Win worth the wait for UIS women

The University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars waited and then waited some more for their first women’s basketball game of the season.

After practicing and scrimmaging against each other for more than 34 days, the Stars had their urge to play quenched Wednesday. UIS welcomed the Robert Morris University Eagles to The Recreation and Athletic Center. The end result was a 78-58 non-conference victory for the Stars.

“It felt good to finally get on the floor,” UIS sophomore guard Alex Blair said. “It was a long preseason, but it just gave us time to work harder and prepare.”

The win was featured in an November 19, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091119-SJR-Win-worth-the-wait-for-UIS.pdf

Good Deeds: UIS canned food drive

"I want to thank the people of Springfield for their generosity this Halloween. I was captain of a team of students from the University of Illinois Springfield that spread throughout the city on Halloween collecting canned goods for the Central Illinois Foodbank. There were 14 teams total, and together UIS collected more than 4,000 pounds of food!"

UIS student Jaleesa Earthely was featured in the Good Deeds section of the State Journal-Register in a November 14, 2009 edition.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091114-SJR-Good-Deeds.pdf

Review: 'Shape of Things' pushes boundaries of art, love

By the final curtain, the first line in “The Shape of Things” could be directed at every character: “You stepped over the line.”

The Neil LaBute play, which opened Friday in the Studio Theatre at the University of Illinois Springfield, follows four college students testing the boundaries of love and life — and each other.

As Adam, Joey Cruse displays some of the same fecklessness he used to great comic effect as Leo Bloom in “The Producers” this year at The Muni. Evelyn has to be everything Adam isn’t, and Carol Schulte plays the role with enough of an edge to make you wonder if everything is as it seems.

Lauren Braden’s Jenny blends likability with vulnerability, and Kevin Brownell’s Phil steals several scenes with some of the funniest lines in the play.

The review was published in an November 14, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091114-SJR-Review-Shape-of-Things.pdf

U of I committee starts presidential search

The retiring president of the University of Illi­nois got a standing ovation at his final meeting of the school’s board of trustees.

Meeting in Springfield, the board also ap­pointed a 19-member committee, including for­mer Springfield Mayor Karen Hasara, to search for a new president. The committee will be chaired by trustee Pamela Strobel.

Also appointed to the committee from the Uni­versity of Illinois Springfield were:

* Faculty members Tih-Fen Ting, chair of the campus senate and associate professor of envi­ronmental studies, and James Patrick Hall, di­rector of the MBA program and vice chair of the campus senate.

* Student representative Charles Olivier, vice president of the Student Government Associa­tion. He is an undergraduate in accountancy and business administration.

The appointments were reported in an November 13, 2009 State Journal-Register article.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091113-SJR-U-of-I-committee.pdf

The Intern Queen visits UIS

UIS students got a dose of reality to help them gain an edge in today’s tough job market and it came from the queen herself, "The Intern Queen".

Lauren Berger had 15 internships under her belt by the time she graduated from college, each with different companies. Now the self-titled "Intern Queen" has made a career of helping others land internships.

Berger's visit to the UIS campus was featured by WICS-TV reporter Heather Hubbs in a November 11, 2009 report.

Watch the report online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_906.shtml

Young characters walk fine line in UIS play

At the center of “The Shape of Things” is the line between art and life.

The Neil LaBute play, which opens Friday at UIS Theatre, begins with a literal interpretation of that divide when Adam, a college student and part-time museum security guard, finds Evelyn on the wrong side of a velvet rope guarding a statue.

Suffice to say that Evelyn’s can of spray paint was just a small indication of how dirty she’s willing to get smudging the line between art and life.

“In other words, how much should art be infused in our daily living?” director Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson said. “Is art something that should just be seen on the occasional weekend visit to the museum, and keep it over there, safe? Or should we live all our lives artistically?”

The play was featured in an November 12, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091112-SJR-Young-characters-UIS-play.pdf

If not for Richard, Prairie Stars would be poorer

The University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team is depending on Richard Oruche, and the 6-foot-3 senior guard is expecting a lot from himself.

A role player last season, Oruche will look to continue to contribute but in a larger quantity.

