The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (University of Michigan) records consists of progress reports for the second and third year of the University of Michigan's DEI strategic plan.
The origin of the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (ODEI) dates back to circa December 2013, when Provost Martha E. Pollack launched the Provost's Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This committee—chaired by Dr. Robert M. Sellers—was charged with providing recommendations to resolve issues, such as hostility towards students of color, that had been reported by University of Michigan students. In their May 2014 report, the committee recommended several solutions, including the creation of a Staff Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion—to address similar issues among university staff—and the development of a university-wide DEI strategic planning initiative. A Diversity Executive Leadership Team (DELT) was formed in April 2015 to oversee the strategic planning process. A DELT working group, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Working Group, centrally managed these efforts and identified leads who coordinated efforts in several major areas.
On September 9, 2015, the Board of Regents and President Schlissel charged the university community with centering and reinforcing DEI at the University of Michigan, particularly as it pertained to recruitment, education, service, and scholarship. More than four dozen different colleges, schools, and units began a yearlong strategic planning process to develop individual strategic plans to fulfill this mandate. Several events and related opportunities also occurred between 2015 and 2016, including a Diversity Summit. Upon the completion of this planning process in Fall 2016, the university unveiled its Five-Year Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, entitled Many Voices, Our Michigan. Coinciding with the plan's release was the establishment of the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, which effectively replaced the Office of the Vice Provost of Equity, Inclusion and Academic Affairs (OVPEIAA). Dr. Sellers, who had headed OVPEIAA, was named ODEI's first Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer.
As of 2021, ODEI manages and evaluates the implementation of both the units' strategic plans as well as the university's overall plan. ODEI also supports efforts that diversify the university community, nurture an inclusive and equitable environment, and collaborate with internal and external partners. ODEI has also published a variety of strategic plan progress reports since 2017, holds an annual DEI Summit, and supports awards that include a grant program to fund DEI-related projects. Other significant projects that ODEI has been involved with include the university's 2016 Campus Climate Survey on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the First Generation (FirstGen) initiative, Undocumented and DACA Student Resources initiative, and the Inclusive Teaching initiative.
The Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer reports to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and works with various members of the university's leadership team. There are three units housed within ODEI as of 2019: the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI), Wolverine Pathways, and the Center for Educational Outreach. ODEI also sponsors the University of Michigan's institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD), an independent center that supports doctoral students, faculty, and post-doctoral scholars.
Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
| Date |
Event |
| 2016- | Robert M. Sellers |
