PLAN, Manage Your Professional Development as a Graduate Student
The University of Michigan was founded in Detroit in 1817 as one of the first public universities in the nation. It moved in 1837 to Ann Arbor, a new town with a population of 2,000. The town was named to honor the founders’ wives, Mary Ann Rumsey and Ann Allen, and the natural arbor created by massive oaks in the area. In its first year in Ann Arbor, the University had two professors and seven students. Its buildings consisted of four faculty homes and one classroom/dormitory building.
The University remained an all-male college until 1870 when the first female student, Madelon Stockwell, was admitted as an experiment. By the turn of the century, women made up about 46% of the student population. Even with these large numbers, it was not until 1954 that women were allowed through the front doors of the Michigan Union without an escort.
Throughout its history, the University has had many ‘firsts.’ From John F. Kennedy’s announcement of the Peace Corps on the front steps of the Michigan Union to the six U-M alums who have received Nobel Prizes, the University has been a leader in education and research. It is an institution respected throughout the world and is rich in tradition and resources.
The University of Michigan is comprised of the nineteen schools and colleges on the Ann Arbor campus, plus campuses in Flint and Dearborn. One third of the 40,000 students on the Ann Arbor campus are graduate students. You are admitted not to the University at large but to one of the schools or colleges, and your degree requirements are determined by your specific school or college. Decision-making on most academic policies is decentralized among the faculties from each of the schools or colleges.
The schools and colleges on the Ann Arbor campus are each headed by a dean, and are then subdivided into departments or divisions which manage specific curricula. A department’s teaching staff is composed of a variety of tenured and non-tenured faculty members and graduate students.
Each school or college outlines its rules, regulations, and academic policies in its official Bulletin. Bulletins will describe the unit, its admissions procedures, courses, degree programs and requirements, and list faculty members. You should read your own school’s Bulletin for the exact regulations that apply to you.
Major administrative, financial, and University-wide policies are decided by the President and other administrative officers, who report to the eight-member Board of Regents. Ultimate legal authority is vested in the Board of Regents, who are elected directly by the citizens of the state of Michigan. The Regents convene each month, and their meetings are open to the public.
Academic advising for graduate students varies widely from school to school and from program to program. Some of you have little choice about what classes or sections to take--the course of study is pre-determined and prescribed. In many fields, however, you have quite a bit of choice about courses. You usually see an advisor in your program or department to discuss course elections and progress towards a degree, and are usually expected to consult with your advisor before each term’s registration. Make certain you find out what kind of academic advising is available to you.
The University offers a number of alternative courses and program options in addition to your regular classes. Volunteering and service projects are great ways to develop your skills beyond your academic programs. Check with your academic advisor.
From term papers to the Internet, you will find that computers play an important role in your education. U-M offers extensive computing resources for this purpose.
The University of Michigan Library is a system of nineteen libraries that includes a graduate, an undergraduate, science, health sciences, and several other specialized libraries. Five independent libraries are also housed on campus. With more than 7 million volumes, the University Library, including the independent libraries, is the eighth largest academic library in North America and is considered one of the top research libraries in the U.S. The Library’s online catalog, MIRLYN, can be accessed via three different methods, all available on the Library homepage. The Knowledge Navigation Center (KNC), located in the Hatcher Graduate Library, is an important technology site for students to explore, evaluate, and apply innovative information technologies. For more information visit the KNC. The Adaptive Technology Computing Site, located in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, houses specialized hardware and software that facilitates access to a variety of computer programs and other electronic resources for library users with disabilities. Study carrels, copying machines and microfilm readers are located throughout the library system.
