Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Provost

VICE CHANCELLOR OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST

Leadership Profile

CONFIDENTIAL

Prepared by Mercedes Vance Fall 2016

This leadership profile is intended to provide information about the University of Illinois Springfield and the position of Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Provost. It is designed to assist qualified individuals in assessing their interest in this position.

The Opportunity

The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) is one of three universities of the world-class University of Illinois system. With more than 80,000 students and 25,000 employees, the University of Illinois is a launch pad for the next generation of professionals in every field and a guarantor of excellence across the country and around the world. A young and growing university focused on liberal arts, public affairs and professional programs and located in the state capital, UIS is home to four colleges (Business and Management; Education and Human Services; Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Public Affairs and Administration) and offers 31 bachelor’s degree programs, 20 master’s programs, and 1 doctoral program. We seek a creative and visionary Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost who will, in partnership with Chancellor Susan Koch and an exceptional faculty and staff, continue the positive momentum achieved during the past five years and further advance the University to reach its full potential.

UIS has established a reputation for Leadership lived, based upon four core strengths: the educational richness of its teaching-focused academic experience; exceptional internship and fieldwork opportunities that allow students to collaborate with faculty and gain practical experience through institutional partners; the right-sized supportive community it offers; and its tradition of educating public servants and leaders in private and public sectors. UIS is a community-engaged campus whose students contributed more than 84,000 hours of community service last year. The campus is also a major economic driver in the Central Illinois region, generating more than $176 million in income for the local economy annually.

Our diverse student body reflects the ethnic, racial, and international composition of our state and the world, and we serve multiple populations of students, including freshman and transfer, traditional and non-traditional, students at the undergraduate level, and both traditionally aged and working professional populations at the graduate level. Faculty members are accomplished teacher-scholars, and the campus has a national reputation for innovation in teaching and excellence in online education. UIS students have the flexibility of choosing courses delivered on-campus and/or online, which promotes progress toward timely degree completion. Many of UIS’ degree programs are offered fully online as well as on campus.

The position of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost reports to the Chancellor and serves as the campus’ chief academic officer. The VCAA/Provost provides leadership for mission-driven academic and co-curricular endeavors and functions, coordinates academic affairs initiatives and programs with other campus divisions, directs activities surrounding the implementation and achievement of the academic mission, and coordinates campus budget and planning activities.

The ideal candidate will be a creative, inspiring, and energetic leader who can advance the mission of UIS; a skilled administrator who values collaborative governance and student- centeredness; and a visionary who is well-informed about emerging trends in higher education. Minimum qualifications include: an earned doctorate at an accredited institution of higher education; an established record of successful university-level teaching; a substantial record of scholarly achievement that would qualify the candidate for appointment at the rank of Professor; experience in senior-level leadership at the level of dean or higher (or in a position of comparable scope and complexity) at an accredited institution of higher learning; proven

2 strengths in strategic planning, budgeting, academic policy-making and management; demonstrated record of developing, implementing, and sustaining innovative policies and programs that foster excellence in teaching, research, and service; a record of consultative leadership; demonstrated experience in recruiting, developing, retaining, and evaluating faculty and professional staff; and ability to effectively manage and lead professional staff in a fast- paced, complex, data-driven administrative environment. Experience with collective bargaining is preferred.

For information regarding how to make a nomination or express personal interest in this position, please see the section entitled “Procedure for Candidacy” near the conclusion of this document.

The Role of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost serves as Chief Academic Officer with responsibility for directing and coordinating the quality, level and method of delivery of academic programs within the College of Education and Human Services, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Management, College of Public Affairs and Administration.

