Grounds crew works to keep UIS campus beautiful

The University of Illinois Springfield grounds crew is responsible for maintaining 370 acres of landscaping on campus every year. It’s a big job for the crew of 10 people, but one they feel passionate about.

“We’re trying to make sure everything looks good for the public and everyone concerned who utilizes the campus,” said Joan Buckles, UIS horticulturist and grounds worker supervisor.

The grounds crew is in charge of all of the campus turf, perennial beds, trees, shrubs, and parking lot areas on campus. During the winter they clear snow from campus streets and sidewalks, but it’s during the spring when they’re busiest.

“This is a hectic time of the year because of weather and getting things cleaned up before dormancy breaks,” said Buckles.

Crews have been busy laying mulch, which will allow them to plant annual flowers on campus in early May. Buckles expects many of the trees on campus to start blooming even earlier.

“Springtime is beautiful on this campus. There are just so many flowering trees,” she said.

Buckles has identified more than 300 varieties of trees and plants growing on the 750 acre UIS campus. She gives a lot of the credit to early campus planner, who invested in high quality trees and shrubs.

UIS Admissions Counselors keep busy visiting local high schools

Amanda Bly knows how to multitask. As a UIS Admissions Counselor she’s out the door every morning at 7:00 visiting an average of 3 high schools per day along with stops at community colleges.

Bly is one of eight admissions counselors who travel around the state and beyond meeting with prospective students and answering their questions about the University of Illinois Springfield.

“More and more people through my 4 years have gained some familiarity with the campus and they realize we provide students with a U of I degree,” said Bly.

When she’s not on the road, Bly is making follow-up calls, sending emails and postcards to students she’s met. She covers an area from Sangamon County to the Indiana border.

Bly says most frequently students ask her about the cost of tuition, what majors UIS has to offer and class size.

“I really like the small classrooms and I’m just really excited. I really like it,” said high school senior Mallory Beck.

Beck will graduate from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield this May and she’s already committed to attending UIS.

“She (Bly) told us about the teachers and how they have a close relationship with their students,” said Beck.

SHG senior Will Pufundt is looking forward to attending UIS for two reasons. He wants to join the new men’s baseball team and is also excited about the small class sizes.

“I really like the hands on teaching, because I don’t think I could do well without the hands on teaching,” said Pufundt.

UIS is hoping to admit 350 new freshmen next semester in an effort to boost the undergraduate population. The ultimate goal is to top an enrollment of more than 5,000 total students.

UIS archives preserving regional history in central Illinois

If you’re looking for family genealogy records from the 1800s or researching the history of your town, the historical archives and special collections section at the University of Illinois Springfield may hold your answers.

The archives, located in the basement of Brookens Library, contain more than a million historical documents from 14 counties in central Illinois. The UIS archives are part of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository system collecting marriage, birth and death records, along with various court files.

“If we’re going to study our past we have to have authentic records of what was done in the past,” said Thomas Wood, UIS archivist.

The archive also contains a complete history of the foundation of Sangamon State University and its transition into the University of Illinois system. Wood is responsible for collecting all administrative records, pictures and other documents that have long-term historical value.

“That’s really the function of archives is to document our world for the future,” said Wood.

The archive is made up of over 3,000 cubic feet of records and serves as a training ground for students studying historic preservation.

“This has helped me learn how to sort, clean and learn what the archive has, so when I go to do my research as a grad student I know where to go,” said Anne Suttles, graduate student in public history.

Among the archives more interesting documents is an original copy of a survey conducted by Abraham Lincoln in the 1800s, which features his signature.

“This isn’t his actual hand righting. It’s a record copy that was made at the same time of the survey he made,” said Wood. “Documents that were in his hand are so valuable those have been sent to the vault at the Illinois state archives”.

The UIS archive is primarily used by people in the community who are researching their family tree, but not all the requests staff get are local.

“We also get a lot of reference use from all over the country and even other countries. We’ve had people from Europe and Russia using our oral history,” said Wood.

All archives/special collections’ materials are open to the public unless restricted by law or contractual agreement with a donor. The material must be used in the archives reading room, but photocopying and scanning are available.

For more information on the UIS archives visit: http://www.uis.edu/archives/

UIS jumps on Google Wave for online learning tool

The University of Illinois Springfield is riding a new wave of online education.

UIS is one of the first universities in the nation to begin using Google Wave - an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration - for online learning and teaching, beginning in October 2009.

“We’re really excited to be working with Google Wave here at UIS,” said Ray Schroeder, director of the UIS Center for Online Learning, Research and Service. “One of the wonderful features of this new product is that it combines the Web 2.0 technologies that we have been accustomed to using on an individual basis. It molds all of these into a kind of an email or wiki format. And it enables students and others to use Web 2.0 technologies in a collaborative fashion.”

Wave was developed to answer the question: “what would email look like if we were to invent it today?”, Schroeder said. The product was released to developers in May and to the public as a beta in October.

“Email was invented nearly 40 years ago. As we developed technology over time, email was created to emulate snail mail and IM, or instant messaging, was more to emulate telephone conversations,” Schroeder said.

A wave, on the other hand, can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly-formatted text, photos, videos, maps and more. In developing Wave, Google looked at “the way in which we can use technologies as they exist today rather than as analogs for technologies developed years ago,” Schroeder said.

And the new technology allows for many opportunities within the online classroom. Wave enables students to connect not only with each other in the classroom, but with people all around the world, Schroeder said.

“The technology allows for all kinds of collaborations,” he said. “You can drag and drop documents right into a wave rather than as attachments. You can come up with final product that can be saved and shared with a broader group.”

Other features of Google Wave include the ability to embed web pages, bring up live weather forecasts, look at maps and instantly change those maps to satellite views, Schroeder said. There is also a feature that will translate between different languages.

One of UIS’ efforts in testing the online teaching capabilities includes a collaboration outside of the classroom between students at UIS in the “Internet in American Life” course taught by Schroeder and Burks Oakley and students in energy studies at the Institute of Technology in Sligo, Ireland. The students are discussing the impact of the Internet on the perception of energy sustainability in Europe and the United States.

“Wave provides an opportunity to collaborate with people in other countries, and in our case, we collaborated with people in Ireland,” Schroeder said. “It’s phenomenal - our students meeting in a wave.”

COLRS also has several upcoming projects regarding Wave, including multiple national presentations, online workshops through the Sloan Consortium and training sessions for UIS faculty on using Wave. Two training sessions have already been conducted on campus.

“UIS is really out in the forefront of this,” Schroeder said. “This is a tremendous opportunity to use this technology to reach beyond our campus and our online program. It breaks down institutional and geographical boundaries.”

UIS' Diversity Center director will be keynote speaker at Martin Luther King Jr. service

Dr. Clarice Ford, director of the Diversity Center at UIS, will be the keynote speaker for The Springfield Ministerial Alliance of Springfield and Vicinity’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March and Memorial Service on Sunday, January 17, at Union Baptist Church, in Springfield.

The 18-minute march will begin with a brief meditation at 3 p.m. on Freedom Corner in front of the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. at 2nd Street and Capitol Avenue, where the Illinois State Library is located. Church, the Student Gospel Choir at UIS, will sing at the statue and lead the singing along the route. The march will proceed to Union Baptist Church, where the Ministerial Alliance Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service will begin at 4 p.m. The UIS choir and the Southeast High School Gospel choir will perform there as well.

