Publish Date

From Provost Schwab

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the middle of the semester and spring recess, I hope you are finding opportunities to enjoy a bit of the milder temperatures and slowly increasing minutes of daylight. I know that I welcome the change and appreciate the reminder that many things in life are cyclical.

We continue to track activities occurring at the federal level and analyze potential impacts to the university, while also taking care not to overreact. The continued disruption can be unsettling, but it is important that we remain focused on our goal of student success and not get distracted by the latest headline.  

Academic Portfolio Review

Since the last newsletter the Academic Portfolio Review Task Force submitted their report which is posted on the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness website. I commend the task force for their dedication and for delivering a comprehensive set of recommendations. I also thank the university community members who have offered thoughtful questions and suggestions that are informing the next steps in the program prioritization process. We are synthesizing much of the feedback into the form of a Frequently Asked Questions resource, which will be posted on the OIRE site soon and will be updated as appropriate.

In terms of the next steps, we are now gathering the data needed to conduct the portfolio reviews across the three higher-order criteria of: demand and viability, institutional and community impact, and versatility and effectiveness. Lists of programs to be reviewed will be sent to Unit Executive Officers (UEOs) this week for verification and confirmation of any additional points of contact that will assist with responding to data requests. After spring recess, questionnaires will be distributed to the UEOs with responses due in late April. Program data will be assembled throughout the remainder of the spring semester with the goal of finalizing program reports by the end of June. Practical details of the prioritization scoring process to be applied to those reports are under development and will be shared prior to the review in late June/July. The format of response plans will be developed over the coming months and will be made available when prioritization results are released. You will find a tentative timeline for these activities in the section below.

We will continue to provide updates on this project on the OIRE website.  

I wish to give a huge thank you to Michele Gribbins for her continued great work supporting this effort.

Sincerely,

Brandon

Academic Portfolio Review - Activity and Timing (subject to modification)

  • Program list verification to UEOs - Week of March 3
  • Program questionnaires to UEOs - After spring recess, due late April
  • UEOs receive data for validation - Mid-May to early June
  • Finalize program review data - Mid-June
  • Dashboard/reports finalized - End of June
  • Prioritization review - Late June/July
  • Reports to UEOs/admins - July
  • Responses from programs - Fall 2025

Open Hours

Faculty and staff are invited to Provost's Open Hours - Tuesday, April 8, 3:00-4:30 pm, location tbd

You are welcome to stop by and sign in for an opportunity to chat with Provost Brandon Schwab on a first-come, first-served basis.

Important Initiatives

Quality Initiative Update

As part of our participation in HLC’s Open Pathway accreditation process, we are required to complete a Quality Initiative, a large-scale improvement effort focusing on an area of our choosing. We are scheduled to begin work on our Quality Initiative in 2025. Based on feedback from an institution-wide survey administered in early 2024 and a series of focus groups conducted last semester, the Provost’s Leadership Team has determined that strengthening and expanding advising services for students will be the focus of our Quality Initiative. Our proposal will be submitted to HLC in May, and the UIS community will have an opportunity to share their feedback on the proposal in March. 

Co-chairs of the Quality Initiative Steering Committee are Dr. Carrie Allen, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, and Dr. Shipra Gupta, Associate Professor and Chair, Management, Marketing, and Operations. For more information on the project, including a timeline for completion and a full list of Steering Committee members, please visit the Quality Initiative page of the OIRE website.

Course Eval Student Comments - access historical comments by August 15

As we complete the transition to our new Course Survey App (launched Intersession 2024-25), we want to let you know of an important deadline for accessing historical course evaluation student comments (Fall 2024 and earlier).

August 15, 2025 - Last day for instructors to download student comments from the outgoing course evaluation system.

After this date, the former system will no longer be maintained due to security vulnerabilities, and student comments will no longer be available for download. Please ensure you download any comments you wish to retain before this deadline if you have not already done so.

Downloading student comments

  • Access the outgoing Course Evaluation Reports system.
  • In the “Instructor Report” section at the top of the page, select semester and course, then select the dark blue “Generate Report” button. It may take a moment or two for the system to refresh and display your report. 
  • Comments, if any, will be displayed at the bottom of the report, below the quantitative data.
  • Some tips for copying/saving comments: 
    • To print an entire report – hard copy or PDF: With your cursor on the downloaded report, select “control” and “P” (PC) or “command” and “P” (Mac) on your keyboard/keypad to print. 
    • To print or copy student comments only: Select the comments, right click, and then paste into a Word or other document; or take a photo with your mobile device. 
  • Repeat for any other semesters and courses.

In addition to enhanced features and an improved user experience for students, the new Course Survey App will offer faculty access to generate summary reports from a menu of filters. Watch for workshops later this spring!

Opportunities to Make a Difference

Study Away - March 15 application deadline

Faculty and staff are invited to encourage students to apply for UIS-Led Short-Term Programs by the application deadline of March 15. One of the high-impact practices offered at UIS, these short-term programs are great options for students who would like to be in a group environment with daily scheduled activities outside the classroom.

