6.12.23

Happy Monday!

We’re well into a beautiful season of summer weather, and we’ve already welcomed some fawns and other newcomers to UIS. I remember this time fondly last year when I became a Prairie Star—it’s hard to believe a whole year has already flown by. You can read some first-year thoughts in my recent State Journal-Register article. While summer is a time to rest, travel and relax, we’re still moving along on important priorities…with a stop in between to smell the roses on our beautiful campus.

As an FYI: We are spacing out these emails in June and July with monthly updates. We’ll ramp back up in August to twice monthly.

New Information

Artificial Intelligence Steering Group

The University of Illinois Springfield is establishing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Steering Group aimed at providing guidance for AI initiatives, policies and best practices within the UIS community. This proactive step is being taken to ensure that UIS remains well-prepared for the swift developments in the field of AI, enabling both our students and employees to effectively adapt to these changes. If you are interested in contributing to the university’s discussions and decisions on AI, please fill out this form by June 23.

Juneteenth

Reminder: We are recognizing Juneteenth with a day off on June 19. I’ll be spending time that day reflecting on the true meaning of the holiday, and I hope you will, too.

New Student Orientation

We begin welcoming new students to campus with our first Orientation session this Wednesday. If you’re out and about on campus, please help make them feel at home!

Search Announcements

Hopefully, you saw my previous emails announcing Miriam Wallace, our new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Brandon Schwab, our new Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost. We look forward to officially welcoming them to UIS July 1 and July 17, respectively. An announcement is still forthcoming about the position of interim dean for the College of Health, Science and Technology.

Construction Delays

Due to the current climate of increased costs, increased lead time for purchasing and receiving materials, and contractors experiencing labor force difficulties, several campus projects are currently delayed, including construction on the Library Commons, reconstruction of Parking Lot D and renovations of the exteriors of Clover Court (100 and 200). Facilities is doing a number of things to ensure we keep these projects moving, and we’ll continue to keep you posted.

Information that Bears Repeating

Gov. Pritzker Hosted Press Conference at UIS

In case you missed it, the Governor announced increased funding for higher education and the MAP grant at UIS on May 31. Student McKayla Bartkiewicz and recent grad Amanda Jones shared their personal stories about how the MAP grant helped them. Here's a pic.

Cybersecurity Training due June 30

Please complete the quarterly cybersecurity training by the end of the month. Note that this training is different from any previous training that you may have done and is required by the UI System.

Celebrating our Star Power

• Emeritus Professor of Biology Michael Lemke has led the publication of a special issue of the scientific journal Microbial Ecology. The April 2023 edition explores the role of microbial genomics in restoration ecology.
• The Office of Web Services and Information Technology Services are soft launching UIS Mobile this summer, a comprehensive mobile app for the UIS community. With an array of features, the app will allow you to easily access information about campus events, UIS news, and dining options, as well as provide you with quick access to campus safety links, maps, and parking information. Great work to help keep us all informed, OWS and ITS!
• Congratulations to these recent employees of the month! We’re so glad you choose UIS as the place to share your talents.
  • March - Trish Schlobohm, business incubation coordinator, Innovate Springfield: Schlobohm’s nominator said she “cannot begin to express how dedicated Trish is, how impressive her performance is, and what an absolute asset she is to the Innovate Springfield and University of Illinois community.”
  • April - Michele Sapp, business manager, Center for State Policy and Leadership: “She does not put walls up; rather she helps those of us trying to navigate process and bureaucracy to allow projects to move forward and partnerships to emerge,” said her nominator.
  • May - Shannon Smith, ticket manager, UIS Performing Arts Services: Her nominator describes her as a “beacon of customer service” and someone that every UIS employee should model.

Have a great week, and enjoy the sunshine!

Janet

Janet L. Gooch, PhD

Chancellor

University of Illinois Springfield