Thoughts on Creating an Inclusive Environment in Online Classes

The following article was written by Ray Schroeder, Associate Vice Chancellor or Online Learning at the University of Illinois Springfield.

In preparing for the fall term, most colleges and universities are responding to the renewed public consciousness about equality, inclusiveness and fairness for all students.

As we reflect on American history and, in particular, the history of our institutions of higher education, we see that in so many conscious and unconscious ways we have failed in our responsibility to promote the core values we express as a society, most notably inclusion and equity. The country has been reminded that Black lives matter -- not that all lives don’t matter -- but, that despite the Civil War, despite Emancipation, despite the civil rights legislation over the years, we still are not equally united across racial, cultural and gender lines. This is abundantly clear in widely reported horrifying acts of racial violence against minorities, but is also evident in the disparity of salaries for the same work, disparity of diversity in positions of prominence and disparity in preparedness and success of youth entering higher education. Polls show that most Americans agree that we must do better. And the time to renew our commitment is today.

The opportunities to begin to make a difference are endless through the online platform, where that platform is equitably available. Not limited to students recruited to the campus, not limited to students who can relocate and come to campus, online programs reach across cultures and locations to serve students where they are. And yet, minority and low-income students do not thrive at the same rates as others in the current system. So where can we begin in developing more successful diverse and inclusive online programs?

This article appeared in Inside Higher Ed on August 26, 2020.

Read the entire article online.

Helping teachers adjust to eLearning

While 2020 can present a learning curve for parents and students taking on remote learning , teachers want them to know they aren’t alone in making the adjustment.

The Illinois Online Network (ION) started about 20 years ago and has been at the University of Illinois Springfield for about three years. This year, the programs have seen a record number teachers signing up to take their courses. Executive director Vickie Cook said more than 2,000 teachers have learned from the programs since March. 

“Now everyone has been forced to into online, remote, blended types of education. So faculty who didn’t necessarily have the need to learn this type of skill now find themselves in a situation where it’s pretty crucial that they get up to speed pretty quickly,” Cook said.

Teachers who want to learn more about how teach remotely can sign up for the program’s fall term which starts August 24th. ION has also hosted free webinars to help teachers adjust to conditions presented by the pandemic. They are hosting two free webinars on August 6th and 13th for K-12 educators. 

This story appeared on WCIA on July 20, 2020.

Watch the entire story online.

What does the future hold for education?

What does the future hold for education during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?

It's a question that staff at the University of Illinois Springfield hope to shed light on.

A free public webinar is set for Friday, May 22 from noon to 1 p.m.

During the webinar, panelists will share their insight and foresight about what we can expect education will look like this fall and far beyond.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on May 20th.

Watch the story online.

Illinois State Police changes education requirements for applicants

Right now, the Illinois State Police is changing its policies to draw in more potential new hires. 

Starting next year, you will no longer need a bachelor's degree to apply to be a state trooper.
Applicants will now only need an associate’s degree or 60 credits of course work.

The reason? A shortage of state police in Illinois.

In 2009, the state police had approximately 2,119 troopers. Today, they only have about 1,767. "We don't have enough troopers out there in my opinion, We need to be out there patrolling the interstates," said Hector Alejandre, a master sergeant with the Illinois State Police.

University of Illinois Springfield political science professor Ryan Williams believes that this will open doors to lower-income applicants. "A two-year degree might be more affordable for the population that can't afford a four-year degree,” said Williams.

Williams said a bachelor's degree does help in certain areas. "An education helps them be more empathetic,” said Williams. “It helps them write better when they have to write reports." Overall, he said lowering academic requirements won't make a big difference in everyday police work.

ISP officials said they also offer tuition reimbursements if troopers want to go back to college after they're hired. They are actively recruiting for their 2020 state trooper class.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on October 8, 2019.

Watch the story online.

Online Learning and the Future of Education with Ray Schroeder

As a leading expert in online education, Ray Schroeder brings an unmatched depth of knowledge and passion for advancing the field.

