Client Opportunities
Offering organizations from all sectors opportunities to benefit from students' developing skill sets through client-based courses and programs
Visit the official UMSI website for the most up-to-date information on client based courses
Information on the site you are currently visiting is no longer being updated as of Summer 2021
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Becoming a Client
Q: What's the timeline for submitting a project proposal and becoming a client?
Opportunities are available to clients in both the Fall and Winter terms.
Though individual courses and programs may have slightly different or additional milestone dates, the courses generally adhere to one of the following schedules:
Fall term projects
June–August
Submit project idea(s)
Project ideas are reviewed by UMSI staff and full project proposal is requested
Submit project proposal
Proposals are further scoped and refined in collaboration with UMSI staff
September
Clients projects are presented to students in class
Clients are informed if students have selected their project
September–November
Students engage in projects with clients.
December
Students finish projects and provide deliverables to clients
Clients submit evaluation to UMSI
Winter term projects
June–December
Submit project idea(s)
Project ideas are reviewed by UMSI staff and full project proposal is requested
Submit project proposal
Proposals are further scoped and refined in collaboration with UMSI staff
January
Clients projects are presented to students in class
Clients are informed if students have selected their project
January–March
Students engage in projects with clients.
April
Students finish projects and provide deliverables to clients
Clients submit evaluations to UMSI
Students may present at Exposition
Q: What are some examples of projects?
Our client-based courses and programs fall into several areas that allow our students to tackle a variety of information-related challenges.
Each page of this website includes example projects for clients to review and we encourage you to explore these descriptions.
Here are some examples of projects for quick reference:
SI 487: User Experience Final Project:
Check out this video & this video for completed project deliverables.
Explore these final presentations: Mercy Education Project Website Redesign , TOTAGO: Turn Off the App, Go Outside, and BSI Capstone: ITS Michigan App Team
SI 485: Information Analytics Project:
Explore these final presentations: Office of Enrollment Management Data Analysis and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Broadcast Impression Data Analysis
Design Clinic:
Check out this final project: FoodFinder: Connecting People to Food Resources
Broad Overview
For a broad overview, visit our student project exposition website at umsi.info/exposition or the Exposition program linked here
Q: Do you allow projects that require non-disclosure (NDA), intellectual property (IP), or other confidentiality agreements?
It is preferred that there are no non-disclosure, intellectual property, or data disclosure agreements used when working with students.
However, if your organization requires one, we highly recommend using the University of Michigan School of Information’s approved Non-Disclosure Agreement.
Two versions are offered, one of which includes a statement on Intellectual Property ownership. These agreements have been drafted to ensure the necessary confidentiality but also allow for faculty instruction and guidance at the level needed for the best outcomes for client engagement.
Student - Company Non-Disclosure Agreement (NO Intellectual Property) umsi.info/NDA
Student - Company Non-Disclosure Agreement (with Intellectual Property) umsi.info/NDA-IP
If your organization requires changes to this agreement or your own agreement, contact umsi.client.engagement@umich.edu as soon as possible.
Being a Client
Post-Project
Q: What is expected of clients?
A few things you can to do ensure project success are:
Provide reliable project contacts. Clients must supply UMSI with two contacts per project who can be reached at any time by the Client Engagement Team, students, or faculty members.
Providing timely access to data/systems if applicable to project
Commit to regular communication with students. Regular communication is integral to success, and may include regular meetings or regular requests for feedback.
Share feedback with UMSI. Share feedback throughout the semester if needed, and via our evaluation form at the end of the term.
Individual courses may have specific client expectations.
Q: Do students get hired based on client engagement through client-based courses and programs?
Some clients who work with students on a project through a client-based course or program go on to offer students internships or employment.
Many clients go on to hire students they worked with on a project in one of our client-based courses and programs as interns, or offer them full-time employment after the student’s complete their degrees.
Neither the Client Engagement Team nor the instructional teams facilitate internships or employment opportunities between students and clients, but clients who wish to recruit students beyond client-based course involvement are welcome to discuss these possibilities directly with students or with our Career Development Office.
Please visit our internship website if you’re interested in hiring a UMSI student intern.
Project Proposal Process
Thank you again for your interest in working with UMSI students. If you have received a proposal form from us, please review the following information on next steps.
Your next steps:
Visit our homepage and navigate through course pages to review course requirements, client expectations and examples of past projects.
Review the information below
Complete the proposal form sent via email from umsi.client.engagement@umich.edu
What to expect from us:
The Client Engagement Team will confirm receipt of your proposal within one week and send you a copy of what you submitted.
The Client Engagement Team will review your proposal to determine if it meets the requirements for the course. One of our project consultants will likely contact you to further scope and clarify the project.
You will be notified by the end of August (for fall semester courses) or by the end of November (for winter semester courses) if your project has been selected by the faculty member to present to students and may be asked to fill out a second form to confirm aspects of your project.
If your project is presented to students, you will be notified in September (for fall semester courses) or January (for winter semester courses) as to whether students have selected your project.
NOTE: Not all projects submitted will be selected by the faculty member and/or the students. If you ever have questions about the status of your proposal please contact us.
Client expectations:
Project contacts. Clients must supply UMSI with two contacts per project who can be reached at any time by the Client Engagement Team, students, or faculty member.
Access. This will vary by course, but clients must commit to providing access to the systems, users, or data students will need to complete successful coursework..
Commit to regular communication with students. Regular communication is a key to success and may come in the form of a regular meeting, or regular requests for feedback.
Share feedback with UMSI. Share feedback throughout the semester if needed, and via our evaluation form at the end of the term.
Individual courses are likely to have specific client expectations.
Tips for your proposal:
The following guidelines will help you as you craft your proposal:
Read the course descriptions to get a better idea of what the students can do. This can help you determine how you should frame your project in a way that will appeal to the faculty and the students.
As you describe your project, focus as much as possible on the specific challenges the project is meant to tackle. Have you received feedback that the database is difficult to navigate? Are your users not taking advantage of the full potential of the search functions?
Try to be as succinct as possible. Much of the scoping for your project will be done with students; at this stage, we're interested in understanding your project at a high level to determine if your needs overlap with students' abilities and course requirements.
If you think the project idea you have already submitted would be better served by a different course or program, we are happy to discuss this further.
About UMSI
The University of Michigan School of Information was chartered in 1996 as a new school within the University with the mission to conduct research in, and to teach about, topics at the intersection of people, information, and technology; its roots trace back to 1926 as a library science department. Our award-winning faculty have training in computer science, library science, business, psychology, economics, education, history, and other fields, and they investigate topics ranging from digitization of archival documents to relationships on social media, from data analysis using machine intelligence to the economics of information. The school comprises about 50 faculty, 50 staff, 60 PhD students, 400 professional master’s degree students and 150 bachelor’s degree students.