Takeaways from the Sept. 23 Conversation with the Chancellor

"So, a lot of us know you, but we might not know about you," Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement Casandra Ulbrich observed as she kicked off her moderating duties for the recent Conversation with the Chancellor event with Gabriella Scarlatta. Indeed, as someone who's been part of the UM-Dearborn community for nearly three decades, Scarlatta is a familiar face. But many people likely learned for the first time just how homegrown a pick she was when she was tapped to serve as interim chancellor this past spring. At last week's event, Scarlatta recounted moving from Italy to Detroit to do her doctoral work at Wayne State University, after which she worked as an adjunct French professor for several area universities, including UM-Dearborn. A few years later, she scored a tenure-track position at the university. After that, her career saw a steady rise up the leadership ranks, from department chair to associate dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters, to the provost's office. At last week's Conversation with the Chancellor, she shared her perspective as interim chancellor on the most important opportunities and challenges of the year ahead. In case you weren't able to attend the event, we've recapped some of the big takeaways below. Or you can watch it on YouTube.

There is good news on enrollment - but there are challenges, too

It's September, so the big news is all about enrollment numbers. Overall, the university is in good shape, with several bright spots. First-year student enrollment is up 2%, and this year's incoming class is the second-largest in university history. Full-time equivalent enrollment - one of the better metrics for overall financial health - is also up 1%. In addition, the six-year graduation rate is up 3% over last year, to 60% - the best in university history. Students attending UM-Dearborn on the Go Blue Guarantee also rose by 200 students, to about 1,300. But there are areas to watch closely. Overall headcount is down 1%, to 8,005 students. Transfer and international student enrollment are two additional areas of concern. Approximately 70 transfer students who were expected to attend this year opted out for Fall 2025. And international student enrollment is down 44% compared to last year, owing to drastically slowed student visa processing. Scarlatta emphasized this is not just a financial but cultural loss for the university. "It's really, as you know, not just the money," she said. "Our international students and faculty bring so much to the classroom, right? Our students from the area gain so much by sitting in a classroom with international students who bring their way of thinking, of dressing, of looking at things and a different perspective. And some of our students who are not able to travel, they get that experience right here. And I think that is great."

So what can be done to boost enrollment? Scarlatta says the dip in transfer enrollment was unexpected, and the Admissions team plans to try to contact students to see what factors contributed to their decision. The university is also pursuing new transfer agreements, like the new partnership with Jackson College, which enables elementary education students to transfer to an online program at UM-Dearborn for their final two years and do their student teaching in their local communities. In addition, the colleges are currently exploring ways to expand online undergraduate and graduate programs. A new plan to offer in-state tuition rates to students in neighboring states and Ontario is also in the works.

With regard to international student enrollment, unfortunately, there is a lot beyond the university's control. Scarlatta, Provost Ghassan Kridli and staff in the Office of International Affairs have been monitoring the situation since the summer, and Scarlatta said that she had hoped for some clarity for the Winter 2026 semester. But now it appears that we're in for more uncertainty, especially given the current administration's recent announcement that new H-1B visas would be subject to a $100,000 fee. U-M is tracking this particular policy developmentand its potential impact on the U-M community.

Other key issues include research and state funding

The federal government's policy shifts regarding federal research funding have impacted colleges and universities across the country. UM-Dearborn, which received $3.9 million in research funding from federal agencies in FY25, has seen relatively modest impacts compared to some larger institutions, though Scarlatta says the rate of federal awards has slowed since January and two awards were canceled. Even within that environment, UM-Dearborn researchers continue to land large awards from federal funders, with recent grants of over $1 million to Natural Sciences and nearly $600,000 to the College of Engineering and Computer Science. (Associate Professor of Neurobiology Zhi "Elena" Zhang was just awarded a $1.1 million grant, in partnership with Washington State University, from the National Institutes of Health, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Alan Argento was recently awarded a $589,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.) "So the message, I think, is that faculty keep trying, working hard, and things are going to happen," Scarlatta said.

