Editor’s note: The Daily Illini Editorial Board sat down with Chancellor Phyllis Wise to talk about the state of affairs on campus.

The Daily Illini: We know that making our University more diverse has long been a goal of the University and a goal of yours. As of now, where is the University lacking in diversity and where is it doing well?

Phyllis Wise: We define diversity very broadly. Not only racial diversity, not only religious diversity, not only ethnic diversity but disabled students, students of different ages, of different economic means, of different geographic backgrounds. So when we look at each of these metrics, we are going in the right direction, but I can say that I don’t think I’ll ever give up on diversity. I don’t think you can ever become too diverse, so to speak. And I think one of the other areas that we’re really concentrating on is inclusiveness. … So I guess what I’m asking every student to do is to step out of their comfort zone a little bit, to extend a welcoming hand to someone that you don’t know so that everyone feels like this is truly their family.

DI: Regarding the high number of international students that we’ve admitted over the past years, some contend that admitting high numbers of international students is a budget play of sorts. How would you respond to these kinds of comments?

Wise: We have never thought of international students as a source of revenue. We’ve always thought of them as students who really, really want to get their education at the University of Illinois. We enjoy a very, very strong reputation internationally, and many of those students seek us because they believe that they’ll get a better education here — and we like to believe that they actually will get a better education here — than many other choices that they can make. That they are paying full tuition, full out-of-state tuition, and then an international component of that in additions, is part of what they are doing, but we have never looked to international students because they are a source of revenue. In fact, the qualifications that we put on out of state and international students is actually higher than the qualifications that we ask of our in-state students because we realize that we are a state university — we are the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – and that our very first responsibility is to the citizens of Illinois.

DI: Why does the University hold the Chief Illiniwek trademark if we don’t intend to use it?

Wise: We hold it, in part, so that others cannot abuse it.

DI: College affordability has become a growing issue among prospective students in higher education. What has, or what does the University specifically plan to do to address rising tuition costs?

Wise: We are trying very hard to control tuition levels. As you know, last year we raised them by 1.75 percent, and that amounted to less than $100 per semester. In addition, we have put a lot more money into scholarships. We put in $58 million in scholarships for students based upon need and merit. … We realize that we want the University of Illinois to be accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and we aren’t there yet.

DI: What would you be looking for in the next president of the University?

Wise: I have enjoyed working with President Easter immensely. I think he is both visionary as well as ethical as well as thoughtful. He’s highly respected. He knows so much about the history of the University of Illinois on all three campuses, and I would like to have another person like him.

DI: What is being done to address crime on this campus?

Wise: There are over 1,000 cameras now, not only on campus in the buildings and around campus, but also around Campustown. … That is certainly one of the big improvements, I think, in terms of security. The second thing is that we give rides — free rides — to areas around campus. … It’s also a matter of educating students that nothing is ever 100 percent safe, and you have to be vigilant yourself.

DI: Regarding the cameras, how does the University balance security with privacy concerns?

Wise: There’s always that boundary. We have never used a camera to follow a student unless something untoward has happened.