for sustainability and climate action, says, “Universities are amazing places to create paradigm shifts.” Whether you are faculty, staff, or a student, we are all part of a community that is charged with teaching and learning the mechanisms of critical thinking, doing groundbreaking research, and shifting paradigms, including our own. None of this is easy. Simply put, campus exists so that we can do these difficult things – together. 

I am heartened to see how much is happening on campus to honor that purpose. As we wade into election season during an already tense time in society, there are more opportunities than ever for us all to be inspired, involved, and informed. 

As we enter the final stretch of the U.S. presidential election season, you have many ways to engage with the democratic process. The new UMICH Votes website is a comprehensive resource where you can learn about voter registration, when and where to vote on campus, ballot proposals, and more.

UMICH Votes dovetails with our recently-launched presidential initiative, the Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement. The initiative includes dozens of events, from public talks to workshops, from art exhibitions to dinners with strangers. 

Journalists Bret Stephens, Lydia Polgreen, María Elena Salinas and Stephen Henderson will be in discussion in the Wallace House Center for Journalists’ event, “One Nation, Divergent Views: Journalists’ Take On the Eve of the Election.” Former Governors John Kasich and Steve Bullock will have a conversation across the aisle about ways in which to have civil and civic discourse in an era of political divisiveness at an event next week. 

Faculty have opportunities to hone their skills for framing and facilitating high stakes discussions and making the most of “hot moments” in the classroom with training from CRLT and the Ginsberg Center. 

At the University of Michigan Museum of Art, an exhibition dedicated to human flourishing and art-driven dialogues, entitled Hey, We Need to Talk, brings a mosaic of approaches to the art of dialogue into one stunning location. One of these approaches is as old and traditional as civilization itself: an honest conversation over a great meal…but with strangers. 

You will notice a theme at the heart of all these varied activities, performances, and even policies: respectful, authentic interactions with friends, colleagues, and especially those we do not agree with, are central to accomplishing our mission. The opportunity to enjoy and learn from the amazing tapestry of humanity on our campus is immense when we can step, however briefly, outside our own experiences. This year, I am inspired by everything our community is doing to help us learn, listen, and create connections across boundaries of every sort. 

With the debut of Vision 2034, we are asking the world to Look to Michigan. In doing so, I hope we can look to one another – to find encouragement, inspiration, and even awe at what we can discover and create together. 

Warm regards,
Laurie

Making AI Work for Educators: a U-M Generative AI Update

by Bob Jones, Assistant Vice President of Support Services and Emerging Technologies for Information and Technology Services

Since the fall of 2023, U-M has aimed to democratize access to a transformative tool-set to enable innovation in a secure, private, and uniquely Michigan fashion.

Our GenAI platform is designed to meet the needs of most users with three distinct offerings. While these tools have received a lot of use and attention, many in our community are still waiting to explore whether these options might offer a supplement to their own teaching or coursework. To understand what is next, a brief review of our current offerings is in order.

The first is U-M GPT, our accessible natural language and text-to-image web-app. U-M GPT currently hosts the latest GPT Omni model, DALL-E 3, and an open-source alternative called Llama 3.

Our AI service with perhaps the most appeal to our educators is Maizey, a revolutionary tool based on an AI framework called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Maizey is an environment designed to be an expert in almost any topic you desire, while also enabling you to define the behavior of the environment. Think of Maizey as a play of your own choosing, with the system prompt being the script for each character’s behavior. 

Lastly, we provide application program interface (API) access to our AI environment – we call this our GPT Toolkit. This is a great option for those wishing to create deep connections within applications, web, and data. Those using the API environment may be building novel applications, making new discoveries, or connecting systems to optimize and enhance data flow and outputs.

What’s New?

One of the most common pieces of feedback we received since our AI platform’s release came from faculty members seeking to use Maizey for Teaching and Learning who did not have a shortcode. This fall, we are proud to announce that every academic course in Canvas now has a $1,000 per course per term allocation without the requirement of a shortcode. In addition, every faculty member can quickly create a Maizey from their course context using the native Canvas workflow you have come to expect. To date, the U-M community has created over 3,000 Maizeys, and we believe, this semester, U-M will again lead the world in the responsible and ethical use of GenAI in the Teaching and Learning domain.

Maizey can now also see within multiple data sources, and creators of Maizeys can even reschedule indexing of information from each data source. Why is this significant? Because Maizey can be pointed to Dropbox, Google Drive, Canvas, and the web, all at the same time. Imagine the power of a GenAI environment that can grow as your data grows and be automated without human intervention. Maizey will serve as a librarian to ensure you always have the exact information you desire at your fingertips.

