Date:   November 30, 2011

From:  Richard P. Wheeler
             Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

RE:      Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois

I am pleased to announce that the Biology Steering Committee, charged in response to the Stewarding Excellence@Illinois Biology Education and Research Team Report, has completed its work and submitted its final report.  The final report can be found at: http://oc.illinois.edu/budget/nextsteps.html.  In its final report, the Steering Committee recommended that the campus establish a standing committee to act as a coordinating and advocacy body for our campus extensive biological sciences enterprise.  I have adopted this recommendation and a Biology Coordinating Committee has been charged outside of the Stewarding Excellence Process.  I have asked the committee to address the following:

Develop and a strong and compelling description of "Biology@Illinois" and a vision for the future of the biological sciences on our campus

Improve coordination of curriculum across campus

Contribute to strategic hiring in the biological sciences

Further explore the possibility of, and appropriate mechanisms and parameters for, a bio-literacy undergraduate program


You can find the committee membership and the full charge at: http://provost.illinois.edu/committees/biology_coordinating.html.