To welcome students back for a new academic year and mark his second year at the University’s helm, University President Mark Schlissel participated Friday morning in a Twitter chat — the 10th live chat hosted by the University’s social media team.
The Twitter conversation mainly focused on Schlissel’s experiences during the first year as the University president.
Schlissel listed several accomplishments during his first year in office: “Refocusing our attention on diversity & campus climate. Hiring outstanding colleagues & leaders. Promoting academic excellence.”
Schlissel tweeted that he wants to continue to promote academic excellence by investing in the University’s students, faculty and programs, as well as continuing to build a diverse community to drive academic excellence.
Campus diversity played an active role in the Twitter conversation with one participant, political science Ph.D. candidate Hakeem Jefferson, expressing a concern that the University’s new diversity initiative will not be any more effective than its predecessors.
Schlissel replied expressing his commitment toward the issue: “Skepticism is fair. I pledge consistent, long-term commitment alongside our whole community.”
Schlissel also wrote that the Rackham Graduate School accepts many international students. The Rackham twitter responded by tweeting that about 37 percent of Rackham graduate students are international and represent more than 60 countries.
In addition to the benefits of diversity, Schlissel recognized the rising cost of college education and the University’s ongoing actions to address the problem, like the Victors for Michigan goal of raising $1 billion in financial aid for students.
“We have been working hard to diminish the loan component of our financial aid packages,” Schlissel wrote. “Effort is ongoing.”
In spite of his efforts and accomplishments throughout his first year at the University, Schlissel wrote he also experienced unexpected challenges, pinpointing at the controversy surrounding former University Athletics Director Dave Brandon.
He also noted that another unexpected challenge has been participating in social media.
“How many times a day I’d be asked to smile for #selfies,” Schlissel wrote.