The Pulse Newsletter

July 2026

In this edition

• Message from the Provost
• Academic Unit Featured Stories
• Vice Provost for Engaged Learning and Teaching Innovation
• From the Desk of the Vice Provost for Academic Strategy and Effectiveness
• Update on the ADA Title II Digital Accessibility rule
• Graduate Programs Updates
• ODE Corner
• Faculty Spotlight | Meagan Brown
• Staff Spotlight | Dakota Allison
• Office of Research
• Frances Willson Thompson Library Updates
• Faculty Resources
• Important Dates, Events and Deadlines

From the Vice Provost for Engaged Learning and Teaching Innovation

Some brief updates on the planning and initiatives currently underway for the upcoming academic year. Much of this programming is heavily informed by the results of our recently administered VP ELTI faculty survey. I look forward to sharing more comprehensive details with you in the early fall.

From the Desk of Vice Provost for Academic Strategy and Effectiveness

As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, several initiatives within ASE are moving from planning into active implementation. Much of this work reflects our continuing commitment to strengthening student success, improving institutional effectiveness, and supporting faculty in connecting academic learning with evolving professional practice.

Graduate Programs Updates

Graduate students occupy a unique and demanding role as emerging scholars and developing professionals. (…) they are expected to conduct research, contribute new knowledge to their fields, and prepare for careers that increasingly extend beyond traditional academic pathways. Supporting them in these intersecting roles is essential to their success. 

The ODE Corner

The Office of Online and Digital Education (ODE) provides comprehensive support to instructors and academic units in the development and delivery of online courses and programs at UM-Flint. In this issue, learn about course accessibility resources, training opportunities, and the increase in the ODE course development stipend.

Faculty Spotlight | Meagan Brown

This edition’s Faculty Spotlight features Meagan Brown, UM-Flint’s Student Success Librarian, who is helping reshape how students experience and engage with the university library. In a role that is still evolving, she has embraced the opportunity to make a lasting impact on student learning and confidence. 

Staff Spotlight | Dakota Allison

This edition’s Staff Spotlight features Dakota Allison, an Academic Advisor and a proud UM-Flint alum, who combines industry experience, innovative advising, and a passion for student success to help students chart meaningful paths toward their futures.

The Office of Research

Learn about the updates from the Office of Research, as shared by the Director, Ken Sylvester, including the Flint and Dearborn collaboration, Research Clusters, as well as both Internal and External funding.

Frances Willson Thompson Library Updates

Over the past couple of years (2024 and 2025), the library has been highlighting the discounts on article processing charges (APCs) available to UM-Flint faculty, and some faculty have begun to notice. The following are recent publications from UM-Flint faculty (and their students) who have taken advantage of the APC discounts.