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  • November 4-8 is First-Generation Week at Illinois

    This week is dedicated to raising awareness about first-gen college student experiences at Illinois. Join the Jeffries Center and First-Generation Student Initiatives in celebrating the numerous strengths first generation students bring to our campus. 

  • A record number of first-year University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students form the Block I in Memorial Stadium during Welcome Week 2024. Photo by Andy Savage

    Illinois welcomes largest number of students in university history

    U. of I. welcomes a record-breaking class for the Fall 2024 semester. With a freshman enrollment of 9,008, the new class brings record total student enrollment at 59,238 - 37,140 undergraduates and 20,765 graduate students. 

  • Bonnie Kim poses by the Alma Mater after her first semester back on campus in May. She is returning to complete her final year of classes this fall. (Photo by Carly Conway.)

    Hahl-mo-nee goes back to school

    The first day back was like a dream, and not a good one. Bonnie, 65, remembers walking on the Main Quad among waves of college students. They were younger than her children. “I asked myself, ‘What am I doing here?’”

  • cheerleaders carry large Block I flags as they run around Zuppke Field. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    2024 Homecoming, September 8-14

    View the full list of events, more details and visitor guides on the Homecoming 2024 website

  • Welcome, Class of 2028!

    We have a whole week of activities planned to welcome new students to the campus and to the Illinois family. Check the schule of events here.

  • image of the mammoth statue on the U of I's main quad

    Updated landscape to set Quad's mammoth statue in Pleistocene-era vegetation

    The 'Pleistocene Garden' is being designed by Professor Stephen Marshak features plants from the central Illinois landscape around 30,000 years ago, predating Illinois’ earliest human inhabitants.

  • Pinholster named new dean of College of Fine and Applied Arts

    Jacob Pinholster has been selected as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, effective Sept. 16. He is currently the executive dean for enterprise design in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. 

  • Catch the latest blockbusters under the stars at Summer Outdoor Movies on the Quad

    Catch the latest blockbusters under the stars at Summer Outdoor Movies on the Quad. Every Thursday evening at 9 p.m. from May 23 - Aug. 8, enjoy free movies on the Quad's big screen.

  • Jeanne Gang, the 2024 U of I Commencement speaker and alumna, delivered her address to more than 7,000 graduates seated on the Memorial Stadium field on May 11.   Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Read Jeanne Gang's Commencement keynote: Keep the Spark

    Jeanne Gang, the 2024 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Commencement speaker, delivered her address to over 7,000 graduates seated on the Memorial Stadium field on May 11.  

  • Announcing the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science

     The School will pioneer advancements at the intersection of computing and data science, addressing complex challenges and driving innovation across various fields. 

  • student with her female family members who are wearing Mom's Weekend t-shirts

    Moms Weekend 2024, April 12-14

    Celebrate over 100 years of inviting Moms to the Illinois campus! 

  • Eric Zama, an environmental scientst from Cameroon, works in an Illinois field.

    Environmental scientist escapes Cameroon conflict as part of U of I Scholars at Risk program

    'It’s not a good feeling when guys with guns say you will die if you don’t comply. Mostly they will keep you until they get the ransom money. There are so many groups fighting that the next week another group can catch you, and then another. It’s crazy.'

  • Illini Couple Pam and Kevin Paradies return to the Eternal Flame, where they kissed as freshmen.

    Illini Valentines Kevin and Pam: Eternal Flames

    'I was a pledge in my sorority and the older girls told me, "Whatever you do, don’t sit with a boy on that bench by the (Eternal Flame),"' recalls Pam. 'Because if you do and if you kiss him, you’re gonna get married.'

  • Dance professor Cynthia Oliver, who is leading the arts integration project. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    New Illinois initiative to embed arts into all aspects of university

    'Arts are not decoration. They are deeply investigative, sophisticated practices. I want that to be recognized, acknowledged and engaged with,' says Cynthia Oliver, who was named the special advisor to the chancellor for arts integration.

  • U of I Homecoming 2023 logo

    Join us! Check the calendar of Homecoming Week events

    With a Homecoming week theme of 'Sweet Home Illini,' the U of I welcomes alumni and friends to campus for a full week's worth of events, from the 5k on Sunday, Oct. 15, through a fall football weekend that culminates with a Foreigner concert. 

  • Graduate Student Appreciation Week

    This Graduate Student Appreciation Week is an opportunity to celebrate graduate students at Illinois and throughout our campus community, and there a host of activities planned to help you do that.

