Greetings everyone,
I hope you are all having a wonderful March. It is incredible that we are less than a month away from the end of the 2024-2025 school year. This has been a monumental year for our colleagues. There have been successes, setbacks, challenges, and celebrations. But we have endured and even thrived because we have supported each other and our users no matter what. It makes me even prouder that this year, this group changed its name to re-emphasize our commitment to “community.”
We are the Michigan Technology Community, and we are ending this school year, as always, by putting the needs of our community at the forefront. (We also got to see our Wolverines beat Wisconsin to win the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title and make it to the Sweet Sixteen, which makes this March even sweeter.)
I want to acknowledge that there are a lot of rumors and anxiety about the impact that recent federal orders may have or will have on our community. I completely understand the concerns. This is a very ambiguous time, particularly for those who work in higher education. However, please know that, in the long term, we are going to be OK. We have faced challenges and adversity before, and we have always come through it together. In fact, in some cases, we have come out stronger because of it.
You may not always be able to see it directly, but hundreds of our university colleagues are working around the clock to make sure that the needs of our students, faculty, and staff are met and protected. I cannot predict what is going to come next or guarantee outcomes, but I do know that U-M remains a beloved institution with a huge amount of global support, and our community has a long reputation of fighting for our people. Please take some solace in that. We are all in this together.
Speaking of global support, did you see that U-M has received a record number of applications for the fall 2025 term? Over 115,000 prospective first-year and transfer students have already applied with Admissions. That is both an impressive number and a true validation of our institution. It shows that the value of a Michigan education is apparent to everyone.
I want to make everyone aware that U-M Information Assurance has seen an increase in online login thefts in recent weeks that has seriously impacted members of our community. Several U-M staff and students have had their paychecks and financial aid payments redirected to fraudulent bank accounts as a result of login theft.
You can visit our Safe Computing login theft page to learn what to watch for and how to protect yourself and U-M. You can also find out what to do if you think you are a victim of one of these scams. I want to thank everyone who works daily to protect our community from threats like this. Your work is vital and appreciated.
There is so much amazing work happening in the Michigan Technology Community right now involving AI. Recently, we produced a video called “I Use AI: How the University of Michigan is Using Artificial Intelligence,” and it features U-M students, faculty, and staff talking in their own words about how they “use AI” every day. I think it is a great overview of how many of our community members are innovating with AI technology, and I encourage you to watch it.
I hope you have a happy and safe March. Your ideas and perspectives help us continue building a strong and connected Michigan IT community, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time at rpendse@umich.edu. I would truly value hearing from you.
Take care of yourselves and look out for one another. Thank you for all the ways you make a difference at our university.
With gratitude,
Ravi
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Ravi Pendse PhD
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
University of Michigan
