WSU Professor and Chair Rayman Mohamed elected president of prestigious national planning association
Rayman Mohamed, Chair of Wayne State University's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, has been elected president of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), positioning WSU at the forefront of urban planning education.
The ACSP is a consortium of more than 100 university departments and programs that offer city or urban planning degrees as well as programs that offer degrees affiliated with planning.
Mohamed's path to the ACSP presidency began with simply volunteering for the association. He began as a co-chair for the land use track at the national conference and eventually became the association's national conference chair.
In addition to addressing immediate challenges, Mohamed hopes to implement several forward-thinking initiatives, including increased attention to undergraduate education.
"It's important to diversify the planning profession because — while we are an exception at Wayne State — the master’s student body in urban planning is not diverse. Undergrad planning graduates are more representative of the communities we serve, they do great work in their communities, and it is a potential growth area for planning programs." With this in mind, the association's governing board approved the formation of a task force to help guide member schools on the future of undergraduate planning education.
According to Mohamed, the association has never had a strategic plan, but the ambitions of the association, interests of its membership, and the need to build a stable financial future suggest the need for one. The strategic plan will also aim to integrate the recommendations of a task force on antiracism within the association and to be recognized by the federal government as a STEM field.
Another significant initiative is the launch of an online guide to planning schools, providing prospective students with comprehensive information. In the second year of his presidency, Dr. Mohamed plans to explore the delivery of master's education, seeking a balance between online and in-person programs.
Challenges include balancing the association's budget. "I am supervising a process of cutting expenditures," Mohamed said. "We are working with the Governing Board to return the Association to a firm financial footing in two to three years." It has also become apparent that schools in southern states are feeling left out of the association, and Mohamed has set up a task force to address their concerns.
Mohamed attributed his preparedness for the national leadership role to his experiences at Wayne State. "I'm surrounded by colleagues who ask tough questions and are laser-focused on making our students the best planners in the nation," he said. "Our grads are everywhere - leading Detroit institutions, staffing local governments across Southeast Michigan, and driving change in nonprofits and the private sector. My interactions with each group have provided the best preparation I could have hoped for."