“He was more of an energy guy last year because we had some very good players on our ballclub,” UIS coach Kevin Gamble said. “He didn’t get the time he felt he could get, but the time that he got we wanted him to come in with high energy, guard the best player and just be one of those guys that puts it all on the floor when he gets out there.”

Oruche was featured in an November 12, 2009 State Journal-Register article.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091112-SJR-If-not-for-Richard.pdf

UIS student gov't backs athletic fee increase

The University of Illinois Springfield’s move to NCAA Division II athletics got another boost Sunday night when the Student Government Association voted to support a $17 increase in the intercollegiate athletic fee paid by students.

If the increase is approved by the U of I board of trustees, UIS students next fall will be paying an athletic fee of $149 per semester, up 12.9 percent from the 2009-2010 school year.

The increase will be used to help cover equipment and travel costs for the inaugural UIS baseball team, which scheduled to compete in 2010-11.

The fee change was featured in an November 10, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091110-SJR-UIS-student-government.pdf

Military loan program expanding in Illinois

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is expanding a state-operated loan program that aims to help military veterans regain their financial footing once they return home from deployment.

Shannon Kirby, a University of Illinois Springfield student and a Navy veteran, said she wished the program had been available for her after she left active duty in 2008.

“I came back home. I didn’t have a lot of money saved up,” said Kirby, 30, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Kirby was featured in an November 10, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091110-SJR-Military-loan-program-expan.pdf

UIS student addresses dignitaries at academic awards ceremony

Priyanka Deo, a 21-year-old student at the University of Illinois Springfield who is studying pre-law and sociology, knows the importance of hard work.

And on Saturday, she got reinforcement of the payback for such work.

She was one of 50 Illinois college students who received a Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award for their outstanding curricular and extracurricular work. The award is given to only one student at each of Illinois’ four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and Deo got the extra honor of addressing the crowd of dignitaries and students during the ceremony at the Old State Capitol.

Deo was featured in an November 8, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091108-SJR-UIS-student-addresses.pdf

Area colleges: UIS volleyball finishes with victory

The University of Illinois Springfield ended the season by beating Kentucky Wesleyan 25-19, 25-14, 25-14 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match at The Recreation and Athletic Center.

UIS won two of its last three matches to finish 11-20 overall and 2-12 in the GLVC.

Courtnee Brown led UIS with 14 kills and 10 digs, and Cayla Roberts added 10 digs. Carrie Gerberding had 36 assists and four service aces for the Prairie Stars.

The game was featured in an November 8, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article:
20091109-SJR-Area-colleges.pdf

UIS Hopes to Gain International Appeal

In an effort to increase enrollment from students overseas UIS is hosting a group of EducationUSA advisers who come from 5 different countries around the globe.

"By brining international students here they connect with our students, they're involved in our courses, they're helping to internationalize the curriculum," said Dana Atwell, UIS ESL Coordinator in the Office of International Programs.

The international visitors were featured in an November 2, 2009 report by Heather Hubbs of WICS-TV 20 Springfield.

Watch the report online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_839.shtml

UIS Notebook: It's all new for Gamble's Prairie Stars

Not only will the University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team play in a new division and a new conference this season, but the roster will have a new look.

UIS officially will move up from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2009-10 and from the American Midwest Conference to the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Nine of coach Kevin Gamble’s 14 players are new to the UIS Prairie Stars program.

“It was a little scary at the beginning, but I like the intensity and the effort that the guys are putting out,” Gamble said.

The team was featured in an October 31, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091031-SJR-UIS-Notebook-Gamble.pdf

Trick-or-Eat competition to collect canned goods

The Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center at the University of Illinois Springfield will sponsor a Trick-or-Eat competition to collect canned goods Saturday.

The event is part of the UIS Holiday Stars Project. The overall goal is to collect 4,500 of pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank by Dec. 3.

Teams of UIS students have been assigned to neighborhoods where they will collect non-perishable food items. The teams have already canvassed the neighborhoods, distributing collection bags, along with door hangers that explain the project.

The article was featured in an October 29, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download the article as a PDF.
20091029-SJR-Trick-or-Eat-competition.pdf

Springfield college students see through eyes of a drunk driver

Students used fatal vision goggles as they walked the line simulating a roadside sobriety test. Students also got into a golf cart and tested the goggles with impaired vision.

