To All Members of the Campus Community:

Last fall nearly 600 of you -- faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, academic professionals and civil service staff – took part in the first round of the Campus Conversation on Undergraduate Education.  In a series of small meetings you articulated a compelling vision of the Illinois graduate, and the educational experience that produces this ideal.  I am sincerely grateful to everyone who gave their time, thought, and enthusiasm to this project. 

A report on the fall Conversations is now available at http://provost.illinois.edu/docs/C-CUE_FA13_Report.pdf.  Please take a few minutes to see what your colleagues and classmates aspire to for undergraduate education at Illinois.

When I welcomed participants to these Conversations, I told everyone that we would put their best ideas into action.  To do that, for the spring semester we will appoint five Campus Conversation working groups:

1. Integrative, Interdisciplinary, and Experiential Curricula
2. Student Passion and Transformation
3. Growing the Professional Kernel
4. An International Campus in a Global World
5. Education for Society’s Grand Challenges

These groups will recommend initiatives that the campus can undertake in each area.  A steering committee will coordinate the groups, and also review our efforts on Access and Affordability.  More details are available in the report. 

I invite you to nominate colleagues or classmates for these working groups by going to http://go.illinois.edu/CCUENominations.  Self-nominations are also welcome.  Please submit your nominations by Wednesday, February 19. 

Providing a vibrant undergraduate experience is at the heart of our mission as a land-grant institution with global impact, and it is also a pillar of our campus strategic plan.  An Illinois education is already something we can all be proud of. Together we will make it even better. 

Sincerely,

Ilesanmi Adesida
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost