Maize & BLUEprint: U-M Faculty and Leadership on the Public Health-Informed Fall Semester

Leading up to the University of Michigan’s innovative public health-informed hybrid fall semester, faculty and leadership across the Ann Arbor campus shared their excitement, explained the creative ways they are designing curriculum to meet the needs of students, and discussed the Wolverine Culture of Care for the entire campus community and beyond.

The preparations have been robust and deliberate—from developing engaging virtual science courses, to reimagining performance spaces, to recognizing the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—and showcase the breadth of expertise and thoughtful commitment within the U-M community.

Hear from faculty, deans, and others in this special Michigan Minds series Maize & BLUEprint.

Learn more about taking care of Maize & Blue at campusblueprint.umich.edu
PLANNING FOR SUCCESSFUL HYBRID INSTRUCTION

Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean of the School of Education, George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor of Education, and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture in the School of Education, has been leading the coordinating committee on instructional planning for the public health-informed fall semester at the University of Michigan. 

 

PROVIDING HEALTH-INFORMED EDUCATION EXPERIENCES

Pamela Davis-Kean, professor of psychology at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and research professor at the Institute for Social Research, explores some of the logistics that faculty are working through to prepare for a successful public health-informed semester this fall. 

 

EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL INSTRUCTION

Thomas Finholt, dean of the University of Michigan School of Information and professor of information, explores how faculty have integrated innovative virtual teaching techniques to create an enhanced digital education experience as part of the hybrid-approach planned at U-M this Fall.

 

DEVELOPING ENGAGING AND HEALTH-INFORMED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Ben van der Pluijm, Bruce R. Clark Collegiate professor of geology and professor of the environment, discusses how he plans to develop a dynamic and engaging learning environment for his students during the public health-informed semester this fall, which will feature a hybrid approach to education.

 

DEVELOPING A CREATIVE AND AGILE CURRICULUM

Gunalan Nadarajan, dean of the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, discusses his enthusiasm for plans to have safe in-person experiences for students, shares some of the modifications made to de-densify campus spaces, and emphasizes the importance of wearing face masks.

 

PROCEDURES FOR A SUCCESSFUL HEALTH-INFORMED SEMESTER

Rick Neitzel, associate professor of environmental health sciences in the U-M School of Public Health, explores the strategies and procedures involved in planning for a successful public health-informed semester.

 

RE-ENGAGING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH OPERATIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented drastic changes to many aspects of our lives, including the research enterprise. U-M Vice President for Research Rebecca Cunningham, explains how non-critical laboratory research was initially ramped down to protect the health and safety of employees, and how  re-engagement has been handled. She also highlights the importance of research and the vast impact that research universities, such as U-M, can have on their communities. 

 

RECOGNIZING THE EMOTIONAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19

In this episode of Michigan Minds, Shawna Lee, associate professor at the School of Social Work, talks about how COVID-19 has impacted everyone differently, and shares some ways faculty can recognize the toll it has taken on their students and colleagues.

 

DESIGNING INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Alec Gallimore, Robert J. Vlasic Dean of the U-M College of Engineering, is excited about the prospect of students returning this fall, but acknowledges how different the semester will be for the entire U-M community.

 

BUILDING CONNECTIONS IN REMOTE SETTINGS

Marcus Collins, marketing lecturer at Michigan Ross, has been designing courses and identifying best practices for the online learning environment over the summer—but he hasn’t let that take away from establishing new ways to build and maintain connections with students, peers, and colleagues.

 

CREATING INNOVATIVE AND HEALTH-INFORMED PERFORMANCE SPACES 

Anita Gonzalez, associate dean and professor of theater at the School of Music, Theater & Dance, explains how SMTD is innovating performance spaces for public health-informed courses and preparing for virtual productions. 

 

HOW PRECISION PUBLIC HEALTH ON CAMPUS HELPS ADDRESS COVID-19

Public health data and guidelines are crucial to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, both on and off campus. Associate professor of epidemiology Emily Martin, PhD, MPH, explains how the University of Michigan established campus health response committees to prepare for the fall semester and how the university is monitoring public health data all day, every day to make health-informed decisions for the U-M community.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AMID COVID-19

Anne Curzan, dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, highlights the importance of higher education and explores the many innovative ways that LSA faculty are planning for interactive and impactful courses this fall.

 

NAVIGATING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

F. DuBois Bowman, dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, says this semester will be vastly different for everyone. But he’s confident that the U-M community will still thrive, and advance the university’s mission by bringing some of the brightest students from around the world to learn from and engage with faculty experts and staff across campus—in person and virtually.

 

DELIVERING FIRST-RATE AND FLEXIBLE EDUCATION 

As the start of the fall semester approaches, dean of the Ford School of Public Policy Michael Barr has a reminder for everyone: while this won’t look like a typical year, Ford School faculty are committed to delivering a first-rate public policy education to all students in a safe and flexible manner.

 

HOW U-M PREPARED TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES FOR A HYBRID SEMESTER 

Technology empowers communities with the tools to enhance public good and brings individuals together for meaningful connections, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Ravi Pendse, University of Michigan Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. Pendse explains the wide array of resources U-M prepared for students, faculty, and staff to utilize throughout the fall hybrid semester.