Ford was formerly the pastor of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Rome, Georgia and was associate dean of Students at Berry College for five years. She earned a Ph.D. from Fielding University, Santa Barbara, California. She is a member of the NAACP, Eastern Star Miriam Chapter #47, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Charter Member of the National Military Women Memorial, has earned the Pennsylvania Black Achiever Award and is a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Diversity and Human Relations.

Winners of the 2010 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest will deliver their essays during the Memorial Service. The essay contest is sponsored each year by the Alliance and is open to area elementary, middle school and high school students.

The event is open to the public.

WUIS statehouse reporter reflects on German visit

WUIS/Illinois Public Radio statehouse reporter Amanda Vinicky is back in the United States after spending a week in Germany learning about media and culture.

Vinicky was one of 16 young journalists from the U.S. selected by the German-American Fulbright Commission to visit the country. Journalists from radio, television, newspapers and web outlets all took part in the trip.

“The whole thing was absolutely amazing,” said Vinicky.

The trip included a tour of various German media outlets where Vinicky was able to learn how stories are covered in the country. She not only got to network with German reporters, but also her American colleagues on the trip.

“It’s great to develop a network of people that are really into the media and have the same interests,” said Vinicky.

Vinicky says she was impressed by the interest that the German public shows in the news. Part of the trip included learning how media plays a role in the day to day life of Germans.

“It was interesting and inspiring to me to see so many people reading newspapers in cafés,” said Vinicky.

She notes that German newspapers are “upfront” about the angle they take when covering a story. Papers are known for being liberal, conservative or moderate.

“People know what they’re getting,” said Vinicky.

Vinicky says German reporter’s envy the United State’s when it comes to political coverage. They feel the U.S. does a better job holding public officials accountable with more hard hitting coverage.

Vinicky has been reporting for WUIS public radio for nearly 4 years out of its bureau in the state capitol press room. During that time, Vinicky has got to cover major events like the impeachment of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

ITS multimedia education coordinator presents social media session at Museum

Munindra Khaund, Multimedia Education Coordinator for Information Technology Services at UIS, is presenting at a brownbag session at the Illinois State Museum on Wednesday, December 9.

The topic is "Building Communities of Interest with Social Media: Using Facebook." The session is geared toward organizations looking into Facebook as an outreach tool to build communities of interest.

More information on the session can be found online here. The session is free and open to public.

WUIS statehouse reporter selected for International Berlin Capital Program

WUIS/Illinois Public Radio statehouse reporter Amanda Vinicky has been selected by the German-American Fulbright Commission to spend one week learning about media and politics in Germany. Vinicky is one of only 15 young journalists from the United States to be selected for the Berlin Capital Program, and will be leaving Springfield on November 13th. The award includes all program costs, round-trip transportation from the U.S. to Germany, health insurance during the seminar and a per diem allowance for meals, lodging, and local travel.

“Just as the media landscape is changing in the U.S., the shape of news in Germany is also evolving,” Vinicky said. “I’ll have the opportunity learn first-hand about similarities and differences in each country’s journalistic culture through meetings with German reporters and visits to some of the country’s top tier newspaper, TV and radio stations – including a stop at a public broadcasting studio. As a statehouse reporter, I’m sure I will enjoy the scheduled seminars on German politics and a visit to Parliament’s press office. It’s also the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, so it’s a particularly exciting and dynamic time to be in the city.”

Vinicky has been reporting for WUIS public radio for nearly 4 years out of its bureau in the state capitol press room. During that time, Vinicky has got to cover major events like the impeachment of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. She’s a 2003 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she majored in Journalism and Political Science. In 2005 she earned her master’s degree through the UIS Public Affairs Reporting program.

In Germany Vinicky will explore how political, economic and cultural factors shape German society, and how they affect German-American relations and public opinions. The journalists will also study the changing media landscape in the country and how journalists are preparing to work in tradition and new media. The trip includes several tours of German media outlets as well as some free time to explore the country.

The Berlin Capital Program is administered annually by the German-American Fulbright Commission on behalf of the German Foreign Office, which provides the funds for the seminar. The one-week program is conducted in English.

WUIS's Rich Bradley to Anchor Last Newscast

After 35 years leading the newsroom at WUIS-WIPA/Illinois Public Radio News Director Rich Bradley will anchor his last newscast on September 25, 2009.

Bradley has been a part of the radio station since the day it went on the air as WSSR in 1975. Bradley is considered the father of the Illinois Public Radio Network, which he created to allow other public radio stations around the state to voluntarily share stories.

Bradley has covered presidential campaigns, state politics and city government during his more than four decades in radio. He came to Springfield in 1965 to become news director at WCVS radio. Bradley later went on to take a job with the Illinois News Network as a capitol beat reporter before coming to WUIS radio. Bradley attended the U of I at Urbana-Champaign and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

“All these years I’ve been reluctant to let go of this child of mine, but the time has come. The technology is at a point where I feel like I’m falling behind the curve rather than staying out in front of the curve,” said Bradley.

Bradley’s advice for young journalists is to focus on good writing and study history.

“Working at the university and in the university environment with young students has in a lot of ways I think kept me young,” said Bradley.

WUIS is currently in the middle of a multi-million dollar upgrade to all digital radio equipment. Bradley says he plans on keeping track of the changes even in retirement and isn’t ruling out voicing holiday specials. Bradley also plans to visit other public radio stations that are part of the Illinois Public Radio network that he built.

For more information on listener-supported WUIS pubic radio visit their website at http://www.wuis.org/.

Watch the full raw version of our interview with Bradley:

New admissions counselor focuses on international students

By Courtney Westlake





More and more college students today are looking to go beyond the borders of their native countries to study abroad, and that has become a positive thing for United States and for UIS.

Though facts like the U.S. is one of the most expensive countries in the world when it comes to education can sometimes deter students from other countries from seeking to study here, universities like UIS also have a lot of offer, and that is what Samba Dieng is using to counteract those drawbacks.

Dieng arrived at UIS in December 2008 as the first-ever international admissions counselor who specializes in international recruiting. Dieng, who was born in Senegal in West Africa, received his master’s degree in international relations and political science from Indiana State University and decided to pursue a career working with international students.

“Recruiting international students is crucial to any institution,” Dieng said. “International students bring differing perspectives to the classroom and to the dormitories. They are great addition to any campus. International students also bring in tuition dollars, which is important.”

International recruiting had not been a priority at UIS in previous years due to the fact that UIS has only recently become a four-year institution, Dieng said, but that is changing. UIS now has an international recruiting taskforce on campus to discuss issues involving international students and recruiting strategies.

“A well-reasoned approach, especially for an institution that has not really been in this business before, is to target very specific areas, like Asia and Latin America, instead of trying to recruit from all parts of the world,” Dieng said. “Specializing in specific areas will help us not only with understanding the cultures there but also with our future and where we want to have a presence five or 10 years from now.”

Competing on the international scene can be extremely challenging, especially being in competition with countries like Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, who are not only very aggressive in terms of recruitment but also have country support, Dieng said.

