Dear Campus Community,

As many of you may know, we are working on the next University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Strategic Plan, the guiding document that will set our campus goals and priorities for the next several years. We achieved a great deal in the 2013-16 plan, so this new five-year plan, “The Next 150” will build on that success.

To that end, we are engaging in a comprehensive review to update the goals outlined in the past plan and to focus our energy in several strategic areas. We are now at a critical step of seeking your comments and feedback. Please visit The Next 150 website to participate in this process and to learn more about the strategic planning work.

Several hundred people from across campus participated in goal development sessions to build on the past strategic goals. Each goal has a webpage that includes information on what emerged from those sessions. Please take some time to review these ideas and leave your feedback:

Goal I: Foster Scholarship, Discovery & Innovation
Goal II: Provide Transformative Learning Experiences
Goal III: Make a Significant and Visible Societal Impact
Goal IV: Steward Current Resources & Generate Additional Resources for Strategic Investment

In addition to developing these goals, Strategic Focus Areas have been selected as a way to harness energy in areas where the campus has strengths. Committees of experts have been charged to consider next steps in these areas. Each Strategic Focus Area has a webpage that includes a charge letter or committee report and a PowerPoint presentation of the committee’s ideas. Please take some time to review these and leave your feedback:

Arts
Data Science
Diversity
Food Security
Globalization
Health Sciences
Humanities
Public Engagement
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Energy and Sustainability
Undergraduate Education

Transparency and collaboration are essential to the success of this process. We encourage you to stay involved and offer your ideas.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor

Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost