2019-02-15 by The Michigan Daily

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Friday, February 15, 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

Students, faculty respond to impact of ‘U’ DEI initiatives

ANN ARBOR

Different complaints regard Title IX adherence, lack of community input

ALEX HARRING Daily Staff Reporter

At the University of Michigan and around the country, universities are engaged in ongoing discussions about diversity programs and Title IX adherence. The University has repeatedly stressed its commitment to its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. But some people take issue with this type of initiative, claiming certain diversity efforts exclude men. LSA sophomore Saveri Nandigama said themes of

diversity, equity and inclusion have a historical place at the University. Nandigama, a member of South Asian Awareness Network and former Central Student Government chief of staff, said it’s important for the University to include student voices — which has been a problem for the University historically. Nandigama specifically noted the three Black Action Movements and the Trotter Multicultural Center as times students had to make campus-wide calls for change from the University. She said the University has a good DEI presence on campus, but should take student

like they need to speak out and they need to take larger efforts in order to feel seen and heard.” In 2016, the five-year DEI plan, which promised $85 million over five years and included campus climate-related training, the creation of the new Trotter Multicultural Center and new recruitment strategies, was unveiled. According to 2016 Daily reporting, the plan was in part a response to recent student activism, specifically the #BBUM movement on Twitter and 2013 protests started by the Black Student Union. The DEI plan made connections to social movements on campus, including Black Action Movement and debates over affirmative action in the last decade. Students protested Design by Roseanne Chao and Sejal Lal the plan because they felt the student voice was not concerns into consideration before properly accounted for during students feel they must demand the keynote speech at the plan’s action through large-scale actions. launch. The costs of DEI “The quantity of D, E and I Perry has seen what he’s called initiatives is great, but the quality can definitely be greatly improved increased “administrative bloat” if there was more student input in over his 25 years in the University the programming that’s done, and system. He pointed to position looking at the history of diversity, changes related to diversity as equity and inclusion on our part of this issue. Ultimately, he campus, I think that’s very easily said this changing administrative forgotten, but it’s important to go landscape and the costs associated back to our history,” Nandigama with it fall on students, families said. “It’s important to get student and taxpayers. “This is very, very costly, and voice into these D, E and I offices to sort of be proactive about ensuring it’s one of the reasons that college that students feel like they have a gets more expensive,” Perry said. See DIVERSITY, Page 3 space on campus before they feel

The Ronald McDonald House gets 36k grant Michigan Masons B.E.S.T award to charitable organization in Ann Arbor MELANIE TAYLOR Daily Staff Reporter

On Thursday morning, members of the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation awarded the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor a $36,000 grant for their notable work. The Ronald McDonald House provides lodging for the families of children being treated at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital across the street. Mott is a component of the University of Michigan’s medical infrastructure. Julaine LeDuc, director of development for the Ronald McDonald House, said the house aims to provide comfort and convenience to families facing a difficult situation. “The mission of Ronald McDonald House is to provide a home away from home for families whose

children are seriously ill or injured and are hospitalized at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital,” LeDuc said. “We provide rooms, meals, each bedroom has a private bath, and families can stay for as long as they need to stay while their child is in the hospital.” The Masons’ donation is a part of their annual B.E.S.T. Grant, an acronym for build, enrich, strengthen and transform. The Masons award $1 million dollars split between seven causes chosen from 88 applicants. Executive Director Walt Wheeler said the Ronald McDonald House stood out in the applicant pool for its truly influential work. “Really, the deciding factor is that we try to look at what’s going to have the most impact — what’s really going to change a person’s life or really make a difference in a person’s life,” See GRANT, Page 3

Ross holds annual Michigan India App offers Ripple to academic Conference, ‘Moving Beyond Emerging’ donate $1 ACADEMICS

CAMPUS LIFE

support for students

Business leaders discuss impact of developing markets in India and China

Free mobile application ‘Skoller’ allows users to access updated class information and tools

On Thursday afternoon, the Ross School of Business hosted the first session of the ninth annual Michigan India Conference in the Robertson Auditorium. The theme of this year’s conference, which was first held in 2011, was “Moving Beyond Emerging,” and was focused at analyzing and comparing emerging markets — countries that have some elements of a fully developed market, but are not quite at that status. The first day’s keynote speakers included D. Shivakumar, president of Aditya Birla Group, and Harry Broadman, former White House

MARIA SOBRINO For The Daily

For Business freshman Aamisha Kini, coordinating class schedules and keeping up with assignment deadlines are difficult tasks. It’s stressful, she said, because many times the primary option for keeping up-to-date in classes is navigating pages and pages of online syllabi. “No one really told me what Canvas was,” Kini said, “I wouldn’t have known that I had assignments due.” This issue inspired the free mobile application Skoller, founded by Carson Ward, Logan Matthews and Jonathan Rankin. The app allows the user to download a syllabus, generate a grade calculator, a course schedule and a to-do list with notifications. Matthews said Skoller is unique from other grade calculators and course planners because it’s “studentpowered,” and doesn’t rely on professors or teachers to update information on official university platforms like Canvas.

JIALIN ZHANG For The Daily

trade advisor. Both discussed growing markets around the globe, especially in India and China. The conference started with M.S. Krishnan, associate dean for executive programs at the Business School, who welcomed all the attendees and explained the idea of educating responsible leaders behind the conference. “At Michigan, our mission is to educate leaders, who believe in business that can change the world,” Krishnan said. “We ask for responsible leaders who can create a positive impact wherever they go, whether it is profit, non-profit or whichever

organization they choose, and whichever part of the world.” The audience then welcomed Shivakumar, who focused his keynote address on the development and growth of markets around the globe, with an emphasis on consumer habits in those markets. “All my life I worked with consumers,” Shivakumar said. “All my life I worked with emerging markets. And all that you see in the next 30 slides are pure, personal experience.” Shivakumar condensed his experiences into some general trends ref lecting the