A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
LEADING TODAY, SHAPING TOMORROW, ALTOGETHER EXTRAORDINARY
U of I System’s commitment to the public good accelerates, powering progress across Illinois
The University of Illinois System was created with a singular purpose: to serve Illinois and its people through education, research, and innovation — to provide strength and opportunity for a growing state and to advance the public good.
Today, the University of Illinois System stands as a force like no other, driving progress across our state, our nation, and the world.
For more than 150 years, our mission has endured and continues to guide us today - from when our first students enrolled to today's record enrollment of more than 100,000 across our universities in Chicago, Urbana- Champaign, and Springfield.
Our universities prepare the best-in-class leaders, innovators, and professionals who drive Illinois forward and change the world — and 74% of them stay here, building their careers and strengthening our state for generations to come.
Collectively, our universities are a research powerhouse, investing well over $1.4 billion last year in work that drives technological advances, develops new medicines and better healthcare, creates more productive crops, and delivers solutions for our changing climate.
The U of I System convenes and accelerates work beyond our campuses — bringing together partners at the hubs of our Illinois Innovation Network across the state, advancing quantum and technology workforce initiatives at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and Discovery Partners Institute where these efforts will expand in the years ahead, expanding access to care through UI Health's network of clinics across Chicagoland and throughout Illinois, and strengthening communities in every Illinois county through Illinois Extension.
We are stronger than the sum of all of that, working with partners across our state and around the world — in communities, government, industry, and higher education — to create opportunities, build workforce, and solve challenges that matter most.
Over the pages of this report, you will find snapshots of our work that together reveal the depth and breadth of our impact over the past year. They demonstrate what's possible when we work together, harnessing our collective strength.
I hope they show you what I know to be true: the U of I System is a one-of-a-kind asset and a powerful force at work every day for the people of Illinois.
