The University of Michigan-Flint is making a major investment to attract the best and brightest students. Top high school students now will be automatically eligible for scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 a year (all are renewable for four years) as part of the expansion of the Freshmen Merit Scholarship program being implemented for incoming freshmen in 2016. In addition, 10 full-ride scholarships are available to highly competitive applicants.

The University of Michigan-Flint estimates that it will offer more than $9 million in its first year. To be eligible for one of the scholarships, students must have at least a 3.25 grade point average and score at least a 24 on the ACT.

“We know that scholarship dollars can make a critical difference for students and their families when choosing a college.”

– Chancellor Susan E. Borrego

“We know that scholarship dollars can make a critical difference for students and their families when choosing a college,” said Chancellor Susan E. Borrego. “The Freshmen Merit Scholarship program is an investment. The University of Michigan-Flint is competing for students and we want to make sure we entice the best and brightest to our campus.”

The scholarships are renewable annually for students so long as they take at least 15 credits per semester and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.75 to 3.00, depending on the scholarship level awarded.

The University of Michigan-Flint continues to evolve, and launched a series of new programs and changes in fall 2016. There are new degrees in every school and college within the university, as well as department changes to expand courses and specializations for students.

“The University of Michigan-Flint continuously evaluates its academic portfolio,” said UM-Flint Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Douglas Knerr. “The new degrees and reorganizations emphasize creativity, analytical skills and problem solving. I am thankful for the many talents of our outstanding faculty, who developed these new programs to help our students expand their career options and talents.”

The School of Management (SOM) is evolving to help students in multiple ways. In spring 2016, SOM reorganized into two segments: the Department of Accounting, Finance and International Business and the Department of Management and Marketing. The curriculum emphasizes problem solving and analytical skills, and will give students the opportunity to develop knowledge in new product development, retail management, international management and project management.

The College of Arts and Sciences will offer a new degree, a master of science in engineering, in 2017.

The Earth and Resource Science Department will be renamed the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment. Two existing majors in the department have been restructured into Environmental Science and Sustainability and Urban and Regional Planning.

Department officials said the changes reflect student support, faculty expertise and the approach to the curriculum provided. The changes will help students interested in science or planning to receive even more preparation for careers or graduate school in these fields.

The Department of Communication and Visual Arts reorganized into two independent entities; the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Art and Art History went into effect July 1, 2016.

The School of Education and Human Services (SEHS) plans on offering a master of arts in mathematics education for elementary and early childhood educators in Fall 2017. SEHS also started offering a bachelor of science in early childhood studies in Fall 2016.

The School of Health Professions and Studies is planning a doctoral degree in occupational therapy. It will be the first of its kind in the state of Michigan when it is launched in Fall 2017 or 2018.

All of the new majors and offerings, across the university, highlight UM-Flint’s ability to adapt, evolve and leverage its talents, said SOM Dean Scott Johnson. “All of these are really looking at the future of the workplace and the future of how organizations are going to compete and make a difference in the world,” he said. “These new majors and these new opportunities are two ways to keep being innovative.”

For about 60 UM-Flint students, Democratic presidential debate activities on campus gave them an opportunity to see the national political stage up close with hands-on experience.

The debate—between candidates Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton–took place on March 6, 2016, at the Whiting Auditorium in Flint, MI. But CNN started broadcasting live from the Frances Willson Thompson Library on Friday, March 4, and hundreds of media outlets covered the debate from the UM-Flint Recreation Center. The facility had been converted into a “Spin Room,” where about 500 journalists filed their stories and heard from campaign officials.

The size of the event and the number of media and campaign personnel offered a unique opportunity for UM-Flint students, as they were called upon to volunteer for various roles. Ashley West, a sophomore honors program communication/media studies student, was ecstatic about the opportunity. “I think it is something that will stand out on a resume. It will give me a better outlook of what people are doing in the media and the different responsibilities that they have,” West said.

She hopes her helpful attitude and hard work gave the media personnel a good impression about the knowledge that they can call on at UM-Flint in the future. Students from a variety of majors including political science, theatre and psychology joined her in volunteering.

In 2016, the University of Michigan-Flint took ownership of the Riverfront Residence Hall and Conference Center as well as one of the FirstMerit Bank buildings.

The 15-story, 306,000-square-foot structure Riverfront Residence Hall and Conference Center was donated to UM-Flint by the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. UM-Flint had previously leased space in this building for its School of Management. The university’s $6 million purchase of the FirstMerit Bank tower next door to Riverfront Center was completed in March 2016.

Combined, the two buildings add nearly 500,000 square feet to campus, increasing the cumulative square footage of campus buildings by more than 25 percent and providing much needed additional space. It is the first addition of academic space since 2002, when the William S. White Building opened.

“We saw an opportunity as a campus to expand programs and opportunities for our students, while at the same time deepening our investment in our community. As an anchor institution for the City of Flint, we are vested partners contributing to the life, vibrancy, and economic development of our community,” said Chancellor Susan E. Borrego.

Campus conversations are continuing to evaluate needs and set priorities to determine final usage of the former FirstMerit Bank building. Provost Douglas Knerr is leading those conversations.

Riverfront Residence Hall more than doubles the amount of on-campus housing available, adding 525 more beds to the 300 at First Street Residence Hall.

New articulation agreements forged in May 2016 will help graduates of North Central Michigan College–a community college located in Petoskey–earn a prestigious University of Michigan degree at home.

Through a combination of courses transferred from North Central and earned online, students can complete all the academic requirements for one of three UM-Flint bachelor’s degree programs: in nursing, applied science or business administration.

These agreements are the first between the two institutions. “We are very excited about this new era in cooperation,” said Peter Olson, vice president of academic affairs and student success at North Central. “And we thank our UM-Flint partners for facilitating our students’ progress toward further credentialing.”

It is hoped that enough students are attracted to the nursing degree to fill a critical staffing need at area hospitals.

The bachelor of science in nursing is becoming a standard in nursing, as hospitals strive for increasingly higher levels of quality. UM-Flint’s program is accredited by the prestigious Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Student Profile:

• 10,072 total student enrollment
• 8,470 undergraduate students
• 1,602 graduate students
• 720 international students
• 23% students of color
• 40% of undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college
• 89% of undergraduate students are Michigan residents

Awards:

• 2015-16 “Gold level” school by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, for its Michigan Veteran-Friendly School Program
• Named “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review for top colleges in region