Jim Gilmore affectionately refers to his students as members of Generation YouTube. They enroll in his media production courses wanting to do it all. They’re writers, producers, directors, editors and cinematographers all in one.

“But if you’re going to work in broadcast or corporate production, you not only need to know how to do all these roles, you’re also going to have to be able to work with a team,” explains Gilmore, clinical professor of communication at University of Michigan-Dearborn. Enter the new Journalism and Screen Studies (JASS) Studio. The College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) designed the studio to aid in the development of students’ technical skills while teaching them how to work together.

“So much of production is about collaborating with other people—establishing a team, delegating responsibilities. And the studio environment forces that to happen. It’s a good exercise in creative teamwork to accomplish a goal,” he said.

Students are using the JASS Studio in several of their production courses and to film a new student-produced news and cultural affairs program, “MiCrossroads.” The studio also is home to Campus Media Services—which previously was housed in Mardigian Library—and is available for use by local nonprofit organizations.

The space, located on the first floor of the CASL Building, underwent a major renovation in 2015 to make room for the new studio. Staff added acoustic treatment and a lighting grid and equipped it with the latest digital technology.

Greg Taylor, senior television engineer, said students who become comfortable in the studio environment will be better equipped to jump into a production career. “They’re using equipment that they are very likely to see when they move into the professional environment, whether that’s in the corporate or broadcast field,” Taylor said. “They now have the tools they need to launch successful careers in media production.”

That’s good news for students like Tyesha Vinson. Vinson, a senior JASS student who already has completed an internship at WDIV Channel 4, said she’ll take advantage of gaining more hands-on experience. “Using the studio, learning how to tell stories, is the pre-test to the real test we’ll face out there in the professional world. It’s definitely pushed me to use everything that I’ve learned in the past three years.”

State of Michigan officials said more people were needed to educate the increasing number of youth who are diagnosed with autism. The College of Education, Health and Human Services (CEHHS) responded that it wanted to help in the effort—and was awarded $750,000 by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in 2015. The funding, to be spread out over three years, will assist in starting the Center for Autism, a University of Michigan-Dearborn and Beaumont Health System partnership.

CEHHS Dean Janine Janosky said with nearly 18,000 students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2011 and an estimated 50,000 Michigan residents with ASD, educators with experience with this special need are in demand. “If you look at the prevalence and incidence for diagnosis of the autism spectrum disorder in Michigan, you see there is an increase in both. You also see there is a gap between the number of individuals prepared to work in that profession and the individuals being diagnosed,” she said. “So the college is here to work to fill that gap.”

The goal is to “graduate” at least 225 registered behavior technicians from a 90-day, hands-on training program. In addition, the center will educate 25 board-certified assistant behavior analysts through a certificate program. Trainees will work with students ages 3 through 8 in a classroom setting.

The new center, housed in the building shared by UM-Dearborn’s Early Childhood Education Center and Beaumont’s Center for Exceptional Families, opened in fall 2016.

“This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for children and families to receive comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent healthcare services for children with multiple disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder,” said UM-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little.

University of Michigan-Dearborn’s engineering program attracts experienced faculty, partnerships with global companies and recognition as a top undergraduate engineering program. And soon, a new Engineering Lab Building (ELB) will allow the college to further create the hands-on, real-world experiences critical to preparing students for 21st-century engineering careers.

In June 2016, the Michigan Legislature approved a $30 million capital outlay appropriation that will help fund a new $90 million ELB. Replacement of this nearly 60-year-old building was determined to be more cost- and time-efficient than renovation.

“This is great news, not only for the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) but for the entire university. The new building will transform our university and help solidify a bright future for UM-Dearborn and the students we serve for decades to come,” said UM-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little.

“If the U.S. is to thrive, we need to be strong builders, creators, collaborators.”

– CECS Dean Tony England

A new ELB enables CECS to continue to respond to growing regional and national demand for engineering graduates. UM-Dearborn’s engineering program has seen a 74 percent increase in enrollment since 2010, and plans to double the number of CECS graduates by 2020.

CECS Dean Tony England said the new facility—with new technology, modern research space and flexible learning and lab areas—will better prepare students for 21st-century issues, skills and careers.

“This old facility not only has limits with capacity, but there are also issues with incorporating new technology. In a 1959 building, built with a 1950s understanding of engineering, modern engineering practices and technology either can’t be done or can only be done at an unreasonably high cost. We’ve been doing a good job with what we have and our students are doing well. But this change will push us—and our students—into the future,” said England, noting that 95 percent of CECS graduates have a job before graduation with an average starting salary of $63,000.

