Message from the Chancellor

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

The federal government’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the next six months is very disappointing and troubling. The availability of legal status through DACA has advanced educational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students who are in this country as a result of choices made by their parents or relatives. DACA has provided them with temporary protected status against deportation as well as work authorization. Most of these young people consider the United States their home and are now dependent upon Congress to step forward and provide the protection they need to remain in the U.S.

We have come to know many undocumented students at our University, students who have worked hard their entire lives and have overcome great challenges to matriculate at UIC. DACA has made it possible for them to pursue their education. These are talented young people who, like their peers, aspire to be leaders in all of our academic fields, advance professionally and contribute to our society. We respect them and value them as we respect and value every other UIC student, regardless of their national origin or immigration status.

UIC remains committed to its fundamental mission of expanding access to higher education because we firmly believe that higher education can resolve many of the social and financial problems we are facing today in our society. We will continue to support our undocumented students and in fact, we will offer even more assistance to them, as we will be expanding student legal services and support at our counseling center. Earlier this year the Provost formed a UIC Task Force on Immigration Issues, led by Associate Director for Equity and Inclusion Tanya Cabrera and Professor Amalia Pallares. Resources and updated information as suggested by this group will continue to be posted on dream.uic.edu.

Now that the administration has set a termination date, it is important we all work to support efforts to enact legislation that protects our students. We will join our colleagues in the University of Illinois System and in the entire academic community across the country as we advocate strongly for a permanent, favorable resolution for the “Dreamers.”

Sincerely,

Michael D. Amiridis
Chancellor

Susan Poser
Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Robert A. Barish
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

Rex Tolliver
Vice Chancellor for Student Services

For more information, please contact:
Michael Amiridis
chancellor@uic.edu