The simulator is one of three big events planned by UIS as the university celebrates National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

The story was featured in a WAND-TV 17 news report on October 21, 2009.

Watch the story online

Funding MAP Grants could add to state budget crisis

Michelle Claussen is a junior at the University of Illinois Springfield. She relies on several forms of financial aid including MAP Grants to keep her in school.

When MAP grant funding was slashed she worried about how she'd pay for school, but now that the funding has been restored some believe the financial hardship has been handed over to the state.

"We're spending more than we're taking in on a regular basis," said UIS Political Science Professor Chris Mooney.

The story was featured in a WICS-TV 20 report on October 20, 2009 by reporter Heather Hubbs.

Watch the story online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_748.shtml

Lack of soccer wins doesn't take way Torricelli's enthusiasm

The victories haven’t been numerous in Ryne Torricelli’s collegiate soccer career.

“I’ve been watching the Prairie Stars since I was a kid,” Torricelli said. “I’ve always wanted to play here."

“This was a dream come true to play here. I’m still in Springfield, my family can watch me play, and I’m getting a good education. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Torricelli along with men's soccer coach Joe Eck were featured in an October 19, 2009 State Journal-Register article.

Download the article as a PDF.
20091019-SJR-Lack-of-wins-doesn-t-tak.pdf

MAP grant threat brings college students to Springfield

The threat of losing a key piece of financial aid next semester spurred thousands of Illinois college students to rally Thursday in Springfield and pressure lawmakers to replenish funding for the Monetary Award Program.

Jaime Casinova, a University of Illinois Springfield junior, said he depends entirely on financial aid -- including MAP grants -- to attend college.

MAP grant recipient Charles Olivier, a junior at UIS, said education should be one of the state's top funding priorities, he said.

The students comments were featured in an October 16, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091016-SJR-MAP-grant-threat.pdf

UIS volleyball team gets first league win

The University of Illinois Springfield earned the first Great Lakes Valley Conference victory in program history Saturday, downing Maryville 29-27, 23-25, 25-16, 25-22.

UIS (7-13 overall, 1-7 in the GLVC) and Maryville (2-14, 1-8) are both first-year GLVC members. Courtnee Brown led UIS with eight kills and 14 digs, and Kim Bartosiak added six kills. Carrie Gerberding dished out 22 assists and Cayla Roberts chipped in with nine digs.

The win was featured in an October 12, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091011-SJR-Area-colleges-Volleyball.pdf

UIS adding new undergrad degree program

The University of Illinois Springfield is adding a 23rd undergraduate degree program that is expected to attract 25 students next year.

The state Board of Higher Education approved the Management Information Systems bachelor’s degree for UIS at its meeting in Chicago on Tuesday.

The undergraduate major is designed to provide students with a balance of technical skills and business knowledge and to prepare them for employment in private and public sectors in a changing global economy.

The announcement was featured in an October 8, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091008-SJR-UIS-adding-new-undergra.pdf

Fire Safety Grant at UIS

The University of Illinois Springfield now has more money for fire safety on campus. The school received a $10,000 grant from State Farm Insurance.

WICS-TV 20 interviewed Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center Director Kelly Thompson about the grant and how it's being used in an October 6, 2009 report.

Watch a video of the report online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_672.shtml

UIS students face hate crime charges

Three University of Illinois Springfield students were arrested early Saturday in connection with an incident that authorities are calling a hate crime.

The three men allegedly were at an off-campus party when they began calling two other men derogatory names aimed at homosexuals.

The story was published in an October 6, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20091006-SJR-Three-face-charges-in-f.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

UIS Celebrates Homecoming – With Mashed Potatoes?

They're doing the mashed potato for the University of Illinois Springfield Homecoming celebration this year.

We're not talking about the dance. We're talking about the actual mashed potatoes.

That would be 25 pounds of mashed potatoes, to be exact. That's what students used Tuesday during the campus lunch rush to express themselves creatively during Homecoming Week.

The mashed potato sculpting event was featured in a WICS-TV 20 report on September 29, 2009.

Read the story online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_625.shtml

Pep rally kicks off UIS homecoming week

Homecoming activities kick off today (Monday) at the University of Illinois Springfield and later in the week include a parade, a barbecue and varsity soccer games.

