Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This project completed in July, 2019. This is an archive for informational purposes.

Why are we adding Microsoft 365 when we have G Suite?

U-M Google and U-M Box remain the recommended and fully-supported collaboration platforms at U-M. The university has re-negotiated our license with Microsoft to continue providing their service to campus. The new agreement includes Microsoft 365, an all-in-one Software as a Service (SaaS) offering that includes the Microsoft Office 365 suite and potentially other Microsoft cloud services. It provides additional collaboration tools for campus to use and is not replacing G Suite for Education (Gmail, Calendar, Drive).

Will all campuses get Microsoft 365 and who will have access?

Active students, faculty (including emeritus), staff, and eligible sponsored accounts on all academic campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint) will receive access to Microsoft 365. ITS is managing this implementation. Alumni, retirees, and others with no active university affiliation do not have access. For more information read FAQs About Office 365 After You Leave U-M and  Office 365 Accounts for People Who Leave U-M.

The Microsoft 365 service for Michigan Medicine will be managed separately to meet the organization’s regulatory, contractual, and security requirements. News and updates can be found on the HITS project page. The ITS-managed Microsoft 365 service for academic campuses is not permitted for Michigan Medicine business, education, patient care, or research use. Data or accounts created in Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive in the ITS-managed service cannot be migrated to the Michigan Medicine environment.

When will Microsoft 365 become available?

The target date for starting the rollout of MS 365 to all academic campuses is June 28. Users will no longer be able to log in to U-M Microsoft services beginning at 5 p.m. on June 28. Access to the new platform should be available starting July 1. (Michigan Medicine users will be under a different implementation timetable.)

Which Microsoft 365 products will be available?

The following applications are included in this implementation of Microsoft 365:

  • Office Suite
    • Both online and desktop versions, which include Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Onenote, OneDrive, Access (Windows only), and Publisher. 
    • Users can install Office on up to five PCs or Macs and five tablets (iPad, Windows, or Android). 
    • This implementation will not affect any installations of Office Professional installed locally. If someone has already installed the Office 365 Desktop Apps they will continue to function as they do today.
  • Sharepoint Online
  • Teams
  • To Do
  • Forms
  • Flow
  • Power Apps
  • Power BI Free
  • Planner
  • Delve
  • Minecraft Education Edition
What level of ongoing support will ITS provide for Microsoft 365?

U-M G Suite is U-M's recommended platform for collaboration. ITS will provide limited support for Microsoft 365. Additional resources can be found on the U-M Office 365 service site.

What will the impact be on users? Will they need to take any action?

As part of the implementation of Microsoft 365 to academic campuses, the ITS project team has been testing the migration process for various existing Microsoft tools and applications. However, due to limitations of Microsoft administrative and reporting functions, ITS discovered that it is unable to identify users or access the stored data for many existing campus Microsoft products. Because of this, ITS is restricted in its ability to contact impacted users directly or migrate their content.

See the User Impact and Data Migration page for details on user impacts, migration paths, and actions needed.

The project team is reaching out directly to campus users of OneDrive, SharePoint Online, Teams, Flows, Power Apps, and Power BI Free. ITS is currently unable to identify campus users of other existing Microsoft applications. ITS is also providing regular project updates to the Microsoft 365 Campus Advisory Group, Unit IT Representatives, and other campus IT and administrative stakeholders.

How do I log into U-M Microsoft Office 365?

Navigate to portal.office.com and click Sign In. Enter your [email protected] email address and then enter your UMICH password. 

Note:

  • The U-M Weblogin screen will not appear. Microsoft's login process is used instead. 
  • If you enabled DUO two-factor authentication, you will be prompted to use it. 
Can sensitive data be used with Microsoft 365?

Information Assurance has determined that Microsoft Office 365 at U-M may not be used with sensitive university data, with the exception of Student Education Records (regulated by FERPA). See the Microsoft Office 365 at U-M Sensitive Data Guide for details. For general information see Safely Use Sensitive Data in the Cloud.

Can individual units purchase additional offerings not included in U-M’s standard license?

Yes, after the new platform is live, ITS will have a process in place for purchasing add-on licenses. (The standard license assigned to faculty, students, and staff provides access to widely used products like Office 365.)

Who do I contact with other questions?

If you have questions that are not addressed here, contact the ITS Service Center. For information on and support for Office 365, visit the U-M Office 365 service site.