Springfield looking more like a college town

No one is going to confuse Springfield with Ann Arbor or South Bend, but there's a sense that it might be becoming a bit of a college town.

“If it’s going to be a college town, it will be UIS driving it,” said Richard Ringeisen, chancellor at UIS.

UIS’s campus has taken on a more collegiate look in recent years, with a quad, a central colonnade, two 200-bed residence halls for freshmen and sophomores, and a new recreation and athletic center.

Ringeisen's comments were featured in an October 12, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091012-SJR-Springfield-college-town.pdf

Illinois not alone in disputes over high-speed rail

Illinois isn't the only state where some local officials are balking at the prospect of having high-speed passenger rail service running through their communities.

For sure, not everyone in Springfield is against the high-speed rail line.

In a letter to federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, University of Illinois-Springfield Chancellor Richard Ringeisen expressed support for the concept.

Ringeisen's comments were featured in an October 7, 2009 edition of the Bloomington Pantagraph.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091007-Pantagraph-Illinois-not-alone.pdf

MAP grants fall victim to state budget cuts

MAP Grant funds for more than 700 students on the University of Illinois Springfield campus are in question for the spring 2010 semester. Lawmakers cut the money from the budget to keep the program fully funded.

WAND-TV reporter Gordan Graham interviewed UIS students April Fountain and Charles Olivier along with UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen in a September 29, 2009 report.

Watch a video of the report online

Enrollment up at UIS

More students than ever before are attending the University of Illinois Springfield this fall.

Enrollment figures released this week for UIS show a record 4,961 students enrolled for the fall semester, a 5 percent increase over last fall’s 4,711 students.

Chancellor Richard Ringeisen said the higher figures “demonstrate the value attached to the high-quality education UIS delivers for students from all over Illinois.”

The enrollment numbers were featured in a September 11, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090911-SJR-UIS-enrollment.pdf

College grant cutoff devastating for some

Charles Olivier last year received about $1,200 toward his tuition and fees at the University of Illinois Springfield from a state program that helps students based on need

Olivier, a junior, will get another $600 during this year’s fall semester. But because of state budget cuts, he is scheduled to get $0 for the spring semester as every other Monetary Award Program grant recipient.

“It is a program aimed at our neediest students,” said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. “We’re aware that it’s a big problem.

The MAP grant story was featured in a September 10, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090910-SJR-MAPGrant.pdf

Campus Town may be moving closer to reality

With the BOT approval of UIS' updated Campus Master Plan, the development of a Campus Town, to be located on the west side of campus outside the ring road, has moved a step closer to becoming a reality.

WCFN reporter Blake Wood posted a report November 14, 2008, on MyCFN News.

Download a pdf file
20081114-wcfn-CampusTown.pdf

UIS has more to do to finalize move into NCAA

Now that UIS has been invited to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference of the NCAA, the university will need to take certain steps before it can become a full member.

An article in the October 20, 2008, State Journal-Register looks at the requirements and what they might mean to the campus.

Download the article
20081020-SJR-UISneed2MtoPlay.pdf

UIS move into NCAA means change

UIS officially joined the NCAA Division II, Great Lakes Valley Conference, on October 8, 2008.

In an article that appeared in the State Journal-Register on October 9, Prairie Stars coaches talked about what the move meant for their teams.

Download a pdf file of the article
20081009-SJR-CoachesGladtobeinGLVC.pdf

More students living on campus

UIS' enrollment figures for the 2008 fall semester showed an increase in undergraduate students and the most-ever (1,050) living on campus.

Chancellor Ringeisen spoke with reporter Chris Dettro about student demographics for an article that appeared in the September 15, 2008, State Journal-Register.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080915-SJR-MoreStudentsLivingOnCampus.pdf

Gas prices affect athletics, too

An article in the September issue of the Springfield Business Journal discussed the impact of rising gas prices on local businesses. Correspondent Raegan Hennemann also spoke with UIS Athletic Director Rodger Jehlicka about its effect on college sports. Jehlicka noted that UIS coaches have several options to avoid going over budget. Download a pdf file of the article:
20080900-SBJ-AffectofGasPrices.pdf

U of I employees to get raises

The July 22, 2008, State Journal-Register reported on a campuswide memo from UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen stating that U of I employees would be receiving pay raises averaging 1.5 percent. The raises are merit-based and will be funded through tuition, state money, and internal reallocations.

Download a pdf file of the article
20080722-SJR-UofIPayHikes.pdf

Chancellor Ringeisen profiled in Springfield Scene

Chancellor Richard Ringeisen had a long and successful career before he came "home" to UIS. The May/June 2008 edition of Springfield Scene Magazine features a profile of the Chancellor by Ed Russo.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080515-SSMag-Chancellor.pdf