Additionally, the effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were tremendous as students found it difficult to get a visa to come to the U.S. and the U.S. lost much political credibility in other parts of the world, he said. More recently, the current economic crisis has also slowed down international recruitment because students are worried about the future of the U.S.

And soon, an initiative called the Bologna Accord in Europe will allow European students to move freely to any country in Europe – up to 40 different countries – to study, Dieng said, which could present another challenge in recruiting European students to the U.S.

“That being said, I think we have a whole lot to sell,” he noted. “I don't know of any other country that spends more on students’ success that the United States. You go to any institution and you see an advising center, a writing center, a diversity center - all sorts of centers and organizations focused on students’ successes.”

Part of Dieng’s job is finding out what matters to international students who are looking to study abroad and why UIS and its academic programs could be a good fit for them, which is key to UIS’ success in international recruiting.

“We need a more nuanced funnel when we’re dealing with international students,” he said. “We need better communication because they ask so many more questions than domestic students. We need to mention things like small class size – a 12 to one ratio with faculty – as well as location and safety.”

“The quality of education itself matters a whole lot to international students, and besides location and quality of education, safety matters the most,” he added. “I think any institution needs to put in the time, personnel and resources in order to be successful with the international recruitment initiative.”

Kim Rutherford wins 6th annual CAPE award

Kimberly Rutherford, disability services specialist in the Office of Disability Services at the University of Illinois at Springfield, is the recipient of the sixth annual Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) Award at UIS. The award was presented at a reception held April 30 in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant on campus.

The CAPE Award recognizes U of I academic professionals for their efforts in three general categories: work projects, professional development and affiliations, and contributions to their units. While the number of recipients and the amount of their awards varies by campus, UIS recipients receive $500 for personal use and $500 for their departments.

“Even though we only have one honoree, this award really recognizes all of the academic professionals for all that they do for UIS,” said Jerry Burkhart, chair of the Academic Professional Advisory Committee. UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen made the official presentation of the award and congratulated all the nominees.

Nominating materials from a UIS student read, “Had it not been for Kim Rutherford, I would have been unable to achieve what I have achieved; I would have been unable to graduate. I never would have made it without Kim.”

Accepting the award, Rutherford said, “I want say thank you to everyone on the list of nominees. All of you do so many good things for our students, and that’s what we’re all about.”

All academic professionals at the U of I are eligible to receive the CAPE Award. Nominations are reviewed by campus committees and candidates’ names are forwarded to the chancellors, who make the final selections.

Other UIS nominees for the 2008 CAPE Award were: Clay Bellot, academic technology service specialist in Information Technology Services; Munindra Khaund, multimedia education coordinator in Information Technology Services; Janette Kirkham, coordinator and placement developer in the Applied Study Office; Jim Korte, assistant dean of students; Tulio Llosa, director of educational technology in Information Technology Services; Mae Noll, undergraduate academic adviser; Candy Powers, assistant to the dean of the College of Education and Human Services; Shawn Craig Shures, assistant director/graduate intern recruiter for Graduate Intern Programs; and Bill Wheelhouse, general manager of WUIS.

The Academic Professional Advisory Committee at UIS is an elected body whose function, as defined by University statutes, is to furnish a channel of communication between academic professional staff and the administrative officers of the University.

Provost receives Chamber of Commerce award

Dr. Harry Berman, provost of UIS, received the President’s Award at the 140th Annual Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Gala & Banquet on January 23.

This award, one of three prestigious awards announced at the banquet, goes to the individual or organization who demonstrates outstanding commitment and dedication to the Chamber.

During 2008, Berman served as chairman of the Continuum of Learning Steering Committee. He led hundreds of community members through the process of launching and establishing the initiative. The Continuum of Learning is an initiative by The Chamber, United Way of Central Illinois and the Sangamon County Community Foundation to ensure everyone is Sangamon County is Ready to Learn, Ready to Work and Ready to Succeed.

Conference coordinator keeps busy outside of UIS

By Courtney Westlake


Grant Johnson doesn’t settle for a life that revolves solely around his daytime job.

Johnson, who is a conference services coordinator, admits that he thoroughly enjoys his career as one of three coordinators that plans conferences and events in coordination with university departments, clubs, organizations and professors to plan and implement their events.

But besides his full-time job, Johnson also pursues a plethora of outside interests that keep him on his toes…literally.

“I’ve been dancing with the Springfield Ballet Company for the past 10 years,” he said. “My older brother was involved in theater and got me involved with the company. The ballet company was looking for additional men, so I met the director, and she asked if I could dance and I said ‘I've done some’.”

Johnson has been a featured performer and dancer with them for many productions.

“I’ve done numerous Nutcrackers. This year was 10th anniversary doing the Nutcracker,” he said. “I’ve done most of the storybook ballets: Swan Lake, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and other performances.”

As if that isn’t enough, Johnson has also been raising and showing Clydesdale draft horses with his parents for the past 20 years.

His family is primarily involved in the breeding aspect, and they also participate in local shows, such as the one held at the Illinois State Fair each August and the National Clydesdale Show in Milwaukee. Last year, they traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to take part in the World Clydesdale Show.

“It’s a family affair, something my family and I are very involved in,” Johnson said. “I just love working with the animals. I do a lot of the hands-on work with the horses; I do a lot of the showing. I love to give them attention and preparation for show. Just like an athlete needs to be trained or have practice, we have to do that with our horses.”

“I enjoy riding,” he added, “but I also like the traditional way of showing draft horses hitching the horses to a cart or wagon.”

Between his hobbies and full-time job, Johnson rarely gets a break, but he prefers it that way. Doing ballet, raising horses and especially working at UIS has allowed him to get to meet so many people.

“With my job I get to deal with so many entities and departments that I get to know numerous personnel,” he said. “I work with food services, building, electronic media, sometimes television, and other personnel around campus. Plus, I enjoy working with students to help them with their events to make them well-attended and successful. I like just making everyone happy and pleased with their event and showing off the university to the best of our ability."

Does he feel he is unique for having such a variety of interests?

“I don’t know if it's unique, but it keeps me busy,” he said with a laugh. “I enjoy being busy. Having horses is fulltime job in itself. We don’t live at our property, so we have to go out there twice a day, if not three times a day, to feed them and take care of them. It’s just something I really enjoy doing.”

Treadwell among honorees at ESGR Bosslift

Jane Treadwell, UIS Library dean, was among employers honored at the 131st Fighter Wing/Bosslift/Employer Appreciation Day on November 19. The annual event is sponsored by the Missouri Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) as a way to thank those whose employees include National Guard and Reserve members.

Megan Hunter, multimedia communications specialist in the Library, is a member of the Air Force 131st Fighter Wing National Guard unit in Missouri, based at Lambert Field. Former library staff member Rich Barnes was a member of the Army National Guard and served a tour of duty in Iraq while employed at Brookens. (The photo at the left shows Treadwell, left, and Hunter during the event.)

Bosslift participants have a firsthand opportunity to observe a variety of training and leadership activities of the National Guard and Reserve, as well as a chance to share insights on the challenges and benefits of having employees who serve in Reserve components.

