At the School of Education, we combine the strength of one of the nation’s top research universities with a lengthy history of training effective teachers. Our faculty and researchers are examining and assessing the numerous factors that enable or inhibit successful teaching and school leadership. Much of our efforts are focused on the teacher’s and administrator’s vital and powerful roles in students’ learning. Our teacher education programs embody up-to-the-minute research and understanding of the optimum methods for teacher preparation. Our leadership preparation program combines emphasis on the development of capabilities to engage the work of continuous school improvement, while also gaining competence in the specific skills required of the school principal.

Defining diversity, equity and inclusion

At the University of Michigan, our dedication to academic excellence for the public good is inseparable from our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It is central to our mission as an educational institution to ensure that each member of our community has full opportunity to thrive in our environment, for we believe that diversity is key to individual flourishing, educational excellence and the advancement of knowledge.

Diversity: We commit to increasing diversity, which is expressed in myriad forms, including race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, (dis)ability status and political perspective.

Equity: We commit to working actively to challenge and respond to bias, harassment, and discrimination. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status.

Inclusion: We commit to pursuing deliberate efforts to ensure that our campus is a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. We know that by building a critical mass of diverse groups on campus and creating a vibrant climate of inclusiveness, we can more effectively leverage the resources of diversity to advance our collective capabilities.

Our strategic plan implementation has seen significant progress, with new DEI initiatives being incorporated into many aspects of the university’s mission and operations. Our progress is documented each year in our annual Progress Report, which is shared with the campus community each fall, as part of U-M’s Diversity Summit.