Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Events

September 27, 2016 - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET

SSW Reads is a school-wide initiative intended to explore the life and perspectives of individuals engaged in social change work. The program is intended to foster a greater sense of community within the school and encourage more opportunities for critical dialogue about important social issues. This year’s SSW Reads book is The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs.

All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend a screening of American Revolutionary, a documentary about Grace Lee Boggs. This event will be followed by a Q&A to learn more about the program and how you can be involved.

Two screenings are available, please register for only one.

RSVP here »

Or attend the noon screening.

September 27, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

SSW Reads is a school-wide initiative intended to explore the life and perspectives of individuals engaged in social change work. The program is intended to foster a greater sense of community within the school and encourage more opportunities for critical dialogue about important social issues. This year’s SSW Reads book is The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs.

All students, staff and faculty are invited to attend a screening of American Revolutionary, a documentary about Grace Lee Boggs. This event will be followed by a Q&A to learn more about the program and how you can be involved.

Two screenings are available, please register for only one.

RSVP here »

Or attend the evening screening.

July 30, 2016 - 10:00 AM ET

Summer Commencement will be held at Power Center at 10 a.m. Reception immediately following in the School of Social Work.

Important instructions for graduates »

* Note: there will be a International Champion Cup Soccer game at the stadium that same date of graduation that will impact Commencement. You may want to begin planning early.

June 27, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

Join us in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15th) with a screening of the short documentary, "An Age for Justice", a film that chronicles true stories of elder abuse survivors. A discussion following the film will be facilitated by Janet Hunko, Director of the U-M Health System's Housing Bureau for Seniors. This event will provide attendees with a better understanding of how abuse and neglect of older adults may manifest, and increased knowledge of how to combat it in our communities.

This event is sponsored by the Gerontology Learning Community.

Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »

April 23, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET

An admissions representive will attend the California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education at San Jose State University to share information about U-M's MSW and PhD programs. For more information contact [email protected].

April 14, 2016 - 6:30 PM to April 15, 2016 2:00 AM ET

The SSW People of Color Collective is thrilled to host a live recording of BuzzFeed podcast Another Round with Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton. These co-hosts cover everything from race, gender and pop culture to squirrels, mangoes, and bad jokes on their weekly podcast. They’ve interviewed a number of esteemed guests, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Hillary Clinton. Now they're taking the show on the road! Join the ladies of Another Round for a LIVE SHOW on U-M's campus.

This event will be free and RSVP is encouraged. Doors open at 6:30 for resource fair showcasing campus and community organizations. Show starts at 7:30.

There will also be an after party at Club Above for $5 per person. You can register for the free event at the Union and purchase tickets for the Club Above after party here.

April 13, 2016 - 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM ET

In her presentation, Dr. Marie Gottschalk, a professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, will examine why the carceral state, with its growing number of outcasts, remains so tenacious in the United States. Dr. Gottschalk specializes in American politics, with a focus on criminal justice, health policy, race, the development of the welfare state, and business-labor relations.

April 12, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

You are invited to join the Geriatric Learning Community and Sigma Phi Omega (geriatric honor society) at the SSW to learn more about our aging world. Professionals who share the common goal of serving older adults will discuss ageism and how it manifests in our society. Specific topics include: working with TGLBQI elders, elder abuse & neglect, and more. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »

For more information, please contact Ling Lin ([email protected]) or Ani Grigorian ([email protected]).  

As a bonus, take the online quiz to test your knowledge on gerontology. Students who take this quiz and attend one Careers in Aging event will be entered to win a prize. Winners will be picked at the panel event on 4/12.

April 11, 2016 - 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM ET

In response to positive feedback following our last two TBLG + Christianity Lunches, the TBLG Matters Dean’s Initiative is excited to announce a third event, bringing back MSW student and seminarian Jonathan Vanderbeck to host an informal “Christiani[TEA] and Talkback” event.

This event will be a chance for students and faculty to come and learn more about the intersection between Christianity and TBLG identities, as well as a chance to hear from Jonathan about his perspectives on how this topic is (or isn’t) handled within the School of Social Work. We’ll provide the tea, cups, and light snacks. Feel free to bring a bag-supper and to come and go as you are able.

April 8, 2016 - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET

The Social Work & Sport Association (SWSA) is holding a Mental Health and Sports Panel. Panelists inlcude Barb Hansen, Will Heininger, Tom George and Kent Bernard.