The new ELB also will provide additional opportunities for both industry research and K-12 and community college outreach.

“If the U.S. is to thrive, we need to be strong builders, creators, collaborators,” England said. “This new facility assures us that we can give our community and our students the best preparation for the future.”

A Michigan education with a close-knit campus feel. Faculty with real-world experience.  Research opportunities.There are many qualitative answers to the question: “Why earn a degree at University of Michigan-Dearborn?”

But a new Economic Opportunity Impact Report conducted and compiled by Associate Professor of Business Economics Lee Redding, iLabs Director Tim Davis and Decision Sciences Lecturer Anne-Louise Statt quantifies the “Why?” and finds that UM-Dearborn graduates earn more than their peers nationwide.

“Hearing from our students, many who are first-generation, we know the impact the university has on their lives,” Redding said. “But we wanted numbers to show this, too. Stories are nice, but people want hard numbers. They are investing in their futures or their children’s futures when paying for college. We wanted to show the return on that investment.”

The report showed:

• Those whose most advanced degree is an UM-Dearborn bachelor’s earn $81,101, $43,140 more than if they had not earned that degree.
• Those whose most advanced degree is an UM-Dearborn master’s earn $105,600, $48,000 more than if they had not earned that degree.
• Each year, alumni earn $1.8 billion more than they would have without the education they worked for at the university.
• Recognizing that approximately 75 percent of UM-Dearborn alumni stay in Michigan, the increase in their incomes shows that every dollar the state invests, alumni are providing an additional $4 in tax return.

When you include various aspects of the UM-Dearborn undergraduate student body–e.g., 43 percent are Pell Grant-eligible, over half are the first generation to attend college, 26 percent are minorities–higher-than-average salary earnings provide UM-Dearborn students with a real advantage to transform their lives and change the trajectory of their families’ success.

The study shows that UM-Dearborn is an outstanding investment, echoing the news from the United States Department of Education Scorecard’s 2015 findings. They showed that Dearborn’s average annual net price for in-state, undergraduate students is the lowest among Michigan’s 15 public universities, and that an average UM-Dearborn alumni salary 10 years after graduation is more than 25 percent higher than the national average.

“People come to UM-Dearborn and have their lives transformed. And then they do the same for the Michigan communities where they work and reside. It matches nicely with our metropolitan vision,” Davis said. “The UM-Dearborn degree is an investment that continually has positive returns.”

Enrollment at University of Michigan-Dearborn reached an all-time record of more than 9,300 students for fall 2015. Total enrollment grew by 115 to 9,308 students.

“Students and their families realize the importance of higher education and the benefits it provides years after graduation,” said Ray Metz, interim vice chancellor for enrollment management and student life. “We are proud to welcome a record number of students to UM-Dearborn, as it reflects support for the university’s commitment to academic excellence and community engagement in a welcoming, inclusive environment.”

The university’s undergraduate enrollment of 7,379 students includes 994 new freshmen, the largest freshman class since 1979. Freshman applications were up for the third consecutive year to a record 5,343.

The class enters with a strong academic record, including an average high school GPA of 3.63 and average ACT score of 24.6.

Undergraduate enrollment also includes an incoming transfer class of 768 students, up 2.3 percent from last year.

The number of graduate students increased 6 percent to 1,929 students. New graduate student enrollment contributed to the overall growth, increasing 11.5 percent to 573 students. Graduate student applications increased significantly—up 36.93 percent over last year.

Overall, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) saw enrollment growth of more than 10 percent. CEHHS grew by 14.7 percent to 850 students, and CECS grew by 15.1 percent to 2,773.

Student Profile:

• 9,308 total student enrollment
• 7,379 undergraduate students
• 1,929 graduate students
• 100+ countries represented by the student population
• 24% students of color
• 48% of undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college
• 93% of undergraduate students are Michigan residents

Awards:

• Lowest average annual cost among 15 public universities in Michigan (U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard)
• Lowest amount of student loan debt among 15 public universities in Michigan (Class of 2014, Project on Student Debt, Institute for College Access)
• 4th highest starting salary among graduates of the 15 public universities in Michigan (U.S. Department of Education College Score Card)
• 7th master’s-level public university in the Midwest (U.S News & World Report)
• 2016 Best College (Money Magazine)