Dear faculty,

The 55th annual UIS Commencement ceremonies will be held at the Bank of Springfield Center in downtown Springfield on Saturday, May 9, 2026.  There will be two ceremonies as follows:

Don’t forget to submit your February entry for the UIS Library Reading Challenge! If you enter one submission per month (February, March, and April), you will get a custom reading challenge t-shirt at the end of the challenge. Additionally, you will be entered into the February gift card drawing. The winner will be drawn next week!

We're thanking all UIS employees with an exclusive, sitewide sale at Sideline. Score 25% off Prairie Stars gear with code HOORAY25. Hurry! This one-day sale ends on Friday, February 27 at midnight PST.

Spring Break Hours for Dining Services

Starbucks

• Closed March 7-15.
• Open regular hours beginning March 16.

Food Studio

• Closed March 7 and 8.
• Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 9-13.
• Closed March 14.
• Open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., March 15.

The Prepare for Illinois’ Future program powered by Kaplan’s All Access License will continue, ensuring ongoing support for students across Illinois!

Our partners with Kaplan are thrilled that UIS students have continued access to industry-leading courses. Encourage students to not miss out on this opportunity! They can enroll in one of the 40+ courses that will help secure their path to success in graduate school and beyond UIS.

Join us for the next installment of the Chancellor’s Thinkers Series as we continue a year of dialogue, reflection, and discovery.

Incorporating Student Peer Review in Online, Blended, and Face-to-Face Classes

Peer review is a structured process by which students evaluate the work of their peers. Having students engage in peer review isn’t just an assessment strategy—it’s a powerful practice that is known to promote student success.

The Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries of Illinois (CARLI) is pleased to announce the availability of its application for the CARLI Member OER Initiative. This OER Initiative will provide financial support to CARLI member libraries to increase the awareness and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) at their institutions. Each CARLI member library may submit one proposal.  

UIS Library is a month into the reading challenge, and we’ve already
received almost a hundred submissions. If you’re still looking for book ideas, don’t
worry, as many of our participants have been kind enough to give us
recommendations!

Here are some of the books that were submitted this past month:

As part of our All Access partnership with Kaplan, we are hosting a series of exclusive professional development sessions specifically for faculty and staff this semester. These opportunities are designed to provide you with the opportunity to learn more about specific topics close to the work you are already doing and how Kaplan All Access can help you reach your goals for your students intentionally as well.

Please see the schedule below and join us for the sessions that align with your department’s/team. Please click on the title to register to attend.