2.5.24

Good morning, UIS:

It’s February, which means it’s Black History Month! The theme this year is, “BHM 2024 Roots and Rhythm.” The Diversity Center has worked very hard to put together events that showcase the importance of BHM and to provide us opportunities to learn and grow. I encourage you to check out all the events happening on campus.

New Information

Commencement Back on Campus

Planning for May commencement is under way. This year’s commencement ceremonies will be held on campus in the UIS Performing Arts Center. There will be three ceremonies (divided by college) to celebrate our graduates:

• 7 p.m. Friday, May 10: Graduates from the College of Health, Science and Technology 
• 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11: Graduates from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Public Affairs and Education 
• 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11: Graduates from the College of Business and Management

Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks and will be posted to the Commencement website. We look forward to celebrating our graduates!    

Registration Now Open: March 1 Professional Development Retreat

Registration is open through Feb. 16 for the Spring Rise Professional Development Retreat on March 1. The theme is “Redefining Workplace Culture,” with keynote speaker and UIS alum Tess Fyalka, who will discuss how brave teams build trust. Registration will include selecting breakout sessions from a variety of engaging topics. A continental breakfast will be provided for both Track 1 and 2, and lunch will be provided for Track 1 (seating is limited). Learn more about the event on Orbit.

Orbit Articles

Thanks to the Office of Web and Digital Strategy, website editors can now submit articles to be published to Orbit. Articles appropriate for Orbit should include need-to-know employee information, such as trainings, services for employees, rules and procedural changes/reminders, opportunities for morale and culture-building, etc., to support the goal of Orbit as a central news hub for UIS employees. All articles recommended by editors are reviewed by the Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy for alignment to Orbit’s purpose and goals. Questions about this new tool can be sent to webservices@uis.edu(link sends email).

Chancellor’s Awards

Nominate deserving employees(link is external) for a Chancellor’s Award through Feb. 9! Our traditional two awards (CAPE Award and CARE Award) and four new staff awards are available for nominations. Winners will be recognized at the joint Employee Appreciation CARE and CAPE Awards Ceremony March 21. Learn more on Orbit.

Annual Retirement and Recognition Ceremony

Save the date for the 2024 Retirement and Recognition Ceremony, which will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. April 11 in the Student Union Ballroom. Visit Orbit for additional details.

Quality Initiative Survey

UIS is undergoing institutional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), necessitating the selection of a major improvement effort known as the HLC Quality Initiative. Faculty and staff are invited to complete a brief survey(link is external) by Feb. 7 to identify key areas for improvement and share opinions about what issues should be addressed in our Quality Initiative efforts. 

Employee AI Survey

Shape the future of artificial intelligence at UIS by participating in an employee AI survey. Your insights will help tailor AI solutions to our campus' unique needs, enhancing our work environment and operations.

UIS Student Arts and Research Symposium (STARS)

The 13th annual UIS Student Arts and Research Symposium (STARS) is scheduled for April 11-12. The event will be a combination of in-person and online events. To learn more about participating in the event, please visit the STARS website.

Faculty Experts

Enhance your visibility and showcase your expertise on the new Faculty Experts website page. Here’s how you can participate:

• Update your information in the employee directory.
• Flag Your Expertise: Update your areas of expertise in the directory.
• AI Experts page: Be a featured AI expert by updating your profile and adding AI as an expertise.
• Highlight Your Work: New fields in the directory now include publications and editorials – a great way to promote yourself and your program.

Your involvement is vital for this initiative’s success. Please take a moment to update your profile. Let’s highlight the incredible talent we have on campus!

Information that Bears Repeating

FASC Kickoff: Feb. 29

Units interested in being a part of this year’s Faculty and Staff Campaign can visit Orbit to learn about registering a table for the kickoff event and/or participating in crowdfunding.

FAFSA Simplification 2024-25 Update

A revamped and simplified FAFSA was launched nationally Dec. 31. Due to many issues with the launch, UIS has pushed our priority filing date to March 15. The Office of Admission will not be observing National Decision Day (May 1) this year, as our timeline for processing applications and providing aid offers to students for 2024-25 has been delayed. If you have questions, please reach out to the Office of Financial Assistance or read more on Orbit.

Celebrating our Star Power

Devin Hunter, associate professor of history, and Lesa Johnson, associate professor of sociology/anthropology, and several Illinois colleagues received a $30,000 award from the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN). The funded project, “Journeys to Justice: Commemorating and Memorializing the History and Legacy of Anti-Black Terror in Illinois,” will launch a statewide coalition to promote and support the research and remembrance of anti-Black riots, massacres and lynchings in Illinois.

Congratulations to Zach Logsdon,  IT Technical Associate (LS), who was named the 2023 UIS Employee of the Year!

Center for Lincoln Studies Director Jacob K. Friefeld’s book, “The First Migrants: How Black Homesteaders’ Quest for Land and Freedom Heralded America’s Great Migration,” co-authored with Richard Edwards, has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Book Prize.

UIS’ bachelor’s degree in business administration (BBA) in finance is a part of the University Affiliation Program with the prestigious CFA Institute,(link is external) further solidifying the program’s commitment to providing students with a comprehensive and globally recognized finance education. Learn more about this honor from UIS News.

Sara Munds, assistant director of the UIS i-card Office, has been elected to serve on the NACCU Board of Directors. NACCU is an organization dedicated to serving professionals who manage campus identification programs on higher education campuses.

There are certainly a lot of wonderful things happening at UIS, and I thank each of you for your contributions. It’s a great time to be a Prairie Star!

Janet

Janet L. Gooch, PhD

Chancellor

University of Illinois Springfield