UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
APPROVES SYLVIA MANNING AS UIC CHANCELLOR

Sylvia Manning's appointment as chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago today was approved by the University Board of Trustees at their regularly scheduled meeting.

University President James J. Stukel had nominated Manning for the top UIC post June 12, concluding a national search.

Manning was interim chancellor since last September, following the resignation of Dr. David Broski, now president of Bradley University. Before that, she was vice president for academic affairs. There, she was the University's senior academic planning officer and advised the president on matters of educational policy, academic programs, budget priorities, academic personnel actions and other issues.

"I am honored to endorse and recommend Sylvia Manning to the Board today," Stukel said Thursday. "Sylvia has guided UIC through some very challenging issues. She is an outstanding academic leader, and UIC is in fine hands. I congratulate the Board for their discerning, long ago, just what a capable person she is."

Manning came to the University of Illinois in 1994 from the University of Southern California where she was executive vice provost. At USC she also served as Chair of the English Department, Vice provost for Undergraduate Studies and associate director of the Center for the Humanities. She led the team that wrote the proposal to create the $120-million Annenberg Center for Communications at USC.

"UIC is so clearly on an upward trajectory that being chancellor is both irresistible and daunting," Dr. Manning said. "This is the place to be: a city campus in a great city that aspires to become the nation's leading urban research university. We have much of the intellectual, financial and physical infrastructure in place and there's a tremendous momentum. I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity."

"Under Sylvia Manning's fine leadership, UIC is sure to continue its forward progress," Board chairman William Engelbrecht said. "Her experience in fiscal management, expertise in academic affairs and ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences will prove invaluable to the campus' growth."

"Dr. Manning is a woman of vision, a proven coalition-builder who has served this university well in so many capacities and roles. Her creativity and energy are tremendous assets, and we are so pleased she will stay with us as UIC chancellor," Board member Susan Gravenhorst said.

"From the transfer of scholarly research to the private sector to online education, Dr. Manning has been at the forefront of the university's most important technology initiatives. UIC will benefit enormously from her know-how in this critical area," said Board member Jeffrey Gindorf.

During her months as interim chancellor, UIC made progress in a number of important areas:

• Received National Institutes of Health approval for an action plan for the protection of human research subjects, with most research approved and restarted;
• Received final Chicago City Council and Board of Trustees approval for the south campus expansion plan, with construction under way;
• Installed new leadership in the health sciences areas; and
• Continued aggressive faculty recruitment.

Manning received her master and doctoral degrees in English language and literature from Yale University (1964 and 1967), and a bachelor of arts in English from McGill University in 1963. She was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and Danforth Teaching Fellow.

She has two grown sons.

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