The Process: Upon the arrival of Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, the Illinois Athletics Executive team began the task of defining the Department’s mission – it’s “WHY”. Consensus building was an important part of the exercise, therefore, in August 2016, the entire department engaged in a series of discussions to provide valuable data on the desired culture for the DIA. Concurrently, the student-athletes through SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Council) and the CAAB (Chicago Athletics Advisory Board) took part in similar discovery discussions.  

What it Means: Unify. Develop. Inspire. Achieve. (UDIA) are four encompassing words to both represent the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics mission and aspirations. For each of the many constituents – student-athletes, coaches and staff, alumni, donors and fans, the words can represent different meanings. The mission statement is designed to be self-interpretive and personal. In each of the words’ meanings, all audiences can find purpose.

Living our Mission: Unify. Develop. Inspire. Achieve. are not just words in a mission, but active initiatives to ensure we are living the mission. Below are the actions currently in place:

UNIFY Communication Tools Diversity and Inclusion Community Service  Social Gatherings		DEVELOP Coaches Professional Development Brown Bag Self-Development and Wellness Illini Executive Academy DIA Staff Mentoring Program
INSPIRE Student-Athlete Stories Staff Accomplishments		ACHIEVE Celebrate Team Success Celebrate DIA Accomplishments