To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Interim V.P. and Chancellor Robert Easter" <chancellor@illinois.edu>

Reply-To: chancellor@illinois.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - With Gratitude

Dear Colleagues:

As we complete preparations to transfer the Chancellor's responsibilities 
to incoming Chancellor Dr. Phyllis Wise, I want to take a moment to thank 
the campus community for the support and encouragement that I have 
received over the past two years. My appointment to the role of interim 
vice president of the University and chancellor of the Urbana-Champaign 
campus was an unanticipated change in career trajectory resulting from 
circumstances in which I take no joy.
 
This was a difficult period for our campus, exacerbated by the economic 
downturn and the state's lack of tax revenue needed to provide the 
financial support promised. But, it was also a period of extraordinary 
shared sacrifice by the campus community, a time in which faculty, 
professional and non-academic staff, students, alumni and donors came 
together in a successful effort to sustain our institution. Difficult 
decisions were made through the process of shared governance and with the 
support and encouragement of Presidents Ikenberry and Hogan and the Board 
of Trustees. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is 
financially stable at the moment and with potential for a future 
consistent with the legacy of past achievements that this campus has 
known in its 144-year history.

Throughout this time, it was truly a privilege to hold a position of 
leadership and to work daily with those making the tough choices 
necessary for our survival. Many deserve a word of thanks and, with the 
very real risk of inadvertently leaving out some individuals, I can only 
mention a few who hold major campus responsibilities: Interim Provost and 
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dick Wheeler; Interim Vice 
Chancellor for Research Ravi Iyer; Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 
Renee Romano; Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Jim Schroeder; Interim 
Vice Chancellor for Public Engagement, Steve Sonka; Executive Director of 
Facilities and Services, Jack Dempsey; Director of Public Safety, Barbara 
O'Connor; Director of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, Ron 
Guenther; and Robin Kaler, Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs.  
Special mention is due to Bill Adams, Chief of Staff in the Chancellor's 
Office; Mike Andrechak, Associate Chancellor and Associate Provost for 
Budgets and Resource Planning; Elyne Cole, Associate Provost for Human 
Resources; and Phyllis Mischo, Assistant to the Chancellor.

I would also acknowledge the significant leadership of deans, department 
heads, department chairs and directors of schools and institutes. 
Additionally, it was a privilege to work with the faculty governance 
process under the leadership of Senate Executive Committee Chair, Dr. 
Joyce Tolliver, and her successor Dr. Matt Wheeler. Finally, I would like 
to thank former Student President David Olsen for reminding me of our 
great student body, the reason we do what we do.

Perhaps the greatest personal reward during my time in the Chancellor's 
office has been the opportunity to meet individuals and to discover 
programs that were unknown to me even after 38 years of residence on the 
campus. After all this time I thought I knew this campus. I was mistaken. 
This is an even more incredible place than I ever imagined, permeated by 
an absolute commitment to excellence and creativity and sustained by a 
culture of mutual support and encouragement and an element of Midwestern 
egalitarianism where opinions and ideas are valued regardless of source.  
I was fortunate to work here and so are you.

I am confident of the future and look forward to the solid leadership 
that Chancellor Wise will provide.

Bob Easter
Interim Vice President, University of Illinois
Interim Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chancellor

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