University of Michigan–Flint


The University of Michigan–Flint is a public university in Flint, Michigan. It is one of the two regional campuses of the University of Michigan operating under the policies of the Board of Regents. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is located 55 miles to the south; the other regional campus is in Dearborn, which is located 72 miles to the southeast. U of M-Flint is classified among "Doctoral/Professional Universities."

History

Flint College

The thought of establishing a part of the University of Michigan in the city of Flint started in the year 1837 when Sarah Miles wrote a letter to her family stating, "A branch of the Michigan University at Ann Arbor is to be established in Flint at some future day." In May 1944 the Flint Board of Education requested that the University of Michigan open a satellite campus in Flint. In June 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill into law. The demand for higher education increased with the return of soldiers after World War II, and was a major factor in the establishment of a branch of the University of Michigan in the city of Flint. During 1947 the Regents of the University of Michigan approved a higher education needs assessment for Flint. The community indicated that they wanted a four-year liberal arts college similar to Ann Arbor's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
Later, in February 1956, David M. French was named the first dean of the Flint Senior College of the University of Michigan. Flint College opened on the Flint Community Junior College campus. The college's initial enrollment was 167 enrollees. Degrees were offered in bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and in the professional fields of education and business administration. Original donors to construction buildings was C.S. Mott and the Sponsors Fund of Flint. The college's first class graduated in 1958.
The college became a four-year institution in 1964, adding its first freshman class the next year. In 1970, the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools granted accreditation to the Flint College of the University of Michigan.

University of Michigan–Flint

The Regents of the University of Michigan approved the name change to The University of Michigan–Flint in 1971, and named William E. Moran as the first Chancellor of the University of Michigan–Flint. Two schools were formed at Flint in 1975, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Management.
The community and city assisted U of M–Flint in acquiring along the Flint River 42 acres. $5 million over five years was pledged towards a new campus in 1972 by the C.S. Mott Foundation. During September 1972, sixteen temporary buildings were erected to ease campus overcrowding, pressuring the Regents to move U of M-Flint to its current location along the Flint River.
On September 1, 1973, the Regents passed the plans for the first building by Sedgewick-Sellers & Associates, originally planned for a site at Lapeer Road and Court Street. Instead, the first building was moved to a site on the Flint River, the current campus location. The university acquired the Ross House and the Hubbard Building. Its ground breaking ceremony was held on May 9, 1974 at the Wilson Park bandstand. In 1977, construction ended on the Class Room Office Building, later named David M. French Hall, and the Central Energy Plant. CROB included a library and theatre. In 1979, the original Harrison Street Halo Burger location was vacated to make way for University of Michigan–Flint parking. While, the Harding Mott University Center was finished that same year and the Recreation Center in 1982.
William S. Murchie Science Building was completed in 1988. In 1991, U of M-Flint took over ownership of the Water Street Pavilion as the University Pavilion keeping restaurants there while moving in administrative offices. The library moved to its own building in 1994 with the completion of the Frances Willson Thompson Library. The 25 acre site across the river on the north side was acquired in 1997. Northbank Center was acquired in 1998.
In 1989, the School of Health Professions and Studies was formed and later renamed the College of Health Sciences in 2018. The School of Education and Human Services was formed in 1997.
In September 1999, Juan E. Mestas began his tenure as the fifth Chancellor of the University of Michigan–Flint. The William S. White Building was completed on the north side of the Flint River in 2002 for School of Health Professions and Studies and the School of Management. Halo Burger returned to the campus in September 2002 only to be forced out due to on-campus housing food regulations in 2008.
Ruth Person became chancellor in 2008. The first on-campus dorms, First Street Residence Hall, were completed in 2008. The University of Michigan–Flint in 2010 was the fastest-growing public university in the state of Michigan. The School of Management moved to a leased floor of the Riverfront Residence Hall in early 2013 from the White Building at renovation cost of $5.3 million. In 2013, Person's five-year term was up and was extended for a year by U of M President Mary Sue Coleman to 2014.
In August 2014, Sue Borrego began as Chancellor. On October 15, 2015, University Board of Regents approved the purchase of the 160,000-square-foot, 10-story north tower building of the Citizens Banking Buildings from FirstMerit Bank for $6 million expected to close in March 2016. In mid-December 2015, the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation donated the Riverfront Residence Hall and Banquet Center to the university with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation forgiving the remaining redevelopment loan for the center. On October 20, 2016, the Regents formed the School of Nursing from the Department of Nursing in the School of Health Professions and Studies. The Harrison Street Annex, at Kearsley and Harrison Streets in the Harrison Street parking structure, has been remodeled to be the university's engineering design studio.

