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University of Illinois System News
Read the latest University of Illinois System news from the Office of External Relations and Communications.
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  • 90,000 students strong, books in background, U of I System logo

    U of I System enrollment tops 90,000 for first time

    Sep 9, 2020 10:00 am

    Enrollment grew across the University of Illinois System this fall, topping 90,000 students for the first time and setting a record for the eighth straight year despite the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn it has spawned, President Tim Killeen announced today.

  • Researchers and interns circle around a male leader with grasses and trees in the background

    Real Impact: Institute seeks funding bump for environment-focused mission

    Mar 6, 2023 7:00 am

    The system is asking the state for a 12 percent boost for Prairie Research Institue in the next budget cycle, increasing the $14.8 million budget to about $16.5 million. PRI receives essentially the same annual contribution from the state as it did when it became part of the U of I System in 2009.

  • Compilation of artist renderings of three construction projects

    Trustees approve budgets for Illinois Innovation Network-related projects

    May 20, 2021 10:15 am

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today approved budgets for two construction projects that are connected to the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN).

  • Male student submitting saliva sample; 1 million COVID-19 tests

    University of Illinois System completes 1 million COVID-19 tests

    Dec 4, 2020 10:15 am

    The University of Illinois System surpassed a COVID-19 testing milestone Wednesday, performing 1 million rapid, saliva-based tests across its three university campuses since August.

  • iiN logo

    Illinois Innovation Network announces seed funding recipients

    Jul 27, 2020 1:00 pm

    The Illinois Innovation Network on Monday awarded seed grants to teams that will use collaborative research to improve nutrition, turn trash into usable products, explore urban-rural connections, and enhance agricultural practices. 

  • Melody and Marvin Slaughter at the younger sister’s UIC graduation

    Real Impact: University of Illinois Chicago siblings make advocacy a way of life

    Aug 13, 2023 5:00 pm

    Melodie and Marvin Slaughter are among the younger Illinois Connection alumni who use their experience and influence to ensure legislative support for the U of I System’s work in societal equity, higher education, economic development, and more. 

  • Tel Aviv University joins new U of I-led research center

    Dec 14, 2018 11:15 am

    Tel Aviv University (TAU) officially signed on Friday as the first international partner in a pioneering new research center led by the University of Illinois System that will foster innovation to address real-world challenges and drive social and economic growth.

  • Don Edwards at board meeting

    Edwards-re-elected chairman of U of I Board of Trustees

    Jan 21, 2021 12:00 pm

    Donald J. Edwards was unanimously re-elected Thursday to a third one-year term as chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees during its annual organizational meeting.

  • 85,600 students strong

    U of I System enrollment grows to nearly 85,600

    Sep 12, 2018 9:00 am

    Total enrollment increased to nearly 85,600 students across the University of Illinois System this fall, up 2.7 percent and rising to a record high for the sixth straight year, President Tim Killeen announced today.

  • flags of many countries

    Illinois universities unite to advocate for international students and scholars

    Feb 17, 2020 11:15 am

    Illinois universities are urging members of the state’s congressional delegation to address obstacles facing international students and scholars. More than 53,000 international students attended colleges and universities in Illinois during the 2018-19 academic year, contributing $1.9 billion to the state’s economy and supporting more than 25,000 jobs.  

  • Alma Mater, Chicago Skyline, Lincoln bust - university logos

    Illinois public universities seek additional federal support for COVID-19 costs

    Apr 8, 2020 9:00 am

    Presidents of Illinois public universities sent the following letter to the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday, seeking additional relief from increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Two-photo collage includes a photo of Robert Lane Sr. and son Robert Lane Jr. in front of a U of I System banner that says Altogether Extraordinary. The second photo is a portrait of Charlotte Medina.

