End of year message from Provost Reyes

Dear colleagues,

Thank you and congratulations on a tremendously successful academic year – we made it!

As we wrap up the semester and commencement ceremonies, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for your tremendous work, which has been central to the success of our students and UIC overall.

This year has been one of great challenges, but I am proud that we have faced these obstacles head-on, together. As a community of scholars, researchers and public servants, we have emerged stronger because of your perseverance. Although I have yet to complete my first full year at UIC, I am in awe of how we lived up to our reputation with resilient and resolute faculty and staff.

After nearly a year-and-a-half of mostly remote operations, you navigated a complex and iterative process of returning to in-person learning to reignite life on-campus. Moreover, you did so with grace, patience and unparalleled care for our students, one another and the extended communities that make UIC so incredible. You enabled UIC to lay the foundation for a safe and successful return to campus while simultaneously advancing the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

But your triumphs extend far beyond keeping our communities safe. This year we broke enrollment, research and fundraising records. With your stewardship and passion for our mission, we exceeded our historic Ignite campaign fundraising goal. Hand in hand with our massive fundraising success of nearly $800 million, our research funding topped $450 million, further elevating our strong national profile as one of the top 25 public universities in the nation. This was done while continuing to serve an ever-growing number of students.

You have delivered an admirably large and profoundly strong cohort of graduating students who will go on to become the next generation of leaders, innovators, scholars and activists. I am confident they will catalyze changes that will lead us to a more just, equitable and sustainable future.

In the coming weeks we will start our summer courses and activities. Our recently updated COVID-19 protocols will continue to guide us as we start the summer session. We will continue to update you by email and on today.uic.edu as these dynamics evolve throughout the summer and as we prepare for the academic year in August.

The provost’s office will continue to work with members of the faculty senate on the important resolution in support of safe learning environments, on the development of programs to support faculty whose scholarly activities were impacted through the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue negotiations for the unionized faculty contract.

Finally, I am working to finalize the selection of an interim provost as I prepare to transition to interim chancellor. We will keep you posted on this decision.

As we move into quieter summer months, I hope that you take time to be with your loved ones, rest, rejuvenate and remember that each of you contributes to the strength and success of UIC. I am truly proud to be among such an incredibly dedicated and passionate group of scholars, and I eagerly look forward to fall 2022 and all that we will accomplish together. May the Force be with you!

Sincerely,

Javier Reyes
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs