THE UNIVERSITY OF Illinois is a system of public universities. It consists of three campuses: Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. The governing body of the three campuses is the board of trustees. The campus at Urbana-Champaign is known as the U of I and UIUC, whereas the Chicago campus is known as UIC, and the Springfield campus UIS. The largest university in the Chicago area, UIC has 25,000 students, 15 colleges, including the nation's largest medical school, and annual research expenditures exceeding $290 million. Playing a critical role in Illinois healthcare, UIC operates the state's major public medical center and serves as the principal educator of Illinois' physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

The modern UIC was formed in 1982 by the consolidation of two ...