  • Turn the Handle: Interactive art at the mechanical engineering building

    Called Grasp, the three metal vertical arms move back and forth with the power of a simple handle-crank on the base. On the back of the gearbox, glass panels allow the user to see the gears at work. Come give it a turn!

  • Professor Cynthia Oliver and Dr. Amy Powell. Photos provided.

    FAA faculty to lead Chancellor's Arts Integration initiative

    In an effort to further integrate the arts into campus life, Chancellor Robert Jones has named Professor as Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Arts Integration. Dr. Amy L. Powell will serve as Curator of Campus Arts Research under Oliver’s direction. 

  • Naomi Oreskes is a Harvard University professor of the history of science. Photo by Kayana Szymczak

    Science historian Naomi Oreskes: How free market ideology blocks climate action

    Naomi Oreskes, a leader in examining efforts to undermine the scientific truth on the causes of global warming, will give a Center for Advanced Study MillerComm lecture on how free market ideology is preventing action on climate change. 

  • Brian Williams at the anchor desk for 'The Eleventh Hour'. Photo provided.

    Veteran TV journalist Brian Williams visits campus October 23

    Brian Williams, former anchor of MSNBC's The 11th Hour and NBC Nightly News, will be on the U of I campus to talk about the evolution of broadcast news in America on Monday, October 23, 7-8 p.m. A Zoom option is available.

  • composite of six winning photographs in the Beckman Institute Research Image contest

    2023 Beckman Institute Research Image contest winners

    'This contest is just a small sample of the 40 academic units we represent, and it shows how many disciplines are impacted by the imaging facilities and capabilities here at Beckman. I love how the beauty and diversity of the science shines through.'

  • faded orange and blue graphic advertising this concert

    Marching Illini in Concert makes a triumphant return to State Farm Center

    Their string of 23 consecutive years performing at the venue was interrupted after the concert in October, 2013, due to a renovation that began the following year. Their concert will feature all of the traditional gameday music, plus a few surprises. 

  • shiny, happy people in orange 'welcome Illini' tee shirts

    Welcome, Class of 2027

    LInk to Welcome Week events page

  • Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir, U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin at TRANS-IPIC event. Photo by Heather Coit

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg here to support transportation infrastructure research

    The new Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center got 'a dose of encouragement and excitement about the mission we are undertaking' with a visit from Buttigieg, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin on Monday.

  • fans line up awaiting the entrance of Illini football players through the Grange Grove tailgating area outside Memorial Stadium

    Grange Grove football tailgating reservations open for 2023

    Starting this season, fans will be required to reserve tailgate spaces in advance, ensuring a safe and organized environment for all attendees. Space reservations will be provided free of charge.

  • Shelby Strommer, the collections care coordinator for Preservation Services, and Jennifer Hain Teper, the head of Preservation Services for the University Library, hold Victorian-era books. Photo by Michelle Hassel

    U of I Library: Victorian-era books may have heavy metal-based pigments

    The Heavy Metals Project of the University Library will survey the 19th-century books in the Library’s collection and test those with their original cloth-covered bindings to determine if they contain traces of heavy metals in the pigments used for the covers.


  • Graduates celebrate during the confetti drop at UI Commencement.

    Commencement!

    The university-wide Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. in Memorial Stadium. It will be livestreamed at https://go.illinois.edu/live. 

  • Former student chimes players Jonathan Smith, left, and Liam Flood returned for the recording, joining forces to play a duet on the chimes.

    Preserving the sound of the Altgeld Chimes

    With the imminent closure of the bell tower at Altgeld Hall for major renovation work, chimes players are hoping a recording of their music will carry on the Illini tradition of the chimes until the building restoration is finished. (Includes video!)

  • A new mammoth sculpture is found in the same place its ancestors wandered 30,000 years prior. That’s even older than the neighboring Natural History Building (NHB), built in 1892, from where it draws inspiration. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    There's a new sculpture on the Quad - and it's MAMMOTH

    The next, and past, big thing: The great wooly mammoth is back… Visible to all, not an apparition… Near the University of Illinois Main Quad. 

  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Photo by: Suzy Gorman

    2023 Commencement Speaker : Jackie Joyner-Kersee

    Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will serve as U of I's commencement speaker Saturday, May 13. ESPN named her one of the 50 Great Athletes of All Time. Sports Illustrated named her Female Athlete of the 20th Century.

  • Celebrate Black History Month at Illinois

    Black History Month gives everyone the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture. Uase this site to find events and stories of impact from Black students, alumni, faculty and staff at U of I.

  • Male and female international students waiting at a bus stop on campus. Photo by Brian Stauffer

    Fall 2022: Record-breaking international student enrollment

    Overall international fall enrollment at Illinois is 11,548, which topped the previous record of 10,826 students in 2017, and includes record high enrollments from India and Africa.

