The following is a portion of a letter to the editor written by UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch. It was published on June 21, 2015 in The State Journal-Register.
"We're committed to downtown student housing because it will accelerate the growth of the university by providing an ideal new option for the hundreds of UIS graduate students completing internships in state government. We intend for the university to have a presence in the building, which will make UIS even more visible and productive in the heart of our city.
My colleagues and the students we serve know there is tremendous potential and need for development in downtown Springfield and that attractive housing, especially for young people, is an essential element of that potential. I appreciate Mayor Jim Langfelder's good-faith efforts to forge compromise to move this project forward. None of us can do that alone.
As chancellor of UIS, I remain committed to working with any and all community leaders to improve opportunities for our students to live, learn and work downtown. We stand ready to work creatively with all interested parties to achieve the mutually beneficial goal of a downtown housing project.
Let's not give up."
Read the full letter online
