A Message to Campus About Election Day

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Tomorrow is Election Day, one of the fundamental hallmarks and a celebration of our democracy! Whether you have voted early or you plan to visit the polls on Election Day, exercising your right to vote is critical to the democratic process and I hope you all do so.

Regardless of the outcome of this, or any future election, UIC’s values are not going to change. As a global university we are steadfastly committed to being inclusive, to treating each other with dignity and respect, to relying on science and to encouraging and protecting freedom of expression.

As we navigate the next few days and weeks, some of you may wish to express your views, concerns and fears about what the post-election future holds. We welcome and support you in making your voices heard.  In doing so, we encourage you to engage in a way that is both respectful of others and that aligns with our shared belief in the principles of free speech and civil political discourse. As members of an academic community, we believe that our unique perspectives and experiences give us an opportunity to learn from each other, even when we strongly disagree.

This has been an especially challenging year as health and economic hardships, social justice issues and a very polarized political environment have impacted everyone – and especially our students – in multiple ways. While we hope that a healing and reuniting process can start at the national and local levels, we also want you to know that we are here for you along with the resources available to students, faculty and staff of our community.

Sincerely,

Michael Amiridis
Chancellor