Academics

There are 138 majors/concentrations that apply to 12 Bachelor's degrees and 43 graduate majors/concentrations. U of M-Flint also offers graduate degrees including master's degrees, Professional Doctorals, and Ph.D. degrees. The university's colleges and schools include the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Sciences, School of Education & Human Services, School of Management and School of Nursing.

Rankings and accreditation

The Princeton Review included U of M-Flint in the "Best Midwestern" category in their publication 2020 Best Colleges: Region by Region. They also included U of M-Flint's School of Management as one of the Best Business Schools in their 2017 publication. The Part-Time MBA Program was ranked 41st in the United States and 9th in the Midwest in 2010 by Businessweek.
U of M-Flint is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of Colleges and Schools. Program-level accreditation is maintained by many programs in affiliation with: the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the American Chemical Society, Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business – International, Association of University Programs in Health Administration, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, Commission on Accreditation in Respiratory Care, the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, the Council on Social Work Education, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, Michigan Department of Education, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of Schools of Music.

Residential and student life

On campus housing

In November 2004, the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan approved the request of the Flint Campus to explore the feasibility of student housing. After several assessments, studies, and surveys showing the probable progression of growth of the campus, student housing was approved. On July 16, 2007, the first-ever student dormitory, the First Street Residence Hall, opened for students.
In December 2015, Uptown Reinvestment Corporation donated the Riverfront Residence Hall, a privately owned high-rise building that houses both U of M-Flint and Baker College students, to the university. The 16-story Residence Hall can house up to 500 students.

Student Organizations

There are over 100 recognized student organizations and 8 Sponsored Student Organizations. They are organizations for various academic departments, religions, and cultural backgrounds, as well as organizations for honors, club sports, social fraternities and sororities, service groups, and special interests.
University sponsored organizations:
The university is home to several fraternities and sororities:
Sororities:
Fraternities:

Radio station

The school owns WFUM, a public radio station affiliated with the Michigan Radio network.

Student newspaper

The Michigan Times is a student-run campus newspaper. In 2008, the Michigan Press Association's "Better College Newspaper Contest" awarded The Michigan Times with nine awards in a statewide competition. This achievement was surpassed in 2009 by winning 23 awards. The newspaper is printed weekly and is available free-of-cost on campus, at other area colleges, in the surrounding downtown area and elsewhere in the Greater Flint area.

Student government

The University of Michigan–Flint Student Government represents the students and manages student funds on the campus. Student Government is a member of the statewide Association of Michigan Universities.

Athletics

U of M–Flint does not offer varsity intercollegiate athletics, but there are a number of club sport teams and intramural sports leagues available to students. Teams have competed as Wolverines, while an unofficial student vote in 2009 selected The Victors to avoid confusion with the main campus. Students, staff and alumni are also able to buy tickets to the flagship campus' sporting events at a discounted price.
Current Club Sports include:
In 2013, the men's hockey team earned a spot in the ACHA Division III National Tournament for the first time, eventually advancing to the National Championship Game against fellow Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference foe Adrian College. In 2015, the women's hockey team went 18-0 in conference play.

Notable faculty and alumni