RSVP here »

April 8, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

During this talk, Prof. Marilyn Sinkewicz, Assistant Professor of Social Work, will discuss findings from her current paper, which explores two different theories, with very different policy implications, that have emerged to explain the reciprocal and reinforcing relation between psychopathology and socioeconomic status: social causation (poverty leads to mental illness) and social selection (mental illness leads to poverty). The study she will discuss uses nationally representative longitudinal data to examine causation and selection processes and their relative predictive value over the adult life course.

Lunch will be provided. Please note any dietary needs in the RSVP comments

RSVP here »

April 8, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET

"Indigenous and Political Influences on Intimate Partner Violence Policies and Prevention Work in Aotearoa (New Zealand)"

by Professor Daniel Saunders, Ph.D., University of Michigan School of Social Work

New Zealand has been a world leader in the development of child custody laws designed to protect survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children.  It has also been a leader in the development of indigenously-based, restorative justice practices with possible applications to IPV. Professor Saunders will share some highlights of his four month Fulbright Scholars project in New Zealand in which he studied its history of IPV policy reform and its prevention programs influenced by indigenous Maori culture.

RSVP here »

March 23, 2016 - 9:00 AM to March 25, 2016 4:00 PM ET

Admissions representatives and current MSW students will be exhibiting at the National Association of Black Social Workers 48th Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA to share information on the University of Michigan's MSW and PhD programs.

March 22, 2016 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM ET

The Social Work and Education Collaboration (SWEC) organization is excited host a panel discussion with current Detroit Public School employees.

Come learn directly from the variety of experts experiencing the current challenges of working in DPS and engage in a solution oriented Q&A discussion.

The panel will consist of educators, social workers, and administration.

Food will be provided!

March 21, 2016 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM ET

With over 2 million people held in U.S. jails and prisons, the United States is the world's leading jailer. The shadow of the prison, however, extends far beyond the prison gates. Join us for a conversation on the curious place of the prison in American public life. The conversation will be led by an esteemed panel of experts.

Brett Story, documentary film maker and critical geographer with the CUNY center on Place, Politics, and Culture will show clips from her new film, The Prison in 12 Landscapes, and lead us in a discussion of the not so obvious places the prison rears its head. For a preview of the film see: https://vimeo.com/105073038

John Eason, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University will share notes from his forthcoming book, "Big House on the Prairie: Rise of the Rural Ghetto and Prison Proliferation, a study of prison placement and an ethnography of a rural prison town".

Walter Smith, a formerly incarcerated community activist, radio host, and 5 time championship body builder who was wrongfully imprisoned for 11 years and eventually exonerated after filing a motion for DNA testing. He has since hosted the weekly radio program "Street Soldier," written a book, and done violence prevention workshops throughout the nation.

The Event will be hosted by Reuben Jonathan Miller, Assistant Professor of Social Work, faculty Associate, ISR, and Faculty Affiliate, DAAS and Hazelette Crosby Robinson, a formerly incarcerated community activist, alumna of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and Research Associate on the Detroit Reentry Project.

This timely conversation with a professor, a geographer and film maker, and an exonerated, formerly incarcerated activist will direct our attention away from the prison itself and help us to attend to its impact across communities, across geographies, and across sites of cultural representation.

March 16, 2016 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET

This workshop, primarily targeted to students in the health professions, will focus on how healthcare professionals provide holistic care to LGBTQ+ individuals. Through the course of the workshop, participants will learn about health care disparities, social justice issues within the medical system, and best practices for working with LGBTQ+ individuals. Attendees will also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and practice these skills within interprofessional teams.

Due to the limited capacity of the room, an RSVP link will be included on the event flyer. Those interested in attending the workshop are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to RSVP beforehand.  

RSVP Will Close Tuesday, March 15 at 5pm.

RSVP here»

March 16, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

Presentation of the School of Social Work's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Draft.  

Event will be updated as information and plan develops

RSVP here»

February 24, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

The School of Social Work invites students, staff, and faculty to provide feedback on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan that is developed by the DE&I Committee.  

Information will be updated as the event nears its date.

RSVP here»

February 23, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ET

As the final event in the Washtenaw ID Project’s Solidarity in Action campaign, we are organizing a march down to the County Clerk’s Office (220 N. Main St.) for anyone who wants to support the initiative by getting their own County ID card!

We will meet in the School of Social Work’s McGregor Commons at 12pm, and will march down to the County Clerk’s Office together

If you’re interested in getting your own County ID card, please remember to bring the necessary documents – a cell phone or utility bill with your name, your Washtenaw County address, and a date within the past 30 days; and two identity documents, such as a state ID, driver’s license, or passport (or if you only have one of these documents, come with a friend and they can vouch for your identity!)

A full list of eligibility criteria and additional details can be found in the link to this event – please note, you must:

1) provide identity documents that add up to at least 300 points,

2) have at least one identity document from column A, and

3) be able to prove County residency.