UIS Family Weekend also coincides with homecoming events on Saturday and Sunday.

The theme of the 2009 event is “There’s No Place Like Homecoming.”

The homecoming schedule was published in a September 28, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090928-SJR-UIS-homecoming-activiti.pdf

Prairie Stars find 'keeper in Kubal

Kelli Kubal isn’t bothered by an unexpected turn of events — she just goes with the flow.“Things don’t really bother me,” the University of Illinois Springfield sophomore goalkeeper said. “Plans change. It’s not a big deal to me.”

“She’s an upbeat kid,” UIS women’s soccer coach Pete Kowall said. “If you go to a restaurant she doesn’t like, she deals with it. If we don’t buy her the gloves she exactly likes, she deals with it. Last year, she didn’t like the soccer balls I bought, she dealt with it.”

Kubal's story was featured in a September 25, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090925-SJR-Prairie-Stars-find-keepe.pdf

Brown contributes for UIS

Avon native Courtnee Brown, a junior at the University of Illinois Springfield, had 22 kills recently against Christian Brothers University.

“She’s made an immediate impact from day one,” said Prairie Stars coach Angie Riggle, in her first year. “She works hard every day in practice and in every game.”

The story was featured in a September 23, 2009 edition of the Galesburg Register-Mail.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090923-GRM-Brown-contributes.pdf

UIS students respond to volunteer fair

Representatives of two dozen non-profit groups and organizations set up on the concourse of the Public Affairs center as part of UIS’ first-ever “Fall into Volunteering Fair.”

“It was an idea developed by students who wanted a volunteer fair,” said Kelly Thompson, director of the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center. The center and UIS Housing got together to sponsor the fair.

The fair was featured in a September 23, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090923-SJR-UIS-students-respond.pdf

Student loan defaults up, but cause unclear

Figures released this week by the U.S. Department of Education show an increase in the student loan default rate, and Illinois numbers bear that out, too -- though the details vary among individual colleges and universities.

At the University of Illinois Springfield, the student loan default rate improved slightly. The most recent rate was 3.8 percent, compared with 3.9 percent for the prior year.

Gerard Joseph, director of financial assistance at UIS, said the school -- like many others -- tries to encourage students to borrow only what they need.

The story was featured in a September 18, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090918-SJR-Student-loan-defaults.pdf

UIS' Doellman has unfinished business on soccer field

Quincy natives Brian Doellman and Anthony Longo grew up playing soccer together, so when Longo made a commitment to attend the University of Illinois Springfield, Doellman took a campus visit and knew that’s where he wanted to spend his college career.

“Anthony and I have played on traveling teams together since we were about 12, and we’ve known each other longer than that,” Doellman said. “When he came here, I knew it was at least a place I had to look at.

“When I visited, I liked the campus, the town, the academics, and the tradition, so the decision wasn’t too difficult. I felt comfortable here. This was the right place for me.”

Doellman's comments were featured in a September 19, 2009 edition of the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090919-SJR-UIS-Doellman-has-unfinis.pdf

Wojciechowski to be a Prairie Star

La Salle-Peru senior right-side hitter Brittnee Wojciechowski literally found the perfect fit when looking for a college to attend next year.

Wojciechowski, one of the many talented front-row players on the Lady Cavaliers, felt at home when she visited the campus of University of Illinois Springfield.

“When I stepped on campus at UIS, I was like, ‘Oh, this feels like home,’” Wojciechowski said.

Wojciechowski was featured in a September 10, 2009 article in the LaSalle News Tribune.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090910-NewsTrib-Wojciechowski.pdf

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

UIS' Longo wants to carry on family coaching tradition

Quincy native Anthony Longo was destined for soccer long before he was born.

His grandfather, Frank, was involved in coaching on the high school and college level in the River City. His father is the head coach of the girls team at Quincy Notre Dame High School, and his uncle holds a similar post with the Quincy boys team.

“I told my grandma that grandpa must be turning over in his grave to know I was coming over here to school,” said Longo, a senior member of the University of Illinois Springfield men’s soccer team.

