October 24, 2025
Dear colleagues,
Early last spring, we shared with you the launch of the Future Project, a university-wide effort to thoughtfully explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in how we teach, what we teach, and how we work. We're pleased to share progress and next steps.
Over the last seven months, the Future Project team prioritized curiosity, exploration, and thoughtfulness as they sought to understand UM's obligation as an educational institution in light of emergent AIs.
Results
The Future Project team's work represents several steps along UM's ongoing path of collective, thoughtful inquiry:
Excerpt: UM will approach AI with integrity, urgency, and care. Our approach is anchored in the enduring values of higher education -- critical inquiry, intellectual rigor, transparency, and respect for human dignity. We are committed to ensuring that AI advances inclusive prosperity, expands access to opportunity, and strengthens both academic freedom and human creativity.
Draft Resources for Faculty, Staff and Students
- : A UM faculty and student-designed course to help everyone build the skills and insights they need to lead ethically and responsibly in an AI-integrated world;
- Teaching and Learning with AI: UM's guide to teaching in the age of generative AI;
- : A central hub for AI information, guidelines, and training, designed for all members of our campus community; and
- Amplify GenAI: UM is currently piloting our own generative AI platform that will support teaching, learning, research, and operations, as well as ensure equitable access to quality AI tools for our campus community.
Next Steps: Feedback
- The next phase of the Future Project effort is one of deep community engagement. Amy Ratto Parks, Associate Director of Academic Assessment and Faculty Support; Michael Cassens, Professor of Media Arts; and Zach Rossmiller, Chief Information Officer, will engage a variety of campus groups to surface ideas, concerns, and opportunities to inform UM's approach to AI.
- Please review the documents and websites linked above and provide your feedback to this team.
Next Steps: Learning
- . These conversations underscore AI's influence on every corner of campus, whether in the classroom, the lab, or administrative offices.
- On January 8, 2026, UM will host its second AI Symposium. This year's event will spotlight how UM colleagues are already applying AI in their teaching, research, and administrative work. It will provide a space to share lessons learned, highlight innovative practices and continue our collective dialogue on UM's leadership role in this moment of transformation.
We are proud of the thoughtful, forward-looking progress our campus has made. By working together, we are positioning UM not just to adapt to the future, but to help define it.
Sincerely,
Seth Bodnar, President
Adrea Lawrence, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs