Director's Note

by Margaret Noori
Director of Comprehensive Studies

In her State of the University Address on October 5th this year, President Mary Sue Coleman noted the challenges and changes we all face in our neighborhoods and on campus as we work to move forward during economic difficulty. She was honest about a reduction in revenue and a need to be careful. At CSP this actually meant we needed to add staff judiciously, to serve the 650 new students now part of the 2,500 students in CSP overall. Marilyn Somoza (a CSP alum) joins us in Advising and Lillie Granderson will be greeting students and visitors as they stop by our offices. We are honored to have them as new members of our team.

President Coleman noted, “These are not ordinary times, but then we are not an ordinary university.” I would add, “CSP students are not ordinary students.” CSP students are invited to Michigan because they are the leaders and the best at the widest range of schools across the country. They bring much more than their own expectations to campus – they bring diverse ways of thinking about this world we share. They are engaged and forward thinking and are a part of every college: Literature, Science, and the Arts; Architecture & Urban Planning; Art & Design; Business; Education; Engineering; Kinesiology; Music, Theatre & Dance; Natural Resources & Environment; Nursing; Pharmacy and Public Policy. I am confident they will be partners in many of the initiatives on campus in upcoming months and years.

At CSP we expect more from our students, and each and every day we are not disappointed. This Fall, CSP students visited The Exhibit Museum of Natural History with instructors Josh Olsen, Kelly Allen, and the author of one of their texts for class, Lawrence Weschler, who wrote "Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder." We also hear from alumni with stories of success including Will McManus, now attending Law School; and Brittany Clarke who is pursuing Graduate Literature at Eastern Michigan University. For more stories like these read the Spotlights on Success in this newsletter or visit our Facebook page for friends of CSP. Search for “University Michigan - Comprehensive Studies Program” to find a place to stay in touch and join a discussion now and then. As students, staff and faculty at CSP we aim to be comprehensive in scope, interdisciplinary in practice and most of all, focused scholars who make a difference and move forward positively and with precision. President Coleman is right to remind us all, we are not ordinary.