Longo's story was featured in a September 4, 2009 article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090904-SJR-Longo.pdf

MAP Grant funding cut for Spring

State cuts to MAP Grant funding for the Spring 2010 semester were featured in a WICS-TV 20 report on the 10:00 p.m. news on September 2, 2009. UIS students Charles Olivier and Jaime Casinova were interviewed about how the funding cut will impact them.

Reporter Kelly Larson also set down with UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen to talk about what the university is doing to help students.

Watch the full video of the report online:
http://www.wics.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wics_vid_467.shtml

Peoria woman struggles through 'nightmare' year

It hasn't been a good year for Tenshar Farmer. The 35-year-old Peorian lost her job, her home and so far has been unable to collect unemployment insurance.

But she's not giving up. This fall, she plans to resume taking classes at Illinois Central College through the University of Illinois at Springfield.

The agreement with ICC was featured in an August 29, 2009, article in the Peoria Journal-Star.

Download a PDF of the article.

20090829-PJS-Peoriawoman.pdf

Democrat Day at UIS

University of Illinois Springfield campus Democrat Day will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, August 29. Voter registration will be available and the music group The Backliners will perform starting at 7:30 p.m.

College Democrats president Matthew Van Vossan says candidates have been invited and State Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, a candidate for lieutenant governor, has said he plans to attend.

Van Vossan's comments were featured in an August 27, 2009, Bernard Schoenburg column in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article.
20090827-SJR-DemDay.pdf

Move-in day for freshmen at UIS

UIS freshmen students were moving into the dorms on Wednesday, August 19th. Most students were able to get their belongings inside before tornado sirens sounded mid-afternoon.

The move-in process was featured in an August 20, 2009, article of the State Journal -Register and on WICS TV.

Download a PDF of the article

UIS%20freshmen%20move%20into%20dorms.pdf

To view the story go here

Budget forces universities to reexamine on-line learning enrollment restrictions

The University of Illinois at Springfield capped online classes at 20 students each more than a decade ago.

During a distance-education conference Ray Schroeder, director of UIS' Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning, raised the prospect that the university and others may have to reexamine online-enrollment restrictions as budget pressures mount.

Schroeder was featured in an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Dowload a pdf of the article
20090807-Chroniclehighered-onlinelearning.pdf

Note-sharing on the Web levels academic playing field

The development of free note-sharing Web sites, where students upload their class notes to share with their peers, has begun to create an open stockpile of downloadable information that some say is further leveling the academic playing field.

Karen Pressley, professor of psychology at UIS and chair of the academic integrity council, says that note-sharing sites could be concerning but it depends on how students actually use them.

The topic was the feature of an August 5, 2009, article on Inside Higher Ed.

Download a PDF of the article
20090805-InsideHigherEd-notesharing.pdf

First-year students preparing to move in

UIS resident assistant Chase Schneider gave insight into what college students should think about bringing to school with them when they move in to the dormitories or residence halls. Schneider's comments were featured in an August 4, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090804-SJR-movingindorms.pdf

UIS student heads to Switzerland for Global Model United Nations Conference

Kelsey Quinn, senior at UIS, is spending the weekend of August 1 in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will be portraying a United Nations delegate from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Global Model U.N. Conference.

Quinn and her trip to the conference was the subject of a feature story in the July 28, 2009, Daily Chronicle.

Download a PDF of the article
20090728-DailyChronicle-KelseyQuinnUN.pdf

U of I launches Global Campus 2.0

U of I will be scrapping the old Global Campus in order to leave authority for online learning to its three campuses, now called Global Campus 2.0.

UIS is very optimistic about this move as it continues to be a leader in online learning around the country, according to Ray Schroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at UIS.

The plans were written about in a May 21, 2009, story in the Chronicles of Higher Education.

Download a PDF of the article
20090521-ChronHigherEd-GlobalCampus.pdf

Family graduates from area colleges together

Springfield resident Mary Keldermans, along with three of her and her husband Steven’s six children, all graduated from area colleges in May.

Mary graduated from UIS on Saturday, May 16, with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a social justice theme.

The family was featured in a May 11, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090511-SJR-familygraduating.pdf

Commencement in Photos

UIS celebrated Commencement on Saturday, May 16, 2009.

View a photo gallery of the Commencement Ceremony on the Web site of the State Journal-Register here.

