2008 Woodie Awards
U-M forum held in response to Proposal 2
Colin Fraser
Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: Voices
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The University of Michigan Diversity Blueprints task force held its final public forum on Friday, Feb 23. Many expressed the view that a public university needs diversity to educate well, to fulfill the intrinsic meaning of "university." They spoke of the full breadth of diversity: racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, and learning style. They planned to compose a proposal to promote diversity at U of M.
Proposal 2-06 has made the task of diversifying the University more difficult, but many asserted that the solution does not lie within the admissions process. They proposed programs that would encourage K-12 students to enroll at the university. Their hope is that the university will enjoy broader diversity if a more representative population of prospective students were influenced from their earliest school years.
Many speakers at the public forum believed that UM needed to take steps to help improve the still present segregation in the school system throughout the State of Michigan. Some alleged that 81 percent of minorities attend mostly segregated schools and that where there is segregation there is inequality. This segregation could be ameliorated if the University of Michigan would engage in a statewide reformation of the educational system. Governor Jennifer Granholm has asserted that education is the primary hope for revitalizing the state. A transformed educational system is fundamental to fulfill this hope.
One speaker proposed the university host seminars for high school teachers. These seminars would teach the teachers to better prepare their students for university educational expectations. Books used for college classes at the University would be provided to high schools allowing their students, instead of just learning high school material, to grasp concepts needed for success in college.
The University would help diverse students more if it considered teaching methodology. The curriculum isn't solely the issue. Different students learn in different ways. A speaker from the Psychology Department encouraged the University to diversify its teaching styles to match a variety of learning styles. Using one teaching methodology impairs the success of many students.
Proposal 2-06 has made the task of diversifying the University more difficult, but many asserted that the solution does not lie within the admissions process. They proposed programs that would encourage K-12 students to enroll at the university. Their hope is that the university will enjoy broader diversity if a more representative population of prospective students were influenced from their earliest school years.
Many speakers at the public forum believed that UM needed to take steps to help improve the still present segregation in the school system throughout the State of Michigan. Some alleged that 81 percent of minorities attend mostly segregated schools and that where there is segregation there is inequality. This segregation could be ameliorated if the University of Michigan would engage in a statewide reformation of the educational system. Governor Jennifer Granholm has asserted that education is the primary hope for revitalizing the state. A transformed educational system is fundamental to fulfill this hope.
One speaker proposed the university host seminars for high school teachers. These seminars would teach the teachers to better prepare their students for university educational expectations. Books used for college classes at the University would be provided to high schools allowing their students, instead of just learning high school material, to grasp concepts needed for success in college.
The University would help diverse students more if it considered teaching methodology. The curriculum isn't solely the issue. Different students learn in different ways. A speaker from the Psychology Department encouraged the University to diversify its teaching styles to match a variety of learning styles. Using one teaching methodology impairs the success of many students.
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