Thursday, October 27, 2016

Best of Springfield 2016 - Best Places

Best place to get a higher education - University of Illinois Springfield.

Hooray for University of Illinois Springfield, arguably the scrappiest institution of higher learning to hit the land of Lincoln since Red Grange galloped past the outstretched arms of lesser men.

From the very beginning, UIS, which began life as Sangamon State University in 1969, has demonstrated that it’s a serious academic institution where independent thought is cherished – in 1971, the campus, including the university president, wore floppy hats in protest after a state legislator criticized Professor Gus Stevens for wearing a hat in the presence of women.

“It’s not what we wear, it’s what’s under our hats that counts,” Stevens said back then, and it’s still true today.

Enrollment has shot past 5,400, up by around 1,000 from a decade ago. More than 1,000 students live on campus, and there are plenty of online courses for those who can’t be full-time students.

The school has been rated highly by U.S. News and World Report, and readers agree: You can’t beat UIS when it comes to getting a leg up.

This story appeared in The Illinois Times on October 27, 2016.

Read the entire article online.