It is no ordinary work which we are set to do.
And it comes to us under no ordinary circumstances.
We are not here to reproduce in this new locality some old and well-known style of college or
university.
The hungry eyes of toiling millions are turned with mingled hope and fear upon us, to see
what new and better solution we can possibly offer of the great problems on which their
well-being and destiny depend.
How did we get here?
Someplace familiar and unexpected all at once.
And where do we go next?
How about the ends of the earth.
Or the origins of the universe.
Or an underwater world unexplored.
A world filled with creativity.
A world filled with courage.
Let’s engineer the future of medicine, and while we’re at it find a way to feed the
whole world.
For 150 years, we have made discoveries that have changed us forever.
How do we match the greatness of that legacy and build a future filled with promise, with
passion, with curiosity, with the support of hundreds of thousands, with you, with Illinois.
On behalf of all our faculty, students and staff: Welcome!
I’m Robert Jones and I’m the chancellor here at Illinois.
But for each of you, what that really means is that I’m responsible for ensuring you
have the kind of educational experience that we promised when we invited you to join us.
You are entering a very different fall semester than what we’ve seen before.
But know that wherever you come from and whatever your individual story may be – WE are in
this together.
You are joining a university filled with people who are here to help you find your way.
You’re also going to encounter plenty of people – students, faculty and staff alike
– who will push you to think about things in new ways.
And that, too, is good.
One of the things I hope you will find very quickly here at Illinois is the great pride
we have in being a diverse university.
Diversity of ideas.
Diversity of ethnicities.
Diversity of nationalities.
Diversity of perspectives.
These are hallmarks of our university and they are going to be a critical part of your
experience.
Because at Illinois, we know that amazing things happen when people are pushed to consider
perspectives and solutions they never imagined.
We hope that’s part of the reason you came here.
Welcome to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
And welcome to the Illinois family.
I didn’t want to go to college…
Growing up, I was a nerdy kid, who looked a little bit too similar to Harry Potter.
And, I was always fascinated with figuring out how things worked.
In high school, I got into working on cars – and I had my own little sports car...
My Datsun broke down all the time, so I was always working on it.
In fact, I was convinced I wanted to be an auto mechanic.
We had this great teacher in auto-shop, Mike Camicia, who taught us that fixing cars is
always a puzzle.
Mr. C taught us that even when you know a machine works, conceptually, every repair
involves some form of problem solving and experimentation.
And, I loved this!
Puzzles are fun.
On the other hand, college just seemed like four more years of sitting a classroom.
So, you can probably imagine my resentment when my parents told me they wanted me to
get a 4-year degree first.
But, parents being as persistent as parents can be…
I ultimately applied, and was admitted.
When I got to college, it took me a while to realize the real privilege I had been offered.
This wasn’t just “four more years of classes.”
Eventually, I figured out college is ALL about preparing yourself to solve puzzles and to
make a difference in the world: It’s about finding yourself; figuring out
the problems you want to solve, and molding your education to prepare yourself to make
a difference It’s also about learning to be self-sufficient,
and building relationships that will support you for the rest of your life
College was so much fun, I not only finished my bachelor’s degree, but went on to earn
my PhD.
Ultimately I became a professor, which is cool for a bunch of reasons:
First, I finally got those wizard robes the kids all thought I should have growing up.
But, second, my job is awesome because a big part of what I do involves helping you find
the puzzles you want to solve.
And, all the faculty here share this passion: We want to help you focus on your interests,
We want to train you to pursue your passions, And we want you to understand that you can
aim big Don’t be surprised if, somewhere on the
way, you find new passions that replace those that brought you here today.
At least a third of you are gonna change your major at least once.
And that’s okay!
I entered college with a love of auto mechanics.
But, as I started taking courses in cognitive science and design, that dream shifted – perhaps
instead of fixing cars myself, I could help design them.
I started to wonder how in the world a huge organization, like General Motors (where I
had my first job), could have so many people working on a project like designing a car,
and still make something that works?
I mean, you’ve got all these teams: Some trying to make the car comfortable, some trying
to make it affordable, and another trying to make it safe.
Their goals all compete, yet somehow they arrive at a solution that works - How does
that happen?
This became my passion, and it’s what I’ve spent my career looking at: How can we work
together to solve complex problems when we all come from differing backgrounds?
And, as it turn out, the most of the pressing problems in society today, require the collaboration
of individuals who have differing perspectives.
And, a big part of your college experience will require you to work across boundaries
with people who have different understandings of the world from you.
The upshot of my research is that working across boundaries is hard – but it can pay
off!
The teams that succeed realize they’ll be facing challenges and make real efforts to
address them: They get to know their partners;
they are concerned for their collaborators’ needs;
and they recognize that conflict and failure are a natural part of working in diverse contexts.
