University of Michigan - Flint

In May 2009, Charles B. Thomas, Associate Professor of Sociology, was named the first recipient of the Olivia P. Maynard and Olof Karlstrom Faculty Award for Civic Engagement. Professor Thomas was selected due to his significant experience in teaching civic engagement, evidence of engaged scholarship, and evidence of institutional impact.

The Fair Housing Testing Project is one example of Professor Thomas' civic engagement efforts. For years, Professor Thomas has enhanced the education and life experience of numerous UM-Flint students by integrating an academic service-learning program into multiple courses (SOC 100 and AFA/SOC/WGS 359) that he regularly teaches. Each Fall and Winter semester, 6-10 students become Fair Housing Testers to see for themselves and share with their classmates how discrimination manifests in current-day U.S. society. Participating students are trained by Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) Fair Housing Center staff to test for, document, and analyze housing discrimination or the lack thereof. After performing the tests and reviewing analyzed results with Fair Housing Center staff, the students present their findings and facilitate a discussion with classmates. According to the Fair Housing Test Trainer "in addition to the benefits to the students, LSEM FHC also benefits by adding reliable and knowledgeable testers to our program."

More information on the Olivia P. Maynard and Olof Karlstrom Faculty Award for Civic Engagement can be found at:
http://www.umflint.edu/provost/documents/Awards/mk_civic_award.htm.

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, UM-Flint students Lilianna Angel Reyes and Lamus Rush were recognized at the Michigan Campus Compact Outstanding Student Service Awards Banquet in Lansing, MI for their exceptional commitment to civic engagment on our campus. In addition to being highly engaged in community service, the two students worked as a Campus Engagement Fellows team to organize and implement Strive4College, a January 2009 program in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, in partnership with the UM-Flint Center for Civic Engagement. Strive4College involved more than 50 volunteers and middle school youth participants in a day of workshops to prepare the youth for college and life success, a campus tour, and a Rec Center lock-in.

On Wednesday, April 15, 2009, UM-Flint students who have been civically engaged through University Outreach programs during the 2008-2009 academic year were recognized and celebrated at a special dinner. Dan Kildee (Founder of the Genesee County Land Bank) and Trish Baird (Legal Services of Eastern Michigan Research Coordinator) spoke about the benefit of University-Community partnerships and the wonderful contributions of students to their organizations. Commitment to Service (CTS) program graduates were individually acknowledged, and received their graduation cords. The May 2009 CTS graduates are:

                    Lakisha Bah
                    Tiffany Jones
                    Jennifer Kipp
                    Lilianna Angel Reyes
                    Dominique Schwerin
                    Sequana Tolon
                    Angela Vanhook

We look forward to honoring the many UM-Flint students working with University Outreach in 2009-2010! For more information on how to get involved, contact Gary Ashley at (810) 424-5458 or gaashley@umflint.edu.

In February 2009, Heather Laube, Assistant Professor of Sociology, was selected to receive the Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) Faculty Community Service-Learning Award. This annual award, the highest MCC bestows on faculty in the State of Michigan, recognizes a recipient's influence on students to be engaged in community service or service-learning through modeling, influencing, and instruction.

Professor Laube, the first American Democracy Project (ADP) Faculty Fellow for the University of Michigan-Flint, served in that role by mentoring students and supporting her colleagues in an effort to establish and enhance a culture of engagement on our campus. Since her ADP appointment, she has played a significant role in the growth and sustainability of that program. On February 12, Professor Laube was honored during the 2009 MCC Service-Learning and Community Service Awards Ceremony in Grand Rapids, MI.

The University of Michigan-Flint's past MCC Faculty Community Service-Learning Awardees are:

                    2007 - Rudy Hernandez, Sociology 
                    2006 - Jamile T. Lawand, Foreign Languages 
                    2005 - Linda Pickett, Education
                    2004 - Charles Thomas, Sociology
                    2003 - Matthew Wyneken, Education
                    2002 - Danielle Sorum, Theatre and Dance 
                    2001 - Carolyn Campbell, Sociology
                    2000 - John Marquardt, Accounting
                    1999 - Maureen Tippen, Nursing