A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

TOWARD A BETTER TOMORROW, WITH DOORS OPEN TO ALL

From our founding in 1867 as one of the nation’s land-grant universities, the University of Illinois has been driven by an overarching mission: to point the way forward to a better tomorrow for the people of this state – for all of them.

To achieve this mission, we must recognize that our future is increasingly shaped by factors that are not limited to the boundaries of the state we call home. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other forces are truly global in nature. The way to a better tomorrow – meeting these challenges head on but also seizing on opportunities before us – lies in our connections across the state, the country and the world.

The University of Illinois System is a conduit for these connections.

We build them through our powerhouse research enterprise, whose innovations save lives and create jobs at a scale capable of touching every Illinoisan; through the world-class education found at our universities, which provides the bedrock for a better, more engaged life, economically and civically; and through our growing efforts to reach far beyond our campuses through public and private partnerships. Over the past year we have built real momentum toward a more prosperous, sustainable future. You can see it in the growth of our enrollment – now at a record 94,800 – but also the growth of initiatives such as the Illinois Innovation Network and Discovery Partners Institute.