    Real Impact: Universities' Salute events strive to keep top students in Illinois

    Nov 14, 2022 1:45 pm

    Robust U of I System events and other interactions give students from historically underrepresented groups information and experiences to help them see how they’d fit in at University of Illinois universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

  • Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton and others celebrate the Cairo grocery store opening in a group photo

    Coalition brings desperately needed grocery store to Illinois' southernmost city

    Jun 20, 2023 1:15 pm

    University of Illinois System leaders visited Cairo last summer to explore ways to support the port town’s revitalization work. 

  • U of I System seeks increase in state funding

    Nov 14, 2019 12:15 pm

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a request for increased state funding for the next fiscal year to continue building on educational and affordability initiatives that help drive the state’s economy and have pushed enrollment across the three-university system to an all-time high of over 89,000.

  • U of I System and Hebrew University logos

    U of I System, Hebrew University launch second round of joint R&D teams

    Dec 22, 2021 8:15 am

    The University of Illinois System and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently awarded funding to four new interdisciplinary research teams that will drive innovation and advance collaboration between the universities. The projects are the second round of a joint research and innovation seed grant program that began in 2019.

  • Dr. Tai R. Shin and Mrs. You H. Shin

    New Shin Humanitarian Award invites nominations by May 1

    Mar 15, 2023 9:00 am

    Students, faculty, and staff at University of Illinois System universities, as well as alumni, will help determine who receives a unique new award for positively impacting humanity.

  • Illinois Innovation Network announces seed funding recipients

    Jan 22, 2021 10:00 am

    The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) on Friday awarded $229,000 in seed grants to eight research teams in its second round of funding, selecting projects that include ag tech, vaccine distribution, strengthening the state’s teacher pipeline and protecting Illinois’ biodiversity. 

  • Masked female and masked male show masked chancellor exterior of mobile lab trailer

    President honors leaders of COVID-19 lab development

    Aug 27, 2021 10:00 am

    University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen on Friday honored two people who are among the primary leadership behind the system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting them with the Presidential Medallion. 

  • U of I seal on iron gate

    Trustees approve $7.65 billion budget for current year

    Sep 22, 2022 12:15 pm

    The University of Illinois System Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a $7.65 billion operating budget for the current academic year that prioritizes the commitment to student affordability and access.

    The new budget provides a second consecutive year of increased financial support for the three system universities and is 6.5 percent larger than last year’s $7.18 billion operating budget.

  • UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda

    UIC Chancellor Miranda recognized in U of I System investiture ceremony

    Apr 4, 2024 4:00 pm

    The University of Illinois System today formally recognized Marie Lynn Miranda, the 10th chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago, in the centuries-old tradition of investiture. “Chancellor Miranda is a dynamic and visionary leader whose energy and spirit are already producing meaningful results,” said system President Tim Killeen.

  • Robin Fretwell Wilson

    Robin Fretwell Wilson named director of IGPA

    Feb 10, 2020 3:00 pm

    Robin Fretwell Wilson, a professor and associate dean at the University of Illinois College of Law, has been appointed director of the U of I Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA).

  • U of I System Leadership Tour 2022 graphic

    Killeen, chancellors plan statewide tour to focus on partnerships

    Aug 11, 2022 3:30 pm

    President Tim Killeen, chancellors from University of Illinois System universities and other system leaders on Tuesday will begin a statewide tour to explore new ways the system can work with partners around the state to meet key challenges and opportunities facing the citizens of Illinois, and to highlight areas where cooperative efforts are already paying off.

     

  • President Killeen and President Kao holding a document

    U of I System Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan's NTHU

    Mar 17, 2023 10:15 am

    The agreement was signed during a multiday trip to Taiwan by President Killeen and a delegation of other U of I System leaders. During the trip, the delegation met with Taiwanese Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen; leaders from National Taiwan University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and Ministry of Education; and companies such as Hon Hai, AUO and TSMC.

  • Illinois State Capitol building

    State of Illinois budget update

    Jun 1, 2021 4:30 pm

    In a massmail sent today, University of Illinois System leaders shared that state appropriations for the U of I System would remain at current levels for the coming year under a budget approved over the holiday weekend by the Illinois Legislature that will be sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is expected to sign it into law.