The day's activities also included a tour of an F-15 tactical fighter jet and a flight on a Missouri Air National Guard C-130 Hercules to Whiteman Air Force Base, near Sedalia, Missouri.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency that seeks to promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees. The agency seeks to recognize outstanding support, increase awareness of the law, and resolve conflicts through informal mediation.

English course inspires play-writing for Illinois Issues editor

By Courtney Westlake

It was at an alumni event several years ago when Beverley Scobell, projects editor for Illinois Issues magazine, first heard the story of New Philadelphia, a community that was established in Pike County by a free black man in 1836.

“I was captivated by the story; I couldn't believe I had lived this long in the state and not heard it,” Scobell said. “I pitched it as an idea for the magazine about the archaeology being done there.”

Then, after reading the book about the community, called “Free Frank: A Black Pioneer on the Antebellum Frontier” by Juliet E.K. Walker, and taking an English class at UIS, Scobell decided to turn out a new form of writing to express her thoughts about the subject: play-writing.

“I thought it was such a story of courage, that it was an incredible love story of a man who so wanted not only his own freedom but also the freedom of his entire family,” she said. “He came to an Illinois frontier not particularly welcoming to African-Americans and established this town. It became a multi-racial town. It apparently was a town where people of all different kinds of backgrounds got along.”

Scobell took a course taught by Dr. Marcellus Leonard, who is now the director of First-Year Programs at UIS. While in the class, she wrote her play about the Springfield Race Riots and New Philadelphia, a story which is not historical but is based on fact, she said. Scobell's play is from the point of view of the “spiritual descendants” of New Philadelphia, families of different races who are caught up in the violence of the Race Riots. A character, Aunt Lucy Ann, the family storyteller, tries to calm the children with the story of New Philadelphia, a place “where character was more important than skin color,” Scobell said.

“I thought the play might be a way to introduce schoolchildren to a part of Illinois history,” she said. “The story I was trying to tell was of New Philadelphia, but the technique I was using was the 1908 riots. Until recently, these two events in our past have not been well-known.”

Leonard recognized the timeliness of the play, Scobell said, and suggested that the UIS TV station produce it as readers’ theatre. Over the summer, volunteers dedicated their time to work on it, and it was filmed a couple of months ago. It will be aired in the near future.

“Characters kept talking to me, and I would go to work on it and find a new name,” Scobell said. “As everybody tells me, I have way too many characters, and it jumps around to different time periods, so it is a director's challenge, if not nightmare.”

Scobell said she is nervous about seeing her new story acted out but is looking forward to seeing the finished product.

“This is a totally new process for me. The kind of writing I do at Illinois Issues is reporting, putting facts together, but I hadn't really done anything creative,” she said. “It's one thing to write it on your computer at home, but another thing to have people read it and speak the lines. It’s exciting.”

Randy Eccles named WUIS Development Director

Randy Eccles (left), a 30-year veteran of radio stations WGN-AM in Chicago and KTAR-AM/FM in Phoenix, has been named Development Director for NPR-affiliate WUIS 91.9/WIPA 89.3.

WUIS is a service of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In announcing his appointment, station General Manager Bill Wheelhouse said, "Randy is committed to quality radio and community service, which is what WUIS is all about."

Eccles' experience includes programming, marketing, promotions, production, and website development for music and news/talk/sports radio stations. He has been a part of the management teams at stations that have won multiple awards from the National Association of Broadcasters, including Marconi Awards for excellence and Crystal Awards for community service.

"My role is to find resources and supporters to allow WUIS to continue serving the community with quality programming," said Eccles. "I'm also seeking the funding to develop the best content for emerging technology platforms such as wuis.org, WUIS-HD so we can best serve central and west central Illinois."

Eccles explained that in 2007, he and his then-fiancé took a two-month, nationwide road trip looking for a smaller town with a high quality of life and a lower cost of living where they could relocate. "Springfield had so many things going for it: arts, an emerging music scene, the Capitol, the lake, Lincoln heritage, and the quickly growing UIS," he noted. "We liked it so much we got married here. I'm proud to work for WUIS and the University."

WUIS-WIPA is listener-supported public radio. The station's mission is to satisfy a curious, societally engaged audience through programming and community outreach. For the program schedule, events, and other information, visit www.wuis.org or call the station at 217/206-6516.

Director of first-year programs passes on love of learning

By Courtney Westlake

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In 1981, at the age of 41, Dr. Marcellus Leonard was working in retail and found himself out of a job.

He decided to take a college course in creative writing with no plan to obtain a degree. Eight years later, he walked out of Illinois State University with a Ph.D. in the teaching of writing.

“I discovered not only that I was a pretty good student but also that I loved writing and was pretty good at teaching others how to write,” Leonard said. “I decided to take maybe a course at the graduate level and found it came easily so I got a master's as well. I went to the doctoral program at ISU and found that I loved it even more.”

With a Ph.D. in hand, Leonard moved to Springfield to begin a new career with Sangamon State University 19 years ago and eventually became the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at UIS.

Before returning to college, Leonard said he didn’t quite grasp what it meant to “be an intellectual.” But learning about himself, gaining knowledge in his studies and communicating to others how to write raised his self-confidence, and he wanted to share that with other young adults.

“The CTL fits my plan very well,” he said. “Here we help people; we challenge students to do better in writing, math, chemistry, study skills, time management and more.”

The center holds academic sessions when students can come to practice what is taught in their classes, Leonard said.

Building off of several introductory classes in English, chemistry and biology, students come to the CTL after they have gone to class, and a graduate assistant who sat in on the same class with the same instructor holds a session in that course. Students are able to review homework, discuss aspects of the class they find challenging and ask questions.

The center also offers one-on-one tutoring with graduate assistants, student tutors or even the CTL staff. Leonard, a poet and author himself, has a passion for helping students to gain writing skills and appreciate the art of writing.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people to put their writing together,” he said. “I personally write essays, poetry, nonfiction. I’m very much in love with words and painting with words and helping students to paint with words. I try to get them to see that writing is less of a chore and assignment and more of an expression of self.”

Helping students to explore and learn to enjoy writing, math and other academic skills is just one way the Center for Teaching and Learning welcomes and mentors students. The department, filled with comfortable couches and study areas, also serves soups and stews and other snacks occasionally during study sessions that are held throughout the year.

“I think it's a wonderful program we have here,” Leonard said. “From every center that I have visited, including my own alma mater of Illinois State, they can't touch us. This is all in the interest of creating the home and hearth hospitality that will tell students that you are welcome here, and we will nurture and help you if you want to help yourself."

In keeping with the hospitality and welcoming atmosphere of UIS, Leonard will be taking on a new role at the university as the director of first-year programs starting this fall. As the director, he will be working with various offices around campus such as the Diversity Center, Disability Services, Counseling Center and more.

“We want first-year students to be successful at every level,” Leonard said. “We have programs that are designed to help students be successful and I have been fortunate enough to be the person selected to help coordinate this effort. It’s an honor to be part of this effort at the University of Illinois at Springfield.”

Barrows named Associate Chancellor for Administrative Affairs

Dave Barrows has been appointed Associate Chancellor for Administrative Affairs at UIS. Barrows has been employed on campus since 1993, serving as campus architect/assistant director of the Department of Physical Planning and Operations, and most recently as executive director of Facilities and Services. In his new position, he will assume additional oversight for the campus’ Conference Services office, new Office of Sustainability, and new Parking Services unit. Facilities and Services is responsible for building and grounds maintenance and remodeling.

