Dialogue at the heart of summit activities

The name badges for the University Summit on Campus Climate and Community were simple: no titles, no units, just first and last names. A primary goal of the summit was to create an opportunity for members of the University community to talk openly across roles and responsibilities about their individual experiences and perspectives on the campus climate.

Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs and senior counselor to the president for the arts, diversity and undergraduate affairs, chats with President Mary Sue Coleman before the Diversity Summit. (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-M Photo Services)

Twenty-eight pre-assigned small groups, consisting of a mix of deans, executive officers, students, faculty, staff and administrators, met in the morning and afternoon sessions. Morning discussions focused on the current strengths and challenges of the campus climate. During the afternoon session, the same groups worked together to generate strategies for strengthening the University community. Each group was facilitated by a two-person team consisting of staff and faculty.

Written feedback collected at the end of the day emphasized the unique and constructive nature of these discussions:

"I liked having a dean, a professor and an LSA junior in the group." "It was significant to meet faculty, staff and students across disciplines and hierarchies and find out more about how they view diversity at U-M." "It was useful to speak with individuals I don't normally come in contact with because of their administrative rank, and to also have a student presence there with an equal voice." "The small groups provided a candid, genuine conversation." "It was important just to have the opportunity to take time to talk and listen to others on campus." "I appreciated meeting the members of my group, getting a sense of their values, and then being able to really hear what they were saying."

While the summit plenary sessions provided important information for guiding the work to be done on climate and community at U-M, the small-group discussions effectively created community and generated feedback by initiating new conversations, connections and awareness, participants said.

"There was a sense of shared mission across a diverse constituency." "I am a staff member who came away with new appreciation for individual faculty and what they are doing." "We generated a wealth of ideas and made new connections." "It was significant to hear how different the situation can be in different parts of the University, and to see the commitment of the people at the table."

"The small group discussions were terrific," President Mary Sue Coleman said. "I learned important things from all participants in my group, and the ideas that these discussions generated will be reviewed and integrated into the steps we take from here. We will work together to be the great diverse community we have the capacity to be."

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