Publish Date

The University of Illinois Springfield is taking a look back at 2022 and our seven STAR successes of the year.

1. UIS enrollment grows by 6.4% for Fall Semester 2022

Fall Enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield increased by 6.4%. A total of 4,198 students enrolled in classes, up from 3,944 students in fall 2021.

2. Reaching Stellar campaign raises a record $42.48 million

Students hold signs with the final dollar amount collected

The Reaching Stellar campaign was the largest fundraising campaign in the 50-plus-year history of UIS, starting in 2014 with a quiet phase before launching publicly in October 2017 and concluding June 30, 2022.

3. Janet L. Gooch named the seventh UIS Chancellor

Janet Gooch

Janet L. Gooch, an accomplished higher education leader and educator, took over leadership of the University of Illinois Springfield on July 1, 2022. She came to UIS from Truman State University where she served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

4. Site purchased for the future UIS Innovation Center

Future UIS Innovation Center building

Scheduled to open in 2025, the UIS Innovation Center will serve central Illinois as part of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) to drive innovation, economic growth and workforce development across the state.

5. UIS is Reinventing Possible

People working on computer server

UIS is Reinventing Possible as thought and action leaders for the future. In 2022, we launched exciting new programs and took on a new innovative approach to the college experience to prepare ambitious change-makers of the future.

6. UIS Athletics sees national success in baseball, soccer, volleyball and cross country

In June, the UIS Baseball team competed for the first time in the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships in Cary, North Carolina. UIS also won the GLVC regular season and tournament championships, before winning its second NCAA Regional Tournament and first NCAA Super Regional.

In November, the men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen for the second year in a row. The women’s soccer team also advanced to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Soccer Championship for the first time in program history.

The UIS Volleyball team made it to the GLVC Quarterfinal in November. They finished 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the conference.

In December, the UIS Men's Cross Country team finished in sixth place in their first nationals race as a team. The Prairie Stars won the program's first GLVC Championship and had their best NCAA DII Midwest Regional finish as well. The team had six All-GLVC athletes, three All-Region athletes and one All-American.

7. UIS ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report

Professor teaching in classroom

For the fourth year in a row, UIS was ranked the top public regional university in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report in 2023 Best Colleges rankings. UIS also was ranked the third best public regional university in the Midwest Region.

For more news from 2022, visit the UIS Newsroom website.