UI Foundation/UI Advancement Weekly Update 03.19.21

Dear Team:

There is no other way to begin this message other than to extend a huge congratulations to the 2021 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Champion and NCAA Tournament No. 1-seeded University of Illinois Fighting Illini! The excitement around Champaign-Urbana is palpable. I hope you will join me in wishing the team good luck in the tournament, which starts today. 

Of course, there are a great many other reasons to celebrate the University of Illinois, too. It’s been easy to find our universities’ names in the news over the last few months. In addition to the FDA approval and expansion of our SHIELD COVID-19 testing program across the country, UIC has administered more than 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines, with the number growing every day. UIS opened the Center for Lincoln Studies in January. Ninety-one percent of UIUC's 2019-20 graduates secured a job, enrolled in graduate school, or began volunteer programs, within six months of graduation, despite the global pandemic. And this week, President Killeen announced plans for all three universities to conduct more in-person classes in the fall.

All of you are to be commended for the role your hard work played in these and many other achievements. Still, we have more to do in the months ahead. April 1 marks the beginning of the Foundation's fourth quarter, so it’s time to dust off the to-do-lists and find the priorities we want to address before June 30. To continue reaching goals, everyone must do their part. I know your efforts will give us many more reasons to celebrate in the days ahead. As a new System television ad stated, “When we unite for the common good, we are altogether extraordinary.”

Thank you for everything you do to advance the mission of our System and universities. Have an altogether extraordinary weekend and enjoy the official beginning of spring tomorrow.

Best,

Jim