Student Groups
Agora Planning Journal
The Agora Planning Journal is a publication of student work from the Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Design and Real Estate Certificate Programs.
Alpha Rho Chi (APX)
Alpha Rho Chi (APX) is the national co-educational fraternity for students and professionals of architecture and the allied arts. The fraternity recognizes the importance of meeting today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities. The fraternity was founded with the objective "to organize and unite architecture students, the allied arts in the universities and colleges of America, and fraternity alumni, for educational and professional development purposes to promote the artistic, scientific, and practical proficiency of its membership and profession." Its members are committed to striving for excellence in serving all of those who have a stake in Alpha Rho Chi's success: our profession, universities, volunteers, members, and society. Michigan's chapter aims to increase its members' awareness of the various aspects of the profession and to increase students' contact with alums.
2022-2023 Officers
President: Kimberly Van Houten
Vice-President: Paul Balko
Scribe: Leah Altman
Clerk: Isabella Cirulis
American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is composed of a national office and member chapters from all of the architecture colleges in the United States and one in Canada. The purpose of AIAS is to organize architecture students and combine their efforts to advance the science and art of architecture. The mission of AIAS is to promote excellence in architectural education, training, and practice, and to foster an appreciation of architecture and related disciplines among all persons.
AIAS undertakes a variety of programs and services each year to achieve these goals by providing students with the opportunities to communicate and interact with each other about topics concerning education and professional design.
The main AIAS event of each academic year is "Forum." This event is a national convention held the week of Thanksgiving vacation in a host city. Representatives from every AIAS chapter in the United States are present for a week of education, lectures, sightseeing, and fun.
The Architecture Lobby
The Architecture Lobby University of Michigan chapter is an organization of architecture students, faculty, and practitioners interested in labor rights in the academy and professional practice, offering a platform to generate conversation and organize around labor issues in the field of architecture.
Leadership:
Student Co-Stewards: Shandra Bernath-Plaisted (shandra@umich.edu), Celia Olsen (ctolsen@umich.edu), Mitchell Deans (deansmi@umich.edu)
Faculty Steward: Daniel Jacobs (danielpj@umich.edu)
Outside website:
http://architecture-lobby.org/
Instagram handle:
@arch_lobby_michigan
Architectural Representative Committee (ARC)
ARC (Architectural Representative Committee) is an independent student advisory board that supports and encourages active participation in the architecture community at the University of Michigan.
The committee aims to inspire students in the architecture program to diversify, enrich, and strengthen all academic experiences by creating a recognizable channel through which they can express and act upon their academic, social, and global interests.
Have a question? Looking for a resource? Communicate with your classmates through Taubman College's Open Forum.
2022-2023 Officers
Co-Presidents: Tara Mehta and Zione Grosshuesch
- Email: arc.taubman@umich.edu
- Website: arctaubman.cargo.site/
- Instagram: @arc.taubman
Dimensions
Dimensions is the annual, student-produced journal of the Architecture Program that seeks to contribute to the critical discourse of architecture and architectural education by documenting the most compelling work produced by its students, faculty, fellows, and visiting lecturers.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity at the University of Michigan is committed to building simple, decent, and affordable housing for low-income families in our community and around the world. We strive to make a difference in the lives of those looking for a hand up, not a hand out.
Each Saturday, the UM Habitat for Humanity holds a Build Day at the Habitat house we are co-sponsoring. We also volunteer two Sundays a month at the Delonis Center Soup Kitchen. Anyone is welcome to volunteer for Build Days or Soup Kitchens.
While the UM Habitat for Humanity is known for many social and volunteer events throughout the year; the largest being "Sleep Out! on the Diag", which takes place in late March or early April. During this event, all are welcome to spend 24 hours on the Diag with Habitat for Humanity members; in order to spread awareness about homelessness and the need for inexpensive, decent housing. This event includes various activities and performances, and refreshments are provided.
Habitat for Humanity at the University of Michigan aims to connect students to their campus and community through construction-based service projects.
Initiative for Inclusive Design (IID)
The Initiative for Inclusive Design (IID) seeks to empower students to recognize and problematize the current limitations that contemporary design discipline/practice presents, and to encourage them to work and think progressively.
This independent student advisory board will:
- Initiate conversation among students and faculty regarding disability and design.
- Empower students to recognize and problematize the current limitations that contemporary design discipline/practice presents, and to encourage them to work and think progressively.
- Foster an open network of dialogue within the architecture program, respecting every voice.
- Diversify, strengthen, and expand students’ design skills through research, site visits, lectures, workshops, interdisciplinary design charrettes, and student-led projects.
