CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Charles L. Isbell Jr., the new chancellor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, offered advice and words of encouragement during the annual New International Student Welcome Reception and Resource Fair on August 21, 2025, inside the Krannert Center for Performing Arts.
Isbell connected with a crowd of new international students and their families, reassuring them that although the transition to a new university is overwhelming, they can seek comfort in knowing that they found a new home with a family waiting to welcome them.
“We are a community, and we want to be your home,” Isbell said. “I encourage you to do two things— come to campus ready to learn, to grow, and to be unique, and come to campus ready to teach us and allow us to be better.”
Isbell also reminded students that even though they are at the university to pursue a degree and to build a better life for themselves, there is more to explore on campus and within the community that stem beyond academic pursuits.
He explained that students should not only take advantage of the academic opportunities the university offers but they should also immerse themselves in the campus culture and embrace the changes they will experience.
“There is a culture here that you can be a part of, a history that you can be a part of…there are tons of traditions and things that we will learn to do together, and you should take advantage of that,” Isbell said. “There are more ways to learn to be a part of this university that go beyond the academic experience. Embrace this opportunity and this change in your life and be a part of it. I think that's important, and I'm sure people have been telling you that for a long time.”
Isbell is the university's 11th chancellor and assumed the role on August 1, 2025.
Analicia Haynes is the storytelling and social media specialist at Illinois International. She can be reached at ahayn2@illinois.edu.