  • U of I seal

    U of I board approves new deans in Chicago and Springfield

    Mar 14, 2019 11:45 am

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved the appointment of new deans at its universities in Chicago and Springfield on Thursday, along with a series of master's degree programs for Chicago’s John Marshall Law School.

  • Don Edwards at microphone

    Edwards re-elected chairman of U of I Board of Trustees

    Jan 16, 2020 11:15 am

    Donald J. Edwards was unanimously re-elected to a second one-year term as chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees during its annual organizational meeting Thursday at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

  • Obama receives award

    Barack Obama receives award, speaks to students

    Sep 10, 2018 12:30 pm

    On Sept. 7, former President Barack Obama was honored by the University of Illinois System with the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, presented annually by the system's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. During his visit, Obama also spoke to students at Foellinger Auditorium. 

  • A water droplet on dirt with a hydrogen molecule model superimposed

    Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen selected as Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub

    Oct 16, 2023 12:00 pm

    The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) announced it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) to develop a Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (H2Hub).

  • Illinois Innovation Network logo with image of the state with pins noting hub locations

    Illinois Innovation Network awards seed grants to four new projects

    Jul 6, 2023 11:00 am

    The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) awarded nearly $120,000 in seed grants to four research teams this month. The funding is part of IIN’s Sustaining Illinois program, which is designed to increase collaborative research among the state’s public universities.

  • Woman with laptop, her image reflected in the glass wall she leans on

    DPI, partners launch Chicago/Skills to develop diverse tech talent for Illinois companies

    Sep 23, 2022 2:45 pm

    Chicago/Skills will provide tuition-free technology training and paid apprenticeship opportunities to as many as 2,500 people over five years.

  • silver seal of the university

    Trustees approve request for funds to expand support for economy

    Nov 17, 2022 12:00 pm

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a request for increased state funding for the next fiscal year that would allow the system to expand its support for the state’s economy by increasing the talent pool, particularly from under-served communities, and further developing the state’s innovation infrastructure.

  • Wilbur Milhouse III

    Governor appoints engineer, business leader to U of I Board of Trustees

    Mar 29, 2023 10:00 am

    Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed prominent civil and structural engineer and business leader Wilbur Milhouse III to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

  • Lake Michigan Chicago shoreline

    Binational Great Lakes Higher Ed. Consortium Launched

    Oct 29, 2020 12:45 pm

    The Council of the Great Lakes Region, the University of Toronto, and the University of Illinois System have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to officially create and launch the binational Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium.

  • Stich Me Apparel owner Brenda Nelson portrait

    Real Impact: New program boosts business for diverse companies

    Aug 9, 2022 12:45 pm

    Beginning in September, Stitch Me Apparel owner Brenda Nelson will be part of the first cohort of the Diverse Supplier Development Program.

  • COVID-19 update with colorized seal of the university

    Update on vaccination requirements

    Aug 26, 2021 4:00 pm

    President Tim Killeen sent a massmail to students, faculty and staff with updates on vaccination and mask requirements in keeping with Governor J.B. Pritzker's executive order.

  • President Killeen with Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen

    President Killeen meets Taiwan prime minister, discusses partnership

    Mar 13, 2023 12:30 pm

    A delegation led by University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen met with Taiwan Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen and others to discuss further partnership and cooperation between the system and Taiwan in Chinese-language education and high-tech fields.

  • U of I seal

    U of I trustees appoint new chancellor at UIS

    May 19, 2022 11:00 am

    The University of Illinois Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed Janet. L. Gooch as the next chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield. Trustees also appointed University of Illinois Chicago Provost Javier Reyes as interim chancellor while a search is conducted to replace Chancellor Michael Amiridis.

  • Urbana quad, UIC quad, Springfield Lincoln statue

    U of I System plans broader in-person instruction next fall

    Mar 16, 2021 10:00 am

    The University of Illinois System is planning to expand in-person instruction next fall across universities that are already a model for both safety and hybrid learning through a homegrown COVID-19 testing protocol that held campus positivity rates in check this year.

