Message from Robert J. Zimmer

I am pleased to share the University of Chicago’s 2021 annual report, which outlines achievements, milestones, and progress we have made in selected areas over the past year, as well as the philanthropic support that makes such achievements possible. The report also provides an update on the status of our endowment and our financial results for the 2021 fiscal year.

The University of Chicago is home to an intellectual community with a distinctive history, built on the foundations of rigorous inquiry and scholarship, and intensive analysis, free expression and academic freedom, and diversity and inclusion. The engagement and efforts of our faculty, students, and staff are essential to continuing to fulfill our missions to carry out impactful research and create new knowledge and understanding, provide a quality education, and to bring our work to bear on the most challenging and pressing problems of our time.

The societal need for impact of our academic mission remains as salient as ever as the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose challenges to nations and communities around the world. We continue to prioritize access to an affordable quality education for people of all backgrounds, and to building a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for everybody. We remain committed to our partnerships with the City and local communities, and to leverage our resources and talent in order to mitigate the impact of the last year as well as the broader disparities that affect our neighbors on the South Side and beyond.

Our distinctive environment and the resulting capacity for impact are renewed every day by those on campus, and by those providing support for these efforts. Accordingly, we would like to express our gratitude to the faculty, students, staff, alumni, parents, patients, and friends for their commitment and dedication to our mission. Thank you for your ongoing contributions, support, and accomplishments.​

Robert J. Zimmer
Chancellor
President, 2006–2021