Showing posts with label Buildings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buildings. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2020
UIS offers detailed plan for students returning to campus in fall
The University of Illinois Springfield on Wednesday detailed how it hopes students might safely return to the campus for fall semester classes in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 18-page plan, “Return to the Prairie,” addresses how the campus will offer “on-ground,” or in-person classes as well as blended classes, that combine face-to-face and remote instruction.
It also spells out plans for student living arrangement and on-campus activities.
Of note is that the university will go remote with all classes beginning Nov. 25 until the end of the semester, which is Dec. 12.
Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required on campus when a six-foot physical distance from others is not possible. Face coverings are required in all common areas, which includes classrooms.
“It is our best intention to unite us in public health and safety, and we are committed to providing a high-quality experience regardless of the circumstances in which we may find ourselves,” said UIS Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney. “Whether our Prairie Stars are learning via on-campus instruction or remotely, UIS is committed to and capable of providing a high-quality university experience to everyone who calls UIS home.”
Classrooms and laboratories, along with common, meeting and event spaces will be set up and organized to facilitate appropriate social distancing. They will be cleaned and disinfected daily by building service workers.
Students will be allowed to live on campus in single and double occupancy residence halls, townhouses and apartments, however, guests will not be allowed in residence halls.
Carry-out options will be encouraged at the UIS Student Union Food Studio and no self-service options available. Seating in dining areas will be arranged to encourage social distancing.
COVID-19 testing will be available to all students on campus through Campus Health Services.
The “Return to the Prairie” plan was created by two teams focused on academic planning, student affairs and community engagement.
Classes at UIS begin Aug. 24.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
New UIS building funded in capital bill re-imagines library
A new $35 million, 50,000-square-foot library learning student success center at the University of Illinois Springfield is included in the $45 billion public works construction program passed by the Illinois legislature over the weekend.
The building will be situated on campus between the Health and Sciences Building and the Student Union, according to UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. The center will replace Brookens Library and will house the Center for Online Learning Research and Service (COLRS), the Center for Academic Success (CAS) and Information Technology Services.
All of those centers are now housed in Brookens Library, the university’s first permanent building, which was completed in 1975 and dedicated the next year.
Koch said Monday that the goal is to have “shovels in the ground” by 2020. “We’re pretty happy,” Koch said Monday. “The need for the building and the things in it has been in conversation for several years. “This is the project we put forward (to the University of Illinois system) as our number one priority.”
Brookens, which Koch once described as “one of my favorite locations on the (UIS) campus,” is being eyed for classroom space in the future for academic programs like management information services.
Much like with the construction of the Student Union, Koch said there will be in-depth conversations involving people who will use and benefit from the new building.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 3, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
The building will be situated on campus between the Health and Sciences Building and the Student Union, according to UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. The center will replace Brookens Library and will house the Center for Online Learning Research and Service (COLRS), the Center for Academic Success (CAS) and Information Technology Services.
All of those centers are now housed in Brookens Library, the university’s first permanent building, which was completed in 1975 and dedicated the next year.
Koch said Monday that the goal is to have “shovels in the ground” by 2020. “We’re pretty happy,” Koch said Monday. “The need for the building and the things in it has been in conversation for several years. “This is the project we put forward (to the University of Illinois system) as our number one priority.”
Brookens, which Koch once described as “one of my favorite locations on the (UIS) campus,” is being eyed for classroom space in the future for academic programs like management information services.
Much like with the construction of the Student Union, Koch said there will be in-depth conversations involving people who will use and benefit from the new building.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 3, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Monday, August 20, 2018
Susan Koch: A beautiful, functional and improving campus
The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on August 19, 2018.
Though summertime at the University of Illinois Springfield entails a variety of both educational and recreational pursuits, the end of the academic year and the arrival of warmer weather also presents opportunities for campus improvements that will enhance the college experience for students as well as improve the environment for faculty, staff and visitors.
For students, research shows a functional and beautiful campus can be a deciding factor in their college choice and UIS students often tell me they “fell in love” with the campus itself when they made their first visit.
With a property consisting of about 750 acres and, with recent additions including the Lincoln sculpture, a Shakespeare Garden and the new Student Union, the UIS campus is, indeed, both welcoming and beautiful.
Chuck Coderko, Associate Chancellor for Facilities and Services, can attest better than anyone that Summer 2018 has been particularly busy!
“The biggest transformation underway this summer,” says Coderko, “is the main floor of Brookens Library — a project that started in mid-May and will be completed in early October.”
University libraries are no longer the quiet repositories of books they were when Brookens opened its doors about 40 years ago.
The renovation includes a more open layout, state-of-the-art LED lighting, modern and durable flooring, mobile furniture, and collaborative spaces that encourage group interaction and active learning. The project also adds a high-tech classroom for library instruction and workshops.
The second-oldest building on campus, the Public Affairs Center (circa 1980), has also been undergoing major improvements this summer including a new roof, completion of a stair rail safety project and various enhancements and safety improvements to Sangamon Auditorium, which launches its 2018-19 season September 16 with a performance by acclaimed comedian Jay Leno.
