We’ve joined the Big Ten® in the We Give Blood competition! Donate blood @ any blood drive (on-campus blood drives count: https://bigten.org/abbott/illinois) or blood center until Dec. 5. On-campus donors will get a limited-edition Homefield® vintage Illini T-shirt* 👉 Schedule your appointment @https://bigten.org/Abbott/illinois AND 📲 Register your donation @ https://bigten.org/Abbott/submit or text ‘DONATE’ to 222688 (ABBOTT) to get your tee (tees for on-campus donors only) & give Illinois credit. Plus, the university w/ the most donations wins $1 million from Abbott! *While supplies last.

The Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act aims to “address gaps in mental health services on college campuses across the state through training, peer support, and community-campus partnerships.” To support this, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs offers Mental Health First Aid training, the Faculty-Staff Mental Health Ambassador Program, and SOS for Higher Ed: Suicide Prevention self-guided training for faculty and staff. These programs equip you with the skills to recognize when a student is experiencing mental health challenges and connect them to appropriate resources.

We’ve added a new update to our Operational Excellence for MarCom website. Visit https://studentaffairs.illinois.edu/opexmarcom to see the latest progress, news or highlights. Stay informed as we continue moving forward and building momentum. Thank you for your continued interest and support!

As the colder months approach, many students on our campus are facing the season without essential winter gear or basic hygiene products. We're calling on our campus community to come together and donate new or gently used scarves, hats, gloves and coats as well as unopened hygiene products like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and more. Drop-off location: First Floor Lobby Donation Box at Turner Student Services, 610 E. John St. Donation drive runs through Nov. 7. Let’s show what community means. Donate today — and help keep our students warm, healthy and supported this winter.

Pre-Health Advising at The Career Center invites Advisors to our annual update on services, events, and programs, as well as changes and trends in health professional school admissions, entrance exams, and more. Join us on September 24, 2025, 11:00 a.m. via Zoom to learn how Pre-Health Advising can be a key resource for you and your pre-health students. The slide deck will be made available. 

Join us from Sept. 21–28 for a weeklong celebration of Homecoming events! This year's theme is "Illinois: Where Legends Begin." Members of the chart-topping classic rock band REO Speedwagon return to campus to serve as grand marshals of the Homecoming parade Friday, Sept. 26. Check out the full slate of 2025 Homecoming events. Don't forget to purchase your official Illinois Homecoming t-shirt and get a collectable button, available exclusively at the Illini Union Bookstore.

Grab a friend, family member, or co-worker and sign up for a 4-week physical training program focusing on full body strength and conditioning. These small groups help build community, motivate an active lifestyle, and keep you accountable to reach your personal fitness goals. Two sessions are offered on Oct. 7 - 30 and Nov. 4 - Dec. 4. Classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5-6pm in the Activities and Recreation (ARC) HIIT Pod. Open to all levels; no Campus Recreation membership necessary. Register on Active Illini.

Student Affairs continued to expand basic need support services. We launched a "Single Stop" benefit finder in the Connie Frank CARE Center to connect students to local support, increased emergency rental assistance, supplemented the food pantry with cooking utensils, and added more loaner laptops.