The Michigan Daily sat down with Martino Harmon, the University of Michigan’s vice president for student life, to discuss how the mental health initiatives; cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion; limitations on gender-affirming health care; and student activism have affected the U-M community this past semester. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
The Michigan Daily: Activism continues to be common among many University students. Near the end of October, four students from a pro-Palestine protest were arrested and, last semester, a full-time employee was fired for participating in a protest. How is the Division of Student Life working to make sure students feel safe to practice their right to student assembly?
Martino Harmon: The right to assembly and freedom of expression is fundamental to who we are as a public institution. We’ve had a number of protests and demonstrations over the past few years, most of them occurred without incident. I think it is important, though, to point out that the arrests were not students. They were not affiliated at all. What we try to do is we work with student groups who are planning a demonstration to make sure that they are aware of the guidelines, the rules in terms of time, place and manner and what they’re permitted to do to in expressing themselves, and then we hope that the protest is what the students want it to be. If we do have situations where rules are violated, then we have to hold people accountable. But more times than not, we don’t have that situation.
TMD: A new policy took effect this past summer, preventing students in residence halls from decorating their doors with any whiteboards, posters or signs. Why was this decision made and how can students still find room for self-expression and communication with their dorm community?
MH: The door decorating policy came about because they had numerous incidents of vandalism where people were writing some really bad things on the doors, and it’s important that all of our residents in the community feel safe and that they aren’t in an environment where there is vandalism. So that change was made in consultation with students from the Residence Halls Association, making them aware that we were making a change. Some understood, maybe some didn’t, but it was important that we reached out to students so that they understood the rationale. We have a number of ways that students can have expressions, whether it’s through programs, through the hall staff, whether it’s the Diversity Peer Educators or through the Community Connections and Engagement Department, flyers, advertising programs and events in certain spaces that are meant and designed for that.
TMD: This is the first semester without the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion since its inception in 2013. What action is Student Life taking to make up for the gap brought about through the closure of the office and its programs?
MH: It’s certainly important to know that with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion closing, we have to partner more to make sure that we don’t have gaps. But also, in March 2025 the University released a statement that not only focused on the closure of ODEI, but also identified student-facing programs and initiatives that are continuing. For example, the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives; the Wolverine Pathways program, which is for pre-enrollment; as well as the Center for Educational Outreach. Those programs still exist, but under a different umbrella of access and opportunity through Student Academic Affairs. We partner with those initiatives, particularly OAMI, to make sure that students are given the same type of experiences that they were given before. That includes our units such as the Trotter Multicultural Center, which is a big student-facing unit, and a number of other programs and services that were identified. For us, it’s important that we work even harder to make sure there’s a strong connection and that the programs in place can have an impact on students.
TMD: The University recently discontinued gender-affirming care for individuals under 19. Since this decision, transgender and Queer communities on campus are taking action in the form of protests and rallies to express their current state of distrust with the University. How is Student Life making sure these communities feel supported and included?
MH: It’s really a difficult decision that the University had to make, and so we recognize that there are concerns and people are frustrated and upset. Our role is to make sure that there are avenues for support, and just a few of those avenues through the Spectrum Center would be the Gender-Affirming Clothing Closet which is a way for students that identify as trans can get clothes for interviews or for anything they may need; a Let’s Talk program through the University Health and Counseling; and just general counseling services; and even, through Trotter, workshops on how to flourish. So, our goal is to make sure that there are outlets for students to express their concerns, to make sure that they feel valued and that they’re safe and then also make sure that there is an understanding of what is still available. Through the University Health and Counseling, they provide prescription meds for patients age 19 and older, and other gender-affirming care continues for everyone.
TMD: With the rapidly changing political climate and the increased academic stress now as the semester moves closer to an end, what is Student Life doing to support and monitor students’ mental health?
MH: About four or five years ago, we worked with the Office of the Provost and a number of other collaborators on campus to take a more holistic approach to addressing mental health and well-being. Counseling is critically important, but we have multiple different avenues; it could be online therapy through a program called Uwill, it could be wellness coaching through Wolverine Wellness, initiatives like Let’s Talk or even a really good peer counseling program. So we’re really trying to provide different avenues for students to receive support. We have a group called the Well-Being Collective, and that is a cross-campus group of leaders, students, staff and faculty, who are really working to look at the root causes of stress. The Well-Being Collective just formed action teams, and they’re looking at, “What can we do systematically, not just addressing mental health when a student comes forward, but how can we prevent some of the issues and causes of mental health?” Students are coming to the University expecting to receive mental health care, and so it’s our role to make sure that they know what’s available, and that it’s available on a continuum, a lot of different types of services at different points in time.
