Alec Gallimore, University of 
Michigan dean of engineering, 
and Laura Blake Jones, dean of 
students, held a town hall with 
various student groups involved in 
plans for the upcoming school year 
on Monday afternoon following 
University President Mark Schlis-
sel’s announcement regarding fall 
semester earlier in the day.
After walking through informa-
tion presented in Schlissel’s email 
and the new website, Gallimore and 
Jones answered student inquiries 
in an event moderated by Public 
Policy senior Amanda Kaplan, Cen-
tral Student Government president.
The town hall was primar-
ily intended for the more than 600 
students involved in the COVID-
19 Campus Challenge, a student-
created competition to brainstorm 
solutions for various problems that 
may arise in the fall. Kaplan said 
students in the Campus Climate 
Advisory Council, a group of about 
40 students from various boards, 
organizations and student employ-
ee groups advising on fall planning, 
were also invited.
In an email to The Daily, Jones 
wrote the town hall was meant to 
highlight key elements of Schlis-
sel’s announcement as well as to 
continue seeking input from chal-
lenge participants.
“The 
Challenge 
participants 
are a large representative group of 
undergraduate and graduate stu-
dents from a wide variety of schools 
and colleges,” Jones wrote. “Their 
keen interest in the COVID Chal-
lenge and commitment to planning 
for a safe residential experience 
made them an ideal constituent 
group to talk with.”
According to Gallimore, the orig-
inal timeline planned for a decision 
about fall semester was to be made 
in July. The timeline was moved up 
one month, allowing for the deci-
sion to come at the end of June.
“What we will do actually is 
in some respects use June and 
July and August to do a number 

of things, to do some practice ses-
sions, dry runs et cetera, so that 
we’re ready for you when many of 
you come back in late August for a 
wonderful semester of mixed edu-
cational experiences,” Gallimore 
said. “We will use the fall term to 
evaluate how things worked and 
improve upon them for winter 
2021.”
Gallimore 
emphasized 
the 
hundreds of administrators, fac-
ulty, staff and students involved 
in planning efforts by pointing to 
the numerous committees work-
ing on issues ranging from testing 
to transportation to student mental 
health. Similar to the new Campus 
Maize & Blueprint website, Galli-
more said success of the school year 
would depend on “stacking” mea-
sures from physical distancing to 
administrative controls on density.
Generally, classes with over 50 
people will be conducted remotely, 
while classes with 10 to 15 or fewer 
students will be held in-person, 
subject to space availability, Gal-
limore explained. Classes in the 
in-between range may be offered 
in-person if physical distancing is 
possible in the learning space.
Jones focused on the need for 
students to be responsible, which 
both she and Gallimore expressed 
was one of their greatest worries 
about the upcoming semester. She 
shared a draft of a behavior pledge 
which 
includes 
current 
public 
health guidelines such as wearing 
masks, maintaining social distance 
and limiting social gatherings. 
To encourage individuals to fol-
low the pledge, Jones said there 
will be education efforts and social 
media campaigns to emphasize 
its importance. Jones said she 
hoped the University community 
would embrace a “culture of care” 
in which everyone acts according 
to the well-being of those around 
them — particularly those most 
vulnerable to the virus — and 
beyond their own desires of what 
they want to do. 

3

Thursday, June 25, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS

After the killing of George Floyd, 
protests against police brutality 
and racism erupted nationwide, 
calling for an end to systemic rac-
ism, police department oversight 
and defunding the police.
With elections coming up on 
August 4, City Council candidates 
from all five of Ann Arbor’s wards 
have turned their focus to fighting 
police brutality in Ann Arbor. In 
interviews with The Daily, candi-
dates detailed policies such as real-
locating the police budget, implicit 
bias training for officers and police 
oversight.
Anne Bannister, Democrat for 
Ward 1 
City Councilmember Anne Ban-
nister, D-Ward 1, is running for re-
election and said she believes all 
citizens of Ann Arbor deserve to be 
treated humanely, justly and with 
dignity. 
According 
to 
her 
platform, 
Bannister supported the creation 
of the Independent Community 
Police Oversight Commission and 
strongly believes in communicat-
ing with victims of systemic racism 
and ensuring their problems are 

addressed.
Bannister said she plans to 
ensure better training of police 
officers to reduce implicit bias 
and also believes the community 
should be able to easily access law 
enforcement data. With the help of 
Police Chief Michael Cox, Bannis-
ter hopes community policing will 
be improved.
“Like our whole country, I’ve 
been very hurt and disappointed 
and disturbed by the incidents of 
police brutality around the coun-
try,” Bannister said. “(We have to) 
further this philosophy of compas-
sion and well-trained officers that 
are here to protect us.”
Lisa Disch, Democrat for Ward 1 
University of Michigan profes-
sor Lisa Disch is running against 
Bannister.
Disch said she believes creating 
a community that upholds safety 
is essential. Her platform includes 
ensuring the safety of people being 
stopped by law enforcement with-
out cause and also expanding com-
munity policing.
Disch said she has heard about 
numerous 
incidents 
of 
racial 
harassment from Ann Arbor resi-
dents. She said she wants to work 
on eradicating the fear residents 
may feel when reporting these inci-
dents. She said she aims to change 
local law to increase the over-
sight power of ICPOC, review and 
reallocate the Ann Arbor Police 
Department budget and reorient 

policing to focus on the causes of 
crime.
“I am struck, but not surprised, 
by hearing people say that they feel 
free to relate their concerns in pub-
lic forums but that they hesitate to 
file official grievances,” Disch said. 
“That fear itself, let alone the treat-
ment they describe, tells me that 
this city has urgent work to do.”
Disch supports the prevention of 
biased crime reporting and wishes 
to implement implicit bias training 
for all police officers.
“This is just a start,” Disch said. 
“I continue to listen and learn, and 
hope to work collaboratively with 
other council members and ICPOC 
to find creative solutions moving 
forward.”
Jane Lumm, Democrat for Ward 
2
Jane Lumm, I-Ward 2, who is 
running for re-election as a Demo-
crat, has represented Ward 2 as an 
Independent since 2011. She is one 
of the two councilmember liaisons 
on the ICPOC and has been work-
ing towards police oversight since 
2018. She believes ICPOC needs to 
have more access to police records 
to ensure effective oversight.
Lumm said she supports Police 
Chief Cox and believes that he 
will lead the AAPD towards better 
policing policies, tactics and train-
ing. 

City Council candidates 
address police brutality

NAYVA GUPTA
Daily Staff Reporter

Design by Hibah Chughtai

Town hall talks 
Town hall talks 
in-person semester
in-person semester

CLAIRE HAO
Daily News Editor

Read more at michigandaily.com
Read more at michigandaily.com

After the Schlissel’s announcement, Dean 
of Engineering explains the decision

In light of recent events, 
contenders add reform 
measures to platforms