MiMaizey: A New Assistant for Students

We are very excited to have recently released the world’s first GenAI assistant for students at U-M. This assistant, MiMaizey, is a new technology launched in beta, which means it is a preliminary version made available to gather user feedback and identify areas for improvement. Since its launch, we have received amazing feedback that highlights where students want GenAI to operate, balancing the need for real-time information with generative feedback.

MiMaizey serves as an interactive environment where students can ask questions, benefiting from its extensive knowledge of U-M-specific information. Students can inquire about dining hall menus, course materials, study guides, campus resource locations, and more. If faculty members create a Maizey for their courses, students enrolled in those courses can ask detailed questions via MiMaizey. This new tool provides personalized responses and assistance, offering a unique and supportive experience for each student.

What’s Coming?

We envision a U-M where everyone has a GenAI assistant, unique to them, which can see, hear, and provide a contextual experience appropriate for their role. We believe in equal access and innovation. We believe that you will change the world by harnessing the power of GenAI and influencing the world around you.

As we look ahead, our vision of a personalized AI assistant for every individual at U-M is not just an aspiration but a commitment to providing an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic environment. We believe that every student, faculty, and staff member possesses the potential to drive innovation. By granting everyone the power to interact with and shape AI tools, we nurture an ecosystem where creativity can thrive.

Summer Photo Scrapbook

In the last edition of the Office of the Provost Newsletter, we asked our readers to help us build a scrapbook commemorating summertime, and you delivered! As we bid the season farewell and welcome fall, we hope you’ll enjoy this look back to trips abroad, weddings, and even a glimpse of the northern lights.

Q+A with Vice Provost Shalanda Baker

Shalanda Baker, vice provost for sustainability and climate action.

Shalanda Baker, vice provost for sustainability and climate action.

Shalanda Baker, vice provost for sustainability and climate action and professor of environment and sustainability in the School for Environment and Sustainability, began her tenure on Sept. 1, 2024. In this role, she will lead interdisciplinary engagement on environmental topics, explore opportunities to integrate sustainability within core curricula and support critical research that addresses the climate crisis.

The VPSCA also will advance U-M’s role as a living-learning lab toward climate solutions, in collaboration with Business & Finance, the Office of Campus Sustainability, Student Life Sustainability, the Graham Sustainability Institute, Michigan Medicine, and schools, colleges and units.

What drew you to this role?

SB: I’ve just had the privilege of serving in the Biden-Harris Administration, first as the country’s first-ever Deputy Director for Energy Justice in the Department of Energy, and then as the Senate-confirmed director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity. My job was to ensure that the nation’s energy transition was just and equitable by rewiring the entire architecture of grantmaking and program design within the department. Throughout the course of my time in the department, I realized that the only pathway to a just and equitable energy transition was to actually contend with the various interlocking systems that produce inequity and injustice. In essence, the problem of an unjust energy system connects to multiple systems, and those systems have to communicate with each other in an interdisciplinary manner.

Universities are amazing places to create paradigm shifts, and everything I knew about the University of Michigan led me to believe that the University of Michigan was better positioned than any university in the country to accelerate just and equitable climate action at scale. Its history of environmental and racial justice, as well as the hundreds of researchers and students already looking at issues of climate and sustainability through various disciplinary lenses make it an excellent springboard from which to think about structural change across our systems of health, energy, food, water, built environment, and economy. The exciting part of this job will be to create platforms and pathways for all of these elements to connect. 

How are universities uniquely positioned to move the needle on climate change?

SB: Universities are idea incubators. As a law professor, I got to witness students trying on and experimenting with new ideas. Nearly every day, I saw the proverbial “light bulb” turn on for students synthesizing information. Once that happened, our classroom became a site for collaboration and pushing the envelope. Students are ready to innovate on climate change and, more importantly, they’re ready to act on climate, which makes universities a great place to do this work. Universities are also excellent conveners and can establish relationships at the local, state, regional, and international levels. Of course, universities also house some of the best scholars and researchers across multiple disciplines who can be brought together to grapple with thorny, system-level problems, like climate change. 

Why was your role created and how is it positioned within the broader climate and sustainability leadership structure at the university? 

SB: The University has made climate change, sustainability, environmental justice and issues of the environment central to its vision and goals. You can see that through actual documents and commitments, such as the Vision 2034. You can also see that in places like SEAS, the School for Environment and Sustainability, which has served as a national leader in sustainability for years. About a year ago, the University further demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by hiring an inaugural Associate Vice President for Campus Sustainability within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Shana Weber. Last year Tony Denton assumed the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Environmental, Social and Governance Officer at Michigan Medicine.  My role was created to accelerate activity in the curricular and research spaces and to collaborate closely with Shana and Tony to advance our shared goals. It’s an exciting structure that allows us to touch upon every aspect of the university enterprise. My role will also help to amplify the excellent work already happening across campus and to help weave together the various threads of scholarship, teaching, and community-facing efforts into a beautiful tapestry of sustainability, climate action, and justice. It’s such an exciting time to be at UMich doing this work!

