Message from the Chancellor

Dear faculty, staff and students,

Many members of our UIC community have been deeply impacted by the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd. Justice has been spoken by the jury and while no verdict can bring back Mr. Floyd, or the many other Black and Brown Americans who have been senselessly killed, it is our hope that this conviction will be an important step towards long-overdue equity and change.

As a community, we want to support those in our society who have endured the deep systemic injustice of racism. We realize that members of our community are feeling traumatized and uncertain by the tragic and repeated instances of violence against people of color. Our goal is to provide a safe living and learning environment for all and to ensure that we seek solutions to become a more equitable and inclusive society.

To do this, we will continue to move forward with our Advancing Racial Equity initiative as we work to address the structural racism that impacts our campus and our neighboring communities. We have responded to the urgent call to become a campus where Black, Indigenous, and people of color are always valued and can reach their full potential, consistent with the values of our university.

If you need support as you process the outcome of the trial, I encourage you to use the many resources on campus available to students, faculty and staff.

We have a lot of work to do as a nation to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Amiridis
Chancellor