Burlingame announced as new Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies

Renowned Abraham Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame has been named the Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS.

The announcement was the subject of a news story in the May 27, 2009, State Journal-Register.
Download a PDF of the article
20090527-SJR-Burlingame.pdf

U of I launches Global Campus 2.0

U of I will be scrapping the old Global Campus in order to leave authority for online learning to its three campuses, now called Global Campus 2.0.

UIS is very optimistic about this move as it continues to be a leader in online learning around the country, according to Ray Schroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at UIS.

The plans were written about in a May 21, 2009, story in the Chronicles of Higher Education.

Download a PDF of the article
20090521-ChronHigherEd-GlobalCampus.pdf

Berman focuses on COPLAC visit in column

UIS Provost Harry Berman wrote an editorial column in the May 16, 2009, State Journal-Register in coordination with the UIS Commencement Ceremony.

The column focused on a recent visit from representatives of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), an organization of leading small, public liberal arts colleges and universities throughout the country. UIS is seeking membership in this organization, and during the site visit, the university had a chance to look at itself through the eyes of others.

Download a PDF of the column
20090516-SJR-Bermaneditorial.pdf

Matthew Holden was 38th Commencement Ceremony Speaker

Matthew Holden Jr., who has been designated as the first Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, was the Commencement Speaker at UIS’s 38th commencement ceremony.

The announcement about Holden was featured in the May 2, 2009, State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090502-SJR-commencementspeaker.pdf

Family graduates from area colleges together

Springfield resident Mary Keldermans, along with three of her and her husband Steven’s six children, all graduated from area colleges in May.

Mary graduated from UIS on Saturday, May 16, with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a social justice theme.

The family was featured in a May 11, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090511-SJR-familygraduating.pdf

Commencement in Photos

UIS celebrated Commencement on Saturday, May 16, 2009.

View a photo gallery of the Commencement Ceremony on the Web site of the State Journal-Register here.

UIS celebrates Commencement

More than 600 UIS students walked donning their caps and gowns in the 38th UIS Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

During the ceremony, Chancellor Richard Ringeisen pointed out that even though the graduates come from diverse backgrounds, they recognize the value of education in making them better citizens and they know education extends beyond the classroom.

The Commencement Ceremony was featured in a May 17, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090517-SJR-commencement.pdf

Future of Global Campus is uncertain

The U of I Global Campus was established in 2006 to expand the University's accessibility to nontraditional students by providing online distance learning classes.

But slow curriculum development, unsatisfactory enrollment numbers, questions about the program's educational quality and a multi-million dollar budget deficit have caused administrators, teachers and trustees to consider if the venture is still worth pursuing.

The topic was the subject of a May 12, 2009, article in the Daily Illini.

Download a PDF of the article
20090512-DI-GlobalCampusfuture.pdf

Students use time to work on Innocence Project

College students often have a bad reputation for how they spend their leisure hours, but at UIS, some students are using their spare time to work with the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, and battle what they see as miscarriages of justice.
Students' work on the Innocence Project was featured in a news segment from WICS Channel 20.

Watch the segment here.

UIS co-hosts Take Back the Night event

On Saturday, May 2, UIS and Lincoln Land hosted the second annual “Take Back the Night” event, aimed to educate people about partner violence and sexual assault.

The event was a feature of a May 3, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090503-SJR-takebackthenight.pdf

Downstate Illinois Innocence Project featured in Law Bulletin

The Downstate Illinois Innocence Project is situated within UIS' Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies and uses students to assist an experienced investigator and a pair of dedicated teachers to dig deeper into the cases of inmates who claim innocence.

A feature about the Innocence Project was written by a Public Affairs Reporting program graduate for the April 25, 2009, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Download a PDF of the article
20090425-ChiDailyLawBulletin-InnocenceProject.pdf

Proposed sports complex could be home to future UIS baseball team

A $60 million sports center that would include a 3,000-seat baseball stadium, soccer fields and a football/track facility is being proposed for the south side of Springfield.

It could be a beautiful home stadium for a new UIS baseball team from the way it is described, according to Chancellor Richard Ringeisen.

Ringeisen's comments were featured in a May 3, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register about the proposed facility.

Download a PDF of the article
20090503-SJR-sportscomplex.pdf

Chancellor explains his side of conflict with faculty

Richard Ringeisen, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Springfield, said long-standing tensions between the UIS administration and faculty led to recent events that included the resignations of three coaches and a no-confidence vote in him by some faculty members.

The subject was a part of an April 27, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090427-SJR-facultyadminconflict.pdf

Illinois government may propose something ethics-related

With former governor Rod Blagojevich heading to trial and other scandals being made known in Illinois government, it is possible that an ethics act or law may be passed this summer.

The subject was the topic of a column in the Crain's Chicago Business, which featured comments made by Charles Wheeler, director of the public affairs reporting program at UIS.

Download a PDF of the article
20090426-ChiBusiness-realisticreform.pdf