UIS celebrates Commencement

More than 600 UIS students walked donning their caps and gowns in the 38th UIS Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

During the ceremony, Chancellor Richard Ringeisen pointed out that even though the graduates come from diverse backgrounds, they recognize the value of education in making them better citizens and they know education extends beyond the classroom.

The Commencement Ceremony was featured in a May 17, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090517-SJR-commencement.pdf

Students use time to work on Innocence Project

College students often have a bad reputation for how they spend their leisure hours, but at UIS, some students are using their spare time to work with the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, and battle what they see as miscarriages of justice.
Students' work on the Innocence Project was featured in a news segment from WICS Channel 20.

Watch the segment here.

Student-athletes at UIS defend athletic department

UIS student-athletes stood up and defended the athletic department and chancellor during a meeting of the Campus Senate in which the Senate voted for an investigation of the athletic department.

The meeting was the subject of an April 18, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090418-SJR-studentathletes.pdf

Sloan Foundation will close online education grant program

Though the Sloan Consortium will continue to promote online learning, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced that it is closing its online-education grant program, which leaves many colleges with online learning focuses without support.

The remarks of Ray Shroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at UIS, were featured in an April 6, 2009, article about the Foundation's announcement in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Download a PDF of the article
20090406-ChronofHigherEd-SloanFoundation.pdf

U of I Global Campus faces challenges, although online learning is rising

The University of Illinois Global Campus, a multimillion-dollar distance-learning project, is up and running, and it has enrolled 366 students for the March and April term.

Interest in online learning has increased, but enrolling students is still a challenge.

Details about the global campus and online learning were discussed in an April 3, 2009, issue of the Chronicles of Higher Ed.

Download a PDF of the article
20090403-ChronofHigherEd-globalcampus.pdf

UIS students' CNN interview covered in SJ-R

Five UIS students were part of the celebration of President Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday as they took part in an interview with CNN during Lincoln events on Thursday, February 12.

Coverage of the students' interview was mentioned in a column by Bernard Schoenburg in the February 15, 2009, State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090216-SJR-Schoenburgcolumn.pdf

UIS spring enrollment increases

UIS' enrollment for Spring 2009 has increased over last year's enrollment for the spring semester. A total of 4,535 students are attending UIS, 105 more than last spring, which is an increase of 2.3 percent.

The news was featured in a February 10, 2009, article in the State Journal-Register.

Download a PDF of the article
20090210-SJR-springenrollment.pdf

BOT votes to increase housing and meals plan prices

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted to raise the price of housing and accompanying meal plans by anywhere from four to eight percent during their January 15 Chicago meeting.

The meeting was featured in a January 16, 2009, article of the Chicago Tribune.

Download a PDF of the article
20090116-ChicagoTrib-univincreasecost.pdf

International students celebrate the holidays away from home

On Tuesday, December 23, 50 students representing a handful of cultures gathered at the Butler Housing Commons building on the UIS campus to spend time together, listen to music and try a few new foods during a holiday party coordinated by Jeannie Capranica, acting assistant director of the Diversity Center.

The holiday party and other social opportunities for international students who stay on campus over winter break are written about in an article by the State Journal-Register on December 25, 2008.

Download a PDF of the article
20081225-SJR-InternationalStudents.pdf

First-generation college students face challenges

Students who are the first members of their families to attend college can face challenges beyond those confronting other freshmen. At UIS, 11 percent of the current freshmen class belongs to this group.

Read a profile of some of first-generation, college-bound high school seniors that appeared in the December 7, 2008, State Journal-Register
20081207-sjr-SomeCollege-boundKids.pdf

Students enjoy living in LRH service wing

Opportunities for community service abound for residents in the Leadership for Life Service Wing in UIS' Lincoln Residence Hall. These first- and second-year students are finding that volunteering not only helps them make connections, it changes they way they look at a variety of things.

An article in the November 17, 2008, "Voice" section of the State Journal-Register looks at the LLSW and some of the residents.

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20081117-sjr-LearningtoLead.pdf

Campus hosts "Battle of the Brains" competition

On November 1 the UIS campus was the host site for a round of competition in an international programming contest – the 33rd annual ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest – also known as the Global "Battle of the Brains" Software Competition.

