UIS Perspectives: Commencement is a celebration of endings and beginnings

The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 8, 2021. 

This week, I am so very proud to announce that the University of Illinois Springfield will celebrate the incredible achievements of the Class of 2021 through both in-person and virtual commencement ceremonies.

Commencement also marks a beginning of the next stage of one’s life as a college graduate. It marks so many next milestones — for some, it is the transition fully into adulthood. It is the entry into professional employment, graduate school, military service or adding to an already accomplished life with an advanced degree, or all things in between.

This year’s commencement is not just any commencement, and it is not just any year. This commencement marks the 50th anniversary of this great university’s founding, and it is occurring during one of the greatest health threats to the world — the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world is a completely different place from when the Class of 2021 started their college journey. To be sure, nothing — not a pandemic, not the greatest social challenges of our time — keeps UIS from living and achieving our mission of providing “a uniquely student-centered educational experience both in and out of the classroom.” What these great challenges do is inform HOW we stay true to our mission. Through hard work, grit, innovation and creativity, we have figured how to stay United in Safety this year and live our mission.

To our esteemed Class of 2021: Thank you. Thank you for being such a special class. Thank you for adhering to our robust health and safety standards, for gracefully adapting to last-minute changes and brand-new circumstances. Thank you for your creativity and innovation and for your determination to making this year so successful.

It’s time to go out there and show everyone what “Leadership Lived” really means. Be a leader in every possible way, and put the strength of your shiny new U of I degree on full display.

Congratulations! Go Stars!

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UIS Expands COVID Testing To The Public

The University of Illinois Springfield COVID-19 saliva testing site is now offering free tests to the public. A separate “community lane” has been established in the lower-level PAC testing area for community visitors.

The free tests are being funded through an agreement between the Illinois Department of Public Health and SHIELD Illinois using federal relief money.

This story appeared on NPR Illinois on May 6, 2021.

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Women's Softball: Wickenhauser hits milestone, helps UIS split

Calla Wickenhauser became the University of Illinois Springfield’s all-time leader in runs scored as she led the Prairie Stars to a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader split in an 8-1 Game 2 win over Drury on Saturday at the Land of Lincoln Softball Complex.

Batting leadoff, Wickenhauser hit two home runs in the second game and finished with four RBIs and three runs scored. The junior, from Maroa-Forsyth High School, now has 100 runs. Wickenhauser was already the all-time program leader in RBIs and now has 108 to go along with 100 home runs in her career at UIS.

This story was published in The State Journal-Register on May 1, 2021.

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Men's Baseball: No. 6 UIS baseball clinches GLVC Green Division regular season title

The No. 6 University of Illinois Springfield baseball team clinched the Great Lakes Valley Conference Green Division regular season title after a 22-0 blowout hosting William Jewell Sunday.

The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team is familiar with winning. The team has won 32 games and only lost four during the 2021 season. Head coach Ryan Copeland describes his squad as tough.

“We have a really talented group," Copeland said. "We knew that last year. We’ve had it rolling here for a few years now. This group is extremely tough and they play hard. They’re resilient. We get down in games and it never seems to matter. They always find a way to come back.”

The Prairie Stars have not only battled their opponent, but also the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this season the team had to pause competition for COVID-19 protocols.

“You can’t be a normal college kid right now," Copeland said. "You just can’t. We have a really good group, a veteran group that has prioritized our program and playing. I think that’s why we’re in the spot we’re in.”

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on May 2, 2021. 

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UIS begins planting 1,000 Japanese maple trees

The University of Illinois Springfield is planting Japanese maple trees on its campus.

UIS plans to place the first 100 near the UIS-LLCC bike trail.

The trees were donated by Davidsan's Japanese Maples, a business in New Berlin.

The donation is being made to honor more than 30 years that Springfield has had a sister city relationship with Ashikaga, Japan.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on April 27, 2021.

