8.5.24
Happy Monday,
The first day of classes are just a few short weeks away, and I’m excited to welcome students to campus. Their presence brings an incredible energy and vibrancy, truly bringing our campus to life. As we prepare for another academic year, I look forward to the exciting opportunities and accomplishments that lie ahead.
New Information
Save the Date: Kickoff to the Academic Year
We have a fun series of events planned to bring everyone together to celebrate the beginning of a new year! Please mark your calendars to attend our annual Faculty and Staff Kickoff at 3 p.m. Aug. 22 in the Student Union Ballroom. Directly following the meeting, we’ll gather to walk to Sangamon Auditorium, where we’ll be greeted by students, before entering PAC for New Student Convocation -- making its return in a new form.
We’ve traded out the traditional academic ceremony for a lively and celebratory event aimed at energizing new students for their academic careers at UIS. Students will hear from peers and administrators, take the Prairie Star Pledge, and receive guidance on how to succeed at UIS. Be sure to join us directly after convocation for the party on the quad for free food (did someone say food trucks?) and entertainment for everyone on campus.
Introducing the UIS Department of Strategic Communication
To align with industry best practices, UIS has formed the Department of Strategic Communication. This includes the Campus Relations, Marketing, and Web Services teams. The new team structure and office names are:
- Kelsea Gurski, formerly the Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs, is now the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communication and Chief of Staff
- Campus Relations is now the Office of Media Strategy, led by director Blake Wood
- Marketing is now the Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy, led by director Jessie Burrell
- Web Services is now the Office of Web and Digital Strategy, led by director Jessica Baumberger
Support Services
In light of recent events in our community and nation, I want to remind you of available support services, including the Counseling Center and the Employee Assistance Program.
Leadership Updates
UIS Vice Chancellor for Advancement Jeff Lorber retired from UIS on July 31. A national search is underway, and in the interim Lisa Whelpley, associate vice chancellor for development, and Jacque Schweighart, senior vice president of central development services at the UI Foundation, are taking on additional leadership duties. Lisa will provide daily leadership of the UIS Office of Advancement and Jacque will ensure UIS remains well supported by the Foundation and engaged with our UIF board.
Effective Aug. 1, Steven Johnson Jr., assistant vice chancellor for student engagement, assumed interim leadership responsibilities for the Diversity Center, which falls within the Office of the Dean of Students. Justin Rose has transitioned to work on special projects within the Division of Student Affairs. A search for permanent leadership will begin next semester.
Submit Articles to Orbit
Website editors can now submit articles for publishing on Orbit. Orbit is our internal communication hub and place to reference streamlined access to employee resources. 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. Learn more here.
System Event: Free People Read Freely Symposium
“Free People Read Freely™: Literacy, Inclusion, and Democracy” takes place Aug. 20-21 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Symposium sessions feature discussions and presentations on freedom to read, education and access, cultures of inclusion and exclusion, and book banning and libraries. Additional events offer opportunities to share stories about reading as a child, a banned books photo booth, and theatrical readings from banned books. The event is free, but registration is required by Aug. 12.
UIS offers four new Medical Laboratory Science Certificates
The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program is offering four new graduate certificates: Clinical Chemistry, Immunohematology, Hematology and Medical Microbiology. Each certificate will provide a path to certification in one MLS disciplinary area by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Registration for Foot in the Door Fair
Employer registration is open for the Aug. 29 UIS Foot in the Door Fair. This is a unique opportunity to engage students at the start of the fall semester and share immediate or upcoming on-campus student employment, internships, or volunteer roles that could help students build skills, experiences, and make a valuable professional connection with you and your department/organization.
ITS Updates
If you did not update your Zoom account beyond version 5.16.6 by Aug. 3, you will not be able to log in or join meetings. Please ensure that your account is up to date.
As of July 17, Duo Mobile-generated passcodes have a 30-second expiration limit. Additionally, users will now be notified by Duo Mobile Push when a new device is added to or removed from your Duo profile. These recent changes prevent cyberattacks targeting the university community.
Cybersecurity Trainings
Cyber criminals often exploit major news events like July's Windows/CrowdStrike outage with scams that involve phishing messages and fraudulent websites. Learn about the connection between major events and online scams by taking cybersecurity training.
Human Resources Updates
The July HR newsletter is full of important dates including the Aug. 28 Employee Development Series training about digital accessibility. Read more on Orbit.
Donate School Supplies
The UIS Student Union is home to the UIS CARES School Supply Stop, where students can get free school supplies. Through donations made by the campus community, the Supply Stop has served more than 1,800 students and distributed over 6,600 supplies since opening in August 2019. Donations can be dropped off at the west entrance of the Student Union, or email studentunion@uis.edu to organize a drop off. The most requested items are Wite Out, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters and index cards.
Information that Bears Repeating
Title IX Updates
Access and Equity has updated our Sexual Misconduct and Nondiscrimination Policies, effective Aug.1. Our prior policies have been streamlined into one centralized policy, the UIS Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Including Harassment and Sex-Based Misconduct. In addition to bringing UIS into compliance with the new Title IX regulations, this policy enhances accessibility to important information about your rights, options and responsibilities related to all forms of harassment and discrimination, including sex-based misconduct. If you have not already done so, please thoroughly read the email sent from AEO on Aug. 1 describing some key policy updates and clarifying reporting responsibilities. In addition, you can view the new policy on the UIS Policy website. If you have questions, please email AEO.
Changes to Website Workflow
Starting Aug. 1, significant changes to the website workflow were made to emphasize accessibility. These updates streamline publishing and allow editors and publishers to identify and fix accessibility issues. To learn more about the changes and how they might affect you, read more on Orbit. If you are a website editor or publisher, sign up for Website Accessibility training.
Copyleaks
As of Aug. 1, the university is using Copyleaks as our plagiarism and AI detection tool, instead of Turnitin. Read more on Orbit.
Celebrating Our Star Power
A UIS team of three undergraduate students and faculty advisors David Saner and Serkan Karadas earned second place in the 2024 Community Bank Case Study Competition, hosted by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Each team member received a $750 scholarship.
Richard Gilman-Opalsky, professor in the School of Politics and International Affairs, has released a new book, “Imaginary Power, Real Horizons: The Practicality of Utopianism.” It offers a defense of the radical imagination and its necessity for liberatory struggle.
Please congratulate faculty who received a promotion or tenure and who received reappointment!
Congrats to Douglas Brackney, administrative aide in the Career Development Center, our July employee of the month. “He is a team player who brings positivity to the work and helps others to be their best selves,” said his supervisor. “He is a positive role model outside of work helping to endear the greater Springfield community to UIS.”
Now that summer is coming to a close, you’ll hear from me twice a month again. If you have a topic you’d like me to consider for my newsletter, submit your idea here. I love to highlight your news, events and accolades.
Janet
Janet L. Gooch, PhD
Chancellor
University of Illinois Springfield