In addition, the VCAA/Provost will:

• Direct and coordinate the quality, level and method of delivery of educational services within the areas of institutional research, international studies, the library, research and sponsored programs, student assistance, assessment, and instructional design;

• Serve as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet and participate in the formulation of university policy and strategic planning;

• Communicate the mission and articulate the vision for the academic affairs division to all members of the university community and coordinate that mission with the university and UI system mission;

• Progressively lead the division and maintain quality in the recruitment of academic administration, staff and faculty and implement programs for continuing development for each group;

• Provide campus-wide leadership to oversee and maintain institutional accreditation;

• Effectively and collaboratively work with the university’s other vice chancellors and administrative team members;

• Deliberatively and strategically work closely with all other areas to address the university’s student recruitment and retention planning;

• Work with deans, departmental chairs, the Campus Senate, university and senate committees, the faculty union and other university divisions to facilitate transparency and to pursue the mission of the university;

• Coordinate, in collaboration with the deans, the presentation and management of the academic affairs division budget, reviewing and analyzing activities, costs and operations to ensure progress toward stated goals and objectives;

• Effectively and creatively manage the divisional and university resources with the administrative team;

• At the direction of the Chancellor, represent the university to its constituents including faculty and staff, students, alumni, and the larger community of higher education;

• Serve as a member of the administration on university committees and on special studies committees, to the broader University of Illinois system and other state wide committees as assigned by the Chancellor.

Opportunities and Expectations for Leadership

In order to achieve UIS’ vision and mission, the new VCAA/Provost must address the following key issues.

Work with the chancellor to articulate UIS’ vision and mission and to make it a reality

UIS’ chancellor is always looking at re-examining the current strategic plan and staying on point with University of Illinois system strategic framework. This re-examination will need to take account of UIS’ continuing evolution and transformation—and update its goals and aspirations in the face of a rapidly changing academic landscape, increasing competition and challenging economic times. With the Chancellor, the VCAA/Provost will take a leadership role in creating a cohesive vision and culture of a campus focused on the liberal arts, public affairs and professional programs. With this, there are a number of questions to address:

• How will UIS fulfill its goal of becoming a premier public university? • How does UIS build on its strengths and create new opportunities? • How will UIS maintain its focus on innovation? • How will UIS continue to be a recognized leader in quality on-line course delivery? • How will UIS continue to support diversity and global perspectives? • How might UIS expand its contributions in health care as an area of focus? • How will UIS evaluate and design its curricula to meet the needs of its students and fulfill its enrollment goals?

The VCAA/Provost will play a key role in the implementation of updated goals. This will include developing benchmarks and tracking and assessment tools that will assure that the goals are being achieved.

Advocate for and support faculty

The VCAA/Provost will build and maintain relationships with faculty and staff that are key to UIS’ success and sense of community. The VCAA/Provost must be able to serve as a compelling advocate for faculty and lead in a transparent and collaborative way. The faculty will respond particularly well to a VCAA/Provost who seeks to empower them through soliciting ideas and input and who communicates decisions openly. As well as a strong commitment to teaching excellence, faculty are actively engaged in scholarship activities and anticipate that the VCAA/Provost will continue to promote opportunities to engage in scholarly work as well as assist faculty to seek new revenue streams in support of research. The VCAA/Provost will have the opportunity to work the deans and others to bring a vision and strategy for mentorship, recruitment and retention of faculty.

Assure excellence and innovation in UIS’ academic programs

Based on the strategic directions identified through campus and system dialogue, the VCAA/Provost will, with the deans and faculty, foster the development of academic programs which achieve the university’s stated goals and mission. The VCAA/Provost will coordinate and direct the deans in the expansion, improvement, revision and evaluation of existing programs as well as in the development of new academic programs.

The VCAA/Provost’s principal obligation is to support, guide and coordinate the academic division and assist in determining the university’s strategic academic priorities while responding to the changing higher education environment. Working in partnership with the deans, chairs and other faculty leaders, the VCAA/Provost will guide the conversation around curriculum assessment and review. The VCAA/Provost will have a thorough understanding of program review with the ability to recognize programs of distinction and capitalize on and promote UIS’ programmatic strengths. The VCAA/Provost will be a proponent of program growth both at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as spearhead the development of innovative curriculum that is academically strong, market responsive and financially viable. A key objective will be the development of online programs that will promote technological innovation in teaching while maintaining curricular excellence.

It will be important for the new VCAA/Provost to collaborate actively and effectively with the University of Illinois system’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and the vice chancellors of academic affairs of the other two University of Illinois campuses and with other administrators on system-wide initiatives.

Provide leadership in a challenging financial climate

Virtually every institution of higher education today faces an array of financial challenges— economic recession, declining state funding, questions about the rising cost of higher education, finding the resources to support excellence and innovation and increasing competitiveness for students —and the consequent task of identifying a distinctive niche and brand that set the institution apart from the competition. The VCAA/Provost, as the chancellor’s principal advisor on campus budget matters, including budget planning, preparing budget requests and implementing the annual state appropriations, will play a key role in helping UIS to address these challenges.

The VCAA/Provost will also oversee academic human resources and will work closely with the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs on enrollment planning initiatives, and will play a role in advocating for additional resources for UIS by participating in and supporting the initiatives of the Office of Advancement .

Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

UIS seeks an individual with strategic ability, vision and the management skills to guide the University’s academic mission. The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

Effective Leadership • Evidence of dynamic leadership, vision and sound judgment • Ability to unify and engage in a consensus-driven leadership style • Ability to recognize and promote opportunities for innovation • Commitment to collaboration and transparency • Courage to make difficult decisions • Willingness to form proactive partnerships with other key offices on campus • Experienced with campus accreditation and the Higher Learning Commission • Experience with collective bargaining • Demonstrated evidence of vibrancy as a leader and teacher • Leadership in professional associations

Managerial Capabilities • Demonstrated effectiveness in planning, administration, personnel, facilities, and creative fiscal management • An ability to manage and lead professional staff • The energy, stamina, integrity and dedication required for a demanding public position • A strong understanding of governmental programs, agencies, and laws that specifically address university, faculty, and student issues • Ability to hire, inspire, motivate, support and develop staff • Demonstrated understanding of strategies for increasing revenues through grants, contracts and innovative public outreach • Demonstrated experience with budgets and management practices coupled with a transparent and sound practice of resource allocation • Data-driven problem solving and decision making skills • Ability to secure grant funding even in challenging economic times

Personal Qualities • A record of integrity in both personal and professional relationships • Exceptional written and oral communication skills • Relationship building skills • Superb listening skills and the willingness to engage in conversation with all members of the campus community • Superior negotiation and mediation skills • A commitment to transparency, collegiality, and collaboration • A commitment to diversity and equity

Required Qualifications • An earned doctorate from an accredited institution of higher education • An established record of successful university-level teaching • A substantial record of scholarly achievement that would qualify the candidate for appointment at the rank of Professor • Experience in senior-level leadership at the level of dean or higher (or in a position of comparable scope and complexity) at an accredited institution of higher learning • Proven strengths in strategic planning, budgeting, academic policy-making and management • Demonstrated record of developing, implementing, and sustaining innovative policies and programs that foster excellence in teaching, research and service in higher education • A record of consultative leadership • Demonstrated experience in recruiting, developing, retaining, and evaluating faculty and professional staff • Ability to effectively manage and lead professional staff in a fast-paced, complex, data- driven administrative environment • Experience with collective bargaining is preferred

University of Illinois Springfield: An Overview

The University of Illinois Springfield is one of three universities, including Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, of the world-class University of Illinois system. Located on 746 acres of prairie, UIS is a regional master’s level university that focuses on the liberal arts, public affairs, and professional programs.

The Springfield campus serves more than 5,400 undergraduate and graduate students in 52 academic programs. UIS is a recognized national leader in online education and offers 42 academic degrees and graduate certificates entirely online. Located in the capital city of Illinois, with a satellite facility in Peoria, Illinois, the university has a special emphasis in public affairs and public

7 administration as well as in scholarship related to Abraham Lincoln. UIS has 220 full-time faculty and 514 full-time staff and an annual operating budget of $88 million. UIS is an active member of COPLAC, the Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

UIS POINTS OF PRIDE:

1. UIS is one of three universities of the world class University of Illinois system. Both undergraduate and graduate students choose UIS for the opportunity to earn a University of Illinois degree in a personalized and supportive environment.

