Letter from the President

Alan Cramb

It is with deep gratitude that I offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’—to our faculty, students, staff, alumni, friends, and members of the Board of Trustees—who have placed their confidence in me to lead Illinois Tech as its ninth president. I am honored and excited to see what is possible for this global technological university located in one of the greatest cities in the world.

As the 125th anniversary of our university comes to a close, we can look back at our legacy with respect and admiration. It is time now to co-author the next chapter of Illinois Tech’s story.

Looking ahead, my vision for Illinois Tech is that we will become:

  • A university where there is a strong focus on both education and the development of new knowledge—and where excellence is expected and not an aspiration;
  • A university where outstanding faculty scholarship is combined with an ability to inspire our student body to high achievement;
  • A university that values creativity, innovation, and the entrepreneurial endeavors of its faculty, students, staff, and alumni;
  • A university where students are the focus of our endeavors and their success after graduation is the major outcome of their education;
  • A university whose faculty, students, staff, and alumni have pride in the accomplishments of all; and
  • A university whose culture is inclusive, its people diverse, and its accomplishments more than the sum of its parts.

In short, we will be a premier global technological university that is based in Chicago.

All of us need to write that next chapter for it is only by working together that we can realize our goals.

First, we must ensure the success of our graduates by offering them a total student experience. This will include a great education in a discipline of their choice and an out-of-class experience that will allow them to grow as people, develop an appreciation of the accomplishments of others, and start on the path that will allow them to become leaders in their careers.

Second, we must continue to build the visibility of our university as a premier global technological university in Chicago, in the United States, and across the world.

Third, we must build a community that supports the achievement of our goals. We must ensure that our university values all of its members—and that diversity and inclusion are hallmarks of our community.

And fourth, we must grow. Growth in all areas is necessary: growth in student numbers, growth in stature, growth in academics, growth in scholarship and research, and growth in pride. This includes pride in the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends.

Our future is tied to strong undergraduate enrollment and our continued ability to attract some of the best and brightest graduate students and researchers from around the world. I ask for your help to identify students who could benefit from an Illinois Tech education and to tell the Illinois Tech story with pride. To our alumni, let us know when you do something exciting so that we can share it proudly across the institution.

In the years ahead you will hear me use the words ‘celebrate’ and ‘share’ together. We have much to celebrate—faculty recognition, student achievement, alumni accomplishments, and staff service. It is important that we share that news across the university so that we all know the breadth of our success.

And so when people ask you about Illinois Tech, let them know that our university is indeed known for engineering. But Illinois Institute of Technology is also known for science. And design. And law. And business. And human sciences. And architecture. And applied technology. Indeed, we have much to celebrate—and to share.

Our path is clear. Let the next phase of our journey begin.