Congratulations on Another Successful Year at UIC

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

As the spring 2017 commencements have drawn to a close, I offer my congratulations on another successful year at UIC. As a result of your efforts in the classroom, we conferred 2677 bachelors degrees, 1696 masters degrees, 274 doctorates and 679 professional degrees. As a faculty, you continue to work hard to create knowledge by experimenting in your laboratories and studios, publishing books and articles in top journals, and competing for and obtaining external funding. Across the colleges and centers, you are using your expertise and research to improve individuals’ lives and communities in Chicago and around the world.

One place to look if you want a sampling of this year’s accomplishments is the UIC News Center and the OVCR Website. You are doing all of this in an environment of fiscal uncertainty. There is no doubt that your continued and steadfast focus on your work, on our students, and on our mission is keeping us strong and building our future.

This year, we introduced the Campus Conversation series with the theme of What’s Going on and Why? The focus was on local, national and international issues that directly affect the lives of those in our community. We heard speakers talk about race and policing, immigration and migration, the election, civil liberties, and the First Amendment. Next year’s Campus Conversation will be on the theme of Intersectionality.  Intersectionality addresses how people’s identities intersect and what effect that has on how they experience, and are treated, in society. We will interpret identities broadly to include, but not be limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity and sexuality, as well as occupation, age, socio-economic status, nationality, ability, and immigration status. Your ideas about how we might address intersectionality through the Campus Conversation series are welcome.  Please email them to provost@uic.edu.

Finally, I continue to grow my collection of faculty books, so if you are so inclined and have authored a book this year (or previously but have not yet donated it), I would love to add more to my collection. We are in the process of purchasing two bookcases for the lobby of University Hall in order to display faculty publications.

Thank you for all of your great work to keep UIC the outstanding research institution that it is -  intellectually lively, forward-thinking, and dedicated to the education of our wonderful students. I wish you a productive and relaxing summer and look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the next academic year.

Sincerely,

Susan Poser
Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs