About Us
Who We Are
CURIS (“cares” in Latin) is a student organization dedicated to promoting health throughout University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the greater Southeast Michigan community. Through partnerships with community-based organizations and research groups than span various fields of public health, students work on semester-long projects that are delivered to our community partners. Internally, we host various social, professional development, and networking events to encourage members to explore public health and find community.
What We Do
Projects
Every year, CURIS partners with various community-based organizations and research groups to work on semester-long projects. Past projects have included educational workshops, policy briefs, event planning, newsletters, and webinars. The organizations we work with change slightly from year to year, although we prioritize long-term partnerships whenever possible, and our projects differ depending on the needs of our partners and the capacity of CURIS.
Structure/Meetings
Starting at the end of September, CURIS meets weekly on Sundays from 5:30-7:00PM for our General Body Meetings (GBMs). The first half of the meeting will be a club-wide activity including guest speakers, public health-related exploration, or social activities, then students split into their committees for the second half of the meeting. Each committee works on the projects for one community partner throughout the year.
Professional Development
CURIS seeks to expose our members to the field of public health by facilitating speaker talks, volunteer opportunities, resume workshops, and networking opportunities. In the past, we have hosted professors working in global health and food insecurity, journalists, MPH Admission Officers, and CURIS alumni working in a variety of public health-related careers as speakers.
Socials
CURIS holds many opportunities to meet new people and connect with peers with common interests! With a membership of ~70 students, we hope students can bond with GBM activities and monthly coffee chats. We also host various club-wide social events throughout the year, such as movie watch parties, murder mysteries, our annual Easter egg hunt (which gets very competitive), and potlucks. We also ensure that each committee has their own bonding opportunity every semester.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Who can apply?
Any undergraduate University of Michigan student! You do not need to be a public health or health-related major – just interested in furthering community health and well-being! We are proud to have members studying everything from political science to biochemistry to sociology.
03
What is the time commitment for CURIS?
The time commitment varies on the week, but expect a minimum of 1.5 hours for our weekly General Body Meetings (GBMs). You will occasionally complete 1-3 hours of committee work and/or coffee chats during the week outside of GBMs. Keep in mind that we also host social, professional development, and networking opportunities throughout the year for our members to partake in outside of GBMs.
02
How often do you meet for General Body Meetings?
General Body Meetings (GBMs) occur weekly on Sundays from 5:30-7:00PM. Meetings are hosted in-person on Central Campus, often in the Chemistry building. To ensure we can deliver projects to our community partners, we expect regular attendance at GBMs.
04
What typically happens at General Body Meetings?
The first half of the meeting includes announcements and attendance, then a club-wide activity such as a guest speaker, public health-related opportunity, or social event. Students then split into their committees for the second half of the meeting to work on their projects, facilitated by their Committee Lead.
05
Are you recognized by the U-M School of Public Health?
Yes, CURIS is one of the many recognized public health organizations by the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. We are dedicated to understanding public health concerns and advocating for public health in the community through conversations, research, and collaboration with local organizations.
06
What does the application process look like?
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Attend an optional mass meeting and/or prospective member coffee chat.
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Complete our written application.
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Interview (invitation-only).
*We only recruit in the fall semester. Check out our application page for more details.
07
Do I have to reapply every year?
No, once you are a member of CURIS you remain a member year-in, year-out, provided you show yourself to be committed through regular GBM attendance and participation.
08
Why is there an application and recruitment process?
We want to make sure our members are passionate and driven to enact public health change. Working with local organizations means there is a continuous flow of work, and we want to ensure you will handle those responsibilities. Furthermore, we are looking to see if CURIS aligns with your academic and professional goals. We have a limited number of committees and member slots available, so we want to ensure we have members who are committed, dependable, and excel at collaborating with a team.
