Dear students, staff, and faculty, 

During your time at Illinois, you will encounter ideas that inspire thought, spark innovation, and help you engage the world around you. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn. When we genuinely listen to each other rather than simply thinking about what we will say next, we build relationships and strengthen our capacity to solve problems. 

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a crossroads for individuals with different experiences and ideas. We are a forum for curiosity and competing perspectives. No university is better positioned to serve as a thought laboratory for the world's most complex social, political, and technological issues while also fostering a welcoming and safe environment.

You may — and almost certainly will — encounter speech that you find objectionable or even abhorrent. While disagreement often is a productive way to develop ideas, some of these moments will go beyond simple differences of opinion and remind us that hate and intolerance persist. We must ensure everyone has a safe opportunity to grow and explore.

Our institutional commitment to free expression means that speech may be protected even when it is offensive, disturbing, or deeply contrary to our values. Protection of speech should not be mistaken for institutional endorsement of its content. We oppose all forms of hate and intolerance including but not limited to antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and intolerance based on gender identity. We condemn threats, intimidation, and harassment directed at individuals or groups based on their beliefs or identity, including the deliberate targeting of members of our community through doxxing, online trolling, and other methods of intimidation.

We are all members of the Illinois community. Thank you for remembering that, and thank you for supporting each other as we engage in these conversations together.

Sincerely, 

Charles L. Isbell, Jr. 
Chancellor 
   
John Coleman 
Provost