What is your strategy to get the university’s colleges, schools, institutes, and centers to collaborate on climate action and sustainability research and teaching?

SB: This is the hardest question! But it’s always top of mind. There’s already so much amazing collaboration already happening across the diverse research portfolios. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves to create a platform and structure within my new office to facilitate greater ease of access to teaching resources, curricular offerings for students, and research opportunities. I’m also thinking through ways to incentivize collaboration on teaching, research, and place-based community efforts, so stay tuned! To start, this year I’m leaning into the convening opportunities within the office, hosting town hall sessions with students, faculty, directors, and deans to really understand the barriers to collaboration, and get their best ideas on the ways this office can facilitate high-impact, transformative teaching, research, and community engagement. I also have the great fortune of working with the excellent Graham Institute for Sustainability, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and Campus Farms teams as a part of my portfolio, and I’ll be leaning into their expertise as I launch a campus-wide effort. Finally, I’m really excited about the Capital Campaign! I think it will serve as a forcing mechanism to unify our sustainability community around shared principles and values to accelerate sustainability and climate action on campus.

To close out, what’s one fun fact about you?

SB: I’m not sure how fun this is, but not many people know that I was a four-year All American rugby player at the Air Force Academy and a member of the US Women’s National Team for about a decade. That was a long time ago, but it pops up here and there when people Google me to find my bio. It always catches me off guard at professional events or before a speaking engagement when someone asks me, “You played rugby?!” I still get a kick out of it. My current hobbies are more tame. On rainy days I’m likely to be found reading a book cover to cover or cooking something for friends from my collection of cookbooks!

From the Desk of the Provost: July 2024

In academia, summer is about performing the rituals of relaxation, reflection, and resolution that, for most others, define the end of the year. 

This feels appropriate, since summer is often a time of transition for our colleagues on campus, and we bid farewell to old friends and welcome newcomers all at once. My longtime colleague Dr. Lori Pierce concluded her 19-year tenure as vice provost for academic and faculty affairs this summer to focus on her work as a renowned radiation oncologist. Her departure makes it clear that we can never replace anyone; we can only build on what they have accomplished and meet the challenges of the next era. Fortunately, I believe Chris Friese, our new vice provost for academic and faculty affairs, is ready to do just that. He is an accomplished and extraordinarily active scholar, a nationally-recognized expert on nursing, and passionate about improving the experience of faculty at the University of Michigan. I hope you have the opportunity to learn about him in this month’s Vice Provost Q+A. 

Even in the relatively relaxed atmosphere of campus in July, it is no secret that tensions are running high across our society right now. One of the most common sentiments I hear from faculty, staff, and students is the hope that our campus culture could be an exception to the climate of polarization pervading the nation. I believe we have the will and the tools to make it so. A culture is built from ten thousand small acts every day; when we, as individuals, choose empathy over indifference, when we make genuine efforts to understand our colleagues and even those radically different from ourselves, we are building the culture I believe we all, deep down, want to experience. 

We are fortunate to have many efforts across campus in place to do that as we enter the Year of Democracy and Global and Civic Engagement. In this newsletter, you can learn more about U-M’s efforts to get students to the polls from Jenna Bednar, faculty director of the UMICH Votes program. Professor Bednar is an expert on resilient democracies, and is deeply engaged in related work on campus. 

There is much work being done in the name of dialogue, democracy, and constructive disagreement, and faculty and staff have many opportunities to engage. Spots are still open for the Program for Intergroup Relations’ Intergroup Dialogue Basics Seminar; as the fall semester begins, you may want to visit Hey, We Need to Talk at the Art Museum, an exhibition exploring flourishing through art and conversation, from Philippa Pham Hughes, Visiting Artist for Arts & Civic Engagement; and faculty won’t want to miss the Promoting Democracy Teaching Series, sponsored by the Edward Ginsberg Center and CRLT. 

From all of us in the Office of the Provost, we hope you are finding time this summer for what relaxes or reinvigorates you. We would like to feature pictures of the various adventures faculty and staff experienced over the summer in our fall newsletter. If you would like to send pictures of your intriguing discovery, unique locale, or passion project, please do so here – we would love to learn more about how our community spends their summers. 

Warm regards,
Laurie