Finding information on the UIS website just got easier.

The Office of Web and Digital Strategy has enhanced the website’s search functionality by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), delivering more accurate, relevant, and helpful results for both visitors and employees.

In addition, the search experience has been refined to ensure consistent visibility and usability across desktop and mobile devices. The search bar is now more prominent and easier to access, with improved optimization for typing on smaller screens, creating a smoother, more accessible experience for all users.

Why We Made the Change

Before, our search was based on Google search, and looked mainly for matching words. That worked okay, but if a user typed something in different words, even if it meant the same thing, they sometimes didn’t see the most useful results.

For example, searches like “where to pay my bill” or “paying my account” might not have shown the best answers if the exact phrase wasn’t on a page. That’s changed.

Meaning Matters

The new search system understands the meaning behind a search, not just the exact words. It uses modern AI technology to figure out what users are really looking for and show results that are more relevant.

With the upgraded search, you’ll notice:

• Better results even with natural wording — you don’t need to guess exact terms.
• More helpful suggestions — content connected to your topic appears more often.
• Fewer “no results found” moments — even when phrasing changes.

How This Helps Prospective and Current Students

For prospective students, this means:

• Quickly finding admissions requirements and deadlines
• Exploring academic programs and majors
• Learning about scholarships, financial aid, and campus life
• Getting answers to common questions without needing exact wording

For current students, it helps with:

• Locating registration information and academic policies
• Finding important dates and deadlines
• Accessing student services and support resources
• Discovering campus events and involvement opportunities

Instead of needing to know the exact name of an office or page, students can search naturally, and the system works to understand what they’re looking for. The result is a smoother experience that helps students focus less on searching and more on succeeding at UIS.

How This Helps You

Whether you’re:

• Looking for HR forms
• Searching for academic policies
• Helping students find resources
• Updating department pages

…searching the UIS website should now feel faster and more intuitive.

The smarter search is designed to support you — whether you’re an employee using internal content or helping students and visitors find what they need.

What’s Next

The web team will continue monitoring how the new search performs and listen to feedback from the UIS community. We want the system to keep improving as our website grows.

If you have suggestions or notice anything that doesn’t seem quite right, please share your website feedback, your input helps keep UIS web tools working well for everyone.