Barrows was previously employed as a senior project manager with the state of Illinois' Capital Development Board, where his responsibility included projects at the Secretary of State's and Attorney General's offices, the State Police, Capitol Complex power plant, and the complexes at the SIU School of Medicine and at UIS. Before that, he was a project architect with Fischer-Wisnosky Architects, Inc. in Springfield.

He holds a master's degree in Architecture from UIUC, and is a licensed architect in the state of Illinois.

Cranson to play at band concert

Todd Cranson will play the tuba in a duet performance, with Dia Langelier on piccolo, of "The Elephant and the Fly" at the Springfield Municipal Band concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at Douglas Park in Springfield.

Cranson is assistant director of co-curricular music at UIS.

The concert falls on a "dog day" at Douglas Park and audience members are encouraged to bring their dogs along with the lawn chairs and picnic baskets.

For more information, contact Cranson at rcran2@uis.edu.

Staff Members star in Civil War musical downtown

By Courtney Westlake

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Ralph Shank typically wears his hair a little shorter, but it can now almost be tied into a ponytail, and his beard is quite thick as well. But it's not personal preference - the facial hair and long locks are all part of a 1860s period role in a local musical.

Ralph, multimedia specialist with Information Technology Services at UIS, and his wife Carly, program coordinator at Sangamon Auditorium, will be performing in the musical "The Civil War," which will be put on at the Union Square Park, located at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, from July 24 through July 27.

Carly will play Sarah McEwen, the only white female in the performance, and Ralph will be portraying Captain Billy Pierce, a captain in the confederacy.

"We went back and looked at pictures from the Civil War era, and there was usually a lot of hair, slicked down, curls in the back, and a lot of beards," Ralph said. "As captain of the confederacy, I'll be singing country for first time, so that should be interesting."

Carly's interest in the theater began when she was young, and she has been involved with numerous plays in the local community, having grown up in Riverton, as well as traveled with a theater company. She also has a degree in theater.

Ralph moved to Springfield from Austin, Texas, and his background is in music. He performed in his first play in 2004.

They now enjoy performing together when possible. Their upcoming play, The Civil War, is actually a Broadway musical, not just a local show, Carly said.

"I think there's a misconception in community that this is something that the museum put together," she said. "But it played on Broadway in the late 1990s. We have really characterized it as being a theatrical concert because it is primarily music."

"A lot of the lyrics and dialogue in the show are based on letters and speeches from civil war.," Ralph noted, but unlike many presentations about the Civil War, the music in this performance is not from the time period, Carly added.

"The creators really wanted to capture the spirit of the Civil War in a way modern audiences could relate too," Carly said. "The music is actually very poppy."

Most of the actors and singers involved in the show are very experienced, so they haven't had to hold the lengthy rehearsals that many productions do, Carly said.

"There is a large male chorus and African-American chorus," Ralph said. "They are just amazing, and they will blow your socks off with their performance. And then of course Carly has a beautiful voice as well."

The show's affiliation with the Presidential Museum and Library is really unique, Carly said.

"Most of people in show have experience in Muni, the Springfield Theatre Center and Theatre in the Park, but this is a nice endorsement by the library and museum," she said. "Hopefully it will be nice crossover for people who are really interested in exploring the theater of the Civil War and interested in the history aspect, as well as people who are just interested in shows and theater."

For tickets to the show, go online at abelincolnmuseum.org or call the box office at 558-8934.

UIS instructor receives award for small business

Donna Rogers, instructor of management in the College of Business and Management at UIS, was among five recipients recognized at The Springfield Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards Luncheon on July 1. The Small Business Awards Luncheon is an annual event recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs and business advocates in our community.

Rogers received the award of The Home-Based Business Owner of the Year, which recognizes an owner whose business is based in the home for more than two years. Roger is the owner of Rogers HR Consulting.

Grounds crew keeps campus beautiful rain or shine

By Courtney Westlake

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At times like the bright, sunny, 75-degree days that Central Illinois has been experiencing, members of the UIS grounds crew have been hearing many comments about how lucky they are to have outside jobs.

But weather like this is a definite rarity for the crew.

"We get a lot of comments that people want our jobs on days like today. But on days like the hot, humid days of the summer or the cold windy days of winter, we don't get too many people asking to trade places," laughed grounds supervisor Joan Buckles, who has a degree in ornamental horticultural from UIUC and has been at UIS since 1991.

The UIS grounds crew, committed to the exterior of the campus rain or shine, consists of 11 members, plus Buckles. The grounds crew cares for all of the trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, turf, parking lot, sidewalk maintenance and more.

"Pretty much everything outside, we've got work to do on it," Buckles said. "We've got 370 acres we maintain. The university owns 750 acres, but only 370 of those are landscaped at this time."

A beautiful campus is important to the sustainability of the university and attracts people to visit and attend school at UIS.

"It's first thing potential students and their parents see when they come to campus," Buckles said. "It's important to have a neat, tidy, landscaped area. It shows off the buildings, and it creates a nice place for people to relax and play. Additionally, the Sangamon Auditorium in the PAC brings in a lot of the general public."

The grounds crew has several upcoming projects for campus. One of the biggest includes two new soccer fields that were planted in the spring and are expected to be ready in the fall.

They will also have their hands full with the new landscaping for Founders Hall when the building is completed in August, and they plan to do some correction for drainage issues, and possibly create gardens out of those, in lower campus areas, Buckles said.

"We see maintenance issues and try to eliminate them or make the maintenance easier on them by landscape design," she said. "And we just keep expanding along with all the construction. There are new landscape issues that come along with all that, and it's just ongoing."

Buckles speaks very highly about the diligence her crew has shown throughout the years while creating a more appealing campus, maintaining the grounds and handling any problems that arise.

"This is a very dedicated crew that we have right now, very knowledgeable, and there are a lot of landscape backgrounds in most of the individuals," she said. "They've done an excellent job at keeping the campus looking neat and tidy at all times."

Kim Hayden named CAPE award winner

By Courtney Westlake

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Kim Hayden, director of the Graduate Public Service Internship program, was given a top honor on Tuesday afternoon as she was named the recipient of the 2008 Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award, also known as the CAPE Award, during the 5th annual CAPE ceremony.

The CAPE Award honors all Academic Professionals at UIS by recognizing one outstanding AP each year. The AP nominees are judged on three criteria: work projects, professional development and affiliations, and contributions to one’s unit. The winner receives $500 in cash for personal use, and another $500 is given to the winner’s department.

This year's nominees included Hayden, Tom Ambrose, Michael Bloechle, Linda Cox, Tammy Craig, Andy Egizi, Lori Giordano, Dana Goodrum, Janette Kirkham, Jim Korte, Holly McCracken, Lynn Otterson, Rogelio Salvador, Barbara Selvaggio and Lisa Whelpley.

"Even though we only have one honoree, this award really honors all of the academic professionals for all that they do for UIS. Academic professionals work across all disciplines on campus, so that makes being an AP so interesting," said Jerry Burkhart, chair of the Academic Professional Advisory Committee.