  • Picturesque views of nice buildings on each universities' campus

    System universities celebrate new round of grad program rankings

    Apr 26, 2023 12:45 pm

    Programs at the three universities in the University of Illinois System again placed prominently in the 2023-24 U.S. News Best Graduate Programs rankings.

  • Eli and Linsday Cook and their dog Colby Jack at their Springfield home

    Real Impact: UIS alum stays to help fuel employment pipeline

    Aug 10, 2022 3:45 pm

    Coming full circle, 2017 University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) graduate and Northwestern Mutual financial advisor Eli Cook now recruits and trains the next generation of interns.

  • Guiding Principles

    U of I System releases second set of Guiding Principles

    Nov 8, 2019 10:15 am

    The University of Illinois System released a second set of Guiding Principles Friday, clearly spelling out its position on more of the core values that defined its past and will shape its future.

  • Financial update

    Jun 2, 2020 12:00 pm

    University of Illinois System leadership sent a massmail to faculty and staff today regarding the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and provided guidelines for mitigation.

  • Engineering associate professor Rafael O. Tinoco in the UIUC hydrosystems lab

    Real Impact: Mexican educator, researcher an inspiration near and far

    Nov 21, 2023 8:00 am

    Illinois Mexican & Mexican-American Students (I-MMÁS) founder, director, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Elvira de Mejía recruited civil engineering associate professor Rafael Tinoco. ... “When I-MMÁS started, we invited faculty, staff, and students to join the group. Rafael became an active friend of I-MMÁS,” de Mejía said. “He is an excellent role model for many students and professionals.”

  • COVID-19 update and colorized seal of the university

    Fall 2022 COVID guidelines

    Jul 26, 2022 10:15 am

    President Tim Killeen sent a massmail today to students, faculty and staff across the University of Illinois System about Fall 2022 COVID guidelines.

  • UI Ride shuttle bus

    UI Ride shuttle service resumes Aug. 17

    Aug 9, 2021 1:00 pm

    In a massmail to faculty and staff in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, Interim Executive Vice President Avijit Ghosh shared an update on the return of the UI Ride shuttle service for the fall.

  • U.S. Capitol

    Public universities seek support for student, equity, research and capital initiatives

    May 21, 2021 9:30 am

    A letter was sent to Illinois’ federal legislators today by presidents of the state’s public universities, seeking support in federal legislation investing in infrastructure and families. Proposals endorsed by presidents would promote student affordability, research and innovation, diversity and social equity initiatives and bricks-and-mortar improvements.

  • iHotel entrance

    U of I System to host diverse business fair

    Aug 12, 2019 10:00 am

    The University of Illinois System will host the second annual Diverse Business Opportunity Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the iHotel Conference Center in Champaign.

  • students at college fair

    U of I, EIU and SIU partner to recruit southern Illinois students

    Oct 3, 2018 2:00 pm

    About 170 high-achieving high school and community college students from across southern Illinois attended an event today hosted by six of the state’s public universities to keep talented students from the region in Illinois for college.

  • UIS Associate Professor Devin Hunter speaks at the opening of the Sangamon Experience in 2020.

    IIN awards new seed grant to social innovation project

    Jan 23, 2024 12:45 pm

    The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) awarded $30,000 to a new social innovation seed grant project this week. The funded project, “Journeys to Justice: Commemorating and Memorializing the History and Legacy of Anti-Black Terror in Illinois,” will launch a statewide coalition to promote and support the research and remembrance of anti-Black riots, massacres and lynchings in Illinois.

  • Extension announces inaugural class of Illini Science Policy Fellowship

    Jun 25, 2020 11:30 am

    The University of Illinois Extension on Monday announced that five University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduates will make up the inaugural class of the Illini Science Policy Fellowship (ISPF) program, which matches advanced-degree graduates with mentors in Illinois government and Extension to gain hands-on experience addressing issues critical to Illinois.