Student Life

Jain Industry Partnerships Program

The Jain Industry Partnerships Program is a pilot program to introduce Stamps students to creative careers and creative possibilities in sectors they may not have considered (corporate, government, etc.). This program is made possible by a generous donation from Anurag Jain, MBA ‘95.

While any Stamps student may apply for the pilot program, first- and second-year students will be given preference. The program consists of:

Six lectures or workshops in the Winter 2024 semester
Individual mentoring with corporate employees in participating organizations (monthly minimum)

You must apply and be accepted into the program. Please note that all of the time commitments are on Friday afternoons in the Winter 2024 semester, so selected students may not schedule a class at that time.

December 6, 2024: Mandatory orientation to the program
Additional Winter 2025 dates will be added soon; lecture and workshop topics are currently under consideration.

Please note that in addition to the selected students for the program, all students are welcome to attend the larger lectures. Only selected students for the program will attend the workshops due to space constraints.

How to Apply

The application will open from August 26 to October 6, 2024. Selected students will be notified by an announcement in mid-October 2024. We anticipate about 20 to 30 students will be selected for this year’s cohort.

Benefits for Students

Connect with recruiters, current professionals, and industry leaders in corporate and other sectors.
Acquire skills and knowledge about careers and pathways in the corporate and other sectors that they may not otherwise know about.
The opportunity to network with, and connect with, mentors who can guide them and prepare them for positions in their industry.

Participating Industry Partners

New partners for the 2024-25 cycle will be added soon; you can view a list of our 2023-24 partners here.

Faculty Champion

The program will be run by Stamps Faculty Champion Seder Burns, who will assist in running workshops and lectures and coordinate with Stamps faculty and participating organizations.

For any questions, please contact [email protected].

Stamps Student Professional Development Grant

Description: The Stamps Professional Development Grant is available for Stamps undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking financial support to expand their creative portfolio, contributing to their growth as an artist or designer. This grant supports the development of skills, knowledge, and frameworks that artists and designers need to advance professionally. Examples of approved grant requests involve attending conferences or workshops, or to help with exhibition-related expenses outside of Stamps. Professional development funds cannot be used for costs associated with meeting the requirements of a degree program. Grants typically do not exceed more than $250 per applicant.

To request funding, please complete this form.

Eligibility Criteria:

Any currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student at the Stamps School of Art & Design
Any currently active student organization registered and in good standing through the Stamps School of Art & Design and the Center for Campus Involvement
Professional Development requests have to meet the standards set by the Student Life unit at Stamps which reads as follows - Attending conferences or workshops, or to help with exhibition-related expenses
The professional development opportunity, for which the funds are being requested, has to be completed prior to the student's graduation date
Funding is only provided once per academic year per applicant

Preparing for Application Process:

It is recommended that you connect with Stamps Lecturers Ali Shapiro and Jennifer Metsker to receive guidance on how to best write a grant submission and answer the application questions: learn more and book an appointment for a writing consultation here.

Application Process:

Review eligibility criteria
Submit an application by completing the application form. Questions within the application process include:
- Applicant or student organization contact information
- If applying as an organization - org name, shortcode, and project grant (for student organizations)
- What professional development opportunity are you looking to fund?
- How does this professional development contribute to your professional development as a creative?
- What is the anticipated completion date of the initiative?
- How much are you requesting? You will be expected to upload a forecasted expense budget.
- Adherence to grant expectations
Funding decision will be communicated to you via email

Grant recipients are expected to:

Applications must contain a detailed budget with anticipated expenses for the professional development
Provide any pertinent updates/changes to the Stamps Student Life staff ([email protected]) about the initiative (i.e. change of date, time, or location; no longer needing the professional development grant; etc…)
Acknowledge the support of the Stamps School of Art & Design on promotional platforms/materials (as applicable)
Provide any expense receipts after the professional development opportunity is completed (as applicable)
Complete the Stamps Professional Development Grant Recipient Survey. As part of this survey, recipients will provide a thank you letter to the donor(s) responsible for supporting the Stamps Professional Development Grant

Failure to meet these requirements may result in the termination of the funding agreement.

Funds cannot be used for:

Costs associated with meeting the requirements of a degree program
Costs associated with Stamps hallmark events and exhibitions such as the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, Stamps Senior Exhibition, etc
Costs associated with classes/courses outside of the Stamps School
Opportunities that do not comply with the law and/or institutional policies
Funds cannot be used to directly benefit charity, fundraising efforts, or profit-making initiatives
Alcoholic beverages and other drugs
Funding cannot be used to support internships. Please refer to the Funding Support for Internships section

For any questions regarding the Stamps Professional Development Grant, please email [email protected].

Stamps Student Professional Development Grant: Application Form

Stamps Welcome Leaders

Stamps Welcome Leaders is a cohort-based peer-to-peer program connecting returning undergraduate students with first-year and transfer undergraduate students. The goal is to increase a sense of connection, engagement, and community within the Stamps undergraduate community. This is accomplished through peer-to-peer group interactions guided by Stamps Welcome Leaders (returning Stamps students) who are trained to deliver intentional points of contact and programmatic efforts to first-year Stampers, including transfer students.

