November 10, 2016

Dear colleagues:

Over the last two years, an ongoing state budget impasse has magnified the challenges that unpredictable state funding create for the University of Illinois System and our efforts to serve a growing student body and the public good.

Legislation introduced today in Springfield seeks to restore certainty and stability through a groundbreaking agreement that would be a first-of-its-kind for Illinois and arguably the most comprehensive and forward-thinking in the nation.

The proposed Investment, Performance, and Accountability Commitment (IPAC) is a win-win for the U of I System and the people of Illinois. Our universities would receive a five-year funding guarantee, at levels to maintain their excellence, along with regulatory reforms that would improve efficiency across the System. In return, the U of I would set into law its commitment to Illinois students and the needs of our state, locking in tangible performance standards for student costs, in-state enrollment, and graduation and retention rates.

At its meeting today in Chicago, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution supporting IPAC and I hope you will join them, encouraging your legislators to stand with an agreement that will move our universities and our state forward.

Sincerely,
Tim