Daily Digest

August 9, 2020

Last Friday, WilmerHale released their report on the investigation of former University Provost Martin Philbert, which uncovered decades of allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against him, as well as numerous instances in which University administrators were made aware of allegations prior to when the investigation opened in January.

Following the release of the report, Daily staff reporter Julianna Morano talked to various students about the allegations and a âculture of silenceâ that surrounds victims of sexual misconduct on campus.

Dear subscribers,

Good evening,

Welcome to the August 9 edition of the Daily Digest. With the fall semester on the horizon, itâs important to buckle down and ensure that youâre keeping up to date with the most important news before returning to campus. We here at the Daily Digest have been working hard all summer to bring you the top stories each week, straight to your inbox.

This week, University of Michigan students respond to the WilmerHale report, the University announces a new COVID symptom-checker app and other measures preparing for the fall and University unions and study spaces set to reopen in the coming weeks.

2020 Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County primary election results

Following the Michigan Primary last Tuesday, many City Council incumbents were ousted as challengers swept the election.

Democrats Lisa Disch, Linh Song, Travis Radina, Jen Eyer and Erica Briggs won Ann Arbor City Council seats in the 1st through 5th Wards, respectively, beating incumbents. All City Council seats will be held by Democrats. All five winners were endorsed by Mayor Christopher Taylor, and these results will give him a council majority.

U announces COVID-19 symptom app, testing practices and more updates as it gears up for fall semester

On Monday morning, Martino Harmon, University vice president of student life, and University Medical Director Robert Ernst announced several updates for the fall semester.

The email included announcements regarding a new âWolverine Culture of Careâ to promote best practices as students return, a new symptom checker app that will be available to students and faculty, and the announcement that students must self-quarantine before returning to campus, regardless of plans to move into on or off-campus housing.

University unions and study centers begin phased reopening Monday Aug. 10

The University of Michigan announced Friday afternoon that the Michigan Union, Pierpont Commons, the Michigan League and the Detroit Center plan to reopen in the coming weeks. While the status of courses are forthcoming after the University announced plans in late June to welcome students back to campus, the reopening plans for these spaces include enhanced cleaning and safety protocols, including the University-wide mask mandate.

Susan Pile, senior director of Michigan Union and Auxiliary Services, emphasized the importance of continuing to follow protocols put in place for safety.

Students, faculty push for election day without classes

For several months, Wayne State University students and faculty have known they will have ample time to go to the polls on Election Day this November. The university announced Election Day as an campus-wide holiday in February and has since received praise from members of the Wayne State community. Recently, University of Michigan students have been active in trying to implement a similar policy in Ann Arbor.

The Daily staff reporter Sarah Payne talked to a variety of students who are looking to implement measures to ensure that students have the opportunity to participate in the election without active courses occurring on that day.