6.10.24

Happy Monday,

I hope you're all enjoying the summer and managing with the buzzing cicadas around campus! Even in these warmer months, there's a lot happening at UIS. Summer camps are in full swing, and our Facilities and Services staff have been hard at work with maintenance and new projects. You can read all about it here. 

New Information

U of I System FY25 Budget

The Illinois General Assembly has approved the 2025 operating budget of $710.6 million for the system, a 1.8% increase from the current year. You can read more about the 2025 fiscal year budget here.

HR Staffing Changes

With Melissa Mlynski’s departure in May, UIS Human Resources will receive temporary leadership from University of Illinois System Human Resources Services until new permanent leadership is appointed. Jami Painter, senior associate vice president and chief HR officer, and Angela Foster, senior director of HR, will assist UIS HR until further notice. Please join us in welcoming them to campus and wishing Melissa well on her new venture as chief ethics and compliance officer!

Employee Development Series June Event

Register for the next installment of the Employee Development Series: Autism on Campus - Recognizing the Signs, Supporting & Accommodating the Person, which will be held 9-11 a.m. June 26 in Brookens Auditorium. This event will focus on the field of autism as it relates to UIS campus-based support and accommodations. 

Information Technology Services Summer Workshop Series

This summer, ITS will host weekly workshops on a variety of topics to help streamline your daily tasks. There are topics planned for everyone! Visit Orbit to learn more about each workshop. 

Host a New Student Breakout Session

This summer during New Student Welcome, Aug. 21-22, you can help new first-year students become better acquainted with campus and your department by hosting a breakout session. Learn more and register on Orbit.

Civil Service Advisory Council Election

All status (non-probationary) Civil Service employees are invited to submit online nomination forms for this year's Civil Service Advisory Council election. Eight positions will be filled this year, each for a two-year term. Nomination forms must be received by 5 p.m. today to be considered for online voting. Additional details about this year’s CSAC election are on Orbit.

Juneteenth

The Center for Lincoln Studies, in collaboration with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and Juneteenth Inc., will host two events exploring the historical significance of Juneteenth and the struggle for Black citizenship in Illinois. Learn more about both events here. Also as a reminder: UIS is closed for the June 19 holiday.

Information that Bears Repeating

Cybersecurity Training due This Month

Quarterly cybersecurity training is due June 28. Note that this training is different from any previous training that you may have completed. 

Employee of the Month Nominations

A reminder that anyone can submit a nomination for Employee of the Month. This is your chance to recognize and celebrate the exceptional dedication, hard work and outstanding contributions of your fellow team members. 

Celebrating Our Star Power

Mohammed Mohi Uddin, associate professor of accounting, economics and finance, has been awarded the Harry and Deborah Berman Sabbatical Award. He will receive $3,000 to support research on how non-profit organizations and social enterprises have successfully utilized social business to fund social services through the surplus generated from business activities. He also plans to use his sabbatical to fill existing research gaps by investigating how social businesses navigate the tensions between social impact and economic viability.

Kenneth Kriz, interim vice chancellor for finance and administration and professor of public administration, received the 2024 Jesse Burkhead Award from the journal Public Budgeting and Finance for his 2023 article, “Capital Appreciation Bonds and the Cost of Borrowing.” The award recognizes the best article published in the volume for the year.

Serkan Karadas, assistant professor in accounting, economics and finance; Tammy Schlosky, assistant professor in accounting, economics and finance; and Rob Weis, advisor of Engaged Learning and Partner Initiatives, have helped launch a job shadowing program for undergraduate students. Students will go through professional development modules on LinkedIn Learning and then job shadow with financial professionals at Madison Industries, Federated Fiducial and the Springfield Urban League.

The UIS Office of Electronic Media and Theatre Department received three Telly Awards for their video production for Safe2Help Illinois, a statewide school safety initiative by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency aimed at helping youth seek assistance before harm. 

 Thanks for reading. Look for my next newsletter in July!

Janet

Janet L. Gooch, PhD
Chancellor