2. UIS is a young campus - growing in enrollment, visibility and reputation. The addition of several new majors as well as construction of a new Student Union is adding to the growth trajectory of the campus.

3. US News and World Report has ranked UIS among the top 15 public regional universities in the Midwest for the past ten years.

4. UIS is one of a select group of 30 universities nationwide that comprise the distinguished Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). COPLAC institutions are committed to providing students access to an outstanding liberal arts education.

5. UIS has a tradition of educating public servants and leaders with extraordinary connections in state government in Springfield, including numerous opportunities for students to serve in paid internships in Illinois state agencies and on legislative staffs while earning their University of Illinois degree.

6. UIS is nationally recognized for leadership and innovation in online learning with 23 undergraduate and graduate programs offered online.

7. The Capital Scholars Honors Program at UIS brings together intellectually strong students with talented and dedicated faculty to create a unique residential learning environment within the greater UIS community. The program provides robust merit scholarships and admits about 120 freshmen each year.

8. The UIS College of Business and Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the world’s most recognized business accreditation organization.

9. UIS is home to the Therkildsen Field Station, a research facility at the Emiquon Nature Preserve (a Wetlands of International Importance) that provides exciting scientific research opportunities for faculty and valuable learning experiences for students.

10. Graduates of the renowned UIS Public Affairs Reporting Program have won five Pulitzer prizes to date.

11. UIS is home to the Illinois Innocence Project, a program dedicated to investigating and pursuing claims of innocence on behalf of individuals imprisoned for crimes they did not

commit. The program provides legal studies students with exceptional hands-on experience as part of their preparation for law school and other professional pursuits.

12. UIS’ location in Springfield, Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln, provides unique opportunities for Lincoln Studies. The Naomi Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies is housed in the History Department and the campus partners with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and other organizations to offer various Lincoln Studies programs.

13. Sangamon Auditorium, located on the UIS campus, is the largest performing arts stage in Central Illinois and is a cultural hub for the community and the Central Illinois region. The Auditorium offers a full season of Broadway plays and an eclectic lineup of professional entertainment each year and also is host to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

14. The UIS campus is home to NPR Illinois, a leading public radio station in Central Illinois. The station features specialized programming that follows developments in the state capital and the station provides opportunities for UIS students to develop skills and expertise in broadcasting and communications.

15. Almost 70% of UIS’s 250 Division II student-athletes earned conference All- Academic honors for their outstanding academic performance last year.

16. The University is located on a beautiful 750 acre campus that features more than 400 species of trees and shrubs, significant sculptures including “The Young Lawyer,” a sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, and a beautiful Shakespeare Garden featuring plants and flowers from Shakespeare’s works.

Mission Statement

The University of Illinois Springfield provides an intellectually rich, collaborative, and intimate learning environment for students, faculty, and staff, while serving local, regional, state, national, and international communities.

• UIS serves its students by creating an environment that nurtures learning. UIS faculty members have a passion for teaching and engage students in small classes and experiential learning settings. At UIS, the undergraduate and graduate curricula and the professional programs emphasize liberal arts, interdisciplinary approaches, lifelong learning and engaged citizenship.

• UIS provides its students with the knowledge, skills, and experience that lead to productive careers in the private and public sectors.

• UIS serves the pursuit of knowledge by encouraging and valuing excellence in scholarship. Scholarship at UIS is broadly defined. Faculty members are engaged in the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching.

• One vital area in which UIS extends its teaching, scholarship, and service beyond the campus is in the broad area of public affairs. From its location in the state capital, UIS

shapes and informs public policy, trains tomorrow’s leaders, and enriches its learning environment through a wide range of public affairs activities, programs, and organizations.