He’s the current associate vice chancellor for online learning and founding director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois Springfield. He’s also the founding director of the National Council for Online Education at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.

In this episode of Leading Learning, Celisa talks with Ray about the evolving role of learning businesses, continuing education, and online learning— particularly when it comes to workforce development issues and the skills gap. They also discuss how advances related to artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, badges, blockchain and more are impacting the future of learning.

This article appeared on the Leading Learning website as an article and podcast on July 1, 2019.

Click here to access both the article and podcast.

UIS education department gets donation from Horace Mann

Horace Mann, a Springfield-based insurance and financial services company for educators, has given $2,500 to the University of Illinois Springfield’s teacher education department to pay for a dual credit course for Sangamon and Menard County high school seniors.

The goal of this dual credit course is to encourage more students to become teachers in the wake of the state-wide teacher shortage, according to a press release.

The dual credit course, called “Foundations of American Education,” started in fall semester 2018 with 18 students from eight area high schools.

“School officials and administrators tell us that finding teachers is becoming more difficult,” Marita Zuraitis, Horace Mann president and CEO, said in a statement. “We hope this program will encourage more high school students to explore the educator profession and give them a jump start on their college degree.”

A report by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools found that the teacher shortage is especially an issue in central and southern Illinois.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on April 8, 2019.

Read the entire article online.

Susan Koch: Opportunities for success online

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 June 9, 2018.

Among the 1,500 who completed their college experience at UIS, one group is especially intriguing. It’s the several hundred members of the 2018 graduating class who completed their undergraduate or graduate degree entirely online. 

Elizabeth Andersen from Urbana, Illinois, who graduated Summa Cum Laude (with highest distinction) with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, is a great example. “As an adult with a job, a family, and a mortgage, a traditional college experience was going to be nearly impossible for me,” she says. “The online opportunity at UIS gave me the option to work full time while finishing school; at the same time, it provided an affordable but high quality education.” 

Affordability, accessibility and quality — those three characteristics have been at the heart of online education at UIS since the first online class was offered in 1997, long before most other universities were even considering opportunities offered by the emerging digital knowledge revolution. 

Since then, UIS has moved to the forefront of universities engaged in online learning, offering 26 degrees and many certificates entirely online and providing access to a high-quality, affordable university education for thousands of students who, for a variety of reasons, cannot follow a more traditional path to the opportunities for success that a college degree provides. 

According to Ray Schroeder, Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning, online students were enrolled at UIS this Spring semester from more than 70% of Illinois counties, 47 U.S. states (exceptions were Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont), and 11 foreign countries. 

In addition, more than 70 percent of students in face-to-face programs also took at least one online course. 

Rebekah Grosboll is one of several online coordinators who works closely with students like Elizabeth throughout their college experience. “I communicate with students every week,” says Grosboll, “helping them access resources, sequence their courses and balance sometimes conflicting obligations. My goal is to create success stories,” she adds, “helping students make their professional goals a reality.”

In addition to providing online coordinators who support students in each program, the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS) serves as a hub for the study and application of online teaching methods, research and best practices. 

According to Dr. Vickie Cook, Executive Director of the Center, “UIS online programs are most distinctive because faculty teach using methods that connect them to their students and connect students with each other, utilizing a robust curriculum that enables learning to occur.” 

Dr. Layne Morsch, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry who, like many UIS faculty, teaches both face to face and online, was recognized by the Center this year with the Oakley Award for Excellence in Online Teaching.

According to Dr. Morsch: “The characteristics of outstanding learning experiences are the same regardless of mode of delivery. “Engaging students with relevant questions, challenging them to think critically and helping students learn how to apply what they are learning to what they will be asked to do in their future career,” he continues, “are as vital in the online experience as much as in the on-campus classroom.” 

Online learning isn’t the wave of the future; it’s already here and it is providing affordable, accessible, high quality educational opportunities at the University of Illinois Springfield. 