TMD: Recently, the University Arts Initiative launched a month-long Michigan Arts Festival that featured a variety of events spotlighting the University’s arts scene. As universities nationwide are often faced with budget cuts that can threaten the arts, why do you think the arts are important to campus communities and how can students continue to incorporate them into their lives?
MH: Students deserve a well-rounded experience. The experience in the classroom is why students come to the University, but they also deserve leadership experiences and opportunities to express themselves through the arts. They deserve mental health care. They deserve a well-rounded set of experiences. So our partnership with the Arts Initiative has been really important in helping to deliver those experiences. The Center for Campus Involvement has partnered with the Arts Initiative on a variety of different programs. One program for new students during Welcome to Michigan is called Artscapade. It becomes an adventure for new students to come in, to explore the arts, to get involved and get engaged and learn how they can do things after their new student week. Right now we’re working on something called ArtsRx, a research-driven cross-campus collaboration that promotes participation in arts and culture as a way to support mental health and well-being. We’re really trying to tie together many different student needs through our partnership with the Arts Initiative. It’s not only fun, but it’s also part of what helps students to be more well-rounded and to address their needs around mental health and well-being.
TMD: The University is aiming to be a leader in sustainability, hosting events like Earthfest and Climate Week earlier this semester. What is Student Life doing to assist in this effort, and why is it important to continue in the following years?
MH: I’m thrilled that over the past few years, we’ve built a team — a unit — around sustainability. I was invited when I came here five years ago to build this unit, because students needed support from Student Life professionals. Student Life Sustainability works with student leaders on the Student Sustainability Coalition, the Planet Blue Student Leaders and the events that you mentioned. I know firsthand because I was able to attend Earthfest. The planet itself — saving the planet, carbon neutrality — those are really important issues for students. Some students worry that there might not be a planet here when they get to be my age.
It’s a responsibility for the Student Life to make sure they know how they can contribute to the University reaching our carbon-neutrality goals and our sustainability goals. We work not only in isolation, but with the provost’s office, with the vice provost for sustainability as well as in facilities and operation with the vice president there whose work focuses on sustainability. We all work to support the students, but also to bring the campus goals at the forefront. The new Central Campus residential development’s dining center will be all electric. That’s something different and new. There’s also a greenhouse at the top of that building. We have a lot of natural lighting that we’re using in not only the residence hall, but also the Hadley Family Recreation & Well-Being Center when it opens next semester. The new Edward Rosalie Ginsburg Center was one of the first buildings on campus that included sustainability features as part of its design. It’s important to support students, but also in our projects that we’re working on, because saving the planet is important even to people my age.
TMD: This year, a new module was introduced for incoming students called Talking Maize & Blue, with the goal of fostering a culture of open inquiry at the University. Do you believe this is a necessary tool in provoking open dialogue among students and how can Student Life assist in this endeavor?
MH: I think it is a great tool. I think we have to go beyond that, but it’s a great way to engage students in different ways on the importance of understanding differences. It can be something simple as I’ve heard Vice Provost Angela Dillard always say, “Do you like pineapple on your pizza or not?” We are different in different ways. It’s a way to engage students in understanding the importance of differences when you come to campus because the campus is diverse. There are a lot of people from different places and have different views, values and ideas. We also have to stress the importance of communicating across differences through our programs, initiatives or our partnerships — whether it be with the Ford School of Public Policy or whether it’s through the Program on Intergroup Relations and their common ground workshops.
TMD: Winter Break is quickly approaching and the Ann Arbor campus recently saw its first snow. What winter activity are you most looking forward to participating in and why?
MH: Although I’ve lived in cold climates all my life, I’m not a superfan of winter, but this year, what I really look forward to is my first grandchild; he will be 10 months old in a couple of weeks. He was born at the end of January, but remembers nothing during last winter, but this winter will be his first experience with snow. So I can’t wait to see him outside discovering this new thing.
Daily News Editor Audrey Shabelski can be reached at audres@umich.edu. Daily Staff Reporter Sarah Spencer can be reached sarahsp@umich.edu.
