A Message on Yesterday's Events
January 7, 2021 4:05 PM

Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,

Yesterday’s riot and the assault on the physical and symbolic center of our democratic nation were a disconcerting and chaotic beginning to the new year. We are all shaken and appalled by this attack on our sacred values and freedoms.

Freedom of expression and speech are bedrock principles of our democratic society and our university. Vigorous and even heated political debate is a welcome and necessary part of a democracy. Yesterday’s violence, threats, and carnage, however, are antithetical to the values, rights and protections established and guaranteed by our Constitution, undermine every aspect of our society and do irreparable damage to the community in which we all live and work and our stature in the world.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, we will always encourage our students, faculty and staff to exercise the rights and freedoms that our nation’s Constitution protects. We expect all members of our community to exercise those freedoms with thoughtfulness, responsibility and respect for one another. Together, we can demonstrate to the nation and to the world how to express ourselves, even when we disagree, in a way that recognizes and celebrates the fundamental nature of democratic discourse.  

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor

Barry D. Benson
Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

Sean C. Garrick
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Susan A. Martinis
Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

Danita M. B. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs