10.3.22

Dear Colleagues — 

Welcome to October! The air is a little crisper, and crops are being harvested all around our campus. We’re fully into the fall season, and campus is bustling with students, activities and other important items of note.

New Information ­­­­

Annual Ethics Training 

As a University of Illinois employee, you are required to complete ethics training on an annual basis. The training is available now and will remain accessible through 5 p.m. Oct. 31. This year’s course is presented in two parts, and both must be completed to receive your certificate of completion. Learn more on Orbit.  

Next Coffee Chat is Oct. 6

Thank you to everyone who stopped by for coffee and conversation last Friday in the Student Union! What a great response! I’ll be at Starbucks again this week for another opportunity to meet and mingle with faculty and staff. Join me 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. 

SECA 

The theme for this year’s SECA campaign is “Giving Hope,” and that is exactly what your contribution will do for people in need. With thousands of choices, it is easy to find a charity that has special meaning for you. Please visit the UIS SECA web page for video tutorials, the link to the donor form, and other helpful information to make a gift by Nov. 16. 

Flu Shot Clinics 

Sangamon County Department of Public Health will be onsite 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 20 and Nov. 16 on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center to administer free flu shots to UIS employees. Please take advantage of this convenient opportunity to promote wellness this flu season.  

Star Party Friday 

The UIS Astronomy-Physics program will host an in-person Star Party from 8 to 10 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 7, at the UIS Campus Observatory, weather depending. Star Parties have been a UIS tradition since 1980 and are open to the public. Register to reserve your spot!  

Open Photo Studio Sessions this Week 

Visit the photography studio between noon and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 5 or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 to have your portrait made for use on department websites, campus directory, speaking engagements, etc. Learn more. 

Fall 2022 Graduation Applications Due Today 

Encourage any students you know who are graduating this semester to submit their online Graduation Application TODAY via Student Self-Service. Students must verify that all curriculum information is listed accurately before submitting their application (including major, minor, concentrations, etc.). Questions or concerns? Email registrar@uis.edu or call 206-7730. 

Create Newsletters on Your Website 

Reach your audiences more effectively without extra time or work. The Office of Web Services has developed the functionality to create mailing lists, add a subscription sign-up form to your site, and send newsletters of your most recent news articles. Learn more on Orbit. 

Save the Date: Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series 

The Center for Lincoln Studies is hosting the 2022 Mary and James Beaumont Endowed series discussion from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Student Union Ballroom. The topic will be on “Lincoln and African Americans” with professors Jonathan White, Matthew Norman and Fred Horn. Their scholarship centers on African Americans’ voice to explore how they felt about President Lincoln. Learn more. 

Information that Bears Repeating 

Fall Accelerated Courses  

There’s still time for students to register for accelerated classes, which begin Oct. 17. Please encourage students who would benefit to sign up or to learn more: uis.edu/accelerated 

JDXpert, Cornerstone Forum Recording 

Human Resources hosted an open forum recently to answer questions about JDXpert and Cornerstone. If you were unable to attend, the event was recorded and shares a lot of good info to get to know more about these new HR platforms.  

Celebrating our Star Power 

Sibel Oktay, associate professor and director of the new School of Politics and International Affairs, has written her first book titled “Governing Abroad: Coalition Politics and Foreign Policy in Europe,” which is available for purchase now.  

Isaac Farhadian, online political science graduate student, received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award. He teaches government and economics at John H. Pitman High School in Turlock, Calif. Read more! 

GPSI intern and public history graduate student Marcel Tworek was the leading force behind the National Park Service adding the Old State Capitol to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom list. He spent 5-6 months conducting research, wrote two historical essays and worked with staff at the National Parks Service to gain final approval for the site.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end of a long newsletter. I don’t want you to miss anything important, but sometimes I can’t include everything in this email. Please check Orbit frequently for important employee updates as they happen.  

Janet

Janet L. Gooch, PhD 

Chancellor 

University of Illinois Springfield