Tuesday, April 29, 2008

UIS will receive portion of scholarship fund

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has announced that his efforts to negotiate an additional $3.5 million in scholarship funds for college students in Illinois have been a success. The money will be available beginning in the fall 2008 semester. UIS will receive $18,500 to distribute based on students' financial need.

An article in the April 29, 2008, State Journal-Register gives more details about Giannoulias' plan.

Download a pdf file of the article
20080429-sjr-ScholarshipFund.pdf

Mary Jane's Cafe opens

Mary Jane's Cafe, the new coffee shop located in the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS, is open for business. The cafe is named for Mary Jane MacDonald, the first librarian hired at Sangamon State University, and offers a varied menu.

In an article in the April 27, 2008, State Journal-Register, Kathryn Rem talks with cafe operator Tyler Buckley and University Librarian Jane Treadwell about the new facility.

Download a pdf file of the article
20080427-sjr-MaryJanes.pdf

Campus faces accessibility issues

A number of students and faculty members with disabilities find the UIS campus less than fully accessible. Articles in the April 27, 2008, State Journal-Register outline the problem, as well as the administration's response.

Download a pdf file of the articles
20080427-sjr-Accessibility.pdf

UIS' new Emiquon Field Station opens

UIS has opened its new state-of-the-art field station at the Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, on the Illinois River near Havana.

State Journal-Register reporter Chris Young attended the ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Friday, April 25, and spoke to station director Michael Lemke as well as to officials from Dickson Mounds Museum and the Illinois chapter of the Nature Conservancy. UIS, Dickson Mounds, and the Nature Conservancy are partners in the project, which will provide learning opportunities not only to students and scientists, but to the general public.

Download a pdf file of the article
20080426-sjr-EmiquonFieldStationopens.pdf

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Online courses are popular at UIS

More than half – 53% – of the students enrolled at UIS for the 2008 spring semester are taking at least one course online, and more than 30% are taking classes only online.

In fact, the number of UIS students taking online classes has increased each semester for the past 20 semesters. Reporter Chris Dettro took a look at the subject in an article than appeared in the April 24, 2008, State Journal-Register.

Download a pdf file of the article.
20080424-sjr-OnlineGrowing.pdf

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

UIS students' Earth Day project offers public reminder

A service-learning project undertaken by a group of UIS students for Earth Day will help remind everyone that storm drains are not meant as a handy place to dump household waste.

An article in the Springfield State Journal-Register on April 22, 2008, reported on the students' work. In a related article in that day's "Living Green" insert, UIS Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Tih-Fen Ting talks about steps individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprints.

Download a PDF file of both articles:
20080422-sjr-EarthDay.pdf

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Redfield examines state's need for recall provision

Professor Kent Redfield believes that rather than amending the state constitution to include a recall provision for elected officials, Illinois would be better served if more people got involved in the political process.

He outlines this state's existing mechanisms for removing elected officials and takes a brief look at recall, at the federal level and in other states, in an article that appeared in the March 2008 edition of the Illinois Business Journal.

Download a PDF file of the article
20080410-IBJ-Recall.pdf

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Spring Enrollment down slightly

UIS enrollment for the spring '08 semester is down nearly 4 percent. While no one can say exactly why, part of the reason might be changed requirements for the campus' largest academic program, computer science. Projections for the fall semester remain good.

An article in the March 26, 2008, State Journal-Register reports on spring enrollment figures for UIS, Lincoln Land, and Springfield College.

Download a PDF file of the article:
20080326-sjr-EnrollmentDown.pdf