The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the

University of Illinois system The University of Illinois System is a system of public universities in Illinois consisting of three universities: Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign. Across its three universities, the University of Illinois System enrolls more than ...

on July 1, 1995. As a public liberal arts college, and the newest campus in the

, UIS is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. UIS is also part of the

American Association of State Colleges and Universities The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees. AASCU grew out of the Association o ...

and the

American Council on Education The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. higher education association established in 1918. ACE's members are the leaders of approximately 1,700 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher educatio ...

. The campus' main repository, Brookens Library, holds a collection of nearly 800,000 books and serials in addition to accessible resources at the

University of Illinois Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the University of Illinois sy ...

and

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univers ...

campuses. The University of Illinois Springfield serves 4,198 students (Fall 2022) with 56 bachelor's degrees, 39 minors, 44 master's degree, 1 doctorate degree, 37 graduate certificates and coursework that leads to 6 ISBE endorsements. The university was once one of the two upper-division and graduate universities in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, but now accepts freshmen, transfer, and graduate students.

History

Sangamon State University

In 1967, the Illinois General Assembly created a Board of Regents to operate

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

and

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...

, as well as a third unnamed institution in Springfield. In 1969,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Richard Ogilvie Richard Buell Ogilvie (February 22, 1923 – May 10, 1988) was the List of Governors of Illinois, 35th governor of Illinois and served from 1969 to 1973. A wounded combat veteran of World War II, he became known as the American Mafia, mafia-fi ...

signed into law a bill officially creating Sangamon State University. It originally operated as an "upper-division" university—that is, a university that offers only the last two years of undergraduate education, as well as graduate work. The first classes were held on September 28, 1970, at First Methodist Church in downtown Springfield. In October, SSU began offering classes in the current campus location near Lake Springfield. Sangamon State aimed to be a "truly pioneering segment of public education" through a spirit of openness, innovation and adaptability. The school grew steadily over the years. Its first permanent building, Brookens Library, was dedicated in 1976, and its Public Affairs Center and first dormitories opened in 1980.

Transition to the University of Illinois System

In 1995, Governor

Jim Edgar James Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. Previously he served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979 and as Illinois Secretary of State ...

signed a bill which abolished the Board of Regents and merged SSU with the University of Illinois system. On July 1, SSU officially became the University of Illinois Springfield. Naomi Lynn, the last president of SSU, became the first chancellor of UIS.

Establishment of a four-year general education program

In 2001, it admitted freshmen for the first time in an honors program called the "Capital Scholars". On September 8, 2005, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved a new general education curriculum, making UIS a full-fledged four-year university for the first time. Freshmen were slated to be admitted under the general education curriculum beginning in fall 2006.

Campus

The University of Illinois Springfield is located six miles southeast of Springfield, occupying 740 acres of prairie land adjacent to Lake Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College. In 1841, the land was acquired by Thomas Strawbridge Jr., a prosperous saddler and harness maker in Springfield. The Thomas Strawbridge homestead, constructed around 1845, still stands on the south edge of the University of Illinois Springfield campus and was restored in 2012. Today, there are three easily identifiable areas on campus: Legacy Campus, SSU Permanent Construction, and the University of Illinois era.

Legacy Campus

The Legacy Campus hosts an array of student services and facilities buildings. There is also the Cox Children's Center which was established in 1970. Some of the key buildings on this part of campus are the WUIS building, Student Life Building (SLB), Business Services Building (BSB), Human Resources Building (HRB), Student Affairs Building (SAB), and the Visual & Performing Arts Building (VPA). Legacy Campus Sign and Courtyard

SSU permanent construction

The first permanent construction on campus, Brookens Library was completed in 1976 and the Public Affairs Center, was completed in Fall of 1980. These buildings were the first part of a master plan of 1970–1971 that called for an "urban campus" surrounded by restored prairie land, free of all vehicular traffic and easily navigable by pedestrians. All permanent campus buildings would be located within a "ring road", now known as University Drive. The Public Affairs Center also houses Sangamon Auditorium, a 2,018 seat concert hall and performing arts center built in 1981. It occupies the entire second level of the Public Affairs Center.

Residence life

UIS offers four living options for more than 1,100 students. On the East Campus there are four courts of apartments, one being designated for family housing including Sunflower, Larkspur, CLover, and Bluebell Courts. There is also the housing office at Homer L. Butler Commons (HCOM). On West Campus there are 96 townhouses encompassed within Pennyroyal, Marigold, Trillium and Foxglove court. For first and second year students there are two residence halls, Lincoln Residence Hall (LRH) and Founders Residence Hall (FRH).

Academics

University of Illinois Degrees and Certificates

The University of Illinois Springfield has been offering online courses and degrees since 1999. Currently UIS offers 56 bachelor's degrees, 39 minors, 44 master's degree, 1 doctorate degree, 37 graduate certificates and coursework that leads to 6 ISBE endorsements.

