Why Illinois?

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a long tradition of developing leaders for school districts, community colleges, colleges, and universities. Since the founding of the College of Education in 1918, Illinois has maintained a dedicated mission to the preparation of superintendents and school district administrative personnel. Illinois has offered leadership development to prepare college and university administrators since the 1960s and traditionally has served as an important source for continuing professional development of educational leaders at all institutional levels. In 1989 the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) was established at Illinois. Affiliated with the College of Education, OCCRL provides research, leadership, and service to community college educators and assists in improving community college education policy and practice.

Illinois brings the intellectual and practical resources of a top land grant university to assist in the continuous professional development of P-20 educational leaders. Many College of Education faculty members have previous career experiences as school district and university academic leaders. Working collaboratively, faculty engage in research and outreach efforts that improve educational organizations and leadership practices.