Skip to main content
Office of the Provost
Office of the Provost

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

Mythbreaking: Adaptive Sports

Adaptive Sports practice for Track and Field. Photo by Marc-Gregor Campredon

Sport can be a unifying language, institutionally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The epitome of this is the way that the Olympics and Paralympics quite literally bridge the world together in celebration of sport. However, sport is not always equitably accessible to everyone, like in the case of disabled athletes. People assume “disabled-athlete” is an oxymoron and can’t exist in unison. The mission of University of Michigan Adaptive Sports & Fitness is to increase awareness, knowledge, access, and participation in adaptive sports among people with and without disabilities so that all people understand that disability is not inability.

As adaptive sports begin to receive more recognition within the University of Michigan and in the collegiate landscape, especially with Paris 2024 on the horizon, it is important to discern myth and fact in our discovery process that adaptive sports are truly for everyone. Below, the Adaptive Sports & Fitness team addresses some of the most common myths about adaptive sport.

Myth: “The Paralympics are for people that suffer from paraplegia.”

Fact: The term “Paralympic” originates from the Greek “para” (beside or alongside) and “Olympic,” signifying that the Paralympics run parallel to the Olympics. This epitomizes the coexistence and similarities of the two events. This principle guides UM’s Adaptive Sports & Fitness department (ASF), which aims to enrich student life through inclusive sports programs, both recreationally and competitively, catering to all individuals’ highest athletic aspirations at the University of Michigan.

Adaptive tennis practice. Photo by Marc-Gregor Campredon

The term “Paralympic” is often misunderstood, with many assuming “Para” comes from ones disability status. References like “Para-Olympics” or “Regular Olympics,” although not intentional, carry significant implications to the Paralympic movement. Some of these implications are a hierarchical structure within the games that assume the Olympics are at the top. Similarly, people often confuse the Paralympics with the Special Olympics, which is a separate – though no less important – movement that also serves the disability community, but is unique in its mission and goals. 

The notion that one “suffers” from an injury or resulting disability can be very reductive within the disability community. Disability is not inability and we do not need to “cure” disability, rather we need to relook at how we can change structures and values that allow all people to have equitable access. This concept comes from the “social model of disability” and is a unit wide methodology that does not just guide UM Adaptive Sports & Fitness, but the entire unit of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services (SAAS).

Myth: “Adaptive Sports are for people with disabilities.”

Fact: Adaptive sports (also known as para sports) and inclusive recreation are competitive or recreational sports for people with and without disabilities. Adaptive sports use modifications of rules or equipment that allow for equitable participation in sport by people with disabilities. Some adaptive sports are variations of existing able-bodied sports that run parallel to those sport activities (e.g. wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis). Some adaptive sports have been specifically designed for persons with a disability and do not have able-bodied equivalent activities (e.g. goalball). 

Wheelchair Basketball with UM Adaptive Sport in Port Huron, Michigan. Photo by Marc-Gregor Campredon

Sport should be a universal language, but often people with disabilities are relegated to the sidelines due to limited access. By having inclusive adaptive sports, athletes of all abilities are given more opportunities to participate. The modification of equipment and rules in adaptive sports allow for everyone to play together; friends, family, peers, colleagues, or people in the community. 

Sometimes people without disabilities are concerned that by participating in adaptive sports they are simulating disability or displacing the disabled athletes. ASF believes that through adaptive sport we can dismantle those pre-existing concerns and demonstrate that adaptive sport is a unifying experience. Simply put, adaptive sports are sports. The same way one plays pick-up basketball at the NCRB or IMSB, all are welcome to join us for drop-in wheelchair basketball. We are fortunate to have support from the University of Michigan and Student Life such that we have adaptive sports equipment for everyone to play. We have a sports chair waiting for you!

Myth: “Adaptive Sports & Fitness is a novel department at the University of Michigan.”

Fact: Adaptive Sports & Fitness officially became part of Student Life at University of Michigan in 2020 and is a relatively new movement within UM. Since its inception ASF has grown rapidly to meet the needs that exist within the UM and larger adaptive sports community. 

While adaptive sports are new at University of Michigan, they are not new to the collegiate landscape. The first wheelchair basketball team (and adaptive sports program) was started in 1948 at the University of Illinois. Since then, many other institutions, approximately 20, have joined the growing collegiate adaptive sports landscape. 

ASF has tried to learn from our predecessors by developing a program that includes competitive and recreational adaptive sports opportunities, community based initiatives like RX to Play, the Adaptive Sports and Inclusive Recreational Initiative, and research. 

