Dear faculty and staff:

It is our pleasure to share the news that former President Barack Obama will accept the 2018 Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government from the U of I System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) on Friday, September 7.

The Douglas Award, which will be presented during an appearance on the Urbana-Champaign university campus, is given annually to public officials who have dedicated their careers to the highest ideals of ethics, fair play and service to country.

President Obama also will speak at 11 a.m. at the historic Foellinger Auditorium on the Main Quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The student-focused speech will address students from across the U of I System. Students will receive information on how they can sign up for a chance to attend.

It also will be available to all via livestream at go.illinois.edu/live. The livestream of this speech has been designated as an approved event for non-exempt civil service employees. These employees may view the livestream without taking benefit time, operations permitting and with prior supervisory approval.

More on President Obama’s award and his speech are available in this news release.

It is an honor to host the former president, and we are grateful for his commitment to our nation and its youth – a goal that has been deeply ingrained in the U of I System’s core mission since our land-grant founding.

Sincerely,

Tim Killeen, President, University of Illinois System
Barbara J. Wilson, Executive Vice President and Vice President of Academic Affairs, University of Illinois System
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jon S. Davis, Interim Director, Institute of Government and Public Affairs