Building Opportunity
As dean, I am continually thinking about how LSA can do more to enrich the undergraduate experience and prepare students for life after commencement. With the new semester in full swing, I am thrilled to let you know about an exciting new initiative in this regard.
At their September meeting, the regents approved our proposal to build a home for the LSA Opportunity Hub. Under the leadership of Paula Wishart, our new assistant dean for student development and career initiatives, the Hub will encourage students to explore the connection between their education and their goals and aspirations.
In collaboration with others in the U-M community, Hub staff will facilitate access to internships, funding, employer partnerships, and alumni mentors so students can explore diverse opportunities, discover what matters most to them, and put their liberal arts education to work.
The construction project for the Hub will transform the LSA building. We hope to present design plans to the regents early next year and complete construction by fall 2018. In the meantime, Hub staff will offer programming starting this term.
As our name conveys, what we will truly create for students is opportunity. The opportunity to gain new perspectives on their coursework through new avenues of experience. The opportunity to demonstrate to others the skills and acumen that liberal arts students have to offer—and for students to see that for themselves. The opportunity to look to life after graduation not as a cause of anxiety, but as a source of boundless enthusiasm.
I believe the LSA Opportunity Hub has transformative potential for the entire LSA community, and I look forward to sharing more details as they become available. In the meantime, I encourage all LSA students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to visit the Opportunity Hub website to learn more, and to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Andrew D. Martin
Dean, Professor of Political Science and Statistics