The newly acquired UIS Field Station at Lake Springfield, formerly the FOP lake club, is also undergoing transformation. Just a short walk from campus, the facility will enable easily accessible opportunities for education, research, recreation and community outreach on and near the lake. Director of Field Stations Dr. Tom Rothfus tells me several classes are already scheduled to use the new lakeshore location this fall.
Superintendent of Grounds Brian Beckerman and his talented team spend the summer months maintaining and improving the entire landscape which includes nearly 500 tree and shrub varieties, about 375 distinct flowers and ornamental grasses, and acres of lawn and sports fields for recreation, youth sports and intercollegiate athletics.
“We’ve adopted a more sustainable philosophy in recent years,” says Beckerman, “using native grasses and other materials that have natural beauty and require less mowing and maintenance. We’ve been pleased to work with the university’s new Green Fee Committee and others,” he continues, “on projects like the green roof on the Student Union (expected to achieve LEED Gold recognition later this year) and the campus community garden.”
“Members of the Facilities and Services team have a tremendous sense of pride and ownership in their work at UIS,” says Coderko. “If it touches the ground, it’s ours,” he continues, “and we want to make it better, safer and more enjoyable for students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
Read the entire article online.
Though summertime at the University of Illinois Springfield entails a variety of both educational and recreational pursuits, the end of the academic year and the arrival of warmer weather also presents opportunities for campus improvements that will enhance the college experience for students as well as improve the environment for faculty, staff and visitors.
For students, research shows a functional and beautiful campus can be a deciding factor in their college choice and UIS students often tell me they “fell in love” with the campus itself when they made their first visit.
With a property consisting of about 750 acres and, with recent additions including the Lincoln sculpture, a Shakespeare Garden and the new Student Union, the UIS campus is, indeed, both welcoming and beautiful.
Chuck Coderko, Associate Chancellor for Facilities and Services, can attest better than anyone that Summer 2018 has been particularly busy!
“The biggest transformation underway this summer,” says Coderko, “is the main floor of Brookens Library — a project that started in mid-May and will be completed in early October.”
University libraries are no longer the quiet repositories of books they were when Brookens opened its doors about 40 years ago.
The renovation includes a more open layout, state-of-the-art LED lighting, modern and durable flooring, mobile furniture, and collaborative spaces that encourage group interaction and active learning. The project also adds a high-tech classroom for library instruction and workshops.
The second-oldest building on campus, the Public Affairs Center (circa 1980), has also been undergoing major improvements this summer including a new roof, completion of a stair rail safety project and various enhancements and safety improvements to Sangamon Auditorium, which launches its 2018-19 season September 16 with a performance by acclaimed comedian Jay Leno.
The newly acquired UIS Field Station at Lake Springfield, formerly the FOP lake club, is also undergoing transformation. Just a short walk from campus, the facility will enable easily accessible opportunities for education, research, recreation and community outreach on and near the lake. Director of Field Stations Dr. Tom Rothfus tells me several classes are already scheduled to use the new lakeshore location this fall.
Superintendent of Grounds Brian Beckerman and his talented team spend the summer months maintaining and improving the entire landscape which includes nearly 500 tree and shrub varieties, about 375 distinct flowers and ornamental grasses, and acres of lawn and sports fields for recreation, youth sports and intercollegiate athletics.
“We’ve adopted a more sustainable philosophy in recent years,” says Beckerman, “using native grasses and other materials that have natural beauty and require less mowing and maintenance. We’ve been pleased to work with the university’s new Green Fee Committee and others,” he continues, “on projects like the green roof on the Student Union (expected to achieve LEED Gold recognition later this year) and the campus community garden.”
“Members of the Facilities and Services team have a tremendous sense of pride and ownership in their work at UIS,” says Coderko. “If it touches the ground, it’s ours,” he continues, “and we want to make it better, safer and more enjoyable for students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
New UIS Public Safety Building is another budget casualty
University of Illinois Springfield officials are concerned that contracts for its new Public Safety Building may have to be rebid, further delaying a project they say is sorely needed.
The $5.3 million project went out for bids in November, and “the bids came in and we were all ready to go,” said Chuck Coderko, director of construction for UIS. “Then the governor stopped everything and it was put on hold pending funding.”
Since Gov. Bruce Rauner’s order that the Capital Development Board hold up construction projects until a budget is hammered out, the bids received by UIS technically have expired, Coderko said.
“The bids are only good for so long,” he said. “The Capital Development Board can still ask the contractors to honor those bids, and sometimes they do. The contractors seemed eager to get this thing going.”
Money for the project was appropriated in late 2011, but delays in the design process resulted in bids being sought only last year.
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 28, 2015.
Read the article online.
The $5.3 million project went out for bids in November, and “the bids came in and we were all ready to go,” said Chuck Coderko, director of construction for UIS. “Then the governor stopped everything and it was put on hold pending funding.”
Since Gov. Bruce Rauner’s order that the Capital Development Board hold up construction projects until a budget is hammered out, the bids received by UIS technically have expired, Coderko said.
“The bids are only good for so long,” he said. “The Capital Development Board can still ask the contractors to honor those bids, and sometimes they do. The contractors seemed eager to get this thing going.”