The annual appropriation from the State of Michigan is the other big uncertainty. Scarlatta noted that, typically, the university has a rough idea of the amount it will receive from the state by the start of July, which allows the university to fine tune its annual budget. At the time of the Conversation event, state lawmakers had yet to come to an agreement on a budget. (Governor Whitmer and legislative leaders announced a budget deal on Sept. 25, with full legislative approval and further details still pending.) She credited Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Bryan Dadey for projecting no increase from the state this year, which has kept the university on sound financial footing despite this situation. The amount of the state appropriation varies annually, but typically accounts for about 15% of university revenue.

Even with these challenges, Scarlatta noted that UM-Dearborn has continued to follow through on its mission to make a high-quality college experience accessible to students, regardless of their income. In fact, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, UM-Dearborn has the lowest average annual costs among Michigan's public universities.

Priorities for 2025-26

Scarlatta says she has three priority areas for this year: student success, faculty and staff development, and economic sustainability. On the student success front, she plans to focus specifically on student retention, digital accessibilityand devoting more resources to programs that deliver rich non-classroom experiences, like the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. She also plans to continue to improve the physical facilities on campus, citing the recent renovation at the Renick University Center as a big upgrade that directly impacts students. In the area of faculty and staff development, Scarlatta emphasized the need for more professional development resources and support for faculty research during a tumultuous period. She also announced an expansion to the staff tuition program, with more details to come soon.

Economic sustainability is a challenging target during uncertain times, and Scarlatta said the university is doing its due diligence in planning for the possibility of leaner budgets. "We also are engaging in scenario planning," she said. "I know it's not easy. But that's what you would do with your own personal finances. What would it mean to get a 1% cut in our budget, 2%, 3%?" She also noted several things that are boosting the university's financial outlook. The pending moves of the College of Education, Health and Human Services and College of Business to the main campus will eventually enable the full closure of the Fairlane Center campus, which will save money on utilities and other expenses. The Look to Michiganfundraising campaign is also a bright spot. On this, Scarlatta passed the mic to Ulbrich, who announced the campaign has already raised $30 million of its $60 million goal. In addition, Scarlatta shared, for the first time, that U-M President Domenico Grasso has allocated $5 million for UM-Dearborn (and another $5 million for UM-Flint), earmarked for activities related to recruitment, retention and faculty research.

Best of the rest

• The search for the next U-M president is underway, with a goal of announcing a selection in January, with a start date in July. Scarlatta didn't have details to share yet on the UM-Dearborn chancellor search.
• The leadership transitions this springled many UM-Dearborn staff and faculty to take on new interim roles. The current plan is for everyone to return to their previous positions once a permanent chancellor is announced. Scarlatta noted that she thinks this unexpected opportunity for everyone to try on different hats and work with new colleagues will serve the university in the long run.
• The university has not adopted a blanket policy on students using AI, but Scarlatta said faculty should include an AI policy in their syllabi that is appropriate to their subject matter and course so that students have clear expectations. She also strongly encouraged faculty members to reach out to their colleagues, department chairs and the Hub for Teaching and Learning Resourcesfor support.
• There is some talk of changing the criteria used to determine eligibility for in-state tuition. Right now, UM-Dearborn must follow the same criteria used by UM-Ann Arbor, which Scarlatta noted, "often means that students who might travel or study somewhere outside of the state of Michigan the summer before they come into the university are deemed out of state, even if they graduated from a high school in the state of Michigan." She said this policy impacted approximately 700 students who were admitted in Fall 2025.

Scarlatta closed the event by emphasizing the role everyone at UM-Dearborn has to play in creating a strong, welcoming community and helping the university thrive. "'You must cultivate your own garden,'" she said, quoting 18th-century French philosopher Voltaire. "We must do what we can, the best we can, for our own little area, whether it's in our home, whether it's in our office, whether it's with our colleagues. If we all do our best, then everything will work, everything will come together. If you let your weeds take over your garden, those weeds will take over your neighbor's garden. . . . We all have a role, we all contribute, to make our students welcome here."

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Story by Lou Blouin. Photos by Matthew Stephens

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