Chancellor Richard Ringeisen congratulated all the nominees and recognized the past recipients of the award, including Barbara Ferrara, Tavia Ervin, Sherry Hutson and Shari McCurdy, before he announced Hayden as this year's award winner. Hayden was presented with a personal plaque and another with her name that will hang in the Chancellor's office.

"Not only is it an honor to have the opportunity to work with so many outstanding academic professionals, staff and faculty on this campus but through GPSI, I have had the opportunity to really play an active role in the mission of the university," Hayden said. "I'm deeply grateful for this moment, and this award really is for all academic professionals."

New director has big plans for civic engagement

By Courtney Westlake

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It’s only been about a month, but Kelly Thompson has big plans for her new position as the director of the Office of Student Volunteers and Civic Engagement.

“It’s a newer office; it’s only been around for a few years,” Thompson said. “Our whole goal is to foster volunteerism and civic engagement in the students. We want them to get involved early and get involved with community.”

Thompson came to her position at UIS from a strong background in and passion for civic engagement. She also has ties to the university having received her master’s degree in communication from UIS in 2002.

“So it's really such a good fit to bring my background in civic engagement to the university and help build the image of the university in the community,” she said.

One of the big projects Thompson is looking to take on next fall is called the American Democracy Project. It is organized through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and will be co-sponsored by the offices of academic affairs as well as student affairs, she said.

“We are one of four member colleges in Illinois, and we hope between student affairs and academic affairs to foster some civic projects that students can become engaged in,” she said.

Thompson also feels very strongly about the service wing in Lincoln Residence Hall, which encourages and helps residents to become more engaged in campus and volunteer activities. Thompson is already actively building up the service wing and hoping to encourage those students into leadership roles and service activities both in groups and as individuals.

And there is an important reason for the push toward volunteerism and civic engagement, Thompson said.

“We do know that research shows that a more actively engaged student both on campus and in the community makes for a more successful student,” she said. “Students who are tying in their academic experiences with their out-of-classroom experiences are more likely to be successful in their academic careers as well as their careers following college life.”

The university has realized the significance of service in one’s life, so much so that it is “one of the guiding principles of our entire curriculum,” Thompson said.

“It really signifies, even in our strategic plan, the importance of making a difference in the world,” she said. “It’s important in an early stage of a student’s life to experience different volunteer and civic engagement opportunities so they can begin to understand 'what is my role in the world? what is my role here on the UIS campus?' and really learn from that, learn some leadership qualities and traits they can take with them beyond UIS.”

Faculty & Staff month-long Campaign comes to close

By Courtney Westlake

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A month full of giving
Wasn’t it great?

And to end it just right,
Employees gathered to celebrate!

The annual month-long Faculty & Staff Campaign celebration, which kicked off on February 29, came to a close on Thursday, March 27 with an event in the Public Affairs Center Atrium.

Through the campaign, staff and faculty are able to give a gift to the university, choosing how their funds will impact UIS' quality academics, athletics or other important areas. Gifts made to UIS assist with scholarships, enhance research, improve programs and much more.

"This is our third year, and we are extremely positive about how things have gone this year," said Vicki Megginson, Associate Chancellor for Development and vice president of the University of Illinois Foundation. "We certainly have built a tradition. But as much as it can be about numbers and traditions, it's really about people."

This fiscal year, 46.6 percent of academic professionals have given to the campaign, in addition to 37 percent of faculty and 28.8 percent of civil service employees, Megginson said.

Megginson thanked all of the people involved with this year's campaign. It is not too late to still give, as the fiscal year runs until the end of June, she said. All gifts count toward this year's goal and campaign.

This year, at this time, 37 percent of all employees have made a gift to UIS; last year's total was at 35.6 percent at the same time, Megginson said. In numbers, 270 employees have given to the university this year, while 255 had contributed to the campaign at this time last year.

"So we are very encouraged that we have edged up," Megginson said. "That's a wonderful increase, and we are so delighted."

Provost Harry Berman said he really enjoyed the Dr. Seuss theme of this year's campaign with a focus on the book "Oh the Places We'll Go," which brings to mind the various places around the world that UIS has gone or will be going, he said.

Berman said he was very impressed with the campaign as a whole and the commitment of UIS' employees to the school.

"Thirty-seven percent is a wonderful accomplishment, and we should be so proud," he said.

Faculty & Staff Campaign continues

By Courtney Westlake

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A special Faculty & Staff Campaign event was held on Tuesday, March 18 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room.

Snacks and drinks were offered to all attendees, and there were also prizes and give-aways. In addition, those who attended had the opportunity to take a tour of LRH.

"This is midway through our campaign," said Vicki Megginson, Associate Chancellor for Development and vice president of the University of Illinois Foundation. "During this one month, we encourage everyone to tell each other why they should be supported. We encourage one month where everyone can 'market up' their departments, their needs and their goals with each other. Then at the end of the month, we'll celebrate where we are."

The Faculty & Staff Campaign kicked off this year on Friday, February 29 with a Dr. Seuss-themed lunch event. Through the campaign, staff and faculty are able to give a gift to the university, choosing exactly how the money will impact UIS' quality academics, athletics or other important programs.

The campaign is a vital part of UIS because it helps the employees get to know each other and learn about the various departments and programs at UIS, Megginson said. It also helps to encourage the faculty and staff to be ambassadors for UIS in the external community, she said.

"Our faculty and staff are our greatest assets and our greatest ambassadors," she said. "Many of our supporters come from the community, from our alumni and from local businesses. And as people become partners with us inside our house, they also become partners with us when they travel outside our walls to neighbors, friends and places they travel to in their own work and personal life."

"And the support helps us do things," she added.

Last year, 270 employees, or 41.99 percent, made a gift to UIS to assist with scholarships, enhance research, improve programs and much more. This year's goal is that 42.5 percent of staff and faculty will give a gift.

"It's a happy time for us," Megginson said. "To me, it's just like investing in your home, your family, your community. This is our community, and it makes me feel good when I and others invest back in it so it's better for all of us."

Click here to read more about the Faculty & Staff Campaign, and go here to watch the Campaign video on YouTube.

The Places We'll Go!

By Courtney Westlake

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On Friday, February 29, UIS took a leap into the 2008 Faculty & Staff Campaign, kicking off a month-long affair with a celebration in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby, complete with food, speeches and activities.

The campaign is an annual event celebrated throughout the month with special events and prizes before culminating in a final celebration. Through the campaign, staff and faculty are able to give a gift to the university, choosing exactly how the money will impact UIS' quality academics or other important programs. Last year, 270 employees made a gift to UIS to assist with scholarships, enhance research, improve programs and much more.

The theme on Friday was Dr. Seuss, and the lobby sported Dr. Seuss decorations for the event.

Chancellor Richard Ringeisen and Vicki Megginson, Associate Chancellor for Development and vice president of the University of Illinois Foundation, spoke to the faculty and staff before the event, taking full advantage of the Dr. Suess theme.

"I know what you know, that you are the person who will decide where we go," Megginson rhymed as she thanked the gathered crowd for their attendance and support. "So talk to your colleagues and visit their tables, and you'll see what you give to really enables!"

During the event, employees were able to speak with representatives from different departments and programs to learn about what they might like to support with their gifts.
Last year, 41.99 percent of faculty and staff at UIS made a gift, and this year's goal is 42.5 percent.

