The Michigan Daily sat down with Martino Harmon, the University of Michigan’s vice president for student life, to discuss the effects of the Trump administration on campus activism, international students and diversity-focused events. Harmon was provided with questions in advance, before the University announced cuts to all diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
This article has been edited and condensed for clarity.
The Michigan Daily: Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, his green card revoked, due to what many believe to be his pro-Palestine protesting on campus. This has sparked fear in student protesters moving forward. How is Student Life working to ensure students retain their right to freedom of assembly?
Martino Harmon: University of Michigan has a really long and rich history of student activism. That’s part of who we are, and that’s really important in terms of students’ ability to express their First Amendment rights, and we support that, as long as those rights don’t infringe upon the rights of others. Student Life partners with the Division of Public Safety & Security to make sure that students who want to be involved in activism know and understand how they can do so in a safe way, and how we can support their activism in that way. Student Life staff actually will be present at demonstrations to really support and to help where needed. It’s just important for students to know the guidelines and to make sure they’re aware of those guidelines around time, place and manner.
TMD: The University received a letter from the Department of Education to ensure the protection and safety of Jewish students in wake of campus protests. How is Student Life ensuring all students feel safe?
MH: No student should ever feel targeted, and it’s really important that students feel a sense of belonging and they feel safe and they can have a wonderful student experience here. We are very much aware that we have a responsibility to prevent harassment and to not contribute to a hostile environment, but most of all, we want to make sure students feel a sense of belonging here at the University of Michigan. We have a Campus Climate Support team within our Dean of Students Office, and they work really closely with the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office, with DPSS and other campus partners, to make sure the students feel safe and that we don’t have a hostile climate. We also work with the surrounding community and partners off campus to make sure that students off campus are also safe and not feeling targeted in any way. We have a strong partnership with Ann Arbor for that reason.
TMD: President Donald Trump’s administration has made a promise to strengthen border security and increase national deportations as evident through their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. This has caused fear across the country and can especially make international students feel unsafe. How is Student Life supporting its international students at this time?
MH: Much like the last question, all students of all identities, certainly international students, really deserve to feel safe on campus and they have a right to be here, and we need to make sure that they feel safe. Our International Center really works closely with the international student population to make sure that they’re receiving updates about related actions, and to make sure that they’re aware of any changes and how changes could potentially impact them. We also have International Student and Scholar advisors that can more directly work with students and answer their questions, and the International Center will conduct programming again to make sure students feel welcome and that they belong, but to also provide information as needed. The International Center, working with other campus partners within Student Life and external to student life, play a key role in helping international students with their experience.
TMD: The Trump administration has also cracked down on universities by threatening their funding if they do not comply with dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs. How is Student Life able to maintain their diverse and inclusive atmosphere, for example, with events celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month? Do you anticipate a decrease in these diversity-focused campus events?
MH: Programs or activities that are focused on particular cultures, heritages or celebrations are allowed or permitted as long as they’re open to all. They’ve also stated that specific observances like Women’s History Month, Holocaust Remembrance or Black History Month, that those events are permitted and that they don’t violate the law. We have not canceled any events of that nature that focus on backgrounds or identities. We’ve also expanded support for students from different diverse backgrounds. Some of it is future planning, some of it is what we’ve already done and continue to do. One example of that is we’ve launched a program that’s a faith initiative, it’s Religious, Secular, Spiritual Life or RSSL. It’s a new unit within Student Life that really helps students to express themselves in different spiritual ways, bringing students of different faiths together. The unit works with religious leaders in the area, there’s a group called the Association of Religious Counselors, so they work with them to better support students.
TMD: The University’s student enrollment reached a record high this past fall with 52,855 students. With a large student body there continues to be concerns over on- and off-campus housing. How is Student Life trying to make the finding housing process easier for students? When will the new building developments be completed?
MH: The Central Campus Residential Development, the current phase, will be open in fall of 2026, and that will provide 2300 additional beds and an 830-some seat dining center. It will allow for any new students who want to live on Central Campus to be able to, but in addition, it will allow us to house more second-year students, or it could even be third-year students. Campus Plan 2050 sort of sets a future vision for where we’re going with additional housing after the CCRD phase one is open. For students that move off campus, we have the Beyond the Diag program, which is through the Dean of Students Office, and they really assist students in understanding the private housing market. Then, for students to really understand how to work with landlords and rental properties, for any issues that may arise, Student Legal Services can help students with that as well. So we try to support students that do move off-campus, but we expect, over the years, to have a growing number of students that can live on campus, not just first-year, but also second-year.
TMD: As we continue to see events, conferences and discussions focused on sustainability and combatants against climate change, what is Student Life doing to assist in this effort?
MH: Over the last three or four years we have been able to work closely with student groups that are very passionate and interested in sustainability issues like the Student Sustainability Coalition. I want to give them credit for a few of their more recent initiatives like the new farm stand — they sell fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown at the Campus Farm. They also had Zero Waste Week, where they engaged many students in activities such as a free thrifting store in the Union or a workshop on reusing materials. We’ve been making sure as we develop new projects that we focus on sustainability, whether it’s solar panels in the Hadley Family Recreation Center, geothermal wells for the new Edward and Rosalie Ginsberg building and the CCRD and then various different energy improvements in existing facilities.
TMD: There have been many concerns surrounding Residential Advisors, employees of the University, being let go for putting up a poster or for first-offense mishandling of protocol. This is concerning as many of these students are reliant on the aid provided from their RA position and suddenly they can be let go at a moment’s notice, losing housing, a dining plan and still having to keep up with their academics. How is Student Life working to assist student workers in making them feel like their voices and concerns are being heard?
MH: We certainly don’t take any situation where a student employee loses their position very lightly, and we try to make sure that we can meet the needs of the students beyond the job situation to provide support, but whenever there is a disciplinary situation, Michigan Housing works really closely with Student Life Human Resources and the University HR, so there is a process that is fair and equitable and really makes sure that we’re aware of the students’ needs outside of their job. We care about the voices of our student employees and we’ll be working closely with the new bargaining unit for students, ResStaff Allied Organization, and learning about their concerns and really building an agenda that works well for not only the student employees of RA staff and Michigan Housing, but for the students that are residents in the facility. We really want to work closely with them and develop that agenda as we move forward, and we’re open to talking to any member of Michigan Housing about concerns they have regarding their employment, but we take these matters very seriously, and we have really intentional processes to work with them.
TMD: If you could go anywhere, real or fictional, where is your dream vacation spot?
MH: My daughter and son-in-law just had their first child, my first grandchild. I’m just dreaming of the day when I can take him to Disney World. That would be so awesome. It reminds me of when I took my two daughters when they were little kids, and now having a grandson and being able to do that and have that experience, I would love that. It’s going to take a few years for it to be meaningful, but that’s a special experience that I look forward to.
Daily News Editor Audrey Shabelski can be reached at audres@umich.edu. Daily Staff Reporters Alyssa Tisch and Abby Harris can be reached at tischaa@umich.edu and abigailx@umich.edu.
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