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