Money for the project was appropriated in late 2011, but delays in the design process resulted in bids being sought only last year.
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 28, 2015.
Read the article online.
Monday, April 23, 2012
UIS students approve construction of student union building
Students at the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday voted in favor of building a student union and increasing fees to pay for it – but only when the building opens.
A total of 432 students voted to approve a fee increase, which will finance much of the construction, while 109 students voted “no.” The vote was taken online.
The project next will go through a planning process involving campus and U of I administrators and an outside design firm. The plan still needs to be approved by both the U of I Board of Trustees and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
“It was an idea whose time had come,” said John Tienken, the UIS student representative on the U of I board and co-chairman of the Student Union Committee. “The 4-to-1 margin by which this was approved clearly sent a message that it’s time. It’s almost a complete reversal of the vote two years ago.
If the project gains final approval, the student union will be on the South Quad, next to University Hall and in front of the soccer fields.
The vote was featured in an April 21, 2012, article in The State Journal-Register.
Read the article online
A total of 432 students voted to approve a fee increase, which will finance much of the construction, while 109 students voted “no.” The vote was taken online.
The project next will go through a planning process involving campus and U of I administrators and an outside design firm. The plan still needs to be approved by both the U of I Board of Trustees and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
“It was an idea whose time had come,” said John Tienken, the UIS student representative on the U of I board and co-chairman of the Student Union Committee. “The 4-to-1 margin by which this was approved clearly sent a message that it’s time. It’s almost a complete reversal of the vote two years ago.
If the project gains final approval, the student union will be on the South Quad, next to University Hall and in front of the soccer fields.
The vote was featured in an April 21, 2012, article in The State Journal-Register.
Read the article online
Monday, May 3, 2010
UIS students reject fee for new student union
University of Illinois Springfield students overwhelmingly voted against building a new student union.
A vote in favor of the proposed $17 million facility would have meant an increase in student fees to pay for it. The union was to include a “great hall,” recreation and entertainment space, a small convenience store and possibly space for student organizations and a coffee shop.
Votes, certified Friday, were 376 against the union and 167 for it. Another 44 abstained. The results were held in conjunction with UIS’s Student Government Association Elections.
The vote was featured in a May 1, 2010, article in The State Journal-Register.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UIS students want student union
Charles Olivier is vice president of the student government at UIS. He’s part of a group of students pushing to have a central meeting place for students.
Most major universities have a student union and many students here feel it's about time UIS built one as well.
But, if students want a place of their own they'll have to pay for it.
"We would definitely have to fund it by a student fee as the administration has told us we can not use state funds to fund the building," said Olivier.
Watch the full story on News Channel 20's website:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_1982.shtml
Most major universities have a student union and many students here feel it's about time UIS built one as well.
But, if students want a place of their own they'll have to pay for it.
"We would definitely have to fund it by a student fee as the administration has told us we can not use state funds to fund the building," said Olivier.
Watch the full story on News Channel 20's website:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_1982.shtml
Friday, April 16, 2010
UIS students being asked to pay for construction of student center
University of Illinois Springfield students will vote later this month on whether to increase student fees to build a student union on the UIS campus.
“The student union is the primary intersection and the living room of a campus,” said Derek Felix, the UIS student representative on the U of I board of trustees and co-chairman of the project.
The student-driven proposal would be funded by an increase in fees of up to $200 per semester for full-time students and $100 per semester for part-time ones. A referendum on the proposal will be held in conjunction with the UIS Student Government Association elections April 28-29.
Voting takes place online through the UIS homepage at www.uis.edu.
The student center proposal was feature in a April 16, 2010, article in the State Journal-Register.
Download a PDF of the article:
20100416-SJR-UIS-students-student-center.pdf
“The student union is the primary intersection and the living room of a campus,” said Derek Felix, the UIS student representative on the U of I board of trustees and co-chairman of the project.
The student-driven proposal would be funded by an increase in fees of up to $200 per semester for full-time students and $100 per semester for part-time ones. A referendum on the proposal will be held in conjunction with the UIS Student Government Association elections April 28-29.
Voting takes place online through the UIS homepage at www.uis.edu.
The student center proposal was feature in a April 16, 2010, article in the State Journal-Register.
Download a PDF of the article:
20100416-SJR-UIS-students-student-center.pdf
Friday, November 16, 2007
UIS featured in look at city's expanding campus life
The growing number of residential students at UIS has created the need for expanded facilities in a number of areas.
Chancellor Richard Ringeisen discussed recently completed projects and some that are underway, as well as others planned for the future, in the Springfield State Journal-Register’s special Outlook 2008 section on Education and Careers. The section was part of the Wednesday, November 14, edition.
Download a PDF file of the article:
20071114-sjr-ExpandingFacilities.pdf
Chancellor Richard Ringeisen discussed recently completed projects and some that are underway, as well as others planned for the future, in the Springfield State Journal-Register’s special Outlook 2008 section on Education and Careers. The section was part of the Wednesday, November 14, edition.
Download a PDF file of the article:
20071114-sjr-ExpandingFacilities.pdf
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