The University of Illinois System Leadership State Tour is more than a road trip.
From October 6–10, U of I System leaders will travel across Illinois — listening to and learning from people in their communities — so together we can build and strengthen the connections that power progress in our great state.
This fifth annual tour forges new partnerships and deepens established ones to fuel momentum around the system’s greatest strengths: world-class education, workforce development, research and innovation, health and well-being, and statewide economic impact. The theme says it all: Empowering Illinois — Building Thriving Communities Through Education, Innovation, and Partnership.
That power shows up in newly released economic impact data:
- For every $1 invested, the U of I System returns $4 to the state economy.
- The system supports 1 in 37 jobs across Illinois.
- The impact of alumni in Illinois totals $18 billion per year.
- Of our universities’ graduates, 74% stay in Illinois to contribute to our state’s economic strength.
Our universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield — together with the Illinois Innovation Network and through initiatives like Discovery Partners Institute — deliver impact that reaches every region.
Each year, system leaders, including our universities’ chancellors, engage with hundreds of educators and students, legislative and community leaders, business owners, and alumni.
Each destination signals momentum. On the first tour during the COVID-19 pandemic, our groundbreaking saliva-based test captured attention statewide. Since then, we’ve advanced even further.
These then-and-now figures highlight just some of the progress since the first state tour:
- System activities created $17.5 billion in economic impact each year back then. Today’s annual impact totals $24.9 billion.
- That fall, system enrollment reached a record 94,750 students. The system just topped 100,000 for the first time, tallying 101,081 students at our universities.
- In 2021, about 26,000 Illinois Connection advocacy network members helped promote the system’s priorities through their stories and experiences. Today, that dedicated and influential group includes more than 44,000 members.
What we discover and delve into on the state tour helps guide our work in the years ahead.
When high schools asked for stronger connections, we expanded outreach to share more about admissions, financial aid, and transfer pathways. We also took to heart the request to partner with One Million Degrees. To that end, the new Transfer Drive pilot between the University of Illinois Chicago and Harold Washington College will support transfer students so they have what they need to succeed. The pilot will extend to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois Springfield through additional community college partners.
Examples span industry sectors, research areas, workforce pipelines, and tech advancements — all for the public good — as we look boldly ahead while staying true to our land-grant roots.
This year, system leaders will visit Olney, Woodlawn, Edwardsville, Normal, Bartonville, Peoria, Ottawa, Sterling, Rockford, Northbrook, and Chicago.
Every stop reminds us: Illinois’ greatest strength is its people. Together, we shape a stronger, healthier, and more innovative future in every part of our state.
Five years in, the State Leadership Tour continues to show how momentum builds: one conversation, one partnership, one breakthrough at a time. That momentum belongs to Illinois — and it points toward a future of shared progress.
We invite you to explore highlights of the 2024 state tour and engage with coverage of this year’s tour across the system’s social media channels.
