University of Michigan alumni 

DeAndree Watson, Central Stu-
dent Government president from 
2011 to 2012, was found dead in 
his car on Sunday morning on 
the 37400 Block of Willow Lane 
in Westland, Mich.

After graduating from the 

University in 2012 with a bach-
elor’s degree in political science, 
Watson served on the Detroit 
City Council as a policy analyst 
and worked closely with Detroit 
Mayor Mike Duggan and Coun-
cilman James Tate. According 
to a statement from Tate, Wat-
son was recently accepted into 
the University of Michigan Law 
School.

During his time at the Uni-

versity, Watson was involved 
on campus as a member of the 
Black Student Union, College 
Democrats, the Dean of Students 
advisory board, the University 
Chapter of the NAACP and Mus-
tard Seed Campus Ministry.

Duggan posted to Facebook 

Monday morning about Watson’s 
passing and the impact that he 
had through his public service in 
Detroit. 

“I am shocked and deeply sad-

dened by the passing of DeAn-
dree Watson,” Duggan wrote. 
“DeAndree was a brilliant policy 
analyst who worked in the Office 
of Councilman James Tate. I got 
to know DeAndree as we worked 
together on the City of Detroit’s 
marijuana ordinance, spearhead-
ed by Councilman Tate. DeAn-
dree was one of Detroit’s rising 
leaders with a deep commitment 
to public service and the city he 
called home. I extend my deepest 
condolences to DeAndree’s fam-
ily, friends, Councilman James 
Tate, Detroit City Council and 
his many colleagues at the City 
of Detroit.” 

Councilman Tate also released 

a statement about the seven years 
he had known and worked with 
Watson and the impact he made 

on Detroit. 

“It is with great sadness that 

I share the tragic passing of 
my team member and friend, 
DeAndree Watson,” the state-
ment read. “This year has been 
challenging to say the least, but 
never did I imagine losing some-
one so integral to our office and 
our city… so soon. DeAndree was 
the epitome of a leader and was 
often the first person to volun-
teer whenever he was needed. 
His impact goes well beyond our 
office as he brought greatness to 
everything he was involved in. 
DeAndree was well on his way to 
further shape our world and I’m 
truly heartbroken that we won’t 
get to witness more of his jour-
ney.”

Officers 
suspect 
Watson’s 

death to be a result of a homi-
cide. Deontez Jones, an associate 
of Watson, was also found dead 
Sunday in a nearby apartment 
from a self-inflicted gunshot 
wound. 

Current CSG President Aman-

da Kaplan and Vice President Sav 
Nandigama released a statement 
on Wednesday signed by every 
CSG and CSA president dating 
back to 1998.

“DeAndree’s 
advocacy 
and 

leadership continues to posi-
tively impact the Michigan stu-
dent experience,” the statement 
read. “During his time, DeAn-
dree 
advocated 
for 
undocu-

mented immigrants to qualify 
for in-state tuition, installed 18 
new water refill stations across 
campus, doubled the child care 
stipend 
available 
to 
gradu-

ate students, and spearheaded 
efforts to get the University to 
create a gender-neutral housing 
pilot program.”

Nandigama also told The Daily 

in an interview that Watson con-
tinued his work after graduation 
and emphasized that he will be 
remembered by his positive per-
sonality. 

3

Thursday, July 9, 2020

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS

With under two months left 

before the start of classes for the 
2020-21 academic year, the Uni-
versity of Michigan Faculty Sen-
ate hosted a town hall meeting 
featuring 
University 
President 

Mark Schlissel and Interim Provost 
Susan Collins on Wednesday after-
noon.

Over 600 members of the Univer-

sity community listened in on the 
Zoom call while submitting ques-
tions regarding off-campus student 
behavior, COVID-19 testing, quar-
antine plans and the endowment. 
The discussion was moderated by 
Faculty Senate Chair Colleen Con-
way, professor of music. 

Schlissel began the meeting by 

acknowledging the unprecedent-
ed challenges in addition to the 
COVID-19 pandemic, including the 
economic instabilities brought on 
by the pandemic, renewed commit-
ment to anti-racism and the newest 
guidelines for international stu-
dents.

While an in-person teaching 

semester is ideal, Schlissel noted, 
there are risks with bringing stu-
dents back to campus, particularly 

for the more vulnerable faculty 
and staff. Schlissel said concerns 
with student behaviors off-campus 
could potentially be dangerous for 
those instructors who are more 
prone to severe illness.

“I’m very worried particularly 

about high-risk faculty and staff, 
and making sure that we can pro-
tect people that come to work to 
help teach our students and deliver 
our curriculum and fulfill our mis-
sion, particularly those that are 
under more than usual amounts of 
risk,” Schlissel said.

Despite these concerns, Schlissel 

also detailed some sources of opti-
mism in the midst of re-opening the 
University. He shared that out of 
the tens of thousands of students, 
only 49 students have tested posi-
tive for COVID-19. Michigan Medi-
cine workers who’ve served at the 
height of the pandemic have had 
little to no acquired infections.

“There’s a toolbox of public 

health interventions that if we 
can get a reasonable level of com-
pliance, we can make it through 
a semester and deliver that high 
quality of education that the Mich-
igan faculty and graduate instruc-
tors pride themselves on,” Schlissel 
said.

Collins also addressed how the 

University will approach decid-
ing which classes will be taught 
in-person versus remotely. Recog-
nizing that the structure of classes 
vary between disciplines and pro-

grams, Collins noted that the poli-
cies must follow a decentralized 
and consistent approach. Addition-
ally, the University will be focusing 
on incorporating self-identification 
surveys from faculty members and 
Graduate Student Instructors.

“To respect people’s privacy, we 

will ask instructors to self-identify 
in a number of broad categories, 
and not request medical documen-
tation or other written information, 
but a self-identification approach,” 
Collins said.

Faculty members who are 65 and 

older or who have conditions iden-
tified by the CDC as high risk for 
severe illness will not be expected 
to teach unless they prefer to, Col-
lins added. Additionally, accom-
modations will be made for faculty 
members and GSIs who self-identi-
fy into a number of categories such 
as concerns for other household 
members, childcare availability or 
any other reasons that instructors 
may have a strong preference to 
teach remotely. 

“We believe that this approach 

will enable us to accomplish our 
commitment to offering a high 
quality slate of in-person offer-
ings for students who are on cam-
pus as well as a slate for those who 
are remote while incorporating 
instructor 
preference,” 
Collins 

said.

Faculty Senate discuss 
COVID-19, student culture 

KRISTINA ZHENG
Summer News Editor

Courtesy of Kristina Zheng

‘U’ alum victim of 
‘U’ alum victim of 
apparent homicide
apparent homicide

SARAH PAYNE

Summer News Editor

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

Former CSG President and Detroit City 

Council analyst found dead in Westland, Mich.

Town hall addresses 
housing, teaching and 

social life

