A Path Forward
Through the Alumni Association’s inclusive communications and opportunities for engagement, we strive to have an organization where every alum feels that the Association is a place intended for them — a place where they belong. A commitment to anti-racism and respect for the diversity of experience and thought among our 680,000+ alums are key parts of this effort. Deeper learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion continues to undergird our evolution into the most just organization possible.
Why This Work Is Important
The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan is committed to building and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion that recognizes and embraces the myriad identities, experiences, and backgrounds of all alumni, students, and staff. The Alumni Association commits to this philosophy by:
- Creating thoughtful programs, services, and communications that will ensure that every Michigan graduate (current and future) feels a genuine sense of belonging to an organization that exists for people just like them.
- Ensuring alumni participation in Alumni Association volunteer leadership, professional staffing, and engagement activities that reflect the full diversity of our alumni community.
- Ensuring that diversity of thought and experiences are included in Alumni Association decision-making and in our representation of alumni voices to the University.
- Providing continuing education that equips alumni to be fully informed change agents within their personal spheres of influence, thereby creating greater social justice for society at large.
- Partnering with the University to build diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice on all three campuses and, because of our separate legal status, act independently to support the University when appropriate.
- Recognizing that history (of our nation, our university, and the Alumni Association) has not been fully equitable or inclusive for some segments of society, making proactive efforts to set it right, and enabling everyone to participate equally.
Mission Statement
We enrich the University of Michigan’s impact by serving as an independent gateway for alums of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences — across the globe and in our neighborhoods — in order to create and deepen belonging to the Michigan family, the Leaders and Best.
Alumni Leadership and Student Programs
The Alumni Association’s services and communications are intended to provide meaningful engagement opportunities for all segments of our 630,000+ global alumni population, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, political perspectives, disability, and religion. We are focused on staying inclusive and committed to developing new opportunities for purpose-driven engagement for all needs and interests.
Using these resources to learn and share, we hope that our alumni are able to influence their own communities, in turn creating a multiplier effect for a more inclusive and socially just world.
Join Michigan Alumni in Your Communities
Domestic and international alumni clubs provide opportunities for Michigan alumni to come together around the subjects that matter — identity, shared experiences, and ideas to help create a more just world for all of us.
Alumni-Led Affinity Groups
Affinity groups connect alumni to each other and the University by fostering pride, honoring legacy, and celebrating heritage and identities that strengthen and enrich the Michigan alumni family.
Alumni Association Board
The Alumni Association has greatly leveraged alumni to engage in the LEAD Scholars program and on our board, which has added significant gender and racial diversity. Seeing us through 2020 is the most diverse board of directors in Alumni Association history.
The board has 23 members, including 12 women and 11 underrepresented minorities. In addition, the average age of board members is 54. We continue individual outreach to women whose leadership would enhance work at U-M as both volunteers and donors. The Alumni Association maintains a curated and well-maintained list of future leaders to leverage when natural turnover occurs on the board.
Student Diversity
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of the state and the world by developing leaders from varying backgrounds who will challenge the status quo and enrich our future. We are committed to supporting the University by leveraging our staff and volunteer resources to recruit and retain a fully diverse student population on all three U-M campuses.
LEAD Scholars Program
In 2008, the Alumni Association established the LEAD Scholars program for those students who embody leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity. The scholarship is available to accepted students to help the best and brightest make their way to Michigan. The Alumni Association — independent from the University — takes full financial and administrative responsibility for this program.
To date, nearly 540 LEAD Scholars have been accepted into the program over our 11-year history. For the 2020-21 school year, we have 60 new students in the program, our largest cohort to date.
For our LEAD Scholars, the program is more than a scholarship.
How We Achieve Our Goals
The Alumni Association has embarked on a five-year strategic plan for DEI. The current plan is under review from the Alumni Association board of directors. Read the latest plan and impact from the first two years of implementation. By embedding DEI into the organization’s infrastructure, we can individually and collectively learn, grow, contribute, and advance toward our goals. This DEI framework reflects the inclusive leadership model.
Professional and Alumni Volunteer Work Culture
A diverse workforce is central to the Alumni Association’s success, and it makes us stronger by bringing together a variety of experiences and points of view. Our hiring and retention philosophy focuses on professionals who bring equal levels of talent, skills, diversity, and commitment to our core values.
We are intent on building diversity at all levels, but especially within our leadership groups (executives, directors, managers, and volunteer leaders). With this in mind, we are committed to creating a special advancement program for people of color to develop their leadership skills and move up within the organization.
We are dedicated to creating an actively anti-racist culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equality and opportunity are a matter of principle, not political correctness. We have no tolerance for any kind of racism or microaggressions against marginalized groups.
Alumni Association Team
The Alumni Association demographic snapshot of our staff (2022):