Reporter John Reynolds was on hand to profile the event. His account appeared in the November 2, 2008, State Journal-Register.

Download a pdf file of the article
20081102-sjr-BattleoftheBrains.pdf

White tells campuses to prepare for tough times

In a recent campuswide memo, U of I President Joseph White said that he has told leaders at the three campuses to prepare for tough economic times over the next year and a half. White said the university should expect to face possibilities such as reduced state support, students with greater need for financial assistance, and leaving vacant positions unfilled.

Download a pdf file of an article from the October 28, 2008, Chicago Tribune
20081028-CT-PrezsaysLeanTimesAhead.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.

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20081020-SJR-UISneed2MtoPlay.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

Innocence Project asks court to re-examine evidence in 1989 murder

The Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at UIS is expected to ask a Springfield circuit court to allow evidence from the 1989 murder of Melissa Koontz to be re-examined, using technologies such as DNA testing that were not widely available at the time of the trial.

One of the men serving a life sentence for the crime, Tom McMillen, has repeatedly denied any involvement. Director of Investigations Bill Clutter and students Priyanka Deo and Sarah Wellard say they have statements from some key witnesses who now claim not to have told the truth during the original investigation. The three have spent several weeks presenting their evidence to local authorities.

The August 31, 2008, State Journal-Register published an article about the case and the Innocence Project's role in re-examining McMillen's conviction.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080831-SJR-InnProjWants1989MurderRe-examined.pdf

Alcohol 101

Many college students, away from parental oversight for the first time, indulge their new-found freedoms by drinking too much, too often.

The August 12, 2008, State Journal-Register ran an article that took a look at the problem and how some campuses are responding to it. Valerie Scarbrough, an alcohol and drug prevention counselor at UIS, was among those interviewed.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080812-SJR-Drinking%20101.pdf

UIS' Emiquon Field Station an asset to area teachers, students

The UIS Field Station located at the Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve near Havana is providing area teachers and students with unique hands-on learning opportunities.

Mike Lemke, UIS associate professor of biology and field station director, noted that the facility "allows us access to an incredible restoration project and natural setting that would not otherwise be possible."

An article that appeared in the July 17, 2008, Canton Daily Ledger profiled the experiences of one teacher, Kristy Boggs from Spoon River College, who has been bringing students in her field ecology classes to Emiquon since 2006.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080717-CDL-EmiquonLivingLab.pdf

U of I campuses should be a system of peers

The recent move of e-mail addresses on the Urbana campus from the "uiuc.edu" domain to "illinois.edu" might be seen as sending a mixed message about the status of the other two campuses in the University of Illinois system.

In an article that appeared in the May 20, 2008, Daily Illini, Chelsea Fiddyment argues that it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the Chicago and Springfield campuses are equally important members of the system: "institutions with a caliber of education equal to that of the central campus."

Download a pdf file of the article

20080520-DI-FirstAmongEquals.pdf

Student overcomes many obstacles to earn degree

The serious injuries that Veronica Schulz-Lehr suffered in a motorcycle accident nearly three years ago were just the latest setbacks on her path toward a college diploma, but on May 10 she graduated from UIS with a bachelor's degree in Social Work.

An article in the May 10 State Journal-Register profiles Schulz-Lehr's determination.

Download a pdf of the article
20080510-SJR-ManyDetours.pdf

Experience with UIS Innocence Project directs student to law school

Erica Nichols graduated from UIS' Legal Studies department in May 2005. Now in her second year as a law student at Drake University, she says that her involvement with the university's Downstate Illinois Innocence Project helped shape her decision to enter law school.

An article in the January 7, 2008, Springfield State Journal-Register profiles Erica's work with the Innocence Project's investigation into the case of Herbert Whitlock.

Download a PDF file of the article:
20080107-sjr-NicholscreditsInnocenceProject.pdf

Student focuses on helping others

UIS junior Shana Stine has a "contagious enthusiasm" for helping others.

An article in the Springfield, Illinois, weekly newspaper Illinois Times December 6-12, 2007, edition profiles Shana's work with Springfield's homeless population and how her efforts are inspiring other students to change their own outlook as well.

Download a PDF file of the article:

20071206-IT-StudentGivesHerTime.pdf