BUZZ
The University of Michigan unveiled more details about its new civil discourse center this week, including its name – the Center for American Dialogue, as scrutiny about the institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices continue.
The public university wants the new center, which is scheduled to open in September, to “challenge issues faced by society in an era dominated by polarization and eroding civic trust,” a news release states.
During a Preview Day on Monday, university President Domenico Grasso emphasized the importance of promoting civil discourse across UM campuses.
“It is the foundation of our university and a healthy democracy,” Grasso said, according to the news release. “As a university dedicated to the public good, our common ground must be reasoned discourse and civility.”
All three of the university’s campuses will participate in the center. Plans also include promoting “constructive dialogue” initiatives in Washington, D.C. and other parts of the country, according to the news release.
More specific projects of the center will include classes, certificates, and micro-credentials on “[t]eaching civic skills, collaborative problem-solving and dialogue techniques.”
During the first year, the center also will host a “Convene with Purpose” speaker series, organize cooperative extensions to expand “civic dialogue into communities across Michigan,” and facilitate “Connection-Building Games … that help people listen, understand and collaborate more effectively,” the release states.
Additionally, an Innovation Accelerator Competition will welcome faculty and staff to present “new ideas about how to achieve the center’s objectives” and offer funding to the winners for these projects.
The university plans to spend $50 million to open the center, The College Fix reported last fall.
Some have expressed optimism about the effort, viewing it as a step forward after the university’s massive, multi-million dollar DEI efforts.
However, a professor emeritus from the University of Michigan-Flint has been skeptical.
“Most of the faculty, staff and students and the University of Michigan are what I would call ‘true believers’ in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and they remain fiercely committed to promoting their DEI trinity with religious zeal,” Professor Mark Perry told The College Fix in November when asked about the center.
More recently, Perry conducted research, published by The Fix, that shows the university is still spending $15.5 million on 162 diversity-related employees, despite having closed its DEI office.
What’s more, a College Fix analysis in February found that many of the university’s departments, schools and colleges continue to tout DEI.
In March 2025, the university announced the closure of its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and its Office for Health Equity and Inclusion. It also promised to discontinue its five-year “DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan.”
MORE: DEI remains strong at UMich a year after president promised to gut it
