• Book Rental Program - As a resource to all students, the Diversity Center offers book rentals of donated books students can use for classes.
  • List of books available (pdf) (STEP 1)
  • Important Forms
    • Diversity Center Book Check-Out (STEP 2)
    • Diversity Center Book Check-In
    • Diversity Center Book Donations
• Access and Equal Opportunity -Dedication to diversity is part of the fabric of the university.
• Center for Student Academic Success - One stop academic support stop for students
• Cutural/Diversity Student Organizations - This link leads to the Student Life’s list student organizations offered.
• Disability Resources - This link leads to the Office of Disability Services site which aims to provide academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities.
• International Student Services - The Office of International Student Services supports the immigration, academic, and cultural experience of all UIS international students.
• Learning Hub - The Learning Hub offers free help to students in improving skills in writing, math and statistics, accounting/economics, science, academic/study skills, and, through a peer tutoring program, virtually any subject taught on the campus.
• Safe Zone - Ally for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning.
• Women's Center - The Women’s Center aims to offer support, information, and advocacy on a variety of gender-related issues.
• Gender and Sexuality Student Services -LGBTQIA+ resource office that assists with the understanding sexual orientation and gender identity. GSSS provides a safe haven for people of all LGBTQIA+ and their allies by providing education, advocacy, support, allyship, mentoring, and a Safe/Brave space for sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) students.
• Socio/Economic Resources - Resources dealing with financial and economic student situations.

The Diversity Center is open and ready to support students affected by changes to DACA or other immigration policies. Please contact diversity@uis.edu.

Whether you are thinking about applying to UIS or are already a student, there are various programs to help you transition to and succeed at UIS. We provide support services - including academic, personal, and financial aid counseling - that can help students balance being a part time/full time student while handling other day-to-day challenges you may face.

UIS Statement on Immigration 

The University of Illinois Springfield fosters and celebrates the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff as a foundational aspect of our mission and our service to the public good. We support the safety, well-being, and success of all members of our University community, including those whose families have immigrated to the United States and those who have traveled to UIS and the surrounding community to study, research, teach, or serve as staff and administrators. Creating a campus that is welcoming and inclusive to all is vital to our mission, vision, and values, and is also vital to our goal of creating and sustaining global leaders, scholars, and citizens, through engagement and innovation.

Developed by the UIS Immigration Committee; approved by Chancellor Emeritus Susan Koch, November 2019

External Resources

Mental Health

• Guide for Allies: Stress Related to Immigration Status

Know Your Rights/Legal

• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• The Immigration Project
• National Immigrant Justice Center
• National Immigration Law Center

U of I Campuses

• University of Illinois Chicago
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Individual & Small Group Counseling

• Prospective and current students who are uncertain of their direction in life, academic and personal, may request counseling through this office.

Career, Internship and Scholarship Postings

• Often personnel officers and universities send notices of job and scholarship opportunities to vour office and, as a service, we make these available to our students.

Special Events, Issues Forums and Programs

• We celebrate various cultural events that reflect the populations on our campus, and there are done in conjunction with the UIS student groups to reflect the richness of our campus community.
• The office co-sponsors several programs each semester. These experiences may include films, speakers, panels, entertainment, and brown bag luncheons.

Workshops and Seminars

• We provide several pertinent and valuable workshops throughout the semester designed to increase retention and encourage graduation.

Information Clearinghouse

• We serve as clearinghouse for information from students organizations, the University and the Springfield Community. We co-sponsor several events and activities, both internally and externally; serve on various committees and organizational boards, and subscribe to many trade journals. If we can not help you we can certainly put you in touch with someone who can.

Open Door Policy

• We always maintain an "open-door" policy; while appointments are encouraged we also welcome walk-ins. Our office treats every day as an "Open House." We work as a unit to ensure that all students feel equally welcome and supported in our office.

Professional

• Association of African American Museums
• Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.
• Association of Black Psychologists
• Association of Black Women Historians
• Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting
• Black Culinarian Alliance
• Black Data Processing Association
• Hispanic Marketing Council
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• National Society of Black Engineers
• Organization of Black Airline Pilots
• Organization of Black Designers

Multicultural

• Black Professionals Association
• BlackScholarships.com
• Carnegie-Mellon Multicultural Initiative
• Multicultural Food Service & Hospitality Alliance
• National Alliance of Black School Educators
• The Black Collegian International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters
• University of Illinois at Chicago: African-American Cultural Center

• UIUC African American Cultural Center

• UIUC Native American House
• US Government Resources for Native Americans

• Asian American Journalist Association
• Association of Indians in America
• National Association of Asian American Professionals

Office of Disability Services (ODS) - ODS provides academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. The primary goal of the office is to assist students in succeeding in college-level courses through a variety of support services. This is achieved by:

1. Creating individualized accommodation plans that looks at the disability as well as documentation of that disability. The plan formualized is based on the history, severity and functional limitations of the disability as well as what that student needs to be successful. That plan includes not only academic accommodations but also adaptive technology and training.
2. Providing leadership to the campus community to enhance understanding of disability and support of ODS and our role in campus life.
3. Providing guidance and education to the campus community to ensure that they understand and comply with legal requirements for access and with the student’s rights to receive academic accommodations.
4. Establishing a clear set of policies and procedures that define the rights and responsibilities of both the institution and the student.

• Discrimination
• Women and Gender Studies Program
• The Rape Aggression Defense System
• Safe Zone
• Sexual Harassment
• Women's Center

• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• UIUC Casa Cultural Latina

Religious/Spiritual

Springfield area

Please see the Religious & Spiritual Orgranizations page for more information about all of the local reglious and spiritual organizations in the greater Springfield area.

LGBTQ Friendly Churches

The Congregational Church, UCC
520 W. College, Jacksonville, IL 62650, (217) 245-8213

First Church of the Brethren
2115 Yale Blvd., Springfield, IL 62703, (217) 523-5212

First Presbyterian Church
321 S. 7th Street, Springfield, IL 62701, (217) 528-4311

Heartland MCC
402 N. Dawson, Springfield, IL 62702
Heartland Metropolitan Community Church

Lincoln Unitarian Congregational
745 Woodside Road, Springfield, IL 62711, (217) 585-9550

Luther Memorial Church
2600 S. 5th Street, Springfield, IL 62703, (217) 523-7931