By the time this issue of Postmarks is in your hands, we’ll be well into the fall semester at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This fall we welcomed to the Illinois family a record freshman class of more than 7,600 and 1,300 new transfer students. Together with our returning students, every state in the U.S. and about half of the world’s nations come together at Illinois.
As you read this magazine, I think you’ll understand what it is about Illinois that brings the best and brightest students here for their college degrees. From a unique facility for wounded student veterans to undergraduate research opportunities to a look at some of the more interesting student organizations here – coming to Illinois opens up a world of new possibilities.
We know every student who joins us at Illinois had many choices from many great universities. And all of us among the faculty and staff understand our responsibility to make sure we deliver the life-changing experiences they came here to find.
Our students will meet and learn from Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and MacArthur “genius” Fellows. This is a place where every day brings a chance to learn something new, to tackle a different challenge, to ask a different question, to meet someone unlike anyone else you’ve ever known, and to succeed in ways you never thought you could. In fact, Josh Whitman, our new director of athletics, tells that story from his viewpoint in this issue.
We call it a transformative education. They just call it another day at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Whether you have sons or daughters enrolled here today or if you are among those with children considering Illinois for next year, I hope you enjoy this issue of Postmarks and this window into the Illinois experience.
And please believe me when I tell you that as much fun as it is to read these stories, it’s even more exciting for those of us here at Illinois who have the privilege of seeing them happen in person.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Jones
Chancellor
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