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Lynn, Moore honored by UIS at 50th anniversary celebration

UIS Chancellor Emerita Naomi B. Lynn and retired U.S. Marshal Robert Moore were honored by the University of Illinois Springfield with awards for service and alumni achievement during a virtual 50th-anniversary celebration.

Lynn was presented the 2021 Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of the University of Illinois. Lynn served as president of Sangamon State University and then was the first chancellor of UIS. She retired in 2001 and continues to live in Springfield.

Moore received the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one’s business, profession or life’s work.

Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Moore has become a distinguished and nationally recognized leader in the practice of law enforcement, facilitator of community policing initiatives and historical research of African Americans in law enforcement.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on April 25, 2021.

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Flag display raising sexual assault awareness at UIS

The University of Illinois Springfield is observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action.

The UIS Women's Center and Civic Engagement Center created a display of 1,000 flags.

The flags represent the 433,000 Americans who are sexually assaulted each year. Each flag represents 433 Americans.

This story appeared on WICS on April 6, 2021.

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University of Illinois system will not require ACT, SAT for admission for 2 years

The University of Illinois System announced Thursday that three state universities will not require students to submit standardized test scores for admission applications.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Springfield will allow high school students to apply for admission for the two upcoming academic years without taking the ACT or SAT.

The request to the University of Illinois System Board of Trustees was made in response to restrictions on large gatherings that limited students' ability to take standardized tests.

This story aired on WAND TV on April 2, 2021.

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Men's Baseball: UIS sweeps doubleheader against Lewis

No. 14-ranked University of Illinois Springfield improved to 10-2 overall with two victories on Sunday at UIS Baseball Field, winning Game 1 by a score of 13-5 and the second game 10-8, over Great Lakes Valley Conference opponent Lewis University.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 21, 2021.

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UIS graduates will have option of a 'stage experience' for commencement

Tasneem Shaik said her mother and father are coming from India for her graduation from the University of Illinois Springfield in May.

That experience will look a little different than past UIS graduations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students like Shaik, who is getting her master's degree in computer science, are being given the option of having an in-person “stage experience” days before a May 15 virtual commencement celebration.

Students were informed of the plan last week.

UIS degree candidates who book the “stage experience” will be able to walk across the Sangamon Auditorium stage to be congratulated by UIS Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney and UIS Provost Dennis Papini, who will be wearing full academic regalia.

The stage will be set up like it usually is for graduation, said Joan Sestak, the director of community and governmental relations in the chancellor's office and a co-chair of the commencement committee.

Up to four guests per graduate will be allowed in the audience.

The "stage experience," which will last five to 10 minutes for each student, will be live-streamed on the UIS website for guests to watch, beyond the four who attend in person.

Whitney said the celebrations will allow UIS to continue to follow United in Safety protocols while celebrating graduates’ academic accomplishments. United in Safety is the campus' plan for safety expectations, testing protocols, teaching and learning strategies and efforts to promote and prioritize well-being.

“We all want to return to our large traditional commencement ceremony, but we must wait until it’s safe to do so,” Whitney said.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 15, 2021.

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UIS, LLCC to host virtual Career Connections Expo

People in Central Illinois looking for a career have a great opportunity coming up this week, and you won't even have to leave home for it.

The University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College are hosting the 2021 Virtual Career Connections Expo.

It will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 4.

Representatives with more than 50 organizations are expected to attend.

This story aired on WICS on March 2, 2021.

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UIS PERSPECTIVES: Planning, transparency and community mark UIS’ COVID-19 response

The following is an excerpt from a column by Bethany Bilyeu, UIS executive director of Student Support Services. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on February 13, 2021.

As we are quickly moving through this new year, many of us have spent time reflecting on the past year, and 2020 provided us so much to reflect on. In past years, there are several things that we can safely say are behind us as we look at them in the rear-view mirror. However, this year, there are still many things that we will continue to navigate.