• UIS empowers its students, faculty, and staff by being a leader in online education and classroom technology. UIS uses technology to enhance its distinctive learning environment and extends that environment beyond the boundaries of the campus.

Vision Statement

UIS will be a premier public university offering innovative, high-quality liberal arts education, public affairs activities, and professional programs dedicated to academic excellence, to enriching individual lives, and to making a difference in the world.

UIS Strategic Goals, Plans, and Progress

UIS’ accomplishments over the last ten years are a testament to the integrity and strength of the 2006 UIS Strategic Plan and to the dedication of its faculty and staff, who remain committed to the mission, vision, and goals that emerged. Divisions, colleges, and other major units of the campus developed unit plans in keeping with the campus-level strategic plan. Unit- level processes contributed to the richness of the campus dialogue about the strategic plan. The core of the 2006 strategic plan is well-represented by substantive goals in the following areas:

1. Academic Excellence 2. Enriching Individual Lives 3. Making a Difference in the World 4. Strengthen Campus Culture 5. Enrollment and Retention 6. Resources and Infrastructure

A recent Strategic Planning Update 2013-2016 illustrates the significant actions and impacts of progress to date within the six overarching goals of the 2006 UIS Strategic Plan. UIS’ current priorities for continuing strategic progress are focused on the areas of Growth, Talent Acquisition, and Facilities.

COPLAC

In June 2009, the distinguished Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) unanimously approved UIS’ membership, placing UIS among a select group of 30 public liberal arts institutions across the United States. The central COPLAC value is to champion the cause of liberal arts and sciences education of superior quality in the public sector, which closely resonates with UIS’ commitment to liberal arts education.

Online Learning at UIS

Over the past decade, UIS has moved to the forefront of institutions engaged in online learning and the uses of technology in instruction. UIS faculty members’ longstanding interest in using evolving technologies to enrich the learning process and extend educational opportunities beyond the actual campus has been followed by their scholarship on excellence in online teaching and learning and on the use of emerging educational technologies. UIS has been recognized nationally for the quality of its online education. U.S. News & World Report has ranked UIS in the top 30 nationally for Online Undergraduate degree programs and in the top 20 for Online Business Graduate (non-MBA) programs. It received a #1 ranking from AffordableCollegesOnline.org, a leading resource for online learning and college affordability information.

UIS’ online achievements are also reflected in many national honors received and in total grants and contracts awarded by national foundations and organizations, which have exceeded $3.67 million. UIS received the prestigious UPCEA Award for Strategic Innovation in Online Education in 2016. UIS online educators were among the inaugural class of 16 Sloan-C Fellows and several UIS faculty have received national awards recognizing their innovation and excellence in online teaching. UIS stands out on the list with more recipients than any other university.

Today, many UIS courses as well as degree programs are delivered online as well as on campus, and are typically taught in both modalities by the same faculty members. More than 200 UIS faculty taught in its online programs during the fall 2015 semester. Thirty percent of all UIS students are online majors, although more than twice that number (63.7%) are enrolled in at least one online course. In May 2015, 97% of all graduates had taken at least one online course to assist with timely degree completion.

Colleges

College of Public Affairs & Administration: http://www.uis.edu/cpaa/ The College of Public Affairs & Administration is dedicated to the belief that effective public affairs education, significant public affairs scholarship, and active service to the community will improve government and public policy in Illinois, the nation, and our wider global community. The College has a long history of interdisciplinary public affairs education, scholarship and public service. Departments in the College meet the needs of a wide range of students from the first semester of undergraduate education through the doctorate. The College offers opportunities to faculty and students that simply cannot be found elsewhere in Illinois

College of Business and Management: http://www.uis.edu/cbam/ The College of Business and Management seeks to have a learning environment in which traditional and nontraditional students, as well as international students, are provided the environment and opportunities to prepare them for careers, positions, and/or advancement in corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. The College’s curriculum acknowledges the impact of increasing globalization and technological advances in the marketplace and prepares students to compete in this rapidly changing environment. The College of Business and Management is accredited by AACSB International, a distinction earned by fewer than five percent of business schools worldwide.