Stamps Welcome Leaders aims to engage incoming new students in a hybrid format. Once on campus at the beginning of the fall semester, Stamps Welcome Leaders have the responsibility to engage their respective cohorts of students with regular in-person and virtual check-ins throughout the first month of school while connecting new students to campus resources conducive to students’ transitioning to college.

Recruitment and Application Process

Stamps Welcome Leaders are responsible for creating and maintaining connection and community within their cluster's participants. Throughout the first month of the fall semester, Stamps Welcome Leaders engage new students through various modalities by acquainting, referring, and educating new students to U-M and Stamps resources and campus culture. The selection and training of student welcome leaders will take place at the beginning of each fall semester and weekly check-ins with the group of welcome leaders will be conducted. Being a Stamps Welcome Leader is a paid opportunity.

Student Advisory Board

The Student Advisory Board (SAB) provides input and support that advances the work of the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. Board members will provide input on programs, initiatives, and direction of the School, in addition to, engaging in discussions on new and existing initiatives at Stamps.

Consulting with the Board

The Student Advisory Board is available to provide feedback and input on student-facing services and initiatives, and Stamps faculty and staff are invited to propose topics of discussion for monthly SAB meetings. To make a request, please complete this Google Form prior to the Friday preceding your anticipated visit: Student Life staff will confirm your visit by email.

Composition & Commitment

The SAB is composed of 8-10 undergraduate student leaders representing diverse identities and experiences. Members are selected through an application process in the Winter term prior to their term serving on the board. The SAB is heavily comprised of students who may not already serve in student leadership roles on campus. Student members are expected to make a minimum of one academic year commitment and attend monthly SAB meetings in addition to the orientation session in August or September. Board members cannot serve more than two terms. Additional eligibility to the Student Advisory Board includes:

Members will maintain a 3.0 or above GPA and good academic standing.
Members will adhere to the U-M Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities and other policies set by the University.
Members must attend and actively participate at monthly in-person board discussions. Future meeting location and dates will be made available once selection process is complete.

Violations of the above commitments may result in a review of membership and possible cancellation of membership.

Board members responsibilities include:

Provide feedback and input on Stamps-related services and initiatives that are student-facing with goals of improvement.
Share insights on current topics, trends, and needs that Stamps students are experiencing during the academic year.
Offer exhibition and programs related advice aiming to cultivate a sense of belonging for students at the Gallery.
Advise on the process of fostering, developing, and sustaining student programs benefiting artists and designers.
Provide a collective end-of-year impact summary and presentation reflecting the board’s achievements.

Membership Benefits

Being a SAB member is a vital, visible and high-impact role that elevates student voices, opinions, and needs. There are several benefits to being a member of the Stamps SAB:

Influence the direction of the Stamps School mission and objectives through interactions with Stamps leadership, including initiatives that resonate with and are important to you.
Gain valuable skills including advocacy, decision-making, networking, critical thinking, and leadership.
Gain experience providing feedback and working in collaboration with other students as well as University staff with a variety of educational and occupational backgrounds.

Application Process

Applications for the 2024-2025 board will open in spring 2024 - check back for additional details.

Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Student Emergency Fund

The Stamps School of Art & Design’s Student Emergency Fund is intended to help meet financial needs of Stamps students who encounter an emergency situation or one-time, unusual, or unforeseen expenses during their degree program (award amount will vary, typically up to $2,500). This scholarship is not intended to supplement a student's financial aid package and cannot be awarded beyond what a student’s aid package allows.

Situations eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:

Medical, dental, or mental health emergencies for the student.
Major accidents and events such as fire and natural disasters.
Expenses related to the loss of an immediate family member.

Challenges Related to COVID-19: Requests due to COVID-19–related hardships, even those that fall outside of the categories listed above, are welcomed and will receive full consideration. Such requests will be evaluated individually and could include support for temporary housing needs, emergency travel, or issues related to the need to work off-site or inability to work for an extended period because of self-quarantine, self-isolation, or social distancing. We will be continually monitoring these criteria as the situation evolves.

Eligibility

Students are typically limited to one (1) Stamps Student Emergency Fund award during their undergraduate and graduate career.
Students must be currently enrolled full-time and pursuing a degree program at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design and maintain good academic standing.
For students who qualify for need-based financial aid, receipt of this award may reduce the original loan amount or subsidy.

Emergency Funding generally does not cover:

Expenses due to lack of financial planning
Outstanding debt (to the university or otherwise)
Tuition and other university fees
Legal fees and court costs
Technology Repair/Purchase

Application Process

Students can apply online and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Before applying for emergency funds, students are encouraged to speak to their advisors or program coordinator. These individuals may be able to help identify alternative and/or additional sources of financial assistance and/or provide useful advice. Students should also contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to submitting an application for help evaluating their individual circumstances and potential impact to financial aid.

Additional Information

Students who are experiencing financial difficulties that exceed the scope of this fund may request a meeting with an advisor or program coordinator to further explore the difficulties they are experiencing. Staff will be in touch with students to help address needs, concerns and to assist with campus referrals, as appropriate.

Apply online

Student Organizations

Interested in joining an existing student organization or in creating your own at U-M?

Browse the University’s Maize Pages for a complete list of student organizations.
Preview student organizations with particular relevance to art and design students on our site.
Use the links below to learn more about starting your own organization.

For more information, contact [email protected].