Thanks so much for joining us this afternoon, for our final meeting of 2024.

It is thanks to all of you that we’ve had such an accomplished semester, and such a fantastic year together.

Since this is his last meeting with us as regent, I’d like to begin by offering my special thanks to Ron Weiser for his friendship and leadership, as well as his deep commitment and great generosity to the university.

Ron, thank you again, and I look forward to our formal recognition of you in a few minutes.

I would also like to thank Samar and Puja Kaul, who recently committed $3 million to establish a directorship at the Michigan Institute for Computational Science and Engineering.

Their gift will empower us to connect as we never have before, and strengthen our leadership in this critical field.

We have also taken an important step forward in our leadership in AI and high performance computing, especially in our capabilities in science, energy and national security.

Earlier today we announced a new partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop a state-of-the-art facility for high performance computing and AI research which will strengthen our research capabilities, open incredible new opportunities for our students, staff and faculty, create high paying jobs in Michigan, and invigorate the state’s place in the growing AI ecosystem and the flourishing information economy.

I’d especially like to thank Ravi Pendse and Skip Lupia and the members of their teams for their incredible work in establishing this partnership.

I’m also proud to note that U of M was recently ranked as one of the top ten schools in the world for interdisciplinary science according to Times Higher Education.

We were also recently named the top public university for studying abroad, and the number two university in the nation overall, according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education.

And in this theme year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment and Global Engagement, I was pleased to see that we had such a fantastic turnout at our two Campus Voting Hubs.

Nearly 15,000 voters exercised their right to vote at the U of M Museum of Art and the Duderstadt Gallery, a three-fold increase from 2022.

For the past several years, we’ve been so fortunate to have the outstanding leadership of Martino Harmon in Student Life.

That is why I am so proud to announce today that Vice President Harmon is being reappointed for a five-year term. 

During his tenure, Martino has inspired and led a new holistic approach to addressing student health and well-being across the university through the formation of our Well-being Collective, the signing of the Okanagan Charter for health-promoting universities, and increased access to student mental health resources.

Those include CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services), teletherapy, University Health Services, Wolverine Wellness and support in the Dean of Students Office. 

Martino also led the launch of a new Sustainability unit (Student Life Sustainability), which supports multiple student organizations focused on advancing sustainability and the university’s carbon neutrality goals.

In addition, he spearheaded approval and construction of three major capital projects totaling more than $800 million to significantly enhance the student experience while emphasizing sustainability and student wellness.

Those projects include the Central Campus Residential Development, the Hadley Family Recreation & Well-Being Center, and the Edward and Rosalie Ginsberg Building.

As important as his many efforts on behalf of our students, Martino has also expanded an engagement program for parents and family members to include virtual workshops, electronic newsletters, a new parent/family communications portal, and additional on-campus programming.

So thank you, Martino, for all that you do. Please join me in congratulating him.

I am also pleased to announce today that we are extending the contract of our incredible Athletic Director, Warde Manuel.

Over the past five years (2020-24), our athletic department has won 52 Big Ten Championships across all sports. The next closest conference competitor is Ohio State with 28 league titles.

Our football program won the 2023 National Championship and for the first time in school history won three straight outright Big Ten Championships. Last week, we also beat Ohio State for the fourth consecutive time.

During Warde’s tenure as director, athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees.

Our tradition of victory on the field is matched by our achievements in the classroom – this past June a record of 243 U of M student athletes were named to the 2024 Academic All-Big Ten team.

In addition, Warde is a member of the College Football Playoff Selection committee and currently represents our institution and the Big Ten as the chairman of the group.

And next week, Warde will receive the National Football Foundation’s 2024 John L. Toner Award as the top athletic director in the country.

Warde, thank you for your ongoing commitment to U of M – to our achievements, our victories and our championships – and to the laurels we will win in the seasons ahead. Please join me in congratulating him!

Finally, I am delighted to announce that we are expanding the University of Michigan Go Blue Guarantee.  We are making this announcement now so that as students consider their decisions for next fall, they will know that the University of Michigan is doing everything we can to ensure every in-state student who is admitted can attend.

Beginning next fall, eligible incoming and returning full-time, in-state students whose families have annual incomes up to $125,000 and assets up to $125,000, will qualify for this incredible opportunity. This is a sizable and transformative increase over our current income thresholds of $75,000 for the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses and $65,000 for the Flint campus.

This expansion will enable nearly 2,200 additional in-state, current undergraduate students to qualify for tuition-free education at our Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses.

And it will mean that by next fall, more than 10,000 students will have received the full-tuition guarantee since the initiative began.

We’re so pleased by this moment, and we’re so looking forward to the opportunities it will provide to students and families from all across the state – outstanding individuals who will find a University of Michigan education is within their grasp – and then who will go on to exceed their dreams.

Thank you to the Regents for your leadership and support of this transformational effort that will support an inclusive and equitable environment at each of our campuses.

Thank you again for joining us today. As we go to our business for this meeting, I’d like to wish all of you a safe and joyous holiday season, a season full of light and memories.