The following is a portion of an editorial published in a September 14, 2010, edition of The State Journal-Register.
When Richard Ringeisen took the reins as chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield in early 2001, he spoke of big plans.
"We plan to create a new kind of public university, one which numbers among the best liberal arts universities in the country, while retaining and, in fact, enhancing its ties to state government," Ringeisen said.
That fall, the university welcomed the first freshman class in its history. As the decade progressed, the campus grew both physically — it now truly has the look and feel of a college campus — and in enrollment. Perhaps it’s fitting that UIS’s latest milestone comes as Ringeisen prepares to retire at the end of next month.
UIS announced last week that its enrollment for the current academic year topped 5,000 for the first time in the school’s history. The 5,174 students enrolled this year is a 4.3 percent increase over last year.
“To say we are excited would be an understatement. For our enrollment to surpass 5,000 marks a milestone for us,” Ringeisen said.
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