Allison Thornley has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for March 2022. She has worked for UIS Athletics since 2011 and currently serves as the associate athletic director for strategic planning and finance and the senior women's administrator.

Thomas Gebhardt has been named the University of Illinois Springfield Employee of the Month for February 2022. He is a building service worker who has worked at UIS since 2010.

Gebhardt’s nominator praised his efforts to keep the Visual and Performing Arts Building (VPA) clean and sanitized during the COVID-19 pandemic, calling his work “truly impressive.” VPA houses the Art, Music and Theatre Department.

Due to the inclement weather, UIS daytime and evening on-ground classes are canceled for Thursday, February 3. Online/Remote classes are not canceled. Blended classes which are not meeting on campus on Thursday, February 3, are not canceled. In addition, Liberal Leave Policy for employees is in effect for tomorrow.

It is important to note that even when classes are canceled the campus does NOT fully close.

Executive Director of Student Support Services Bethany Bilyeu has been named the 2021 Employee of the Year at the University of Illinois Springfield. She was honored during a virtual reception on Feb. 1, 2022.

Before announcing the winner, UIS Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney thanked the eleven Employees of the Month who were nominated for the award.

Saying that he wanted to head off a “pandemic of the unvaccinated," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Thursday mandated COVID-19 vaccines for all public education employees who work with students pre-kindergarten through college. 

The vaccine mandate is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. 

While the vaccine mandate does not cover students in grades K through 12, it does apply to college students.