Colleges

*College of Business and Management *College of Health, Science, and Technology *College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences *College of Public Affairs & Education

Student life

Student Union

The Student Union is the focal point of campus and student life and is the heart of the university campus, a place where students, along with faculty and staff, can spend time with friends, collaborate on academic and leadership activities. The building opened January 14, 2018.

Student Newspaper

The ''UIS Observer'' is the student online news publication.

Greek Organizations

Fraternities

* Phi Kappa Tau *

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fiftee ...

* Alpha Phi Alpha * Phi Beta Sigma *

Sigma Lambda Beta Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Incorporated () (known as Betas, Lambda Betas or SLB) is a historically Latino based fraternity in the United States, now expanded to include a multicultural membership. Founded in 1986 at the Univers ...

Sororities

* Alpha Kappa Alpha * Delta Sigma Theta * Gamma Phi Omega *

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma (), also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women's sorority. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization encompassing 26 national sororities or women's fraterni ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic ach ...

Athletics

The Illinois–Springfield (UIS) athletic teams are called the Prairie Stars. The university is a member of the Division II level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its thirteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois ...

(GLVC) since the 2009–10 academic year, which they became a full-fledged Division II member on August 1, 2010. The Prairie Stars previously competed in the

American Midwest Conference The American Midwest Conference (AMC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) with 10 member institutions located in Arkansas and Missouri in the United States. History The c ...

(AMC) of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its st ...

(NAIA) from 2003–04 to 2008–09. UIS competes in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni

Cheri Bustos Cheryl Lea Bustos ( ; née Callahan; born October 17, 1961) is an American journalist, healthcare executive, and politician who is the U.S. representative from Illinois's 17th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party ...

- U.S. representative, Illinois's 17th district (M.A. Public Affairs Reporting) *

Mike Cernovich Michael Cernovich (born November 17, 1977) is an American right-wing social media personality, political commentator, and conspiracy theorist. Though he initially called himself alt-right, he dissociated from the movement after Richard Spence ...

- alt-right social media personality and host of '' The Alex Jones Show'' on

InfoWars ''InfoWars'' is an American far-right conspiracy theory and fake news website owned by Alex Jones. It was founded in 1999, and operates under Free Speech Systems LLC. Talk shows and other content for the site are created primarily in stud ...

(2001 B.A. Philosophy) *

Ward Churchill Ward LeRoy Churchill (born 1947) is an American author and political activist. He was a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1990 until 2007.

- former

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

, social critic, activist (1974 B.A. Communications, 1975 M.A. Communications) * Vince Demuzio - Illinois state senator, 1975–2004 (1981 B.A. in Education and Human Services; 1996 M.A. in Education and Public Policy) *

Karen A. Hasara Karen Hasara is a Republican member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and a past member of the Illinois General Assembly (1986-1995) as well as the Mayor of Springfield, Illinois for two terms from 1995-2003. Early life After gr ...

- former mayor of Springfield, Illinois, Illinois state senator, (1972 B.A. Psychology, 1992 M.A. Legal Studies) * Gordon S. Heddell - former

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

inspector general (1975 M.A. Legal Studies) * Jim Langfelder - current mayor of Springfield, Illinois * Al Lewis - Columnist, Dow Jones Newswires * Kimberly Lightford - current member,

Illinois State Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

* Robert "Bobby" McFerrin Jr.- vocal performer and conductor (attended 1975–76, did not complete degree) *

Milton J. Nieuwsma Milton John Nieuwsma (pronounced "news-ma") (born September 5 1941) is an American writer, journalist and filmmaker noted for his work on the Holocaust. His 1998 book ''Kinderlager'', about three young concentration camp survivors, was the basis f ...

- author, Emmy-winning filmwriter-producer (1978 M.A.) * Richard Oruche - shooting guard on the Nigerian national basketball team (2010 B.A. Business Administration) * Richard Osborne - former CEO of

Scotsman Industries The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...

* Dana Perino - White House Press Secretary for the George W. Bush administration (1995 M.A. Public Affairs Reporting) *

Elgie Sims Elgie R. Sims Jr. is the Illinois state Senator for the 17th district. The 17th district includes the Chatham neighborhoods of Chicago along with the all or parts of Burnham, Calumet City, Lansing, Ford Heights, Lynwood, Sauk Village, Beech ...

- current member,

Illinois State House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 repr ...

* Russell Smith - movie producer * Thom Serafin - communications consultant

Faculty

* Michael Burlingame, historian *

John Knoepfle John Ignatius Knoepfle (February 4, 1923November 16, 2019) was an American poet, translator, and educator, principally at Sangamon State University, who is credited with helping to revive Midwestern poetry in the 1960s. He also served in the United ...

, poet and translator * Phillip S. Paludan, historian * Paul Simon, political scientist

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Coord, 39.729021, N, 89.617656, W, region:US-IL_type:landmark, format=dms, display=title

University of Illinois Springfield The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois ...

Educational institutions established in 1969 1969 establishments in Illinois Springfield Public liberal arts colleges in the United States