History of Departmental Visitation Program
The Departmental Visitation Program is beginning its first year as a college-wide event. This event is a merging of IMPACT and departmental visits. In the past, departments held individual visitation programs on a variety of weekends and offered students the chance to visit the department, meet with faculty, tour labs, and meet with current graduate students. The new program will offer all these opportunities in addition to a set time to introduce students to the college as a whole by offering campus tours and a look at housing options and funding opportunities.
History of IMPACT Recruitment Weekend
The IMPACT Recruitment Program was initiated in Spring 2000 by a representative from the Rackham Graduate School and vice presidents of the Society of Multicultural Engineering Students-Graduate Component (SMES-G). This program was funded by the Rackham Graduate School, the College of Engineering, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and the National Science Foundation Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate. IMPACT was developed to bring together underrepresented students from across the country to have the opportunity to learn more about life as a University of Michigan graduate student. The objectives of the program were to provide a comprehensive recruitment program over a weekend for 50-100 prospective students admitted to a University of Michigan engineering or science program. The content of the program included opportunities to meet with faculty, visit classrooms, see research facilities and libraries, engage in social activities with current students, and learn more about campus life, housing options, and funding opportunities.
Since the program started we have had an average of 60 students attend annually. In recent years over 60% of the students who attended IMPACT chose Michigan for their graduate studies. Those who enrolled in a science or engineering program after attending IMPACT identified this opportunity as a defining factor in their decision to attend the University of Michigan. In 2005, IMPACT won the University of Michigan Program of the Year Award.
