UI Foundation/UI Advancement Weekly Update 04.22.22
Dear Team:
Happy Friday! It’s been a busy week, one that included another “first in a long time” experience. I just returned from the CASE College and University Foundations Annual Conference which, like so many similar events, has not been held in person since 2019. In addition to seeing colleagues I haven’t seen in “years,” it was also exciting to be attending the conference with so many UIF colleagues. Christy Devocelle, UIF COO, was a member of the conference planning committee, and she, along with several other members of our team, served as panelists in breakout sessions. Among them were our new CIO Travis Shore, Vice President for Finance/Assistant Treasurer/Controller Michelle Bolger, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Innovation Katie Blum, and Executive Director of Development Services Lea Ann Gross. Thank all of them for sharing their expertise and representing the University of Illinois so well. UIC alumnae, and a member of our UIF Board Investment Policy Committee, Dr. Amita Schultz also co-presented with Travis. I had the pleasure of introducing the conference’s opening session: Intersection of DEIB and College and University Foundations, and I thought I might share a bit of what I said.
The point of the message was real change comes with real action. Throughout history, we have seen significant events that have been deemed important enough to warrant the attention of our global community. The recent pandemic is such an example. My question to the conference participants was, what if we harnessed the world’s resources to rid the age-old diseases of hate, oppression, and discrimination? They are not novel coronaviruses and in fact, have existed since the beginning of time. Sure, this may seem to be an unreasonable challenge, but I urge you to take a few minutes to just think about what our world would be like if we could eliminate the blaming and shaming that has created the need for DEIB discussions.
As you ponder this question, start by thinking about how and what you will do to move from simply being aware, to taking action. Standing still is not an option; being aware is simply not enough. This work is not the job of a single person with DEIB in their title. All of us must be committed to taking action to create change. Far too often, in those moments where real change was needed, courage was in short supply. What if we all choose to be courageous and really commit to doing what needs to be done? What if? What if now really is that moment in time when the dreams of being judged on the content of our character, and proclamations of equal rights, or even the Golden Rule are not just things we believe to be self-evident, but are deemed critically important to the welfare of the world and are finally given the time and attention required for real change to occur? My request to all of you is to be action-oriented and commit to creating a culture and an organization that will be acknowledged not for what you said you would do, but on the evidence of the action you took. As Ben Franklin said, “Well done is better than well said.”
Staying on the “what if” theme, what if warmer spring weather comes to Illinois and actually lasts? I don’t know when that will occur, but the forecasts predict temperatures in the 70s and 80s this weekend. So, let’s start by enjoying this 52nd Annual Earth Day today and all that the weekend weather offers.
Best,
Jim