New installation in gallery

An installation called "The sunshine of our last day" is now on display in UIS' Visual Arts Gallery. The award-winning artist, Michael Jones McKean, is here at UIS as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in visual arts. He is an assistant professor of sculpture and extended media at Virginia Commonwealth University. His exhibit is well worth a visit to the gallery. It is comprised of six new sculptures made of compressed replicas of identifiable forms with artifacts and unformed matter. Very intriguing! Coming up this spring, UIS Theatre will present Tennessee Williams' Period of Adjustment. It will open on April 4 in the Studio Theatre. And on April 11, UIS Music will give the UIS Arts Night Chamber Recital in the Office of Electronic Media's television studio. So we have much to look forward to once this cold and gray winter is over.

On the courts...

Both the men's and women's basketball teams have wrapped up their seasons and are getting ready for the conference tournaments. Both teams have been a bit disappointed this year with their conference standings. The women's team is currently in fifth place in the conference and could improve a spot, and then would host one game. The men's team is currently third in the conference and will almost certainly stay there going into the tournament. That means they will host at least one conference tournament game in the TRAC arena. The games on February 9 drew a record crowd, with estimates in the 1,000- to 1,200-fans range. That was thanks in part to a large turnout of faculty and staff and a crowd from McKendree that was well over 100. The pep band, the cheerleaders and the enthusiasm made for a fun day.

Senseless tragedy is a reminder

The February 14 tragedy at Northern Illinois University was a sobering reminder that all universities are vulnerable to such acts of madness, no matter how well prepared they may be. Here at UIS, we are maximizing the safety of our students, faculty and staff by augmenting our response plan with a new emergency notification system. It allows us to reach the members of the campus community more rapidly in case of a life-threatening emergency. So far, more than 1,000 of you have signed up to receive text message alerts, and we encourage all of you to do so at https://emergency.uis.edu/ . We have stepped up our efforts to complete detailed emergency plans for each building on campus, and are looking for other ways to keep our campus safe and secure. Meanwhile, our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who died at NIU on Valentine's Day. Our thoughts are also with the students who were injured. We pray for their full recovery.

(To hear our police chief talk about safety, watch the first part of my recent "Chancellor's Chat" by clicking on "Sights and Sounds" on the UIS homepage."

A great opportunity

The federal Department of Commerce has granted public radio station WUIS a coveted $137,000 grant to rewire the station from top to bottom and link all the studios using a digital routing system. This grant will bring more news, music and programs to our community and beyond. This is a rare opportunity for WUIS -- one that shouldn't be lost. But to receive the federal matching grant, the station much obtain commitments for local funds equaling the match before April 15, 2008. So gifts are welcome and "count" toward our Annual Faculty and Staff Campaign goals.

Making a difference

UIS has always taken pride in providing access and opportunities for our students. One way in which we do so is with scholarships. They can make the difference in a student's decision to pursue a university degree or to continue to work toward that goal. Over the past few years, privately funded gifts have resulted in a 66% increase in scholarships at UIS with steady growth over a five-year period. That translates into higher education for more students and ultimately more lives of higher quality. I call that a formula for personal success and enrichment. In addition, our "Brilliant Futures" campaign has doubled our active endowment, a wonderful accomplishment. That endowment now generates more than $500,000 per year for continued excellence, and that will be true forever.

TV show new experience

I recently began a show on the UIS Campus Channel (65) called "Chancellor's Chat." It's an opportunity to share some "straight talk" with students, faculty and staff about what's on my mind. It's also a chance for me to answer questions from the campus community. I never know what those questions might be, and I don't look at them until the cameras are ready to roll. That's part of the fun (a colleague quipped I must be a glutton for punishment). But I want the viewers to enjoy my spontaneous responses whether they like my answers or not. With any luck, the show will better acquaint me with what's on your mind. I look forward to hearing from you. Submit your questions to campusrelations@uis.edu. The show can also be viewed on the UIS website by clicking on "Sights and Sounds" on the homepage. Last but not least, I want to thank Jerry Burkhart, director of the Office of Electronic Media, and his student crew for making me look good. I think that's called magic.