Official Employee Announcements

To: The Campus Community
From: UIS Office of Records and Registration
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Subject: Spring 2010 Graduation Contract Deadline

The deadline for Spring 2010 graduation contracts to be received in the Office of Records and Registration is February 19, 2010.  Graduation contract forms are available at:  www.uis.edu/registration/forms.

Not submitting a contract by the appropriate deadline may impact a student’s ability to graduate.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact registrar@uis.edu.

UIS Office of Records and Registration

To: The Campus Community
From: Chancellor Richard D. Ringeisen
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Subject: Voluntary Pay Reduction Program

Dear Colleagues,

I thank you for your constructive responses to President Ikenberry’s letter of January 5th to the University and my subsequent letter to the campus, announcing furloughs and other difficult measures being taken to cope with the growing cash crisis facing the University of Illinois as a result of the delay in payment of our state appropriation.

Based on suggestions received from many of you since the announcement, I am writing today to inform you that, as an alternative to furloughs, faculty and academic professionals subject to furloughs may opt to take a voluntary and temporary salary reduction in lieu of furloughs if they so wish.  This is a university-wide decision, and all chancellors are making this announcement to their campuses this morning. The manner and amount of the salary reduction is the same under both options.  Those opting for the voluntary pay reduction program will not be required to take time off and so will not be subject to the work hour restrictions or time keeping requirements associated with furloughs.  Those who choose not to elect the voluntary salary reduction option will, of course, be subject to the furlough program.

Those who wish voluntarily to elect to take a temporary salary reduction in lieu of furloughs must complete an authorization on NESSIE between January 26 and February 8, 2010.  Please consult the following website for more complete information, including the possible impact on SURS contributions, and instructions regarding both the mandatory furlough program and the voluntary pay reduction program.

https://hr.uillinois.edu/PolicyCompliance/PolicyLibrary/HRPolicy/FurloughOptions.cfm

Again, I thank you for your cooperation and understanding and reaffirm my profound appreciation for all you do to make the University of Illinois at Springfield campus the wonderful treasure we know it to be.  With your help and commitment, we will be even stronger in the years ahead.
 
Richard D. Ringeisen, Chancellor
The University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza, MS PAC 563
Springfield, Illinois  62703-5407
217-206-6634; Fax:  217-206-6511

To: The Campus Community
From: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2010
Subject: Elimination of Printed Course Schedule

Based on a recommendation from the Division of Student Affairs, which was strongly endorsed by the deans and the Associate Chancellors, UIS will eliminate the printing of the course schedule.  Eliminating the printing of the course schedule will allow time to develop more accurate course schedules for upcoming semesters and will save about $10,000 per semester.

Up-to-date course schedule information is available through the following link:  http://www.uis.edu/registration/courseSchedule/index.html.

Harry

Harry J. Berman, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of Illinois at Springfield
Public Affairs Center Room 528
One University Plaza
Springfield, IL 62703-5407
(217) 206-6614
(217) 206-7623 (Fax)
Berman.harry@uis.edu

To: The Campus Community
From: Search Committee to Assist in the Selection of a President
Date: Monday, January 18, 2010
Subject: Message from Board of Trustee Member Pamela Strobel - Presidential Search

Members of the University of Illinois Community:

I write as chair of the Search Committee to Assist in the Selection of a President to share with you the position announcement the committee has developed for advertising the position of President of the University of Illinois.  The position announcement and other information on the search can be found at http://www.uillinois.edu/PresidentSearch/Announcement/index.cfm.

The search committee seeks your help in identifying prospective candidates for this important position.  My colleagues and I hope you will submit nominations and encourage qualified individuals to be considered for the position.

As you see from the announcement, you may send nominations electronically to the search firm, Issacson, Miller, that is working with the search committee to identify potential candidates.

Thank you for any assistance you might give the search committee.

Pamela B. Strobel
Member of the Board of Trustees

I want to follow up on President Stanley Ikenberry’s note to all university staff and faculty about the implementation of furloughs, a hiring freeze, and related issues at the University of Illinois. Clearly, the university and UIS are facing our most serious budgetary times in recent history.

The president’s letter describes the initial steps we are taking in response to the budget problems. I expect there to be a lot of communication among us in the days and weeks to come as we implement these steps.

The simple hard fact is that the state of Illinois cannot pay and is not paying its bills. That includes money owed to the University of Illinois. So we must enact measures to assure that we will be able to meet our payroll obligations. If we are unable to do that, we would not be able to keep our focus on our essential mission: to provide an excellent education and college experience to our students. We must also remain in pursuit of our vision to become one of the top five small public liberal arts universities in the nation. We must see to it that we do not halt or reverse the progress we have made in recent years, and I am confident that, working together, we will not.

The UIS community has a remarkable way of rising to the occasion.  Now we must continue to work together and stay in communication as we face new obstacles.

Provost Harry Berman and I will preside at two open forums for the UIS community.  Both forums will be in Brookens Auditorium:

The first is today, January 5, 2009, from 3-4:30 p.m.

The next is Tuesday, January 12, from 2-3:30 p.m.

Dr. Berman and I want to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you have. We will have brief remarks. Then most of the forum will be a Q&A.

For the latest information, please see the following web sites:

• Official information from the University of Illinois:
www.uillinois.edu/our/news/budget/2010Furlough.cfm
 
• This UIS website will be updated as information develops.
www.uis.edu/budget/

• Please use this online form to submit your questions or comments to UIS administration:
https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/8500062