Editing University of Chicago (section)

=== 1990s–2020s ===
[[File:Harper Midway Chicago.jpg|thumb|View from the [[Midway Plaisance]]]]
In 1999, President [[Hugo F. Sonnenschein|Hugo Sonnenschein]] announced plans to relax the university's [[core curriculum]], reducing the number of required courses from 21 to 15. When ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Economist]]'', and other news outlets picked up this story, the university became the focal point of a national debate on education. The changes were ultimately implemented, but the controversy played a role in Sonnenschein's decision to resign in 2000.<ref name="corewar">{{cite book | last = Beam | first = Alex | title = A Great Idea at the Time | publisher = Public Affairs | year = 2008 | page = 152 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xyQOZUzkt3UC&pg=PA153 | isbn = 978-1-58648-487-3 | access-date = March 26, 2019 | archive-date = March 8, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230308042413/https://books.google.com/books?id=xyQOZUzkt3UC&pg=PA153 | url-status = live }}</ref>

From the mid-2000s, the university began a number of multi-million dollar expansion projects. In 2008, the University of Chicago announced the establishment of the [[Milton Friedman Institute]], which attracted both support and controversy from faculty members and {{nowrap|students.<ref>{{cite news|last=Staley and Lippert|first=Oliver and John|title=Milton Friedman Institute Spurs Chicago Faculty Clash (Update3)|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akM_dI3rWYKo|newspaper=Bloomberg|date=October 15, 2008|access-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121074446/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akM_dI3rWYKo|archive-date=November 21, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jacobsen|first=Kurt|title=Milton Friedman gives Chicago a headache|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/aug/26/economics.miltonfriedman|newspaper=The Guardian|date=August 26, 2008|location=London|access-date=December 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305042507/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/aug/26/economics.miltonfriedman|archive-date=March 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Patricia|title=On Chicago Campus, Milton Friedman's Legacy of Controversy Continues|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/books/12milt.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 12, 2008|access-date=February 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302141240/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/books/12milt.html|archive-date=March 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="petition">{{cite web | title=Milton Friedman Petition | url=http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/friedman_letter.htm | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108175322/http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/friedman_letter.htm | archive-date=January 8, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cochrane|first=John|title=Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letter|url=http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/papers/friedman_letter_comments.htm|access-date=June 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714162944/http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/john.cochrane/research/papers/friedman_letter_comments.htm|archive-date=July 14, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>}} The institute was later merged with the Becker Center on Chicago Price Theory to form the new [[Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-17 |title=Becker Friedman Institute established at University of Chicago {{!}} University of Chicago News |url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/becker-friedman-institute-established-university-chicago |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=news.uchicago.edu |language=en}}</ref> In 2008, investor [[David G. Booth]] donated $300&nbsp;million to the university's [[University of Chicago Booth School of Business|Booth School of Business]], which is the largest gift in the university's history and the largest gift ever to any business school.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aAHS0r6IylXI |title=Booth Donates $300 Million to Chicago Business School |access-date=November 10, 2008 |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |date=November 7, 2008 |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308042341/https://www.bloomberg.com/politics?pid=20601103&sid=aAHS0r6IylXI |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, planning or construction on several new buildings, half of which cost $100&nbsp;million or more, was underway.<ref name="construction">{{cite magazine|url=http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0906/features/make_no_little_quads.shtml|magazine=University of Chicago Magazine|last=Pridmore|first=Jay|title=Make No Little Quads|access-date=July 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809151723/http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0906/features/make_no_little_quads.shtml|archive-date=August 9, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2011, major construction projects have included the Jules and Gwen Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery, a ten-story medical research center, and further additions to the medical campus of the [[University of Chicago Medical Center]].<ref name="knapp">{{cite press release | title=$25 million gift from Jules and Gwen Knapp will help build 10-story medical research facility at the University of Chicago | publisher=University of Chicago News Office | url=http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/060210.knapp.shtml | access-date=June 11, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830170415/http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/060210.knapp.shtml | archive-date=August 30, 2006 | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, the university launched the public phase of a $4.5 billion [[fundraising]] campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Mitch|title=University of Chicago announces $4.5 billion fundraising campaign|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/05/08/university-of-chicago-announces-45-billion-fundraising-campaign/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=December 22, 2015|date=May 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225091845/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-05-08/news/chi-university-of-chicago-announces-45-billion-fundraising-campaign-20140508_1_previous-campaign-chicago-campaign-chicago-area|archive-date=December 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2015, the university received $100 million from The Pearson Family Foundation to establish The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts and The Pearson Global Forum at the [[Harris School of Public Policy]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Glanton|first=Dahleen|title=U. of C. gets $100 million donation to study global conflict|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-u-of-chicago-100-million-donation-global-conflict-20150930-story.html|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=December 2, 2015|date=September 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151201231909/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-u-of-chicago-100-million-donation-global-conflict-20150930-story.html|archive-date=December 1, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, the university created its first school in three decades, the [[Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering]].<ref name="wsjarticleonnewengineeringschool">{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/university-of-chicago-launches-school-of-molecular-engineering-11559055600 |title=University of Chicago Launches School of Molecular Engineering |last=Holland |first=Jake |date=May 28, 2019 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=May 28, 2019 |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528172510/https://www.wsj.com/articles/university-of-chicago-launches-school-of-molecular-engineering-11559055600 |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-university-of-chicago-molecular-engineering-20190528-story.html |title=University of Chicago receives $75M to launch campus' first engineering school |last=Rhodes |first=Dawn |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=May 28, 2019 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528175917/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-university-of-chicago-molecular-engineering-20190528-story.html |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On April 29, 2024, students at the University of Chicago set up [[List of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the United States in 2024#Illinois|an encampment on the university's main quad]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2024 |title=University of Chicago students set up pro-Palestinian encampment on campus as protests spread |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/israel-hamas-war/2024/04/29/university-of-chicago-protest-camp-palestine-israel-hamas |access-date=August 5, 2024 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref> as a part of [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses|the nationwide movement]] in support of Palestine at institutions of higher learning across the country. The encampment was cleared by the University of Chicago Police Department on May 7.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maheras |first=Peter |title=Police raid quad encampment |url=https://chicagomaroon.com/43157/news/breaking-police-arrive-on-main-quad-in-riot-gear-tell-protesters-to-leave/ |access-date=August 5, 2024 |website=Chicago Maroon}}</ref>