Please dress warmly!

February 22, 2016 - 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM ET

Ferguson, Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago... Cities across America are in crisis, grappling with the need to enact meaningful reforms in the wake of a growing spotlight on the use of deadly force by police officers.

Cincinnati, once synonymous with broken policing, has been put forward as model for reform in all of these cities and more--thanks to more than a decade of hard, sustained work by a broad array of community organizations, police leaders, federal officials, academics, and many others.

We've convened a discussion with some of the key participants in Cincinnati's reforms. With others, they worked together to develop and implement the new approach to policing that has garnered such national attention. They'll be joined by a leader from the Detroit Police Department for reflections on what the lessons of Cincinnati might hold for communities here in Southeast Michigan and elsewhere.

Free and open to the public. Reception to follow. The event will be live web-streamed. Please visit this page on the day of the event for viewing access information.

February 19, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

Larry E. Davis, MA, MSW, PhD, is the dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is the Donald M. Henderson Professor. He is the director and founder of the Center on Race and Social Problems, which conducts applied social science research on race, ethnicity, and color.  Davis earned his MSW '73 and PhD '77 from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.  His new book, Why Are They Angry With Us? Essays on Race, addresses the unresolved questions and conflicts about race in America from both the author's personal and a professional perspective. Davis relates racial incidents, observations, and issues to explain the workings of race and racism in America; confronting taboo topics such as race and prison, immigration, and internalized racism.

Discussants include Professor Rogerio Pinto and MSW student Danae Ross. Book will be available to purchase for $28 (cash or check) at the talk.  Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »

February 19, 2016 - 10:00 AM to February 20, 2016 3:00 PM ET

The Michigan Journal of Race & Law presents, “Innocent Until Proven Poor: Fighting the Criminalization of Poverty” Symposium.

Day 1: Keynote: Vanita Gupta, (Asst. Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice)

Day 2: Keynote: Sarah Geraghty, (Managing Attorney, Impact Litigation, Southern Center for Human Rights)

The symposium will bring together scholars and practitioners from multiple perspectives to explore the interaction between poverty and the criminal legal system and strategize solutions. Issues include: aggressive policing of poor neighborhoods, prosecutorial discretion, legal categorization of crimes, debtors’ prisons, excessive bail, civil asset forfeiture, court fees and fines, and collateral consequences. In addition to keynotes and panels, the symposium will engage attendees in skill-building workshops.

February 17, 2016 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET

The School of Social Work Dean's Initiative on TBLG Matters is proud to announce the first of two lunch events this semester exploring and discussing the intersection of TBLG Identity and Christianity! 

The Dean's Initiative will be hosting the TBLG+Christianity Ministry Panel Luncheon on Wednesday, February 17th from Noon-1:30PM in Room B780 of the School of Social Work Building. 

*Lunch will be provided*

With Ministry panelists Jonathan Vanderbeck (MSW '16 and M.Div '16) and Reid Hamilton (Chaplain of Canterbury House), we will deconstruct the relationship and history between conservative Christianity and heterosexism, as well as explore alternative narratives on the relationship between Christianity and queerness.

More on Jonathan: Seminarian Jonathan Vanderbeck (he/him/his) is currently pursuing degrees from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI (M.Div) and the University of Michigan School of Social Work (M.S.W.), and seeking ordination in the Reformed Church in America (RCA) as the first openly gay candidate for ministry, anticipating ordination in May 2016. Jonathan identifies as a Korean-adopted person-of-color, and is passionate about studying intersectionality between Korean and LGBTQ identities, developing a theology of queer liberation in the realm of Reformed Calvinism, and how to make the best cocktail of vodka, gin, and white tears.

More on Reid: Reid Hamilton is the Chaplain of Canterbury House because he loves everything the University environment has to offer, from bright and interesting people to ivy-covered libraries to smoky dives. Poet, musician and scholar, he is most interested in things he has not seen before. Before becoming a priest in 1998, Reid jumped out of airplanes, practiced law, got married, got divorced, and got married again – permanently this time! Reid has two children and has spent nearly half of his life in one school or another. He is passionately committed to justice and civil rights. His wife, Deb (originally from Detroit), also loves music and social activism. Reid and Deb enjoy cooking together and conducting bold culinary experiments on their friends. Born in Joplin, Missouri, Reid has lived in Nashville, in North Carolina, in Atlanta and Kansas City before at last making his way north. In his life as a priest he has served as Assistant Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Kansas City, Missouri, and as Rector of Christ Church in Kent, Ohio – home of Kent State University – where he encouraged a parish-based campus ministry.