Read the entire column online.

Local educators work to end teacher shortage

The national teacher shortage continues to hit Illinois hard.

Right now there are 1,000 open positions statewide and 20 of those vacancies are in Sangamon County.

“I've seen more vacancies for teaching positions than I have in the 23 years I’ve been in education," said Regional Superintendent Jeff Vose, with the regional Office of Education for Sangamon and Menard Counties.

Vose had enough, so he called Dr. Scott Doerr, the superintendent in Nokomis, who offers a dual-credit class for his students and asked him to help bring an education dual-credit program to the University of Illinois in Springfield.

"My goal here was to take our local students and bring them back to our communities,” said Dr. Scott Doerr, the superintendent in Nokomis.

For the first time, this fall, UIS is offering a dual-credit course for the teaching program. Students will get credit on the high school level, as well as college credit in education.

The goal is to get more people interested in becoming an educator. "They also can get experience with teachers to see what good teachers do and to see how excited teachers still are about teaching kids," explained Dr. Cindy Wilson, the Chair of the Teacher Education Program for UIS.

Right now, 20 students are enrolled. The course starts at the end of August and goes until December. If more students show interest, they'll offer another course in the spring.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on May 21, 2018.

Watch the story online.

Susan Koch: Good teachers are always working to be better teachers

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 February 24, 2018.

A few weeks ago, a headline in the Chronicle of Higher Education, a widely respected weekly publication for college and university personnel, caught my eye. “What Makes a Good Teacher?” the headline read.

The writer, himself a well-known author and professor of English, went on to describe key characteristics of teachers who (though not necessarily liked best) had the greatest impact on their students’ learning.

The list included several familiar observations about effective teachers: “They are professional without being aloof. They have a good sense of humor. They are demanding without being unkind. They seem to enjoy what they do. They are tremendously creative.”

The author closes the piece by acknowledging that some professors seem to be “born teachers” because they possess the above traits in abundance; but every professor can work to develop and enhance their own teaching expertise. 

That’s exactly what the Teaching Fellows Program at UIS is all about! 

The program is the brainchild of Dr. Layne Morsch, a professor in the UIS Chemistry Department. Himself a distinguished teacher, Morsch was selected a few years ago by Apple (the world’s largest information technology company) as an Apple Distinguished Educator. 

With the support and encouragement of UIS Vice Chancellor and Provost Dennis Papini, Morsch has developed a professional development program that brings faculty together from across campus throughout the year to discuss educational psychology and research-based teaching practices, to experiment in their own courses and to share and learn with colleagues. 

“When you do your doctorate, it’s not focused on teaching. It’s about the research,” says Morsch. 

“The Teaching Fellows Program creates opportunities for faculty to engage together with high impact practices that can transform their teaching and improve student learning.” 

One of this year’s Teaching Fellows is Dr. Tiffany Nielson, an Assistant Professor in the Human Development Counseling program. 

Nielson, an Idaho native, completed her Ph.D. at Idaho State University and joined the UIS faculty three years ago. “I chose UIS because it is a teaching-focused university,” she says. “The Teaching Fellows Program has been a unique opportunity and perfect way to jump start my career.” 

Nielson recently taught her students about fixed vs. growth mindset, a concept the Teaching Fellows had studied and discussed in a recent session. “A fixed mindset means you believe your intelligence is set and cannot be changed while a growth mindset means you believe that, with effort and action, you have the capacity to grow,” says Nielson. She was delighted when a struggling student told her she had been thinking about how adopting a growth mindset could help her to be more successful. 

The Teaching Fellows Program’s impact on student success at UIS might best be illustrated by Morsch, who reflects: “Two of my students in the last week have told me the medical schools they’ve gotten admission into. That’s what I’m most excited to hear about – where my students are going and what they’ll be doing. Our graduates do amazing things!”

Read the entire column online.