Have a question? Looking for a resource? Contact taubmaniid@gmail.com, visit the IID website, or check them out on Facebook and Instagram: @initiativeforinclusivedesign
Matters of Urban Design Student Association (MUDSA)
MUDSA (Matters of Urban Design Student Association) is a student-led organization representing the Master of Urban Design student body at Taubman College. MUDSA provides a platform to engage in contemporary debates on urbanism and advance students' disciplinary and professional interests. Through public programming, social events and networking opportunities, we bring a focus on the agency of urban design in world-making.
We are committed to hosting fun and inspiring events and connect with initiatives of interest across campus. With members coming from China, India, Nigeria, Taiwan and the US, we aim to amplify opportunities for MUD students to shape their educational experience and gain a strong voice as they transition to the professional world.
- MUDSA website: ummud.org
- Email MUDSA: MUDSA.board@umich.edu
- Faculty Advisor: María Arquero de Alarcón (marquero@umich.edu)
Michigan Planners Network
Michigan Planners Network is a local chapter of an international network of students and professionals.
We believe that planning should be a tool for allocating resources and developing the environment to eliminate the great inequalities of wealth and power in our society. We believe that planning should be used to assure adequate food, clothing, housing, medical care, jobs, safe working conditions, and a healthful environment. We host networking events, discussions, and workshops. Visit our website to learn more!
michiganplannersnetwork.wordpress.com
Michigan Real Estate Club
The Michigan Real Estate Club is dedicated to enhancing and enriching the professional, academic, and personal experiences of its members and expanding real estate opportunities for the greater university community. They also provide a wealth of information for prospective students.
The current students in the Real Estate Family are a diverse group of business, law, public policy, urban planning, architecture, and natural resource students. This exceptionally talented group represents the progressive ideas that will combine to change the built environment that we live in. Whether you are a prospective student, current student, alumni, or corporate representative, the Michigan Real Estate Club is proud to introduce their organization and members to you.
National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS)
The National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) University of Michigan, as a mission, strives to build a strong foundation from which our organization can thrive. Through service and the contribution of time and other efforts from its dedicated members, we are building strong individuals and local chapter who eagerly seek out relationships with other chapters as well as members and mentors of NOMA the professional organization.
NOMAS attempts to create a community environment in which students feel comfortable as valuable members of the larger University of Michigan Architecture community. NOMAS acquires strength through grappling with issues and concerns that affect our college and community. We hope to make our presence felt throughout the college, given our immense interest in improving the climate and environment of the college within which we learn and work.
As NOMA, our parent professional organization contends "there is strength in numbers," we, too, hold this to be true, and thus we encourage our members as well as other individuals to raise their voices in asserting positive and effective change within the academic community and beyond.
NOMAS provides academic as well as non-academic support to its members, offering opportunities for peer project reviews in addition to reviews by professional architects and members of NOMA. Through this, students' design capabilities are cultivated, and they are given confidence and the assurance to continue pursuing a career in a field in which minorities are poorly represented. As an organization, we aspire to create a foundation from which strong, passionate leaders and designers can go forth and impact a positive change in our local community, as well as the larger community.
2022-2023 Officers
Co-Presidents: Vanesa Aguilar and Shravya Goteti
P+ARG
The Planning and Architecture Research Group (PARG) is an organization created by and for doctoral students at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Our main purpose is to enhance the social and academic experiences of research students in the college. We seek to foster a sense of community among planning and architecture students and to sustain an exchange of ideas within and between our disciplines, with a primary focus on issues related to the built environment. We organize forums and workshops for sharing research across disciplines as well as casual social events. We also use the group as a platform from which to approach administrators and outside groups with our aspirations and concerns as a student body. We are best known for our Emerging Voices speaker series, which has brought more than a dozen outstanding scholars to campus since its inception in 2009. We also organize a biennial doctoral student conference and student workshops.
Urban Planning Student Association (UPSA)
The Urban Planning Student Association works to enhance the educational, professional development, and social opportunities available to urban planning students at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. We plan a variety of fun and educational events throughout the semester. Events and board meetings are listed in the UPSA newsletter. If you're a student in the urban planning program (Master's or Ph.D.), you are automatically a UPSA member.
2022 UPSA Executive Board
- Co-Presidents: Kat Cameron + Luke Ranker
- Social Chairs: Marcia Garcia Reyna + Sam Limerick
- Expanded Horizons: Ellison Hersch + Aislinn O'Leary
- Academic Advisor: Larissa Larsen
Email UPSA: upsa-board@umich.edu
UPSA on Instagram
Email upsa-board@umich.edu to join the M.U.R.P. Slack channel.