2024 was a significant landmark year in collegiate adaptive sports history with the following accomplishments resulting from the work of the institutions mentioned above, many governing bodies, and sponsor organizations like Guardian and their Adaptive Student Athlete Program.

  • Wheelchair Basketball: Inclusion of a collegiate wheelchair basketball showcase at Women’s NCAA March Madness
  • Wheelchair Tennis: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association formally includes collegiate wheelchair tennis as part of the governing body and includes wheelchair tennis for the first time in NCAA history at the NCAA National Championships
  • Wheelchair Track: The NCAA, in partnership with with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, includes wheelchair track at the outdoor national championships for this first time in history as part of the 2024 Track & Field National Championships

Q+A with Christopher Friese, Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs

Christopher R. Friese, the Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and Professor of Health Management and Policy, began his 5-year term as Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs on June 1, 2024. In partnership with Vice Provost Sara Blair, he is responsible for overseeing core faculty-centered processes, including the promotion and tenure process, as well as the Provost Office’s funding programs in support of recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting faculty. Friese will have oversight of the seven health science schools and the Life Sciences Institute, as well as the Ross School of Business, the Marsal School of Education, the College of Engineering, the School for Environment and Sustainability, the Law School, and the Ford School of Public Policy.

What are your initial and long-term goals for the position?

I was attracted to this position because I have benefited greatly from various faculty-focused initiatives that have been led from this office. I’m excited to pay forward the tremendous support I’ve received over my 16 years at Michigan and develop initiatives and policies that allow Michigan faculty to learn, grow, and thrive. 

My predecessor Dr. Lori Pierce served in the Provost’s Office for 19 years and accumulated exceptional wisdom and acumen in this multifaceted role. In my first three months, I will focus on connecting – across schools and units – with our various partners across the University to better understand our core functions and generate aspirational goals. Following this, the team and I are poised to examine existing practices and propose new efforts that align with both the Vision 2034 framework and mission of the Provost’s Office. My long-term goal is for Michigan to be recognized among its peers as providing exceptional support to our faculty community. 

The University faces a unique fulcrum with regard to faculty support: the higher education climate writ large poses challenges for successful faculty recruitment and retention. So what can we do here at Michigan to better support faculty we are hoping to attract and make Michigan their career destination? We are well-positioned to foster an exceptional climate for faculty creativity, scholarship, and teaching excellence, and that’s incredibly exciting work to be doing right now.

What are some of the key areas of focus for the next year?

I won’t be doing this work alone. We have an exceptional team in the office, as well as partners across the Schools and Colleges. It’s an honor to work with them to ensure our policies and processes are sound. As time demands continue to increase, we’ll be monitoring ways in which the promotions and tenure process can be managed efficiently, while maintaining rigorous standards and ensuring equitable treatment. The diversity of scholarship and creative activities across our campus is a wonderful challenge to have: we want to be sure we recognize all the many ways our faculty contribute to the community.

I am also interested in examining ways in which we can make working at Michigan easier for faculty, especially those among our community with a disability or who have caregiving responsibilities. Both of those resonate for me as I was a remote caregiver as a newly-appointed Assistant Professor. The faculty are the engine of this academic enterprise. By identifying ways in which we can align policies, resources, and partnerships to support faculty in their individual endeavors, the University will stand to gain as well.

Chris with his Schnauzer, Dunkel, in Dusseldorf, Germany.

How do you plan to approach this work?

People who know me would tell you I’m a pretty informal person. On multiple leadership style inventories, I’ve been termed a “connector.” I get excited about connecting ideas and people and it’s not unusual for me to hear one idea at a meeting and bring it to another colleague. This fall, I’m looking forward to a listening tour with my colleagues in schools who lead faculty affairs efforts to better understand and address their needs. It’s also incredibly humbling to review casebooks from our faculty and those who wish to join our campus. The work our faculty do is inspiring. Whenever and wherever I can, I will be celebrating – virtually or in person – the accomplishments of our faculty and asking them, “What more can we do?,” and integrating their feedback into our future work. I also want to publicly thank the many members of our community who contribute to this work, by serving as reviewers, committee members, volunteers for ad hoc working groups, and the like. This team effort is essential to the university.

What are some of your favorite events on campus?

I have sung with the UMS Choral Union for many years. I always enjoy our concerts in Hill Auditorium, including the complete Handel’s Messiah every December. I am a fan of Michigan football and basketball, in good times and bad. Because I was on sabbatical during the national title game, I streamed the game on German sports television at around 1 a.m., while listening to the Ann Arbor radio broadcast (thanks, technology). A favorite day of the year is the May Regents’ meeting when all faculty promotions are announced. I’m thrilled to get to support that effort in the years ahead in this new role.