Marketing Justice: ‘Law-Mart’ Examines For-Profit Law Schools

First established in the early 2000s, a handful of for-profit law schools say they’re on a mission to diversify the legal profession.

Before becoming an assistant professor of legal studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, Riaz Tejani spent three years teaching at a such a school.

Tejani incorporates that experience into his new book, “Law Mart: Justice, Access, and For-Profit Law Schools.”

“At first I thought this would be an opportunity to teach an underserved population that historically had been kept out of the legal profession. The percentage of minorities at these for-profit law schools is 35 percent, much higher than not-for-profit law schools,” says Tejani.

“Law Mart” identifies the financial incentives that separate the country’s five for-profit law schools from their non-profit peers.

“The main difference is that their surplus income is given to investors, instead of being reinvested in the school,” says Tejani. With less than half of students passing their state bar exams and some of the highest rates of student loan default, Tejani questions whether these for-profit law schools actually profit students.

Tejani's interview appeared on WTTW Chicago Tonight on October 11, 2017.

Watch the interview online.

UIS offering new majors to students

University of Illinois Springfield officials say five new majors are now being offered to students.

Officials say the new majors include bachelor's degrees in public policy, exercise science, public administration, and biochemistry, as well as a master's degree in data analytics.

A bachelor's degree in theatre will be available to pursue at the university starting in fall 2017.

UIS Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs James Ermatinger says, "“These new majors represent a continual effort by our faculty to provide undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities in the professional fields, STEM, and the liberal arts."

This story appeared on WAND TV on October 26, 2016.
Read the entire article online.

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.

UIS teacher education program offers several strengths

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 Saturday, October 8, 2016.

"The hours may be long, the salary modest and the “customers” sometimes challenging, but according to the National Center for Education Statistics, earning a bachelor’s degree in education and becoming a teacher is still among the top choices made by college students in the U.S. today.

Every year, nearly 200,000 candidates graduate from teacher preparation programs across the country, each of whom aspires to help young minds grow and reach their full potential. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are 77 approved teacher education institutions in Illinois. 

The University of Illinois Springfield is one of them, and Dr. Cindy Wilson, chair of the Teacher Education Department, is enthusiastic about recent growth of the program. “Students are attracted to the UIS teacher education program for several reasons,” she says. “We take a team approach to supporting our students, providing individualized attention beginning when students declare their major and continuing through their student-teaching experience and job placement.”

According to Dr. Wilson, students who enroll in teacher education come from many walks of life, with about 30 percent being non-traditional aged. It’s not unusual for a teacher education student to have already earned a bachelor’s degree in some other area or to have had a career in another profession.

For such students, a post-bachelor’s teacher licensure program is available, offering credit for prior educational experience while at the same time providing the necessary sequence of courses needed to acquire a teaching license for Illinois.

The introductory sequence is offered both on campus and online, further enabling working adults to participate.

Dr. Hanfu Mi, UIS dean of Education and Human Services, is particularly proud of UIS students’ performance on the edTPA exam, an assessment used to verify an aspiring teacher’s readiness to succeed in the classroom that is required for teacher licensure. “UIS students consistently score well above the state’s average,” he reports, “with 100 percent of UIS students who attempted the exam passing it last year.” 

“We currently have more than 50 agreements with local school districts that provide opportunities for our students to observe and participate in hands-on experiences, including student-teaching,” says Mi. “Area superintendents speak highly of UIS graduates.”

Read the entire column online.

Durbin, coalition warn of financial crisis in higher education

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and other advocates for higher education in Illinois on Monday urged legislators and the governor to end the state budget stalemate that has created a financial crisis for many colleges and their students.

Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, and representatives of the Illinois Coalition to Invest in Higher Education held a news conference at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Public universities and community colleges haven’t received any state funding since the start of the fiscal year, July 1, and the state hasn’t given schools money to pay for grants to help 125,000 low-income students cover the cost of tuition.

Durbin said higher education in Illinois is at a “breaking point.”

