September 12, 2022

Dear Faculty, Students, and Staff,

Welcome to week three of the 2022-23 academic year!  The start of the school year is an exciting time full of fresh perspectives and new opportunities.   We can now take full advantage of all the university and Ann Arbor offer.  What opportunities will you embrace?  What impact will you have on our world? Whether you are a new first year student, a recently promoted faculty member, or an experienced staff member, we can all individually and collectively, make a difference in our world.  And here at the University of Michigan we have lots of possibilities to do so.

Immerse yourself in all our campus has to offer:

Be a civic minded citizen. Vote.  Be informed about the topics we will vote on and/or help others become informed.  Expressing our opinions through voting can lead to empowerment and positive change. UMMA will be offering an opportunity to register and vote on campus!

Generate new knowledge.  This is what research universities do so well. Experience the joy that comes from expanding what we know.  Our faculty and researchers do this every day. New students may want to embrace this engaging opportunity.

Create a piece of art or admire one. Art can turn heads, make people think, inspire others to act, bring joy and calm tensions.  It’s all around you on campus and in our galleries.

Move.  Go for a hike in the arboretum, play tennis, lift weights, meditate.  Nourish your body and your mind will thrive.

Be a sponge. On a campus as broad and deep as ours, the opportunities to learn are endless.  Focus on an area you want to excel at and learn as much as you can.  Education can change the world.

Embrace change. Express your gratitude to our beloved two-time president Mary Sue Coleman and welcome our new president Santa Ono who is eager to join us in October.

Respect others. Participate in the campus DEI Summit, and in all you do this fall term – be kind, compassionate and respectful to others.

We have the good fortune of coming together to study and work and immerse ourselves in the life of the university.  We get to interact with interesting people and expand our knowledge and experiences. I hope you will take advantage of all that the University of Michigan offers you. I wish you a successful, exciting year.  You are an important part of what makes this university so amazing.

Sincerely,

Laurie K. McCauley
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor