To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Chancellor Richard Herman" <chancellor@illinois.edu>

Reply-To: chancellor@illinois.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - Message to Campus Community

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

As you likely know, I have given the Board of Trustees my resignation.

It has been the great privilege of my life to serve for 11 years as your 
Provost and Chancellor. I will not reiterate the complicated and agonizing 
steps that have brought us to this place, except to say that I regret the 
circumstances. I'm confident that Illinois will be stronger for all that 
we have learned from the controversy. Ours is a great university--great 
because of its distinguished history; its brilliant, dedicated and 
hardworking faculty and staff; and its smart and idealistic students.

I am proud that many initiatives launched during my time will continue: 
the 100 new faculty excellence professors, the ethnic and multiracial 
studies programs, the Institute for Genomic Biology, and the Illinois 
Promise Program that has brought 700 students from low income families to 
campus with the promise that they will graduate debt-free. Yet I did none 
of this alone. We did it all together. We achieved great things on our 
watch because greatness is built into the bone and sinew of Illinois. 
Never doubt it. Always strive for it. And remember that great aspirations 
must always precede great achievements. The excellence and creativity long 
embedded in our university was always the source of my inspiration.

I thank all of you for helping to make Illinois better. I prepare to step 
down as Chancellor knowing that my contributions are left behind for 
others to build upon, as I built upon the contributions of those before 
me. It would be disingenuous for me not to acknowledge that my resignation 
pains me deeply. But I do not worry about the University of Illinois. 
Great institutions are stronger than any one person who leads them. And 
Illinois is a great institution. As I return to become a member of the 
faculty, I plan to do my small part to continue to contribute, and I know 
all of you will do the same.

At Illinois, as always, we will go onward and upward.

Sincerely,
Richard Herman
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chancellor

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