  • K-9 officers and their sweet dogs pose with the social workers who ride with them as part of the REACH (Response, Evaluation and Crisis Help) program

    Along for (more than) the ride with U of I Police

    'Our primary focus as crisis workers is in suicide prevention and hospital deferral when clinically appropriate,' says alumna Becky Rowe (MSW, '21). 'We bring evidence-based tools directly to the client, in the field.'

  • Holiday kindness at Illinois

    Chancellor Robert Jones wishes the entire university community a happy holiday season.

  • Marie Yavanovitch.

    Former ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch honored with Douglas Award

    The Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, presented by U of I’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs, recognizes public officials who demonstrate the highest standards of public service.

  • stock image of man at work desk with head-in-hands

    Five ways to use technology to decrease your stress

    It’s a stressful time of year with holidays and the end of the semester. Technology can add to that stress, or it can be used to minimize the stress.

  • Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent at The Washington Post

    Q&A with alum Dan Balz, chief correspondent of The Washington Post

    Join us as alumnus Dan Balz of The Washington Post, discusses the U.S. Senate Georgia runoff election between Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael G. Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker on Dec. 5.

  • artist's rendition of the proposed South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning looking south

    $25M gift to support new interdisciplinary learning center

    The South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning will be a four-story building on Gregory Drive between the Business Instructional Facility and Huff Hall. Construction will begin in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed by early 2025.

  • simple orange and blue graphic says, 'I (heart) graduate students'. Graphic by Michael B. Vincent

    Graduate Student Appreciation Week

    Check out the list of events for Grad Student Appreciation Week, October 24 - 28, as the campus celebrates their many contributions to the missions of the University.

  • Celebrate U of I's global reach

    International Education Week celebrates the broad impact of global learning, cultural exchange, and scholarship uniquely experienced at the U of I. Check out our educational, cultural, and recreational events that celebrate our reach.

  • 2022 Homecoming Court members sit beside the fountain near Alice Campbell Alumni Center. The fountain has been dyed orange for Homecoming. Photo by Michelle Hassel

    Homecoming parade is Friday at 5:30

    Here is the Parade Route, Note that the Fourth Street and Gregory Drive sections close beginning at 5 pm. The Kirby Avenue and First Street sections will be closed from noon Friday until after the football game on Saturday.

  • Homecoming Week at Illinois

    Events throughout the week include a student dinner on the Quad, the Global Talent Show, Saturday Night Live: Homecoming Edition in downtown Champaign,  two concerts at State Farm Center and - of course - football on Saturday.

  • fans watch a movie from the field at Memorial Stadium at a past FamILLy Night

    FamILLy Day at Memorial Stadium Set for Aug. 14

    You'll get a first look at the Fighting Illini football, soccer, and volleyball teams by interacting with student-athletes on the field. That's followed by a movie night (free admission) where the first 500 fans will receive a free Illini popcorn bucket.

  • Alma Mater statute photo by Fred Zwicky

    New program to support U of I freshmen with autism

    Incoming freshmen at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this fall with autism spectrum disorder can take part in a new program that will offer a variety of support to help them succeed at college and beyond.

  • Dr. Ehab Kamarah. Photo provided by subject.

    Executive Director of Facilities & Services announced

    Ehab Kamarah has been selected to serve as the new Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Facilities and Services, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

  • student teacher watches a young boy doing schoolwork as both wear masks

    Taking on the pandemic—and winning

    How the College of Education successfully placed 100% of its students that required placements in schools or with community organizations during the first two years of the pandemic.

  • Four exhibits to visit at Krannert Art Museum this summer

    Learn about some of the rotating exhibits you should visit at KAM this summer.

  • 1970s-era aerial view of the (famously underground) Undergraduate Library in black and white

    Saturday: Your last chance to visit the Undergraduate Library

    By popular demand, the UGL will remain open Saturday to allow folks to visit over graduation weekend! It will be open May 14th from 1-4 pm for anyone who would like to visit the building one last time. Its doors will close for good at 4 pm.

  • View from Foellinger during Quad Day in 2016 | Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

    Quad Day then and now

    Learn how Quad Day began and how it has evolved over almost five decades 

  • Sycamore tree near Gregory Hall, one of the oldest trees on campus

    Earth Week: Five of the most popular trees on campus

    The Horticulture Club is hosting a Tree Walk on Thursday as part of our Earth Week and Arbor Day celebration. The Tree Walk will include 20 trees from all around our Tree Campus USA.