Founded in 1970 as Sangamon State University, UIS has strong traditions that include:
the centrality of teaching;
lively intellectual and social interactions among faculty, students, and staff;
small classes taught by faculty members;
an emphasis on interdisciplinarity and innovation in teaching;
a commitment to serving non-traditional as well as traditional bachelor’s and master’s degree students;
and public affairs as a unifying theme in teaching, scholarship, and service.
Since joining the University of Illinois in 1995, UIS has continued this legacy while adding a residential, integrated, interdisciplinary honors program for lower-division students, and a doctoral program in Public Administration.
UIS has become recognized as a leader in offering the newest generation of non-traditional students innovative education and individualized faculty attention through select, high-quality online courses and degrees.
