The following update to the University of Illinois Springfield Spring Semester 2021 schedule, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was emailed to the UIS community on Nov. 4, 2020.

UIS Community:

On Friday, Chancellor Whitney approved recommendations for the Spring 2021 semester from the Campus Senate Executive Committee. These recommendations include:

As readers of this column are well aware, UIS Chancellor Emeritus Susan Koch, who retired June 30 following nine years of dedicated leadership, cared deeply about making the University of Illinois Springfield an inspiring place for teaching, learning, research and service. A place where leadership is lived. And a place where people want to be.

Count me in as one of those folks.

Good afternoon!

I am thrilled to be joining the University of Illinois Springfield as your interim chancellor as we wish Chancellor Susan Koch a prosperous and well-deserved retirement. UIS has been in very capable hands for the past nine years under Susan’s leadership, and it’s my privilege to build on her successes. I’m committed to providing strong and steady leadership during this time of challenge and transition. As we move forward, please know supporting the important work of our talented students and dedicated faculty and staff is paramount.

Dear students, faculty and staff:

We are very pleased to announce that on-campus educational activities will resume this fall at the University of Illinois System’s three universities, with a hybrid mixture of in-person and online classes. Of course, our collective decision assumes that Illinois stays on track to meet Phase 4 requirements established by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan that allow reopening of classrooms.

Two University of Illinois Springfield staff members were honored with Chancellor’s awards recognizing academic professional and civic service excellence during a ceremony in the Stude

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen announced today that he is recommending that University of Illinois Springfield Interim Chancellor Karen M. Whitney’s appointment be extended by one year. 

Whitney, a nationally recognized higher education leader, has served as interim chancellor since June 2020 and will continue in that capacity through June 2022, Killeen said, pending approval of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its January meeting.