ANN ARBOR ?”Diversity: Theories & Practices,” a winter term theme semester, is under way at the University of Michigan. Co-sponsored by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and the University’s Dialogues on Diversity, this campus-wide effort has a four-fold structure of research, courses and activities culminating in the “Capstone Experience”?designed to engage different campus communities in a range of ventures that can be realized in the current or later semesters.

The diversity theme semester has its foundation in more than 100 courses in LSA and 13 other schools and colleges. These courses, ranging from a wide variety of cultural studies to biological anthropology to music and dance, provide the intellectual support for activities developed by students, staff and faculty. (A complete listing of courses is available in booklet form.)

The “Capstone Experience” will feature presentations at five different locations around the University, “The diversity theme semester will focus attention on issues of pressing importance to the whole University community, and draw us out in new directions as we explore the assumptions about, and realities of, diversity in our society,” said Patricia Gurin, LSA interim dean. “Each theme semester at the U-M has had its own character; this one is designed to continue building into the future. Its objective is to enrich the interdisciplinary environment that enables us to learn from one another.”

Some of the theme semester events include:

Also, exhibits in the Hatcher Graduate Library‘s North Lobby display cases will be highlighting many of the campus events, theme semester classes and library resources in support of them.

Details on all diversity theme semester activities can be found online at http://www.rackham.umich.edu/StudentInfo/Diversity.

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