Greetings,

Our Valentine’s Day month is the perfect time to celebrate relationships and partnerships! As a campus we have many relationships that are important – among faculty, staff and students; with our public officials and community leaders; with our alumni; and with our donors and volunteers. Together, we are all working toward the same goal – advancing our community through education and service. For us, as a Carnegie “Engaged Campus,” continuing to foster current relationships while building new partnerships is of paramount importance to what we do.

One of our new partners is the brand-new organization, Joining Forces Michigan. This organization was founded to facilitate Michigan veterans’ access to information and services rather than to provide services themselves. I am pleased to serve on its Executive Board. Rather than create yet another information and referral service, we chose to partner with Michigan 2-1-1 Inc., an information and referral service with eight call centers in Michigan that provide access to information about health and human services.

Recently, the Michigan 2-1-1 Network received a $1.5 million grant to expand 2-1-1 to connect more specifically with veterans and to coordinate its eight call centers more extensively. Not familiar with 2-1-1? Go to http://www.UWMich.org/2-1-1/Michigan-2-1-1-Inc. This grant will facilitate a better interface between the Michigan 2-1-1 Call Centers, and will add questions to callers about their status as a veteran or service member.

Both 2-1-1 Inc. and Joining Forces Michigan realized that establishing a pilot program in one Michigan county would assist in developing a statewide effort before implementing the plan. I was asked to lead this effort using Genesee County as a model. Nearly 80 service providers gathered on our campus on February 7 to hear about this new program. Truly the response was overwhelming – I am still getting calls from service providers asking “how can I help” and “thank you for convening this effort through UM-Flint.” That’s what being an engaged campus is all about! Not only will we continue this partnership, but we are always looking for ways to “Make a Difference.”

Compete

Once again our UM-Flint Men’s Hockey Club finished their regular season with an outstanding record (24-3-1), and for the first time, a Big Ten tournament championship. They then went on to beat Calvin College and MSU. Now they are headed to Nationals!!! We celebrate their success and appreciate the hard work of the team, the coaching staff, and all the family members who support the team. You will note that for the first time ever, I refer to the team as the “Men’s Hockey Club” because we now have a Women’s Hockey Club as well. The addition of this new club reinforces the success of our ever-growing Club Sports Program. Keep our winners in mind on March 1-6 as they play in Illinois. Go Blue!

Our students are participating in the local Commit to Fit College Challenge sponsored by the Greater Flint Health Coalition. As the graph shows, UM-Flint is ahead in their four-week physical activity program. A reminder to staff and faculty – don’t forget to complete your confidential health questionnaire by March 15 for our own MHealthy program!

Convene

On February 9 we held our annual Scholarship Competition, with a larger than usual attendance. I am always impressed with how much work goes into this program and how smoothly it runs. I serve as the moderator for the parent session; it is enlightening to hear parents’ questions, many of which are about academic programs, housing, and financial aid. It’s a great way for all of us to meet and mingle with our future students and the family members who support them. A special thanks to the alumni volunteers who came to support our students!

Connect

Please join me in welcoming Linda Moxam as our new Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations. Linda is “one of our own” – a UM-Flint alumna with strong ties to the Flint community and a philosophy of “connecting individuals to organizations.” She formerly served as Director of Development for the Flint Cultural Center Corporation and has a certification in Fund Raising Management from Indiana University’s School of Philanthropy.
 
Ben Mainka, Principal of Hartland High School, delivered his first State of the School address on February 12. During his presentation, Mainka highlighted the school’s partnership with our campus, noting that students now have the opportunity to earn college credits in business, economics, and criminal justice. Also noting that the program has expanded to include advanced medical careers and pre-enineering, Mainka called it, “the best deal in town.”

On My Calendar