College of Education and Human Services: http://www.uis.edu/cehs/ The College prepares students for professional careers as social workers, teachers, counselors, school administrators, gerontologists, public professionals, and researchers. Faculty of the College take full advantage of UIS’ location in the state capital by maintaining close ties with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Human Services. Due to the large number of state government employees, educators, and human service professionals in Springfield, the College’s academic programs are vital to the city’s economic and employment base.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: http://www.uis.edu/clas/ The College is the largest academic unit at UIS. The College is committed to curricular interdiscipline collaboration, experiential learning, experimentation, and a concern for student- centered learning that includes the use of technologies that aid collaboration and extend the concept of “community” beyond local and regional boundaries. The foundation for this environment is a well-rounded curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, arts, and physical and natural sciences, including mathematics and computer science. Students learn professional skills, but also the blend of critical thinking, scientific logic, and appreciation of the humanities that is so important in the development of personal enrichment.

Center for State Policy and Leadership

The Center for State Policy and Leadership comprises the applied research, media and public service units of the campus that have been the central focus of public affairs activity since the institution’s founding. The Center’s mission is to conduct research to inform public decisions, to educate and engage citizens in public affairs, and to improve public leadership and service.

The Center’s Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies conducts policy and evaluation research, and provides training and leadership development programs for a wide range of state agencies, associations and nonprofit organizations. Faculty members in the College of Public Affairs and Administration can hold joint appointments in the Institute.

NPR Illinois, on radio and online, is a nationally recognized leader in citizen education and public journalism. Combining WUIS public radio and the Center’s former public affairs magazine, Illinois Issues, NPR Illinois covers state policy and politics in Illinois through an array of specialized, innovative news beats. Several of its journalists are graduates of the College’s Public Affairs Reporting program.

The Center administers two nationally recognized internship programs. The Graduate Public Service Internship (GPSI) Program places UIS graduate interns with more than 20 state agencies each year. The Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program places graduate interns with the partisan staffs of the Illinois General Assembly and the Assembly’s nonpartisan Legislative Research Unit.

The Center maintains a strong connection with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum through its co-sponsorship of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Papers is one of the most ambitious documentary editing projects in the country, as it seeks to identify

12 and annotate every document written by or to Lincoln during this lifetime. The Center also offers an annual Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series.

The Center also administers the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP), which engages faculty and students in seeking exoneration of innocent persons convicted of felony crimes in Illinois and in reform of the criminal justice system. In addition to working with UIS undergraduate and graduate students, the project also works with law students at the three public law schools in Illinois.

Athletics

The UIS Prairie Stars are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, a top academic and athletic conference in NCAA Division II. UIS fields 14 intercollegiate teams.

Men’s: Baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women’s: Basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

In the Spring 2016 semester, a total of 136 student-athletes were named to the Athletic Academic Honor Roll for having GPAs of 3.0 or better. Of those 136 student-athletes, 82 had a GPA of 3.5 or better and fifteen earned a perfect 4.0. Each year, Prairie Star student athletes donate hundreds of hours of volunteer work to charitable organizations in the Springfield community. Under the leadership of new Athletic Director Jim Sarra, the UIS Athletic program is on a fast track toward success. In collaboration with the Office of Advancement and with the support of several key athletic supporters in the Springfield community, the UIS Athletics Booster Club has increased the visibility of UIS Athletics in the community and raised funds to support athletic programs.

