
‘This is like leaving home for us’: Chancellor Robert Jones on departure from U of I, Trump targeting higher ed, and leading through COVID
Jones will soon head to the University of Washington in Seattle. He starts on August 1, 2025.

Faculty members urge University of Illinois to join Big Ten mutual defense compact
Under the “mutual academic defense compact,” participating schools would share financial and legal resources in the face of any challenges from the federal government.

University of Illinois Pro-Palestinian protests one year later: Felony charges, new policies and fear
One year later, the campus’ political climate is in a much different place. For many students, their decision to speak out has taken a toll.

The federal library department has put almost all of its staff on leave. What does that mean for your town’s library?
After cuts by the Trump administration to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the future of libraries in small towns and villages in Illinois is uncertain.

Illinois may allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees. Some rural students say it would make a big difference
One of the big selling points of attending community colleges is the lower tuition cost. With that in mind, the legislation limits the costs of the four-year programs.

Harvard sues Trump administration to stop its grants freeze
Harvard University announced Monday that it was suing to halt a federal freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus.

Playing the Changes: How jazz music helped unite a South African university
Darius and Catherine Brubeck visit CU this week to discuss their work creating a jazz program in apartheid-era South Africa.

Visa terminations causing panic for Illinois students and educators
The Trump administration’s move to terminate the legal immigration status of hundreds of international students is leaving Illinois educators scrambling to find ways to help.

U of I takes legal action after Department of Energy announces cuts to research grants
The University of Illinois is suing the federal government over a cap on energy grants.

‘Chilling silence’: Waves of Illinois’ international university students lose their visas
Illinois hosts one of the largest international student populations in the nation, ranking fifth.

Trump administration freezes $790 million for Northwestern University
In a statement, Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates said the school was “informed by members of the media that the federal government plans to freeze a significant portion of our federal funding. The university has not received any official notification from the federal government.”

Instead of ending DEI, University of Illinois will add ‘open to all’ language to websites
Chancellor Robert Jones and Provost John Coleman announced by email on Thursday that the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign will not strike sensitive words or phrases from websites under pressure from the federal government.