The undersigned members of the University of Michigan community demand greater central funding for UM-Flint and UM-Dearborn campuses, to support student success, protect vital academic programs, and improve faculty retention. We are disappointed that after three years of conversation, the Regents and Administration have done little to address these issues resulting in programs such as Applied Music and Africana Studies being dismantled, even as we continue to feel the effects of a global pandemic.

We cannot proclaim our support for equity while refusing to invest in campuses where over half of our Pell-grant eligible students attend. UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint offer crucial programs and opportunities to their regions, especially in the liberal arts and sciences. These campuses are the only opportunity many students have to take courses in the arts, literature, and sciences. We must protect these campuses and stop harmful cuts during a period of uncertainty!

We are demanding equity for our Flint and Dearborn Campuses. This must include:

Reversing harmful budget cuts, particularly in CASL and CAS
Expanding a REAL Go Blue Guarantee to all three campuses by eliminating the GPA requirement in Flint and Dearborn
Altering the university’s current budget model by breaking the silos and sufficiently supporting the Dearborn and Flint campuses

Without these changes, you risk losing credibility in the eyes of voters, many of whom voted for you because of your professed commitments to accessible, high quality education.