One UMICH Password

Say goodbye to using UMICH (Level-1) and Michigan Medicine (Level-2) passwords every day.

The Common Password project syncs your U-M passwords so two different passwords are no longer needed to complete daily work. The project will be implemented in the spring of 2023 in multiple phases. By mid-June, everyone will use their UMICH password to log in to all University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine resources.

One password will: 

  • Improve user experience and reduce frustration
  • Reduce password-related issues over time 
  • Increase security by helping to identify phishing attempts, implementing newer, best practice password requirements and eliminating annual resets, which research has shown lead to weaker passwords

Project Rollout

Password syncing opens in April, with HITS and IA syncing first. 

Overview of Change

This project will simplify your use of Michigan Medicine’s digital tools and resources. While Michigan Medicine (Level-2) accounts will continue to exist for authorization purposes, you will no longer need to remember two separate passwords - or be required to change your password annually. System accounts will continue to be managed as they are today.

A small group of Michigan Medicine community members will need to update their password to meet current complexity requirements, and will be notified by directly. 

FAQ

What’s the process to go from two passwords to one?

If you are a part of HITS or IA:MM, your passwords will be automatically synced and there is no action you need to take. Once the sync is complete, look for an email confirmation in your inbox. Until the sync is complete, you will be able to continue working using your Michigan Medicine (level-2) password. 

All other Michigan Medicine users will visit their Michigan Medicine User Profile page to go from two passwords to one. Starting in the spring of 2023, new functionality will allow you to sync your existing passwords. Once the sync is successful, you'll receive a confirmation and can use your UMICH password anytime you're asked to log in with your U-M uniqname and password.

What if my UMICH password doesn’t work following the sync?

If a password sync is unsuccessful, your Michigan Medicine (Level-2) password will continue to work on Michigan Medicine login pages. If you have an issue or question with syncing, you'll be able to submit a Help Center ticket to the project team. We'll share that link once it's available.

Troubleshooting: 

  • If your password sync is unsuccessful, your UMICH (Level-1) password may need to change to meet updated standards. Visit your Michigan Medicine User Profile Page to reset your UMICH password to a 15-character passphrase, no special characters required.

Who needs to reset their UMICH password in order to sync?

A small number of Michigan Medicine community members have UMICH (Level-1) passwords that were last updated prior to 2013, whose passwords do not meet updated standards. If you are part of this group you will be notified directly that a password reset is needed. You will be unable to sync your passwords until your UMICH (level-1) password is updated.

How do I reset my password? What are the current requirements?

Reset your UMICH (Level-1) password from your Michigan Medicine User Profile Page.

UMICH Password requirements:

  • Must be 15 characters or longer
  • Will be dynamically assessed for strength using an algorithm that calculates a strength score
  • Will be checked against a database of known breached passwords
  • Must not include parts of your name or uniqname

What password will I use to login to my Michigan Medicine device following the sync? [CoreImage PC, CoreMac, etc.]

Sync instructions will direct users who self-sync to be on Michigan Medicine WiFi or VPN during the sync process. This will ensure that your device password is updated to your UMICH password at the same time. For users who wait for the automatic sync on June 1, they may need to use their Michigan Medicine (Level-2) password to log in to their device and connect to Michigan Medicine WiFi or VPN, which will trigger the device password to update. Mac users should also update their keychains with their UMICH password.

Will email change?

Email will continue working in the same way. Michigan Medicine will maintain the @med.umich.edu email domain and Outlook will remain our email client. To access certain cloud computing services like Office.com, you may be asked to enter your @med email address to trigger the Michigan Medicine login page, where you'll enter your uniqname and UMICH password.

No changes will be made to your email address.

With this change, can anyone with a UMICH uniqname and password log in to Michigan Medicine resources?

No, access will remain the same. The only thing that’s changing is that your UMICH (level-1) and Michigan Medicine (Level-2) passwords will be the same. HITS will continue to govern and support access to all Michigan Medicine resources.

Is there a downside to syncing my passwords?

The goal of this project is to make work at Michigan Medicine a bit more simple, so you have one less thing to remember. We are not aware of any risks or issues with syncing at this time.  

I still have questions.

Contact the project team with additional questions at cp-technical-workgroup@umich.edu.