Boldly
Illinois
Strategic Framework 2030
We are
- Collaborative
- Inclusive
- Empowering
Boldly Illinois is not just the title of this framework; it is a collective challenge.
Together, we can break barriers, push boundaries and dream big. We must be fearless in exploring new ideas and relentless in removing obstacles to allow our faculty, students and staff to pursue their own endless possibilities in better, more efficient and effective ways. Being bold is having the courage to recognize the “way it has always been done” will not bring the ideas, innovations and discoveries our state, nation and world so urgently need.
We have the opportunity to reimagine the role of a land-grant university in the 21st century in a way that allows the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to shape the future of society. Through innovation, education and collaboration, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign empowers people to take action and make the world a better place. The Boldly Illinois strategic framework builds on the university’s values, goals, vision and mission as it encourages us to align efforts and go in directions that are most needed, in a timely way, and that embody the spirit and energy of our institution.
Explore Our Values
Boldly Illinois grew out of a year-long planning process over the course of 2022 through 2023 that involved thousands of people, and included two summits, multiple brainstorming sessions and virtual feedback. Three values emerged as those we live as an institution and ones that we aspire to do better:
- Collaborating to solve problems and promote understanding
- Fostering authentic inclusion to build community
- Empowering individuals to be their best selves
Having emerged as they did from the Illinois community, the values embody the fabric of our university. We become stronger as we align our mission, vision and goals with the values in a strategic framework that allows us to do the work of the university in a uniquely Illinois way. Aligning with the university’s core values makes it easier for our community to collaborate with others and to amplify the power of our collective impact – all guided by compassion, empathy and respect. The strategic framework will guide us in distributing planning efforts across campus while building on current planning efforts, such as Operational Excellence and Student Success @ Illinois. To help achieve this alignment, explore the values and the align and plan sections of this website.
Align and Plan with Boldly Illinois
Being bold requires news ideas and new ways of thinking. As you, your college, department, committee or team begins to dream big, the planning guide will help you ask insightful questions and align your activities with the university’s values and goals.
You’ll find templates and other resources to guide you through brainstorming, collaboration, and implementation.
A truly bold university is one that is determined to use its momentum to move fearlessly forward. It is also unafraid to critically and honestly examine its past in order to shape a more strategic and more equitable future for everyone. This university needs to be bold and imaginative in reshaping research and practice by recognizing that our land-grant educational responsibilities to a 21st century society means rethinking some long-held traditional practices at our university.
–Chancellor Robert J. Jones
Vision and Mission
Core to this university are the vision and mission, which are reaffirmed as part of this strategic process, along with the long-standing overarching goals.
Vision
We will be the pre-eminent public research university with a land-grant mission and global impact.
Mission
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is charged by our state to enhance the lives of people in Illinois, across the nation and around the world through our leadership in learning, discovery, engagement and economic development.
Goals
Foster scholarship, discovery, and innovation
Scholarship, discovery, and innovation are at the heart of Illinois’ local, national and global impact.
We will drive new frontiers by attracting and retaining a diverse group of faculty, students and staff endowed with creativity and intellectual depth and breadth. Modern infrastructures, streamlined processes and enriched interdisciplinary and convergent work will advance the university’s mission.
Provide transformative learning experiences
Illinois will deliver on the fundamental promise of a public university—to teach students and to pioneer the science and the art of learning. We aim to create transformative knowledge—for the individual and, collectively, for the world in which we live and work.
Make a significant and visible societal impact
When the core foundations of discovery combine with transformative learning and teaching, the outcomes are no longer measured simply in degrees or in citations. They are seen in how the world is changed for the better through contact with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university lives up to its land-grant mission in many ways, and we will better organize, enrich and value these contributions as we reach out to our local, regional, national and global communities.
Steward current resources and generate additional resources for strategic initiatives
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has stewarded its land-grant mission and accompanying financial, human, technology and infrastructure resources while tackling significant budgetary challenges. We need to continue to refine, coordinate and structure our financial framework to manage all of our resources effectively and develop new lines of revenue to support our human resources, infrastructure, operating budget and strategic initiatives. To create this framework, we must streamline our processes, reduce redundancies and improve the quality and quantity of services throughout campus.