Dear students, faculty and staff,

As the semester ends and we make plans to travel, gather with family and friends and celebrate the holidays, we ask you to remain vigilant to protect yourself and others against COVID-19.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is still prevalent and our own wastewater testing and reports from state and local health departments and hospitals all tell us that cases are increasing in many areas. The number of flu cases across the country is high, as well, greatly exacerbating the problem. We need to continue to guard against the spread of these viruses during the holiday season.

Throughout the pandemic, you have distinguished yourselves through your willingness to take common-sense steps to protect yourselves and each other. Your vigilance helped us to safely return to our campuses in the first year of the pandemic and has since allowed us to operate while protecting your health and that of the communities around our universities.

In the weeks ahead, we ask you to continue to take responsible steps such as wearing a face covering in crowded spaces, getting all available COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, and, if you do have symptoms of either illness, follow medical guidance.

With these simple steps, you can help ensure that we can all celebrate the joys of the season, then come back to our universities in January recharged and ready for the spring semester.

Sincerely,

Tim Killeen
President
University of Illinois System

Janet Gooch
Chancellor
University of Illinois Springfield

Robert Jones
Chancellor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Javier Reyes
Interim Chancellor
University of Illinois Chicago