Three University of Illinois Springfield faculty have been accepted into the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Beard Leadership Circle to foster strong leadership connections among peers and help faculty progress in their professional goals.

The faculty members who were accepted include: Shipra Gupta, chair and associate professor of management, marketing and operations; Tih-Fen Ting, associate professor of environmental studies; and Magic Wade, associate professor of political science and director of the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs.

The group will meet virtually in spring 2023, leading up to the three-day, in-person workshop in July at Sonoma State University in California. Problem-based workshops will be used to allow individuals to focus on issues COPLAC administrators have identified as crucial. Senior COPLAC administrators will facilitate workshop sessions and mentor attendees.

COPLAC is a consortium of 30 public colleges and universities in 27 states and one Canadian province. Established in 1987, COPLAC advances the aims of its member institutions and drives awareness of the value of high-quality, public liberal arts education in a student-centered, residential environment.

For more information on the Beard Leadership Circle, visit the COPLAC website.