Engagement and Belonging Council

Engagement and Belonging Council Charge

The Engagement and Belonging Council serves as an information exchange among colleges, major administrative units, and the Vice President for Engagement and Belonging to coordinate policies and address issues that impact goals related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging (DEIS) at Michigan Technological University. The Vice President for Engagement and Belonging or their representative will chair the Engagement and Belonging Council and lead its meetings. Along with the chair, the council will comprise one or two MTU faculty, staff, or administrators from each unit, who will be appointed by their dean/unit leader in consultation with the Vice President for Engagement and Belonging. Engagement and Belonging Council members will also have a formal communication line to their respective dean/unit head. Meetings will be held monthly throughout the academic year and at least once in the summer.

Characteristic activities include:

  • communicating across budgetary units to optimize consistency of unit approaches to DEIS endeavors, including advice pertaining to external constituencies;
  • developing cross-unit strategies for leveraging DEIS values throughout MTU units;
  • making informal recommendations to the chair;
  • and performing other actions consistent with its charge as needed.

Reporting Structure

 

The Engagement and Belonging Council serves as information exchange between the leaders of colleges/major administrative units and the Vice President for Engagement and Belonging.

Chair

Wayne Gersie

  • Vice President for Engagement and Belonging
  • Research Assistant Professor, Psychology and Human Factors

Member Representation

Each member reports to the leader of their college or major administrative unit (dean or vice president/director).

Meeting Information

2024-2025

Third Thursdays

1:30–2:30 p.m.

Location

Meetings via Zoom

For more information, please contact Engagement and Belonging at belonging@mtu.edu.

Engagement and Belonging Council is an integral part of Michigan Tech's mission to promote and foster a sense of belonging.

What the Engagement and Belonging Council is Reading

 

2024-2025 Engagement and Belonging Council Membership
Representative Unit
Jordan Shawhan Advancement and Alumni Relations
Danielle Meirow Advocates and Allies
Mauricio Reyes Hurtado Advocates and Allies
Sarah Dowd Athletics
Julie Keleher Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Jessica Hendrickson Center for Teaching and Learning
Josh Olson Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration
Soonkwan Hong College of Business
Nilufur Onder College of Computing
Angela Keranen College of Engineering
Leonard Bohmann College of Engineering
Carsten Kuelheim College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Kevin Trewartha College of Sciences and Arts
Tiffany Lewis College of Sciences and Arts
Abbi Halkola Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX
Ashli Wells Graduate School
Renee Ozanich Human Resources
Stefka Hristova Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture
Alan Turnquist Office of Sustainability and Resilience
Darnishia Morris Pavlis Honors College
Shannon Vairo Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Brad Wells University Relations and Enrollment
Stephen Morse University Senate
Annelise Doll Van Pelt and Opie Library
Kathy Halvorsen Vice President for Research
Robert Bishop Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students