The following experiences are planned for Summer 2025:

  • England & Ireland
    • July 25 - August 10, 2025
    • Two countries in two weeks, exploring the topics of slavery, emancipation and human traffiking. 
    • Earn 3-credits of UNI 460 ECCE - Global Awareness
  • Guatemala
    • May 19 - May 25, 2025
    • Build houses for families in need
  • Japan
    • June 8 - July 22, 2025
    • Stay in a city north of Tokyo while going on daily excursions related to Japanese language and culture 
    • Earn 3-credits of UNI 460 ECCE - Global Awareness


Heading up Study Away is Lauren Roalkvan, Associate Director of Global Engagement. She began her new role at UIS on January 16, after working in global education offices at Arizona State University and Auburn University. Lauren looks forward to connecting traditionally underrepresented students to Study Away opportunities - both domestically and internationally. Study Away at UIS includes a variety of programs ranging from two weeks to a complete academic year. One of the most cost-effective options is to participate in an exchange program - paying the same tuition as UIS - and study in Asia, Central America or Europe. 

Visit the UIS Study Away website to learn more about all things study away, or schedule a study away appointment with Lauren to learn more.

Assurance of Student Learning Day - April 16

Join faculty and staff as they share their experiences in organizing and assessing high-impact practices. Following the discussion, learn more about the Title III HIPs Faculty Development Program and how it supports faculty engagement. This session will also highlight current assessment efforts across UIS, providing valuable insights and ideas to enhance your own assessment strategies.

  • 9:00 - 9:15 am: Kickoff and welcome remarks
  • 9:15 - 10:30 am: High-Impact Practices Lightning Talks: Capstone Courses, Internships, and Study Away
  • 10:30 - 10:45 am: Break
  • 10:45 - 11:45 am: Assessment Panel

News Worth Celebrating

Sangamon Experience documentary

Our documentary, "Soul & Soil: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley," has been officially selected for screening at the Farm to Film Fest in Washington, IA, on April 12th and 13th!

This festival celebrates the incredible intersection of film and important current issues, including the arts, adventure, the environment, social justice, travel, and our responsibilities towards food and agriculture. We're in great company, as only thirty-nine of the eighty-one films submitted made the cut!

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our work and engage with a passionate audience. For more details, check out the Farm to Film Fest listing on Film Freeway (Farm to Film Fest - FilmFreeway) and the event’s official website (Farm to Film Fest - Home).

Resource Refresh

My UI-Financials One-to-One Report Training

My-UI-Financials is a report distribution system which provides quick access to all your financial and payroll reports in one place. University Accounting and Financial Reporting (UAFR) offers one-on-one training sessions for My-UI-Financials reporting system. This training allows you the opportunity to ask questions about navigating or how to read and analyze the financial data within your reports. If you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, email your personalized training request to myuifinancials@uillinois.edu, providing a summary of the topics you’d like to discuss along with a few proposed times to meet. Our applicable subject matter expert will then be in touch with you to schedule a one-on-one training session at your convenience. For additional resources, please see My-UI-Financials Training and Development Resources that are available in KnowledgeBase.

Free Kaplan Test Prep Courses for UIS Students

UIS is partnering with Kaplan to launch "Prepare for Illinois' Future Powered by Kaplan's All Access LicenseTM," a program that provides free access to Kaplan's industry-leading resources and is administered through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). This means UIS students can prepare for over 40 different graduate admissions, licensure and credentialing exams and take skills development courses – all at no cost to them.

Students now have Kaplan's expert guidance and comprehensive materials at their fingertips as they prepare for crucial exams like the GRE®, GMAT®, MCAT®, LSAT® and many more. This program also offers valuable courses to help anyone with a UIS netid and password to build essential skills for career success.

The Prepare for Illinois' Future Powered by Kaplan's All Access License program is an investment in students' future. It's our way of removing obstacles and empowering students to reach their full potential. We believe providing the best possible preparation positions UIS students for a successful future in Illinois. We welcome your efforts to encourage students to visit go.kaplan.com/illinois for a complete list of available courses, registration details, FAQs and guidance on how to best utilize these resources based on individual goals.

Newsletter notes

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Newsletter opt-in: The Academic Affairs newsletter is sent to employees in the Division of Academic Affairs monthly during the academic year. If the newsletter was forwarded to you or you found it on Campus Announcements, and you would like to be added to the distribution list, please contact Monica Kroft. We would be glad to send to you directly.

Important Dates

  • Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14 - Spring Break - UIS open; no classes
  • Tuesday, April 8, 3-4:30 pm - Provost's Open Hours, location tbd
  • Wednesday, April 16, 9 am - 12 pm - Assurance of Student Learning Day, Student Union South Ballroom
  • Tuesday, May 6, 2:30-4 pm – Faculty Honors Reception - register now

Office of the VCAA/Provost
Contact: Monica Kroft

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