"How is it that we do what do, do and do? We do it through gifts, from such gifters as you!" Ringeisen rhymed. "So let me say this, let me say it real loud: to you I say thanks, and of you we are proud!"

Student Life offers unique experiences to students

By Courtney Westlake

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From hosting speakers and showing films to putting on comedy shows and ice cream socials to planning homecoming and involvement expos, there truly is never a dull moment in the Office of Student Life at UIS.

Student and campus participation in Student Life activities has continuously been on an upwards trajectory since the arrival of Director Cynthia Thompson in 2002 and then later Assistant Director Beth Hoag. Through their leadership, the office has grown tremendously in terms of programs, activities and traditions on campus.

Thompson, who was originally a school teacher, decided to started working in career counseling for a change of pace, and she realized she loved being around college students. And because she likes the historical connection of Springfield and the fact that it is fairly close to her hometown in Iowa, Thompson accepted the director of student life position at UIS.

“It’s a great campus with great people who are very down to earth and modest; I love that,” she said. “Everyone is very willing to work together to make things happen. Whenever I've suggested something new, they are supportive and make it happen."

Thompson acknowledges that while academics are certainly important in providing the educational component to students' lives, Student Life provides the “laboratory to carry that out,” she said.

“We can provide opportunities for students to try out the skills and things they are learning in their classes,” Thompson said. “Students learn very important leadership skills and qualities through running organizations, participating in activities, planning the activities. It's an exciting mix; you've got students planning programs while learning from the content of what they're attending. Plus you can't beat the social aspects, the stress relief and the fun that is a necessary part of college.”

Many studies have shown that students who are active on campus, whether through participating in organizations or going to events, are “much more likely to succeed academically,” said Hoag, who has been at UIS for about a year and a half.

“We look at student affairs as developing the student as a whole, to teach them, outside of the classroom, the skills that they really need when they get out into the ‘real world’,” Hoag said.

Thompson, Hoag and the Student Life office, with help from students, have implemented many of the traditions students now take part in on campus.

“We do the Homecoming parade and the Involvement Expo, which was very popular at campus I came from, so we implemented it here,” Thompson said.

Thompson and Hoag agreed that they would like to expand on the programming that the Office of Student Life is currently doing.

“I’ve really seen programming board develop; we’ve come from doing a couple of events a semester to an event almost every week,” Hoag said. “And that's obviously helped Student Life on this campus really grow.”

A Student Organization Center is the most recent project for the Office of Student Life, which will give student organizations the ability to have their own space as well as have more opportunity for various event planning experiences.

"The Student Organization Center is the focus of this semester and next, and we want to bump up the number of activities and events we have on campus and empower our student organizations more," Hoag said. “I’m not as concerned as much with quantity of organizations as with quality and being able to support them better and help them to achieve their goals and motivate them to do what they want to do on campus.”

“There is a lot of flexibility and room to grow,” she added. “It’s really exciting how we’re a young campus and there are lots of different ways we can go.”

Staff members represent UIS in cavalry band

By Courtney Westlake

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Although dressing in Civil War period garb while performing songs from that time is exciting, two UIS campus community members have found that the clothing gets a little hot during the summertime.

"It isn't real good in the summer because it's wool," laughed Beverly Bunch, who is an associate professor in public administration. "But in the winter, it feels much better."

Despite the occasional heat, Bunch and Rose Schweikhart, who works as the dean's assistant in the College of Public Affairs and Administration, are both enjoying the opportunities they have to perform with the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Band, part of the Volunteer Regiment.

The band has been active since August 2006, which is when Schweikhart first began playing with the group. Bunch has been involved with the band since March 2007. She said she enjoyed hearing Schweikhart play around campus and town, and Schweikhart asked her to join, which she gladly accepted. Additionally, Todd Cranson, who is assistant director of co-curricular music at UIS, conducts the band.

Although the band members don't ride horses while playing like the Civil War bands did, "almost all of the music selections played are arrangements from bands that existed in the 1860s," Schweikhart said, except for one piece which is a more modern arrangement.

"That's what makes it a lot of fun, that we get to play period instruments and music from that era," Bunch said. "They're hard to play in tune, and that makes it challenging, but it's nice to be playing music from that era on instruments from that era."

Schweikhart plays a baritone, which has a tenor sound like trombone, she said. Normally, Bunch plays the French horn but as the horn wasn't around during that time, she has taken up the E Flat Alto.

The Volunteer Band and Regiment are based on the actual Cavalry that was out of Springfield, Bunch said, and it is fun to hear old stories about the band and its members.

At some point during the war, Schweikhart said, bands were cut because they were a large expense on the Army, so in many regiments - including Springfield's - officers themselves paid band members more salary to keep them in action, which was an extra $1 per month.

Bunch and Schweikhart said they are thrilled with the opportunity to share the music, and the history, of the Civil War time period with the community.

"I love that we get to play period music on a period instrument. And especially around here, people are so appreciate of the history, especially from the Civil War era," Schweikhart said.

The Cavalry Band performs at various locations around town, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, UIS and more. Schweikhart and Bunch are particularly looking forward to their next gig: taking part in the Cavalry Band's performance at the 1860s Period Ball held in honor of Lincoln’s 200th birthday at the Executive Mansion on February 9.

"We hope people come to our concerts; we have a lot of fun, and we love having an audience," Bunch said. "Everybody there loves what they are doing; we like brass, and we love the Civil War context."

Housing Director Enjoys Challenges in Position

By Courtney Westlake

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He might not be here at 8:30 in the morning, but you can probably find him on campus at 8:30 at night. And getting a page at 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning isn't atypical either.

John Ringle has been the director of housing and residential life at UIS for five years, coming in with the second class of Capital Honors students. Since arriving, he has seen tremendous change throughout the campus in terms of residential buildings.

"Every year since I've been here, there has been a new construction project in housing on campus," he said.

Ringle became involved with housing while working at a job moving furniture into overflow spaces as a temporary employee at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He became a resident director there, which also led him to Utah State and Boise State in directing positions, before coming to UIS.

"UIS fit what I was looking for in terms of a growing program and getting the opportunity to be a part of something that was growing over the next decade," he said. "And we're still growing."

UIS housing services includes the townhouses, apartments and Lincoln Residence Hall, in addition to the new residence hall currently under construction, Founders Hall, which will include a new bookstore, cafe and even classrooms. There is also a future goal for another residential building in 2010, compliant with the university's strategic plan, Ringle said.

"UIS' mission is to become one of the best small, public, liberal arts universities in the state, if not the country, and our job as housing is to make sure that mission gets supported," he said.

Though his day often runs anywhere from 9-12 hours, and he maintains constant communication with on-call staff, Ringle said he enjoys the challenges the job brings. He is quick to give recognition to his staff members, whom he says are very reliable and competent.

"I think probably the thing I like best is that it is ever-changing and ever-evolving," Ringle said. "No day is every the same. There is always a new challenge every day of the week, and sometimes the weekends."

One of the main reasons Ringle decided to get into the housing field was to have an impact on students, he said.

