ANN ARBOR—The university-wide Diversity Blueprints Task Force made its final report to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman today.

The Task Force was created by Coleman to identify innovative strategies to sustain and improve effectiveness in recruiting, retaining, and supporting a diverse student body, faculty and staff, and to enhance the university’s educational outreach and engagement.

The report will be presented at a public meeting at 10-11 a.m. March 28 at Forum Hall in Palmer Commons, and is available online.

“I am impressed with the way our community answered the call to action,” said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. “We asked people to tap into their ideas, their information and their creativity, and they responded with their full participation.

“I set an ambitious timeline for this Task Force because the work is so urgent. The diversity of our faculty, staff and students?and our ability to reap the benefits of that diversity?is vital to our future academic strength,” Coleman said. “This report presents us with some immediate actions, and a process for moving forward. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, and our leadership team will be fully engaged in this work.”

“The amount of work invested by task force members was extraordinary,” said U-M Provost Teresa A. Sullivan, who co-chaired the task force along with Senior Vice Provost Lester P. Monts. “They reviewed extensive materials from our university and others, heard presentations, and carefully considered all the suggestions shared through e-mail and at the campus forums.”

The 55-member Diversity Blueprints Task Force, made up of faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni, began its work in December 2006. The report provides a synthesis of the product of innumerable hours of discussion and debate; input received at four public forums; the work of five full task force meetings and more than 35 hours of subcommittee meetings; two days of consultation with key administrators from other states impacted by legal constraints similar to Michigan’s Proposal 2; consultations with area school superintendents; more than 400 comments and suggestions submitted by email; and numerous meetings, workshops, and written reports compiled by a wide variety of campus constituents in the wake of Proposal 2.

“This report is a summary of major recommendations and themes, and immediate steps that can be taken. Accountability will be an important aspect of this process. Our task force has articulated the need to set goals and measure progress against those goals,” Sullivan said.

Implementation of the recommendations will be directed by the provost and other executive officers. Progress will be assessed at the 2007 Fall Diversity Summit. “We believe that every part of the University should be engaged in diversity,” Sullivan said. “We anticipate that a wide range of groups and individuals will be involved in the implementation, including Student Affairs, Human Resources, the Health System, the deans, faculty leaders and SACUA, student organizations, staff organizations such as Voices of the Staff, the Alumni Association, and organizations such as the Diversity Council that represent a variety of constituencies.”

“The University of Michigan is seen as a leader in advancing diversity in higher education,” Monts said. “The world is watching to see how we will respond to the challenges posed by Proposal 2. We have the benefit of learning from universities in those states who have experienced the loss of affirmative action. Our actions will be informed by their successes and failures.”

The Task Force report provides a discussion of underlying principles and specific recommendations, including:

? Expanded educational outreach and partnerships, especially ways to develop stronger relationships with K-12 education and with other colleges and universities.

? Additional strategies to help Michigan youth envision themselves as U-M students, and to help Michigan parents guide their children toward this possibility.

? Ways to both simplify and bolster the complex terrain of financial aid, and to provide additional resources to individuals, schools, and communities that make the goal of a Michigan education more possible.

? Enhancing the links between faculty scholarship and research and the public good.

? An increased role for alumni in maintaining Michigan’s commitment to diversity.

? Ways to strengthen Michigan’s image and impact with a broad range of constituents.

Campus climate?the general spirit of the campus and the specific sense of belonging experienced by each individual?was an underlying theme as the Task Force explored these issues, including ways to expand existing programs that successfully foster intercultural skills and communication.

Other major findings in the report stress the importance of accountability at all levels and the ongoing nature of the work ahead. The report suggests that diversity efforts be transparent, and that leaders work to ensure campus-wide buy-in and engagement. The University is encouraged to dismantle structural impediments to diversity and to increase support for faculty, staff and students working on diversity-related issues. Accountability within units must be increased, budgets must be tied to outcomes, and review and reward structures must reflect these shared institutional priorities.

“This report lays out some very ambitious goals,” Monts said.”We should not be satisfied just with maintaining diversity of numbers, but instead should aim for real gains in fostering a campus environment that supports the success of all our faculty, staff and students. The recommendations of this Task Force will require sustained attention over a period of months and even years in order to realize our goals.”

Detailed Diversity Blueprints Task Force materials, including all the suggestions received and the complete reports of the subcommittees, will be made available to individuals and units responsible for planning and implementation and also will be archived at the Bentley Historical Library.