In October of 2021, the Office of Public Engagement was established as a formal entity in the Office of the Chancellor. The establishment of this entity reflects the recognition of the need for a robust campus-wide public engagement presence – locally and beyond. Also, this entity is well aligned with Goal 3 of the Next 150 strategic plan: MAKE A SIGNIFICANT AND VISIBLE SOCIETAL IMPACT.
When the core foundations of unabashed 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.