For most of the last year, I have spent most of my personal and professional energy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as so many others have. I am a member of the University of Illinois Springfield’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team. The team’s main purpose is to shepherd UIS through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I believe UIS has done a remarkable job managing COVID-19 on our campus.

For Fall 2020 to be as successful as it was, months of planning and coordination occurred throughout the U of I system. Last spring, as word quickly spread around the world of the growing pandemic, the University of Illinois initiated a system-wide response team that helped guide our COVID-19 response at each of its three universities.

Our campus has risen to meet these many challenges with grace and compassion. I am awestruck by the level of support at this university. One of the most rewarding parts of the past year has been seeing people support one another through this exceedingly difficult time.

Over the past year, many of us have had to make unbelievably hard choices and sacrifices, and more may be coming. And yet, I am hopeful for the future not only for UIS but society at large. I witnessed a group of people coming together in many ways for the first time to work together delivering great outcomes. I know it’s possible for people with different interests to engage in tough conversations and find common ground for the betterment of everyone.

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Center at UIS hopes to steer Lincoln scholars to his life in Illinois

To fully embrace a historical figure like Abraham Lincoln, Anne Moseley said, you have to literally walk in his footsteps.

A prime example, said Moseley, the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies — which officially opens Friday — is walking into the House of Representatives at the Old State Capitol, the spot where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in 1858 after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. senator.

"There is a presence you feel when you walk into (the Old State Capitol)," Moseley insisted. "To quote 'Hamilton,' 'It's the room where it happens.' Anyone who is passionate about Lincoln and passionate about studying his life and times, you have to come to Illinois in order to embrace Lincoln and understand him. That's how you make good scholarship."

The center, which is housed at the University of Illinois Springfield's Public Affairs Center, has a goal of getting researchers to look into Lincoln's life in central Illinois and "to discover the Lincoln we know and love," Moseley said.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 10, 2021.

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It’s a virtual grand opening for the Center for Lincoln Studies on Friday

The Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold a virtual grand opening on Lincoln's Birthday Feb. 12, 2021.

WTAX's Joey McLaughlin talks with the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies, Anne Moseley, about the center and its virtual grand opening for the center this Friday.

The interview aired on WTAX on Feb. 9, 2021. Listen to a recording online.

3 appointed to U of I System Board of Trustees

Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, has appointed three people to the University of Illinois System Board of Trustees.

On Friday, Pritzker named the following individuals to six-year terms on the board:
Ramón Cepeda, finance executive
Sarah Phalen, banking executive
Tami Craig Schilling, agricultural communicator

The board, which oversees the U of I System, consists of 13 members, 11 of whom vote.

The governor appoints nine trustees to the board. No more than five board members may belong to a single political party.

Sarah Phalen is a Republican from Springfield. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and her MBA from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Phalen serves as the president and CEO of INB, a 13-branch bank headquartered in Springfield.

In addition, she is the treasurer of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance and treasurer of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.

This story appeared on WICS Newschannel 20 on Feb. 9, 2021.

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UIS to offer these accelerated and blended courses beginning March 15

The University of Illinois Springfield will offer more than two dozen accelerated online and blended courses for prospective and current students.

Most classes begin March 15, and conclude in early May.

“This is a great opportunity for new UIS students to start or finish their education,” said UIS interim chancellor Karen Whitney. “It’s also a chance for current students to add to their course load and potentially earn their degree in a shorter period of time.”

Accelerated courses will be offered in accounting, athletic training, business, communication, education, educational leadership, human development counseling, management, management information systems, mathematics, and music.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 9, 2021.

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Abraham Lincoln Birthday symposium to be held remotely

“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of Coronavirus may speedily pass away,” said Abraham Lincoln Association President Michael Burlingame as he paraphrased the famous Lincoln quotation.

Burlingame made the statement while announcing that the annual symposium commemorating Lincoln's 212th Birthday will be held remotely this year, with the full slate of speakers available on-line.