UMICH Votes and the Year of Democracy and Global and Civic Engagement with Jenna Bednar

Ford School professor and political scientist Jenna Bednar recently joined the Office of the Provost as the faculty director of UMICH Votes and Democratic Engagement. Her academic work concerns federalism and democratic structures and norms. Her recent focus investigates how to encourage human flourishing within democratic systems.

In addition to her position as UMICH Votes faculty director, she is working in many related arenas: in collaboration with Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes and academic leadership from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts on the university’s Year of Democracy and Global and Civic Engagement initiative; on the Democracy, Civic and Global Engagement pillar of Vision 2034; and at the Ford School on projects studying resilient democracies. Professor Bednar also serves as a subcommittee chair on the Committee on the University of Michigan Principles on Diversity of Thought and Freedom of Expression.

Given the theme of her work, we began this interview with what might be the era’s defining question.

Provost’s Office: You study the success and failure of democracy – a weighty topic, especially as we approach November. With so much at stake, what gives you hope right now? 

Jenna Bednar: Can I pick two things?

PO: We’ll allow it. 

JB: The first is our students. They are enthusiastic about changing the world, and a lot of them are undaunted. Some of the circumstances we have watched evolve in our lifetimes are all these students have ever experienced. They’re ready to get into the world and make it better. Their energy is contagious and wonderful. 

PO: What’s the second thing?

JB: This might sound odd, but…anger. When I talk to colleagues, students, or other political scientists, I hear a lot of frustration with the state of the country, and with electoral politics specifically. Anger isn’t always a productive reaction, but in this case, it comes from a good place. People are angry that we find ourselves grappling with the political situation we do because they have such a deep love for the potential of this country. That’s the kind of patriotism and sense of agency that gets people to the polls as well as working every day to create real change. 

PO: Getting students to the polls is the focus of UMICH Votes. What can you tell us about this project?

JB: UMICH Votes is a coalition of groups with different functions but the same mission: to help our community vote. The process begins with our student organization, Turn Up Turnout (TUT); this is a peer-to-peer effort, where students register other students at orientation and throughout the fall. They also organize walks to the polls with students from as many departments as possible.  The Ginsberg Center supports our efforts at civic engagement and building our relationships with other Big 10 campuses.  UMMA and the Duderstadt Center provide gorgeous, well-placed spaces. And the Creative Campus Voting Project, led by Stamps professors Hannah Smotrich and Stephanie Rowden, uses their formidable design skills to create welcoming and informative polling sites and helpful language for registration. None of this would be possible without the Ann Arbor City Clerk, Jackie Beaudry, who has been 100% supportive, agreeing to open two satellite city clerk offices on our campus. 

People from all of these organizations meet multiple times weekly to coordinate and collaborate. One exciting new project is a system of messaging. Students don’t have a shortage of voting information; instead, they are bombarded with too much. Our UMICH Votes team has tackled this problem of information abundance with straightforward, just-in-time messaging to help students get access to the information they need to participate fully in elections.

PO: Are these efforts directed only toward students voting in Ann Arbor?

JB: No. First, we serve all students, in-state and out-of-state. The law allows students to choose whether to vote in their college town or hometown. We help students to find accurate information about registration and voting whether they plan to vote in Ann Arbor or in their hometowns. In addition, our goal is to serve all three campuses. TUT has built relationships with student organizations at UM-Flint and UM-Dearborn, and we share best practices, our system of messaging, access to accurate sources of voting information, and generally support one another’s efforts.

PO: What can you tell us about the Year of Democracy and Global and Civic Engagement?

JB: Planning is underway for the campus-wide theme year of Democracy and Global and Civic Engagement. Look for a calendar packed with events and programming to inspire and inform. In the fall we’ll focus on Get Out The Vote, in alignment with the great work of UMICH Votes. In the winter semester we’ll turn our focus both outward and inward: outward, to the global experience with democracy, and inward, to examine the health of our own. Our aim is to lift up the expertise that currently exists in our democracy-related research community as well as to build up the knowledge and skills of our students, who as Michigan alumni will become the generation of democracy leaders. You’ll have to invite me back to talk more about it!

PO: Consider it done! We’re looking forward to another update in September.

FY ’25 budget supports U-M’s strategic vision

Shalanda Baker to lead academic efforts on sustainability

Rosario Ceballo to become next dean of LSA

Arts Initiative names Mark Clague inaugural executive director

Juneteenth Symposium at U-M set for June 20-21

Advisory committee named for Law School dean search