Doing these things helps them find creative answers to tough problems.
And, at the core of their success is a commitment to engaging challenges when they surface.
You should be ready to engage challenges!
Getting the most out of your time here will require you to play an active role in building
your education.
So, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on what you’re moving in to.
College has always been hard.
But, the unique nature of your experience is apparent even now –as you watch me speak
through a screen, instead of live.
You are entering college during a time of crisis:
COVID-19 has stressed our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined a year ago.
Many of your final semesters of high-school were disrupted by a sudden shift into virtual
learning.
And, you’re entering college with similar uncertainties about how you’ll undertake
your coursework.
In the US, the recurring, systemic violence epitomized by George Floyd’s killing has
led us to acknowledge the serious racial inequities embedded in our society.
I’ve never lived in a time when the American public has been as actively engaged in political
discussion as today.
And, I’ve spent a lot of my own time recently reflecting on how I can work to build a more
equitable environment.
These are huge challenges!
And, uncertainty surrounds crises of this scale.
But, crises are also an opportunity for you to play an active part in addressing the challenges
of the moment.
And, I think Illinois is one of the best places for you to take this on.
Let me tell you a secret about your professors: we don’t know all the answers!
And, as I hope you’re starting to see, that’s part of the fun for us.
What we do know, is how to ask questions, and how to take actions that move us toward
the answers we need.
When the faculty at Illinois face a challenge, they come together across disciplines, and
they act: When Illinois didn’t have enough COVID-19
testing supplies, your faculty developed their own, low-cost, rapid-result, saliva test.
And, they repurposed one of our veterinary labs to process those tests, to help do everything
we can to keep you, our community, safe.
Elsewhere on campus, your faculty are organizing salons that explicitly feature the work of
black artists to start conversations about how we can address systemic racism.
Dialog is a central to changing social structures.
And, activities like these are an important part of working toward solutions as a community.
We see a problem, and we act to address it – even when we don’t yet know the answers.
This commitment should bring you comfort.
Yes, many of your classes are going to be online – which is going to be challenging.
But, I’ve also seen my colleagues’ commitment to making this work.
This summer, more than 500 faculty devoted a month of their time to learning how to transition
their courses online.
But, this doesn’t mean everything is gonna magically work.
In fact, decades of research suggest we should expect new technologies to fail in unpredictable
ways.
At some point or another, your breakout rooms won’t work, or your professors’ cat will
spill coffee on their keyboard.
You might find that remote learning is harder for you than in-person classes.
So, what will you do when this happens?
Don’t disengage.
Get active!
These moments are opportunities for you to demonstrate compassion and patience, and to
help build the classroom environment where you want to learn.
We’re building a community together --your community – and we need your participation.
Here’s another secret I wished I’d known about my professors – we may be nerds obsessed
with really specific topics, but we’re all real people.
I mention this for two reasons: First, we’re in this with you.
We’re scared and uncertain, and our lives are being disrupted too.
Be patient with us, and you might find your own passions in the content we have to share.
Secondly, though, I hope recognizing we’re just people helps you see we’re accessible!
Illinois is huge, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed.
But, we hold office hours for a reason.
Your faculty and staff are all here to work with you.
If you help us understand your challenges, we will do our best to help you resolve them.
But, your role in this is critical: we need you to start those conversations.
Yes, we face challenges to which we don’t yet know the answers.
But, this is the perfect time to be in college!
The moment is ripe to do something about the challenges we face.
So, use your time at Illinois to find the problems that motivate you, and work with
us to equip yourself with the tools you need to address them.
I’m so excited to see what you do with this opportunity.
Welcome to Illinois!
Welcome, Class of 2024!
I am Alexis Perezchica, your student body president, and I am so excited for you all
to begin your journey here at the University of Illinois.
In these next four years you will grow, evolve and learn more than you ever have before.
Our lives are constantly evolving and presenting us with new obstacles.
There will always be ups and downs, and both are good.
My message to you is to keep moving forward and never lose your light.
Because as long as you keep moving, you will keep growing.
So, while it may seem that everything has changed, what will always stay the same is
the sense of belonging and support from the U. of I. community.
You are now part of this community, and we have your back.
No matter what, that will never change.
Joining the Illinois family means joining a legacy of those who have walked before you.
And nothing is more familiar to Illini than the song “Hail to the Orange.”
It’s an anthem that will carry you through your Illinois journey.
It unites us together.
When Illini hear the familiar first bars, they stop what they’re doing to link arms
and sing along.
Whether you’re cheering at a sporting event or listening to the melody ring through campus
from the Altgeld Chimes, “Hail to the Orange” is a tune you will come to know and love.
Join us in one of Illinois’ most popular traditions.