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