Message from the Director

Like many of you, I have been watching the Winter Olympics. It is indeed inspiring to watch athletes compete after many years of training and sacrifice to prepare for the ultimate competition of the Olympic Games.  There is both great disappointment in defeat and great joy in the faces of the competitors as they stand on the podium with their gold, silver or bronze medals. And, perhaps like many of you, I feel a sense of pride as I listen to our national anthem when a U.S. athlete wins gold.

At UIS, like many public entities in Illinois, we are going through some difficult economic times. Even though times are tough, we can celebrate the excellent classroom instruction by our faculty, the beautiful grounds and facilities here at UIS, and the list goes on and on. Our staff deserves medals for making a difference; it is their training, expertise and expert workmanship which enables UIS to continue moving forward. Let’s continue to inspire each other and “pick each other up” through this recession.

Wes Weisenburn

Performance Evaluations Begin April 1

Beginning April 1, supervisors will complete formal evaluations of their employees' past year's performance. To assist supervisors in preparing for this process, we have planned performance evaluation workshops at several locations across campus. Get details or register for a workshop.

This is also a good opportunity for employees and supervisors to review job descriptions and submit updated forms if duties have substantially changed.

Retirement & Recognition Ceremony May 6

If you plan to retire from the University of Illinois at Springfield this academic year, we would like to honor you at our Retirement & Recognition Ceremony on May 6. We need to hear from you by March 5 with your planned retirement date to include you in this year's program and present you with a special gift. Eligible honorees include faculty and staff retiring on or before August 15, 2010.

Contact Monica Kroft, mkrof2@uis.edu, 206-7020. Registration details will be coming soon.

What You Should Know About Workers' Compensation

University employees with injuries arising out of and in the course and scope of their employment duties are eligible for Workers' Compensation benefits. Workers' Compensation insurance includes four types of benefits - disability (loss of income), medical care, survivor (death), and rehabilitation benefits. In some instances there may also be some type of permanent disability payment. Read more about reporting work related incidents/accidents, and link to Workers' Comp forms.

You Can Prepare for E-Verify

The University will soon begin using E-Verify, an online system, to verify employees' authorization to work in the United States. As part of this process, each employee hired after November 6, 1986 will need to complete a new Form I-9, which will require presentation of official identification documents. Read more about what you can do to be ready.