217 Today: Chancellor Robert Jones reflects on leading U of I through growth and crisis

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University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones talks with IPM's Reginald Hardwick on April 4, 2025.
  • Photo: Illinois Public Media

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Today’s headlines:

  • Sam Hall III  was sworn in as Rantoul’s Village President last night.
  • What looks like a garden nestled between two University of Illinois residence halls is actually a key piece of campus infrastructure.
  • Latino Democrats in the Illinois statehouse are hoping to pass protections for immigrant students.
  • Some policy analysts say a new Illinois higher education funding plan would help the state’s public universities better address their needs.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll listen to a conversation with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones, who explains what he learned from navigating crises during his tenure at the university.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mary Piacente, Adelyn Mui, Mawa Iqbal, Kulsoom Khan and Reginald Hardwick.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.