“It embarrasses me and troubles me to think that we’ve reached a point where there are so many innocent victims,” he said.

The coalition -- a collection of business, labor and organizations representing public and private colleges and universities coming together to urge immediate action -- kicked off its push in January to raise awareness of the crisis and build pressure on policymakers for a solution.

At UIS, Chancellor Susan Koch said the state owes the university nearly $18 million. As a result of the budget impasse, UIS isn’t able to fill 25 positions and is implementing a 20 percent across-the-board spening reduction, she said.

If not for increasing enrollment and good fiscal planning, the situation would be much more bleak, Koch said.

“We’re weathering this thanks to increasing enrollment, but we’re spending less in every area,” she said.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on February 16, 2016.

Read the article online.

UIS Chancellor says campus is doing 'okay', despite lack of state funding

Susan Koch, Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Springfield, says her campus is managing to weather the budget impasse thanks to the school’s push to recruit more students.

Koch says that decision was made five years ago, and it’s paying off now with record-high enrollment.

In a brief speech to faculty senate last week, Koch tried to reassure employees, telling them the university is doing okay, despite eight months without aid.

Asked whether that proves Governor Bruce Rauner’s point — that institutions of higher education have fat they could cut from their budgets — Koch said UIS "has been on a diet for years, and is pretty slim" already.

“I don’t think the fact that, you know, that we’re stable, necessarily feeds into the governor’s argument. I think he has the best interests of our communities in mind, and he also would understand that more college graduates is really the solution, not the problem,” Koch said.

Koch also told campus senators about a recent study showing state appropriations for higher education had gone up nationwide by an average of more than four percent.

The story was reported by NPR Illinois on February 8, 2016.

Read the article online.

People in the News

Elizabeth Kosmetatou, associate professor of history at the University of Illinois Springfield, recently was named University Scholar for 2015.

The award, considered the university’s highest faculty honor, recognizes outstanding teaching and scholarship.

Only one faculty member receives the annual award. Kosmetatou will receive $15,000 a year for three years to support research and other scholarly activities.

This story appeared online in The State Journal-Register on October 21, 2015.

Read the article here.

Students urge lawmakers to fix budget

They ditched the lecture halls and computer labs for a different classroom setting.

Hundreds of university students made their way to the Capitol to lobby for funding.

Students from the state's nine public universities showed up to demand action. Since the start of the semester, many students have been without MAP Grants. Tuesday, they pleaded for answers.

"Sixty to seventy students that are here from the campus." Mitch Dickey stepped out from his role in the student government to handle state government. "Students are known for exactly not engaging, not voting, not doing all these things. But, what we have here today, 250 students. That speaks volumes." 

For the first time in history, the state has failed to appropriate funds to the colleges. "Students are on the line right now. Time is of the essence. We're looking at 130,000 students across the state that receive MAP Grants." Now, students are relying on the universities to help pay for their educations, so they asked lawmakers what they're going to do.

"I really just want to get across to our legislators how important higher education is to us, to our community, to the people of Illinois." Senators stepped out from the session doors to meet with students like DeJa' Willingham, from UIS. She's worried about completing school. "We can post on Facebook and take pictures, but really, showing up shows we care and we're here."

This story appeared online on WCIA on October 20, 2015.

Watch the story here.

Star Parties return Friday at UIS

Organizers of the first Star Party at then-Sangamon State University in 1976 learned one thing very quickly: It can be cold in December, especially on the roof of Brookens Library.

But that didn't deter interest, and the popular Friday Star Parties return this week and run through the end of October.

John Martin, associate professor of astronomy and physics at what is now the University of Illinois Springfield, said subsequent Star Parties were moved to fall. "The sun is setting at a reasonable time so that it becomes dark earlier, and the weather hasn't turned nasty," said Martin, the Star Parties host.

There will be seven regular 8-10 p.m. Friday Star Parties this year, plus a bonus party from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 27 (weather permitting) to view the start of a total lunar eclipse. "We haven't had a good lunar eclipse that is visible here in a while," Martin said.