"Research shows that students who live on campus tend to persist to graduation, have higher GPA's and have a greater experience as a part of living on campus," he said. "You can't beat the fact that you're closer to faculty, staff, athletics - all the things that make the traditional four-year campus experience remarkable in terms of a student development perspective."

Women's Center Director Makes Big Things Happen

By Courtney Westlake

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Upon entering the Women's Center, located at one end of the Student Affairs Building, a visitor can't help but feel welcome by the colorful decor and comfortable furniture throughout the room.

It's a feeling that director Lynn Otterson wants to be sure to convey to the campus community, especially the women, who come through the door.

Despite a small space and a limited budget, Otterson and the Women's Center have reached out to the campus time and again through a vast array of social events, programming and education efforts to promote important women's issues and safety.

Otterson first started with the Women's Center in 1995, a year after the center opened. Currently, she works with one graduate assistant, Amanda Looney, in running the center, and receives additional help and support from the Women's Issues Caucus, which is a separate organization but still works closely with the center. And the Women's Center is never lacking in activity.

The Rape Aggression Defense program, in coordination with campus police, and the WhistleStop program are two efforts currently at the forefront of the center to educate the campus about sexual assault. Last year, for the first time, the Women's Issues Caucus Club teamed up with the Women's Center to put on a play, and the center also hosts many social events, including the UIS Women's Holiday Party, which is very popular with the women on campus, Otterson said.

In the spring, the Women's Center is planning a large campus event called "Take Back the Night," which is also a national event, Otterson said. In connection with Lincoln Land, the two schools will host the first-ever LLCC-UIS Take Back the Night.

"We'll start at one school and have a rally and then we'll do the march and probably have a party at the end to signify taking back the night," Otterson said. "So women can be free in the night to have fun or go to school or whatever they want."

The Women's Center also recognizes the efforts of others on campus with the annual Naomi B. Lynn Award for Outstanding Contributions to Women at UIS, through which each recipient is given a certificate and plaque, as well as something placed in the Peace and Friendship Garden in their name, such as a tree, bench or birdhouse.

In future semesters, the Women's Center hopes to add space to the program as well as the program called CARE - Campus Acquaintance Rape Education. With UIS growing not only in numbers but also adding freshmen and sophomores to campus, a program like CARE is essential to campus, Otterson said.

"It's so positive because they can talk freely with peers," she said. "It's really state of the art; it's really the bottom line for good schools now to have an intensive peer educator- acquaintance rape education right at the front for all the students."

Otterson said she sees every day how important the Women's Center is to UIS.

"I have a great time in here just about every day," she said. "A lot of people come in and out. Sometimes they're needing connections or a sense of community, and sometimes they need something specific or just wanting to find copacetic people to be active with or be in a club with and share ideals."

"I try really hard at getting good students in here," Otterson added. "The right kind of people, as with my current graduate assistant Amanda, that if I'm not here, and someone comes in and says "I've been raped," they can, first of all, be the right person but then turn around to our referral books and give them the right advice, people to talk to and resources. Sometimes our women just need a lot of support, and I think we do well with that."

Wheelhouse Finds Integrity and Expansion at WUIS

By Courtney Westlake

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Like most media outlets, national public radio has its fair share of challenges, but during a time when commercial radio is struggling, public radio is expanding and continuing to find its niche. WUIS is no exception.

"It's making yourself relevant and trying to offer something that goes along with public radio's quality of providing programming people can't find elsewhere but still providing in-depth news," said Bill Wheelhouse, general manager of WUIS.

Wheelhouse has been general manager at the station for two years, after previously spending ten years as a statehouse news reporter for all public radio stations in Illinois. WUIS has about ten staff members, and are looking to expand the station and modernize the facility, Wheelhouse said.

"The real challenge is that technology keeps changing and will be changing, and the audience is going to continue to fragment," he said. "We keep hoping to adapt with the technology while sticking with our core principles."

HD radio is now making it possible for WUIS to broadcast in digital. Audience members with special receivers can pick up extra channels, and WUIS hopes to eventually be broadcasting three channels.

Public radio has an average audience age of 50 years old. One of the new channels for HD radio listeners will be a "form of alternative programming" geared toward a younger audience, Wheelhouse said, to attract the younger demographic to tune in.

"We want to do that with quality and public radio integrity, but we have to have something in public radio that caters to that age group," he said. "So our second station will be to serve the students of the university and also those under 35, or under 50 even, around the region."

Wheelhouse said now as a manager, he plans to keep a strong emphasis on news after spending years as a reporter, but also wants to bring "alternative forms of music to the radio that aren't necessarily commercial successes," he said. What he likes best about public radio is "being in it," he said.

"It has integrity," Wheelhouse said. "In public radio, you still find the true commitment to journalism."

Online Program Coordinators Offer Behind-the-Scenes Guidance to Online Students

By Courtney Westlake

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When student Colleen Joyce began researching online programs nation-wide, she ended up choosing to "attend" UIS after talking with online program coordinator Andy Egizi. Being from New Jersey, Joyce found that Egizi provided a personal connection to campus for her.

The University of Illinois at Springfield currently boasts 14 online program coordinators for its 16 online degree programs. Though the specific work of the online program coordinators depends on the goals and strategies of the specific departments in which the programs are located, the coordinators bridge the gap for online students, making them feel comfortable with their situation, answering questions and working out any problems the students might face.

Egizi was the second online coordinator at UIS, hired in 1999 as the coordinator for Liberal Studies and Individual Option. Egizi is thrilled, he said, that online learning has become an integral part of the university.

“My role is to figure out ways students can use the energy they’re expending on their education toward learning rather than dealing with all the university issues,” Egizi said. “We try to make life simple for students and try to give the guidance in the right direction so they can make good decisions.”

Many times, online program coordinators act as a tie between the faculty and students, said Shari McCurdy, associate director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to answer the questions of our students. They are critical to helping our faculty understand what’s going on, what the students are saying,” McCurdy said. “They’re vital to our success; UIS’ online coordinators are what set us apart from other online programs in the country.”

Online coordinators are students' first point of contact and follow them through their entire career, said Barbara Cass, online coordinator for the economics and business administration programs, who previously coordinated the English online program in 2004.

"If they are having problems with Blackboard, or difficulty within a class, I work with them to tried to get that figured out," Cass said. "I try to make all the processes easier for them here at UIS: applications, admission, all of those kinds of things."

Contact with the students and making friendships are high points for Cass and Egizi. Cass said she enjoys when students are able to come to campus, and she meets them in person after complete correspondence by phone or email.

Egizi admits his favorite part of assisting students as an online coordinator is when students call him with absolutely no direction, he said with a laugh.

“My favorite thing without a doubt is when the phone rings, and it’s someone who has no idea how to get a degree; I just love that,” he said. “They call me and seem to think this is impossible. They don’t realize that I’m smiling, and I say ‘this isn’t a problem; we can do this for you.’”

As for the future, online coordinators have big hopes for both the success of both online learning and success for their students. As main contacts for online students, coordinators often help students realize that the demands of online learning are very similar to traditional classes.

"Students come sometime to online learning thinking it's going to be very easy and very quick to deal with, and it's quite a surprise to find it takes a lot of time and energy just like a traditional classroom," Cass said. "So what I hope is that students get more comfortable with the technology and with the demands of the class, and that we have more students successful in the programs."