A growing movement at the University of Michigan is urging officials to provide more services and funding to the school’s Dearborn and Flint campuses, calling it a moral imperative.
The coalition, known as One University, has been lobbying UM officials for months for greater funding, along with health, legal and other programs that are on the Ann Arbor campus but not a part of the Flint and Dearborn campuses.
The group ramped up its campaign for changes Thursday with a news conference and comments from several speakers addressing the UM Board of Regents on the university’s Dearborn campus, where the board held its regular meeting.
“UM-Flint and Dearborn students pay about 80% of Ann Arbor students’ tuition, but receive 25% of per-student funding,” Amytess Girgis, a UM-Ann Arbor student, told the regents. “They do not have the Go Blue Guarantee on their campus. They do not have access to on-campus medical services. They do not have the support of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts. And, due to constant departmental cuts, they do not have the same breadth in course offerings as I do.
“When I was being recruited as a Stamps Scholar, I was told that the Leaders and Best look out for one another,” Girgis continued. “But I know I can speak for countless Ann Arbor students who are noticing the gap between the university’s words and actions.”
During the meeting, the incoming student body president at UM-Dearborn, Sarah Nassar, touched on the issue and the incoming student body president of UM-Ann Arbor, Benjamin Gerstein, addressed it directly.
