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U-M Year in Review

Choosing the top moments from 2017 isn’t easy, but we’ll give it the old college try.

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Choosing the top moments from 2017 isn’t easy, considering the celebration of the University’s bicentennial, record-breaking enrollment numbers, excellence in academic rankings, and other notable news. But we’ll give it the old college try and summarize the past year as our beloved alma mater moves into its third century.

The University’s bicentennial year kicks off. Throughout 2017, U-M and individual schools, colleges, and units organized a range of activities, from a [series of colloquia] and “True Blue! A Tribute to Michigan” (which brought many notable alumni to campus for a live, multimedia performance) to the UMich200 Fall Festival during homecoming week. — Jan. 1: The University’s bicentennial year kicks off. Throughout 2017, U-M and individual schools, colleges, and units organized a range of activities, from a series of colloquia and “True Blue! A Tribute to Michigan” (which brought many notable alumni to campus for a live, multimedia performance) to the UMich200 Fall Festival during homecoming week.

March 12: The men’s basketball team wins the Big Ten Championship, defeating Wisconsin, 71-56. It’s the first time the team has won the title since the 1997-98 season. On April 1, the women’s basketball team brought home its first-ever post-season championship by defeating Georgia Tech, 89-79, in triple overtime at the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

U M — March 31: The University offers the first in a series of “teach-outs” for online learners. The teach-outs are modeled after the historic U-M teach-ins, which started in 1965 in response to military action in Vietnam. Initial teach-out topics include authoritarian rule and fake news. Organized by the Office of Academic Innovation, the series continues into 2018.

April 10: U-M Professor Heather Ann Thompson wins the Pulitzer Prize for History for her book “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy” (Pantheon, 2016). It’s just one of many faculty recognitions during the year, including Guggenheim Fellowships for Adela Pinch and Paolo Squatriti and MacArthur Fellowships (aka “genius grants”) for Jason De Leon and Derek Peterson.

June 8: U-M maintains its ranking as the top U.S. public university, according to the QS World University Rankings for 2017-18. The ranking includes 959 universities in 84 countries and takes six factors into consideration. It is just one of many rankings that recognize the University’s academic excellence.

U-M announces a new financial aid program for in-state students that offers a "Go Blue Guarantee" of free tuition for up to four years for students with family income of up to $65,000. The new program—which includes families earning up to what is roughly the state's median income—will launch Jan. 1, 2018. — June 15: U-M announces a new financial aid program for in-state students that offers a “Go Blue Guarantee” of free tuition for up to four years for students with family income of up to $65,000. The new program—which includes families earning up to what is roughly the state’s median income—will launch Jan. 1, 2018.

July 8: Matthew VanBesien becomes the seventh president of the University Musical Society (UMS) as Kenneth Fischer retires after 30 years. VanBesien formerly served as president of the New York Philharmonic. Speaking of which, the orchestra completed its residency in Ann Arbor in November, which included master classes, workshops, and public concerts.

Sept. 1: Martin Philbert assumes the position of provost at U-M, succeeding Martha Pollack, who left earlier in the year to become president of Cornell University. Formerly the dean of the School of Public Health, Philbert is the chief academic officer and chief budgetary officer of the Ann Arbor campus in his new role.

Photo Services — Sept. 5: Fall classes start with 46,002 students enrolled, an increase of 2.9 percent over fall 2016. That number included a freshman class of 6,847. The number of applicants for the fall 2017 freshman class was 59,886, an all-time high.

U-M officially names the rink inside Yost Ice Arena after Red Berenson, who retired after 33 seasons as head coach of the ice hockey team. The Red Berenson Rink will be formally dedicated Jan. 5, when the Wolverines host Notre Dame. — Oct. 19: U-M officially names the rink inside Yost Ice Arena after Red Berenson, who retired after 33 seasons as head coach of the ice hockey team. The Red Berenson Rink will be formally dedicated Jan. 5, 2018, when the Wolverines host Notre Dame.

Nov. 8: The University breaks ground for the new Trotter Multicultural Center on State Street. The $10 million building will serve as a new home to the center, which is currently located on Washtenaw Avenue.

Dec. 31: The U-M Museum of Natural History will celebrate its last night in the Ruthven Museum Building with a special event. The museum will reopen in 2019 following a move to the new Biological Science Building, currently under construction next door.

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