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Central Michigan University

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
1200 S Franklin St
Mt Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Phone
(989) 774-4000
Email address
cmuadmit@cmich.edu
School Information
"From our roots as a teachers' college, CMU offers an essential liberal arts foundation and nationally acclaimed programs in areas ranging from the health professions and engineering, to business and communications, and science and technology...Established in 1892, CMU has more than 16,000 students on its Mount Pleasant campus and more than 8,000 enrolled online and at more than 30 locations across North America. More than 20 percent of CMU's main campus students supplement their on-campus classes with online courses...Among just five percent of U.S. universities in the highest two Carnegie research classifications, CMU offers approximately 300 academic programs at the undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral levels." (Source: https://www.cmich.edu/about/Pages/default.aspx)
General Information
Central Michigan University has embedded diversity into the hiring of its faculty. As part of its Anti-Racism Plan, members of faculty and staff search committees will be required to undergo mandatory implicit bias training. Additionally, the university invited Dr. Ibram X. Kendi to discuss anti-racism in American history, policy, and social structures, as a resource for its students. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • CMU's 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan states that it would "Explore opportunities to expand pathway programs focused on transitioning BIPOC/First-Generation students to campus and throughout their next four years."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • As part of its Anti-Racism Plan, members of faculty and staff search committees will be required to undergo mandatory implicit bias training.
  • The university also has an optional student pledge, where, among other things, students pledge to "educate myself, to grow in my antiracist journey, to support all marginalized and underrepresented communities.”
  • CMU's Office of Diversity Education offers several programs and workshops related to diversity, equity, and inclusion including: "Advanced Exploration in DEI Certification Course," "Online Educational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Module for Students," and "Culturally Inclusive Communication" for faculty and staff.
  • CMU's 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan states that it would "Explore how to incorporate Diversity Advocate (DA) training into staff hiring processes," "Expand existing Diversity Advocate training across disciplines and functional areas for faculty searches," and "Design protocols to measure impact of faculty/staff learning upon the student experience."
Program and Research Funding
  • The university offers a Multicultural Advancement Scholarship to “recognize a select few high school graduates for their dedication to the advancement of underrepresented groups in America.”
  • CMU's Institute for Transformative Dialogue "supports curricula, programs, and trainings that nurture our abilities to learn and work effectively across social group dynamics, especially across groups with a history of conflict or unequal relations."
Resources
  • University hosted Boston University professor, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, to discuss anti-racism in American history, policy, and social structures.
  • The university launched its "I Am" campaign to "promote anti-racism on campus. "We are providing our community with information on antiracism such as definitions, links to other antiracism accounts, an antiracism book fair, and action steps. We created a video of our students discussing their cultural identities on campus while sharing the importance of having a more inclusive campus."
  • The university's president "announced that CMU will be committed to becoming an antiracist institution."
  • The Office of Multicultural Academic Student Services held a seminar titled "The Ethics of Antiracism," according to Central Michigan Life.
  • The Multicultural Academic Student Services Office launched its "I Am" campaign. As part of the campaign, the office distributed anti-racist literature at the 'I Am Anti-Racist Book Fair."
  • The university has numerous online anti-racism resources, including links to Ibram X Kendi’s Center for Anti-racist Research at Boston University, Black Lives Matter resources, links to an “Anti-racist Resource Club,” links to “Anti-racism Daily” on social media, and “Anti-Racism Every Day,” which is a “guide for white folks to commit to anti-racism.”
  • The university extended its “I Am Anti-Racist” campaign through 2022 with numerous workshops and panels to promote anit-racism on campus where “faculty and staff frame their perspective through an anti-racist and decolonized lens.”
  • CMU's offers a Minor in Intergroup Relations and Justice which "develops critical understanding of relations between social identity groups (across dimensions of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and more) and prepares students to effectively communicate, collaborate, and build relationships across these groups."
  • CMU's 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan states that it would "Assess 2024-2025 unit-based assessment and evaluation of DEIJB interventions, curricula, and initiatives dedicated to eliminating barriers to BIPOC student success."
  • CMU's 2023-2028 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan states that it would "Analyze increased understanding of DEIJB topics and issues among faculty and staff employed between 2023-2028."
Symbolic Actions
  • The Athletics Department bolstered its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion commitment by creating a "Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council" and adding "a section to its website, CMUChippewas.com, dedicated to the department's ongoing effort to address the needs of student-athletes and staff."
  • On April 27, 2022, the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at CMU held its Diversity Symposium focused on “cultural competency” and motivated to “create opportunities to safely explore personal growth around anti-racism, equality, diversity, and social justice issues.”
  • On April 29, 2022, the university hosted the inaugural Diversity Gala to celebrate efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Last updated November 16th, 2023
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