University of Michigan

This institution is a public research university in Ann Arbor organized into four main zones called North, Central, Medical, and South Campus, each covering several blocks and containing hundreds of buildings. Classrooms, laboratories, dormitories, sports facilities, and medical centers are distributed across these zones and linked by pathways, bus routes, and pedestrian bridges.

The institution began in 1817 under the name Catholepistemiad and moved to its current location in Ann Arbor twenty years later when Michigan became a state. It held its first commencement ceremony in 1845 after the campus settled and the earliest students completed their studies.

Daily campus life involves students moving between classrooms, while public events like concerts, talks, and football games draw crowds from Ann Arbor and beyond. The community treats the grounds as a shared space, with locals often walking through the campus or visiting its museums and libraries alongside students and faculty.

Visitors can walk freely through public pathways and explore several museums, galleries, and green spaces scattered across the grounds. A free campus shuttle connects the different zones, making it easier to move between locations without needing a car or detailed directions.

Since 1850, the institution has been governed by a board of regents elected directly by Michigan voters rather than appointed by the state government. This structure gives it an unusual degree of autonomy in decisions about finances, academic programs, and long-term planning.