The Symposium is named for Benjamin P. Thomas (1902-1956), the renowned Lincoln biographer and one-time Executive Secretary of The Abraham Lincoln Association. The symposium is supported by a generous gift of Thomas's daughter, Sarah Thomas, and her family to The Abraham Lincoln Association Endowment Fund. The event is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Springfield. For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Association, visit www.abrahamlincolnassociation.org.

This story appeared in the Canton Daily Ledger on January 28, 2021.

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University of Illinois tuition hike, delayed because of COVID-19, will kick in next year, as trustees consider room and board cost increase

The University of Illinois will become more expensive for some in-state students next fall if the board of trustees agrees to raise fees for housing and campus services.

Despite concerns about the ballooning cost of college, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, university officials proposed the increases at a Wednesday meeting of the board’s academic and student affairs committee.

The full board will vote Thursday on the measure, which would boost undergraduate room and board rates by 1.4% at the Springfield campus for new students in the 2021-22 school year. The proposal also calls for student fees and assessments to rise by 0.8% at the two most populous locations.

While the proposal keeps tuition the same, new in-state undergraduates and sophomores will have to pay more for the first time since 2014.

Barbara Wilson, vice president for academic affairs for the U. of I. system, described the proposed increases in student fees and housing as “modest” and necessary to offset inflation.

This story appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Jan. 20, 2021.

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“Whatever it takes” – UIS official led with love

Dr. Clarice Ford lived a storied life before coming to Springfield where her impact will be felt for generations to come. Her first positions at University of Illinois Springfield, in 2008, were executive director of the diversity center and associate vice chancellor of student services. In 2014, she became the vice chancellor for student affairs. She died earlier this year after a brief illness.

Ford’s best known phrase was “whatever it takes” – a missive to students to graduate and succeed no matter the obstacles. 

One testament to the power of her mentorship is evident in her protégé, Justin Rose, a former student who is now in the position she first held at UIS as director of the diversity center. Rose said Ford’s role in the lives of students often transcended that of adviser. Many came to call her “Mama Ford."

Ford’s legacy will live on, not only in the countless students whose lives she touched, but also in a UIS fund in her name and a planned section of the UIS library in her honor. The Outlet has also set up a scholarship fund in her name. 

This story appeared in the Illinois Times on December 31, 2020.

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Award-winning documentary draws attention to race riot, larger racial issues

Dr. Wesley Robinson-McNeese recalled a scene where he was swimming with some Air Force buddies in the waters off Biloxi Beach in Mississippi in the late 1960s.

A stranger pulled up in a pickup truck and, producing a shotgun and hurling epithets, promised that he was going to "blow away" McNeese, who is Black, if he didn't get out of the water.

"My friends said, 'Wes, you’re a soldier, you don’t have to do that,'" McNeese remembered. "I said, 'He’s not aiming the shotgun at you guys. He’s aiming it at me.'"

That is one of several personal episodes McNeese recounted in his scathing poem "Face to Face," which was inspired by an event commemorating the centennial of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield. It was originally published in Quiddity, a literary journal published by then-Benedictine University Springfield, later in 2008.

McNeese, 72, a retired emergency room physician and executive director of diversity initiatives for the Southern Illinois University System, has periodically given readings of the poem in the area.

Now, thanks to The Storyteller Studios in Springfield, the poem has new life as a three-and-half-minute film narrated by McNeese from inside the remains of Black-owned homes that were burned in Springfield's Race Riot.

University of Illinois Springfield assistant history professor Devin Hunter said he heard McNeese recite the poem on a couple of occasions, including once when he drew a standing ovation at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.

"It really made an impression on me, both the words and how it resonated with people," Hunter recalled.

Hunter was working on a project funded by the University of Illinois President's Office collaborating with artists, performers and writers in how they might capture and interpret the Race Riot in their various forms.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 14, 2020.

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