A typical Star Party begins with a presentation as visitors ascend the stairs to the observatory, learning about galaxies, the sun and stars along the way. On the roof observation deck, visitors can view the skies through telescopes and ask questions.

Participants are welcome to arrive and leave as they wish between 8 and 10 p.m.

Reservations aren't required for the free Star Parties, and groups are encouraged to attend. The entrance to the campus observatory is outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building.

The parties can be canceled for cloudy weather. Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party.

This article appeared online in The State Journal-Register on September 7, 2015.

Read the entire article here.

UIS now offering elementary education major

Prospective teachers will be able to major in elementary education starting this fall at the University of Illinois Springfield after the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved the option last week.

Students previously have been able to pursue an elementary school teaching career at UIS, but having a major has advantages — for both the students and the school, said Cindy Wilson, who chairs the UIS Department of Teacher Education.

She said elementary education and secondary education have been available as minors at UIS since 2001. But elementary education programs statewide had to be revised after the Illinois State Board of Education revised its standards for teachers.

"We thought it would be a good time to turn elementary education into a major," Wilson said. Secondary education will remain a minor option.

"We've had anecdotal research and market research that the people who are going to be elementary teachers want a major," she said. "Their parents want that, too."

UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said the university made the decision about three years ago to identify new academic areas that would add value and increase enrollment, and elementary education was one of those.

"It's really part of our growth priorities we've had for several years," she said. "There's a lot of demand for it."

Wilson said beginning to offer the major has "been a long, complicated and detailed process," noting that plenty of UIS graduates have become successful elementary school teachers, but they want that major.

"We know there are students who might have come here who went elsewhere because we didn't have a major in elementary education," Wilson said.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on August 17, 2015.

Read the full article online.

UI officials: Tuition off table for now, but plenty of cuts are possible

A tuition increase is off the table this year but just about everything else is on it at the University of Illinois if big budget cuts are enacted, top UI officials told lawmakers Thursday.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed budget calls for a 31.5 percent, or $209 million, reduction at the UI for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

In separate appearances before House and Senate appropriations committees, UI officials outlined possible areas for cuts: personnel, student employment, extension services, public broadcasting and more deferred maintenance.

But Republican members of both the Senate and the House prodded university officials to seek efficiencies and to embrace reforms, including changes in workers compensation and procurement policies.

At times, lawmakers seemed intent on getting UI President Robert Easter and Illinois State President Larry Dietz (who preceded him in both hearings) to endorse their partisan goals.

It likely was the final appearance before an appropriations committee for Easter, who officially steps down as president in May. "As I walked away, I thought, 'I won't have to do this again,'" he said with a smile minutes after wrapping up the Senate session. "I think the members are truly trying to help us in a very difficult situation. I didn't sense that it was an adversarial conversation at all. It was a conversation where they are trying to deal with some incredibly difficult issues. I don't envy them." 

Although Easter has appointed a "leadership group" to prepare for cuts, he said it's too early to say what the university's response will be once the budget reductions — which are considered inevitable at some level — are enacted.

"But the programs that a land-grand university traditionally has managed and are a service to the public have to be paid by public resources."

In citing cuts to public services — one of the traditional missions of the university — Easter mentioned extension services that are offered in all 102 Illinois counties, and public broadcasting. 

"We provide a myriad of services to the state," he told the House committee. "We operate a public broadcasting station here in Springfield for the benefit of the public. I'm not sure a year from now we can do that. We operate a public broadcasting station in Urbana for the same reason. They're valued. "Can we continue to do that and how do we fund that? One could argue that that should be public money, not tuition dollars that supports those things."

Later, though, Easter said he mentioned the public stations "because I was trying to think of an example that was tangible. I'm no more serious about that than any other thing. I don't want to create anxiety there." UI officials portrayed any tuition increases as a last resort.

This story appeared online in The News-Gazette on March 20, 2015.

Read the entire article online.