Launching Illinois Leads
September 17, 2026 1:01 PM

Dear staff and faculty, 

I’m pleased to introduce Illinois Leads, our strategic plan to set the course for the future of our university for the next five years and beyond.  

Truly leading means listening to the people we serve. Since January, the university has led an extensive listening effort with students, faculty, staff, alumni, community leaders, and industry partners. We heard about your aspirations and challenges. And we heard about what you need to build an environment where everyone can contribute their talents, pursue their goals, and make a meaningful impact so everyone feels valued and proud to be a part of a leading university. 

The strategic priorities in this plan are the ideas you have identified. Some are high-reaching goals that will have local, state, national, or global impact. Others are more practical and operational, but no less important to building an organization that is nimble, adaptable, and ready to seize opportunities. 

The result is a plan that sets an ambitious course, with specific priorities to guide where our university will focus its efforts, including how we work together and how we translate our strengths into greater impact for our community, the state, the nation, and the world. It is what we need to do to be good ancestors to all. 

I want to thank Provost John Coleman, the Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institute and Professor Eva Pomerantz, and the Strategic Plan Steering Committee for their contributions. I invite you to explore Illinois Leads and think about the role you can play in moving these priorities forward. If you have questions or are interested in engaging with the work ahead, I encourage you to email illinoisleads@illinois.edu. 

Sincerely, 

Charles L. Isbell, Jr. 
Chancellor