The Illinois/Indiana Title VI East Asia National Resource Center Consortium theme is Extending Professional Knowledge. One of its joint 4-year projects, with learning, teaching, and outreach components, is the Science and Technology in the Pacific Century (STIP) initiative. STIP builds on Illinois' national profile in agriculture and engineering, and Indiana's in the biological and information sciences to consider the impact of East Asia science and technology on business and society in both East Asia and the United States. The following remarks from Chancellor Herman initiated a panel discussion on the STIP Initiative at Illinois' Beckman Institute.

I am here today because I care about you and what you do. The success of students at your colleges is critical to our state and our future. It is incumbent on me and the institution I lead to work with you to expand that success by building new pathways linking our campuses, our students and our faculty, in order to serve the people of Illinois better.

Chancellor Herman's remarks to new students. "This is the Illinois Experience. We are so delighted that you are here with us. One Campus, Many voices. Let yours be heard. Welcome to Illinois! Have a great semester and an even greater four years. See you right back here in 2011 at Commencement!"

Just as one line cast into the water sends ripples across a pond, your Illinois spirit of giving will continue to unleash waves of creativity, scientific advancement and human understanding in all areas of life, in all parts of our world, for generations to come. Because of your generosity, Illinois will be counted among the greatest public research universities in the nation.

I have celebrated (Illinois') open-minded environment and the creativity, excellence and innovation it has inspired. But tonight I stand before you in a plaintive way. I am saddened by several racist incidents that occurred on our campus this academic year -- one in which students were threatened on the Web site, Facebook, because of their points of view about the Chief. And another in which fraternity and sorority members attended a party dressed as gardeners and pregnant women and said they were illegal Mexican immigrants. These incidents were repugnant to me and to our University community. But these episodes also create an opportunity to begin a necessary conversation about the balance we must find between free expression and incivility. Never before has our open-mindedness been more important.