SUBJECT: April 2026 Updates from the Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

As we finish out the end of the semester, I’d like to share a few important announcements and reminders that I hope you will find helpful.

I want to extend a huge thank you to all the faculty, staff, and students who supported the Spring Open House this past weekend. The event was a tremendous success, with strong attendance from admitted and prospective students and their families. The university truly showed its best in supporting this important initiative. Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Student Life, Student Success, Advising, Athletics, Experience+, the four colleges, and all academic departments were present and highly engaged throughout the event. Your collective efforts created a welcoming and vibrant experience that reflects the very best of our campus community.

Important Winter 2026 Dates

• National Student Employment Week: April 13 - 17
• Classes End: Tuesday, April 21
• Study Days: Wednesday, April 22 - Thursday, April 23
• Exams: Friday, April 24 & Monday, April 27 - Thursday, April 30
• Commencement: Saturday, May 2

Library Hours

• Tuesday, 4/21-Thursday, 4/23: 9am-Midnight 
• Friday, 4/24: 9am-9pm 
• Saturday, 4/25: 10am-6pm
• Sunday, 4/26: Noon-Midnight
• Monday, 4/27-Wednesday, 4/29: 9am-Midnight

The library is closed Sunday, May 3rd, and with reduced hours Monday and Tuesday, 5/4 to 5/5. The regular schedule resumes on Wednesday, May 6th.

Transfer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research 

Experience+ is excited to invite you to participate in TOUR: Transfer Opportunities for Undergraduate Research, a new one-year, paid research program that connects incoming high-achieving transfer students with faculty mentors for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027. TOUR students will engage in professional development sessions throughout the year, social activities, and career and graduate school exploration under the guidance of EXP+ who will administer and monitor the program so that faculty and students can focus on research.  Please submit a faculty application by May 8th or attend the virtual faculty information session on April 23: RSVP here

Inclusive History Project (IHP) Co-director

The Inclusive History Project is seeking a co-director of research to help lead the historical research activities of the IHP on the Dearborn campus and contribute to efforts to engage the Dearborn campus and neighboring communities in the IHP. 

The position is open to tenured and tenure-track faculty members at the University of Michigan-Dearborn who have deep expertise in historical research. It is a one-year administrative appointment at 0.50 FTE with a desired start date of September 2026 and the potential for renewal.Applications are due by May 5, 2026. Questions about the position may be directed to Jenni Brady, [email protected]. 

Final Exam Survey

As a recent email shared, a team of faculty from each college alongside a number of staff have been working together recently, reviewing our current scheduled final exam period (3 hours per course) to ensure it meets faculty and student needs, while aligning with pedagogy, well-being, and peer institution practice. As part of that process, the team has developed a survey to gather faculty feedback to best understand faculty needs and how faculty currently use the final exam time block. Your participation is extremely important in helping inform this group! The survey will take about 3 - 5 minutes. Kindly complete the survey to provide your feedback.

Commencement

UM-Dearborn Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 2nd inside the Fieldhouse. The schedule is as follows:

• 9:00am ceremony celebrating undergraduate students from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) and the College of Business (COB).
• 1:00pm ceremony celebrating undergraduate students from the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS).
• 5:00pm ceremony celebrating doctoral and graduate students from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL), College of Business (COB), College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS).

Orientation Dates for Summer

Orientation will kick off for new students on Tuesday, June 2nd, and over 14 sessions will be held on select Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer. Please give a big welcome if you see our prospective students on campus!

As we approach the end of the semester, I want to wish everyone a productive and successful finish to the academic year. This is a busy and exciting time filled with end-of-year festivities, celebrations, and award ceremonies that recognize the hard work and achievements of our students. Wishing you all the best as you wrap up the semester and take part in these well-deserved celebrations. 

Respectfully, 

Ghassan Kridli 
Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs