Good afternoon, UIS!
What a wonderful weekend of making memories as we welcomed back to campus the Class of 2020. Many thanks to Joan Sestak and James Koeppe for creating a safe and special commencement experience in Sangamon Auditorium, and it was so nice to see Chancellor Emeritus Susan Koch. Photo coverage of Saturday’s festivities were posted to our social media channels.
New Information
Updated Testing Information
Beginning this week, UIS students and employees who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to test weekly. SHIELD testing will remain available to them, should they wish to utilize it. Students and employees with approved or pending vaccine exemptions will continue to test twice per week.
Employee of Concern Form
The UIS Threat Assessment Team has launched an Employee of Concern form for sharing information with the team to support its commitment to the welfare, health and safety of all those in the University community. A Student of Concern form also is available to share information with the Dean of Students Office for anyone who has noticed concerning, threatening or worrisome behaviors by student members of our UIS community. Please don’t hesitate to use either of these tools.
SECA 2021
The 2021 UIS State and University Employees Combined Appeal (SECA) kicks off this week. Watch for information in your inbox and Campus Announcements. I encourage all of us to find one or more charities close to our hearts and support them through SECA payroll deductions.
Operations Updates
The Operations and Facilities staff has been working hard on a newsletter that will debut soon to keep you updated on construction projects around campus. Watch your email this week.
Emergency Contacts
Now is the time to update your emergency contacts. To view and update your emergency contacts and other personal information, go to My UI Info and follow the steps below.
- Select My Profile
- Select Access My Profile
- Enter your NetID and password (You will be prompted to use 2FA for security authentication)
- View Emergency Contacts
- Select Edit to add, edit, or delete a contact
- After making any changes, select Submit
- View and update other personal information as necessary. Be sure to Submit after making any changes.
- Select Log Out to exit
Rising Stars
There is still time to nominate a new Academic Professional or Civil Service employee for the Rising Stars program. Employees who started working within your department in the past 24 months are eligible. This popular program is great way for new employees to better connect with UIS. The first meeting is Sept. 30. Contact James Koeppe to register, jkoep2@uis.edu.
Safety Fair
UIS Police and Illinois State Police will host a Public Safety Day at the SASA Soccer Complex on the UIS campus from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 25. The family event will feature demonstrations and information on railroad, boating and powerline safety. A Life Flight helicopter will land and be on display, too.
Open Forum Recording
Thanks to everyone who attended Friday’s Open Forum. I hope you found it helpful to hear updates on my top 10 priorities for UIS during my time as your interim chancellor. A recording of the forum is now available.
Information that Bears Repeating
Know a student with undergraduate research?
UIS is hosting the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Virtual Midwest/West Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA) Conference on Nov. 13. Please encourage your students to submit a presentation title and 150-word abstract to COPLAC@uis.edu before Oct. 11.
UIS Cares Food Pantry
WICS was on our campus last week to tell a national story of food insecurity among college students. UIS is leading the way in this battle with the UIS Cares Food Pantry. Please consider donating non-perishable items to the pantry or school supplies to the UIS Cares School Supply Shop.
UIS Tik Tok
You might not Tik Tok, but did you know UIS has an active Tik Tok account? You can log onto to Tik Tok from any computer without signing up for an account, then type “uisedu” into the search bar and check out the creative content being produced by student worker and communication major Hayley Payne.
Star Parties are back
Virtual UIS Star Parties are back. Join Professor John Martin every Friday evening through the end of October.
Grad Fair Week Sept. 27 – Oct. 1
UIS will host a virtual Grad Fair Week with departments offering live webinars for interested students. This virtual format was a big success in February, and we look forward to welcoming more students this fall. Questions about the fair or format can be directed to Dr. Cecilia Cornell at ccorn1@uis.edu.
Celebrating our Star Power
Kudos to every one of you for playing an important part in UIS being named the top public regional university in Illinois and the fourth best public university in the Midwest regional category for a third year in a row by U.S. News & World Report. Outstanding work!
I’m so proud to work alongside all of you with your commitment and dedication to our students and workplace.
Have a great week as we roll into autumn.
Karen
Karen M. Whitney, PhD
Interim Chancellor University of Illinois Springfield