To students, faculty and staff across the University of Illinois System:

Welcome to the beginning of something amazing — the Fall 2025 semester and the world of possibilities open to us all!

There are few seasons I love more.

As you begin this new academic year, know that you are part of something big and magnificent, something well over a century in the making and, truly, an endeavor whose impact goes on and on.

The U of I System and our three universities are an engine of opportunity like no other.

If you are a student, you have joined the generations of people who have enrolled, all seeking education and opportunity, the chance to learn and grow and open doors to their futures.

Brilliant faculty have guided them, engaging along the way in the research and discovery that have given our state and nation a growing degree of prosperity and possibility.

We are all part of a family that now numbers close to a million people. They’re found here in Illinois and all over the world — alumni, students, faculty and staff.

This makes us, all of us together, a powerful system for global impact.

I wish you an incredible academic year full of the best that this world-class university system has to offer, starting right now as we embark on what I hope will be an incredible fall for us all.

Sincerely,

Tim