Dear staff and faculty, 

One of the first things I said when I arrived at Illinois was that my initial months on campus would focus on listening and learning. Since July, I’ve had thousands of conversations, and two things have emerged clearly: This is a university filled with people eager to lead, and we find ourselves at a critical moment in the history of higher education. If we are going to continue to fulfill our mission as a leading public university, then we need to meet this moment.  

To accomplish that, we plan to launch a strategic planning process beginning in early 2026, and we will call on you for further thoughts and perspective on how to set the course for this university to strengthen its leadership role in higher education. 

For generations, the world treated higher education as a shared investment that strengthened innovation, civic leadership, and economic success across communities and the nation. While that mission hasn’t changed, the world around us has. 

This is a historic moment, and Illinois is one of the few institutions uniquely positioned to meet it. We are a comprehensive public land-grant research powerhouse with more than half a million influential students, staff, faculty, and alumni around the world. We are a catalyst for progress and innovation on a local and global scale. In a society searching for answers, we want everyone to know that Illinois leads. 

This new strategic plan will affirm our priorities and set our course for the future. Boldly Illinois is a strategic framework that has gotten us to this point, and we will build on its strong foundation; however, the moment that has emerged in the time since demands that we lead with concrete plans that are ambitious, specific, and measurable.  

We are calling this next strategic planning process Illinois Leads. 

Everyone’s voice and perspective will be part of this conversation. We will work together to align our institutional priorities with our leadership role in the world. I am grateful for our colleagues who have agreed to serve on the steering committee that will work with you to support the Illinois Leads effort. We plan to conduct a series of exercises during the Spring 2026 semester to gather ideas and feedback from the university community. We will share more information soon about how you can participate.  

Illinois Leads, not just because we can, but because we must. The world continues to evolve quickly, and the enduring impact we have will be stronger because you were part of this conversation. Thank you for your continued partnership, and I look forward to sharing more. 

Sincerely, 

Charles L. Isbell, Jr.
Chancellor