January 2025 Message from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

I hope your semester is moving forward smoothly. I appreciate that the wildfires in southern California and the changes associated with the U.S. Presidential transition have been top of mind for many over the past few weeks. With regard to LA, our hearts go out to those impacted by the fires, especially given our strong commitment to the area through our Los Angeles EMBA cohorts, the progress in the build-out of our new facility there, and our many alumni and students with ties to the region. I have been in contact with the business school deans at the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Southern California to offer support, and we have reached out to students and individuals in our community who may have been directly impacted by the fires to provide support and connect them with resources. We will continue to do all we can to support our community there. 

With regard to the presidential transition and the executive orders coming out, the campus and school are carefully monitoring, analyzing, and responding to changes that will impact us (see update from the provost’s office). These conversations and scenario planning have been in progress since the election back in November. One of the most immediate items is responding to pauses in federal research funding (see OVPR’s blog with updates for the university’s research community). Another key consideration is executive orders pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The implications of these are being carefully assessed; we are continuing with our scenario planning at the school and campus level for a wide range of directions and impacts so that we can move forward thoughtfully when the implications are clear. The changes related to the new presidential administration are rapidly evolving and we will share additional updates as we learn more.

Changing gears, I am very pleased to share news regarding our rankings for our Online MBA Program. Recently, Poets&Quants ranked our program at No. 2 on their “Best Online MBA Programs in the U.S. for 2025” list. And last week, our OMBA Program was ranked No. 6 by U.S. News & World Report, moving up 10 places from last year which was the first year we were eligible to be ranked. These rankings are a testament to the quality of all the faculty and OMBA staff who make this highly flexible, action-based program so successful.  

Regarding our faculty, I am excited to introduce a new LinkedIn newsletter, Insights & Innovation. The newsletter will share impactful research from our Michigan Ross faculty, covering important topics such as leadership, political polarization, employee burnout, and more. If you are active on LinkedIn, I encourage you to subscribe. 

I also want to note that on Jan. 20, the university celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Michigan Ross co-sponsored the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium Keynote Lecture in Hill Auditorium. This year’s symposium featured Erika Alexander, a celebrated actress, activist, and filmmaker. She spoke on the theme of “Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality” and was a highly engaging speaker. If you were unable to attend that event, you can check out the recording on the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives website. Also, the Michigan Ross MLK Event is today at 2:30 p.m. in Robertson Auditorium. This event will feature Nyle Fort, minister, activist, scholar, and founder of the Maroon Project. Fort will discuss Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and highlight his racial and social justice work. 

In the fall, we shared that there would be volunteer opportunities for faculty and staff focused on three important issues of our time. Our November opportunity focused on economic inclusion, where we helped out at a homeless shelter, and our next volunteer event is focused on technology disruption. For our technology disruption volunteering, we are gathering and sorting technology items for reuse (or recycling). As part of this opportunity, you will notice collection containers throughout Ross where you can drop off personal electronics that you no longer want or need, such as headphones, cords, laptops, etc. Please make sure that any items and devices you drop off are not U-M supplied or owned, and drop them off in the bins by this Friday, Jan. 31. Also, please join us on Saturday, Feb. 1, in the Corner Commons (B1590) if you would like to volunteer to help us sort through donated items for proper recycling or reuse. The event is open house style, so you can drop by anytime between 9-11 a.m. I want to thank everyone who has already signed up to volunteer for this event. If you have not already signed up and are interested, please RSVP here or contact Heather Cooper for more information. One additional volunteer opportunity will focus on climate/sustainability, which will take place on Saturday, April 12.

On Feb. 19, I invite everyone to participate in a Meeting-Free Day. Please take advantage of this opportunity to have some uninterrupted time to advance your projects or reflect on larger goals and objectives. If you want to take a wellness break that day, the Dean’s Office will host a 45-minute Sound Bath session starting at 10 a.m. in Blau Colloquium. A sound bath is a meditative practice involving the use of resonant music creating an immersive sound that fills the room and the body. The immersive sound aids in relaxation and the ability to let go of stress, anxiety, and other worries and concerns. If you would like to stop by, please RSVP by Feb. 7. In the afternoon that day, there will also be a coffee hour in Blau Colloquium from 2-3 p.m. Feel free to stop by for coffee, snacks, and social time with colleagues across the school.

As usual, my upcoming office hours for the month of February can be found on the dean’s office webpage. In February, the in-person office hours for faculty and staff will be held in the Davidson Winter Garden on the following dates and times:

• Feb. 11, 2025: 4:15-5 p.m.
• Feb. 18, 2025: 4:15-5 p.m.

The Zoom office hours for faculty and staff will be held on Feb. 25 from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Please contact Heather Cooper for an invite with the link to join.

Before I close, I would like to share one last thing. On Jan. 10, my latest Down to Business podcast episode went live. In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Jenny Just, BBA ’90, co-founder and managing partner of PEAK6 Investments. Our talk covered Just’s amazing career path since graduating from Michigan Ross, developments in the finance and technology arena, and her views on what is important in the future of these sectors. She is incredibly impressive.

Thank you for all your hard work getting the winter term off to a strong start.

Kind regards,

Sharon