5.28.24
Good morning UIS,
I hope you had a restful holiday weekend and that you enjoyed a well-deserved chance to relax and recharge. It’s the perfect time to step back, reflect on the achievements of the past academic year and prepare for exciting opportunities ahead. As a reminder, this is my last bimonthly newsletter; you’ll only hear from me once in July and August, respectively.
New Information
Changes to Official DL Email Access
The UIS Office of Media Strategy and Information Technology Services developed new guidelines for mass mailing to all UIS employees and students. These guidelines have been established to create standards for what qualifies as an official announcement. Media Strategy/ITS are currently reviewing access to the distribution lists and plan to reduce the number of accounts with access. Under the new guidelines, there is a form where departments can request one-time or unlimited access to send mass messages.
Disposing of Art and Artifacts
If you are doing any spring or summer cleaning on campus, please remember that artwork, historical artifacts, or cultural pieces displayed in your office or workspace should not be discarded. These items are valuable pieces of our shared history and identity. Please contact the Art and Artifacts Committee to see if it’s part of the collection. If it's not part of the collection, the UIS Archivist will consider the appropriateness of the items for Archives. If they deem it not for the Archives, items should be removed properly through university surplus. Please reach out to co-chairs Brytton Bjorngaard or Lisa Whelpley with any questions or learn more on Orbit.
Employee Development Series Event TOMORROW
Register for the next installment of the Employee Development Series: Building a Positive Workplace Through Customer Service Values, 9-11 a.m. tomorrow, May 29, in the Student Union Ballroom. This session focuses on how employees can contribute to better customer service experiences at UIS.
Changes to Website Publisher Permissions
To comply with new Department of Justice digital accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the UIS Office of Web and Digital Strategy is updating site publisher role permissions. Effective Aug. 1, all current site publishers will have their roles changed to editor. To learn more about this change, visit Orbit.
Renewing Adobe Licenses
You may have received/will be receiving an email from the Webstore regarding your Adobe Creative Cloud licensing, which expires June 30. To renew your license, please use this link. If you choose not to renew, please don't forget to download any data saved in Adobe personal storage before losing access to your account.
ION Professional eLearning Programs
Did you know that ION Professional eLearning Programs offer professional development opportunities and support to enhance online learning for faculty and staff? Visit uis.edu/ion to explore new courses in accessibility, open educational resources and more.
Information that Bears Repeating
Benefit Choice Enrollment
Benefit Choice enrollment ends May 31. Enroll today if you would like to make changes to your health, dental, life or dependent coverage. You must enroll or re-enroll for Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts each year.
Annual Employee Evaluations
Evaluations for CS and AP employees must be submitted to Human Resources by the end of day June 7. For additional information about HR’s updated electronic evaluation form and more, visit Orbit.
Celebrating Our Star Power
Congratulations to Carlene Hindert, Human Resources associate, our May Employee of the Month. “She is a conscientious and tireless employee, often working long hours and weekends to ensure that the campus receives timely and accurate service,” her nominator said. “She is also a great supporter of UIS and can often be seen wearing her UIS gear around campus.”
Campus Senate recently announced the election of Lynn Fisher, associate professor of Anthropology, as 2024-25 Senate Chair, and Holly Thompson, associate professor of Human Development Counseling, as 2024-25 Vice-Chair. Deborah Anthony, professor of Legal Studies, will serve as Parliamentarian. For more information about Campus Senate officer elections, visit Orbit.
UIS is thrilled to welcome Mike Hermann as the university’s new director of Athletics effective June 17, pending approval by the UI Board of Trustees. With a wealth of experience serving as an administrator in college athletics, Mike is prepared to lead the Prairie Stars to new heights.
The UIS English Department announced a collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) aimed at refining writing skills for communicating with the public. This partnership underscores UIS' commitment to supporting public sector initiatives.
Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work. I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer.
Janet
Janet L. Gooch, PhD
Chancellor
University of Illinois Springfield