The Arts at UIS http://www.uis.edu/amt/ http://www.sangamonauditorium.org/

With a focus on the liberal arts as represented by its COPLAC affiliation, the arts at UIS have experienced a resurgence in recent years. An active faculty of practicing artists, musicians, and theatre professionals lead programs that provide students with small class sizes and numerous opportunities to engage the local, regional, and national arts community. UIS Theatre offers a new Theatre major and two faculty-directed productions per year in the Studio Theatre featuring a company of student, faculty/staff, and community theatre artists. The Visual Arts Gallery brings national and regional artists to campus for exhibitions and guest lectures. UIS Music explores music from a global perspective in the classroom, in the music technology lab, and on the performance stage. The Sangamon Auditorium, located on the UIS campus, is a 2,000-seat theater that hosts many nationally touring musical and theatrical productions each year. The mission of Art, Music, and

Theatre at UIS is to provide a model of academic and creative excellence to students, while enriching and engaging the Springfield community in cultural dialogue through the arts.

Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon http://www.uis.edu/emiquon/

UIS’ Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon (TFSE) facilitates learning and research about the Emiquon region and floodplain studies on the Illinois River, about an hour north of Springfield. TFSE is a unique facility because of its location on one the nation’s largest restoration ecology projects of its kind and its partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Dickson Mounds Museum, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Many activities at TFSE are driven by a dedicated group of volunteers.

Brookens Library

http://library.uis.edu/

Norris L. Brookens Library supports UIS with a collection of more than 747,000 total volumes; more than 205,000 e- books; more than 21,000 films, DVDs, and videotapes; and more than 164 databases containing articles from nearly 60,000 journals and other materials. Brookens Library is an official repository for United States government publications, with nearly 200,000 government documents included in the various formats listed above. Brookens is a member of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI). UIS patrons can borrow directly from any of the 84 libraries in the consortium.

Much more about the University of Illinois Springfield may be learned by visiting its website: www.uis.edu.

Springfield, Illinois

Springfield is the state capital of Illinois and the home of Abraham Lincoln and noted American poet Vachel Lindsay.

With a population of 117,000, Springfield also boasts a wildlife sanctuary, zoo, memorial gardens, botanical gardens, and one of the world’s largest carillons.

The heritage of Abraham Lincoln is revered in the Springfield area as evidenced by many landmarks and special events. Springfield is the home of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The historical downtown includes the Old State Capitol, the state capitol complex, the Illinois State Museum, the Lincoln historical district, and a variety of specialty shops and restaurants, making Springfield the most prominent tourist destination in central Illinois.

Springfield is also home to the second Illinois Medical District (the first being in Chicago) and includes two major medical centers, Memorial Health Systems and HSHS St. John’s Health Systems as well as the Southern Illinois University Medical School. The medical community and state government are the two largest employers in Springfield.

Springfield is known for the Cozy Dog and the Horseshoe sandwich, has great restaurants, and is conveniently located between St. Louis and Chicago on Interstate 55. A lively entertainment scene includes jazz, blues, community theatre, municipal opera, comedy, and live music. Springfield, in the heart of Illinois farm country, is also home to the Illinois State Fair, a two- week celebration that brings thousands of participants and visitors to the city each year for a variety of agricultural shows and entertainment options. The area also has a wide variety of recreation opportunities including biking and hiking trails and several first-class golf courses. Lake Springfield offers fishing, boating, and other recreational water activities.

Springfield offers daily Amtrak service to St. Louis and Chicago as well as to points beyond. A regional airport offers daily service to major hubs in Chicago and Dallas. City bus service is provided from the UIS campus to various locations around the city.

See the links below for more about Springfield, Illinois.

City Government Lincoln Sites Official City Website Lincoln Home Site Chamber of Commerce Looking for Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln’s New Salem Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum State of Illinois State of Illinois State Library State Museum

Procedure for Candidacy

Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Profile, and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to the University of Illinois Springfield consultants Mercedes Vance and Charlene Aguilar at [email protected]. The consultants can be reached by telephone through Crystal McClain at 630-575-6948.

UIS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive campus community. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only. This material has been copied, compiled, or quoted in part from the University of Illinois Springfield documents and personal interviews and is believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and factual situations govern.

Appendix I – Springfield Campus

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