Suehaila Amen, UM-D recruitment events coordinator and admissions counselor.

DEARBORN — In recent years, the administration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) has made greater strides to attract out-of-district students to accompany the campus’ new dormitory complex. 

But while the housing on campus has been a contributor to its all-time-high student enrollment rate— at 9,100 this year— the university is still driving an initiative to attract students from the local Muslim and Arab American community.

In 2013, the university hired local resident and community leader Suehaila Amen as a recruitment events coordinator and admissions counselor. 

Amen, a UM-D alumna, also sits on the board of directors for the Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC).

“I think it helps when you are addressing students from a community that you are involved in,” Amen said. “It gives them a level of comfort. Not only am I a familiar face, I’m someone who went to school here and I have an understanding of what it’s like to be active on campus and in the community. I speak to them like they are my very own brothers and sisters.” 

Amen spends the school year organizing  recruitment events and attending college fairs at schools with large Muslim and Arab populations, including Dearborn Public Schools’ three high schools and local charter schools. She’s also reached out to students in Hamtramck. 

“I highlight the programs that are offered and why students should chose UM-D,” Amen said. “From programming to quality education, there are different aspects of the university that set it apart from other academic institutions.”  

UM-D continues to be a staple college choice for the local Arab American community. The campus serves as a branch  to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and offers a majority of the same four year bachelor’s degrees. 

This year, Henry Ford College, located next door to UM-D, transformed from a community college to a four-year-degree college. Amen believes the shift will have minimal impact on UM-D. 

It remains a popular choice among the local community for several factors, outweighing  Henry Ford in name brand recognition and outweighing Wayne State University in location. Over the last decade, all three campuses have had their fair share of Arab American students. 

Amen with students at an Edsel Ford High School college fair.

“I remember initially I wanted to go to a four-year university and coming to a university in my backyard gave me comfort,” Amen said. “I could take classes at night and I could have somebody drop me off whenever I wanted. I didn’t have to be as concerned with parking or getting to and from class. I think a lot of students and families look for that and it becomes an ideal location.” 

UM-D hasn’t obtained specific data on the number of Arab students who attend or have attended the college, because they are not a classified minority.  However, the Alumni Department has been able to collect a list of more than 5,000 students based on last names. The administration believes there could be thousands more. 

An Arab presence on campus continues to thrive with prominent organizations such as the Arab Student Union (ASU), the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Students for Islamic Awareness (SIA) serving as a platform for hundreds of students annually. This year, the student government president-elect is a Muslim student with a headscarf, the first for the campus. 

Amen said that times have changed since her days as a student on campus, when it had a “commuter vibe.”  Students would attend class and go home directly afterwards. Now, there seems to be a much more vibrant campus life and Arab students are at the center of it. 

“We’ve seen a greater involvement from Arab and Muslim youths,” Amen added. “They understand the importance of providing awareness and understanding to the larger campus community on their culture and faith. As the political climate continues to change and policies come to the forefront, it’s good to see camaraderie between all groups on campus.” 

Amen said the community’s emphases on higher education is even evident at the local high schools as well. She said the majority of  young Muslim women are now focused on going to college as opposed to getting married at a young age. Amen is also an example of a Muslim woman who pursued that route. 

“Many end up losing their spouse and then they have no education to help themselves bounce back,” she said. “Young Muslim women are now realizing that getting a higher education degree would be a great benefit to their lives. People are taking notice that education is necessary. Knowing that you have a higher education degree to put yourself in the job market is comforting.”

She added that young Arab and Muslim women seem to be choosing a wide range of career paths, from nursing to engineering to pre-professional health.  

She recalled one memorable moment during recruitment, when several female students from Hamtramck High School burst into tears upon discovering that they had been accepted into UM-D. 

“Young women within the Muslim community are setting the bar higher for themselves and are pursuing four year degrees,” Amen said. “There are some bright young ladies in our communities. The fact that they are pushing the envelope with that stigma has really been eye opening for me.”