Colleagues,

Welcome to the new academic year!

One of my favorite times of the year is New Faculty Welcome Week and our annual fall kickoff events. It's energizing to see campus come alive again as we prepare for the return of students and the start of another semester. There's a real sense of anticipation in the air, and I look forward to all that we'll accomplish together in the months ahead.

It's also exciting to see the visible progress being made on the Library Commons building and the (near) completion of the Public Affairs Center plumbing renovation project.  

As we begin a new year, I want to take a moment to celebrate some of the accomplishments that made the past year so meaningful. I encourage you to explore our Academic Affairs Annual Impact Report, which highlights just a few of the many ways we advanced our mission and served our students during AY 2025-26. It was a year filled with achievement, innovation, and dedication across our division. I am grateful for all that each of you contributed, and I am confident we will continue building on that momentum in the year ahead.

Thank you for everything you do for UIS and for our students. I wish you a rewarding and successful fall semester.

Brandon

Brandon E. Schwab

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

University of Illinois Springfield

bschw@uis.edu