Editor’s note: The end of the Spring semester offers a time to reflect on the experiences of the past year and recognize important milestones. This list contains the top 10 UIS happenings from this academic year.
No. 1: Late-semester faculty strike raises tensions on campus
A 17-day professor’s strike that saw supporters marching across campus, calls for administrators to quit their jobs and questions over the university’s financial situation ended April 20.
After nearly a year of negotiations with UIS administration, the union representing tenure/tenure-track faculty voted to authorize a strike on March 19 and began a work stoppage on April 3.
Early morning messages from both the administration and union on April 20 indicated a tentative agreement was reached, although no details of it were released pending approval votes by both sides.
After reaching the five-day mark, the strike became the longest in UIS history, surpassing UIS United Faculty’s previous four-day work stoppage in May 2017.
Students, community members and multiple federal- and state-level elected officials walked the picket lines in solidarity with striking faculty.
The union’s key demand was salary increases that kept pace with the rising cost-of-living. The University maintained the strike is not necessary and that all its bargaining efforts were in good faith and reflected the institution’s financial limitations, specifically the need to manage its annual deficit that is expected to reach $19 million for the budget year that ends in June.
The conflict grew tense as faculty called for Chancellor Janet Gooch to step down. The union entered the final weekend of negotiations by camping out for three hours in Gooch’s office waiting area, hoping for a meeting. It never happened as office aides said the chancellor was unavailable.
No 2. Sangamon Auditorium undergoing major facelift
Since its first opening in 1982, the UIS Performing Arts Center, which includes Sangamon Auditorium, has served as a space for artistic expression and cultural enrichment on the UIS campus.
After 44 years, the University started a long-awaited remodel of the space, along with major overhauls of other areas of the building, which houses administration and faculty offices and classrooms.
The 2nd Act Campaign was designed to raise money to improve the auditorium, including new seats and carpet, more accessible spaces and seating, and better equipment. As of April, the campaign raised over $608,000 with a goal of $1.25 million.
The auditorium expects to reopen in the fall.
No. 3: UIS begins construction on new Library Commons
This year UIS began construction of an ambitious new project, the Library Commons Building. Located on the east side of the Quad, the Library Commons is intended to modernize the student academic experience on campus.
This multipurpose building will house library services, advising, academic and tech support, and career development services all in one easily accessible location. The Library Commons project broke ground in September and is expected to open in Fall 2027, with the hope that it will become a new hub of student activity and collaboration.
No. 4: NPR celebrates 50 years of coverage in Springfield
NPR Illinois, the public radio station with studios on the UIS campus, celebrated the radio station’s 50th year of service to central Illinois. With the help of the Sangamon Experience, an on-campus organization that works to share the history of the region, NPR Illinois opened a special exhibit at the Lincoln Library in September highlighting the achievements, struggles and impacts of the last 50 years of coverage in the Springfield area.
Created by UIS Public History master’s student and Sangamon Experience Graduate Assistant Evie Rodenbaugh, the exhibit featured memorabilia spanning five decades, including old broadcasting equipment and various NPR items that showcased the station’s evolution over time. This event captured nostalgia through the years and mixed it with community and passion.
No. 5: Students win Outstanding Large Delegation Award at MIG simulation
Members of the UIS Model Illinois Government Club took home the award for Outstanding Large Delegation for the seventh time when they participated in this year’s Model Illinois Government simulation at the Illinois State Capitol March 5-8. In the simulation, students act as legislators, staffers, lobbyists journalists and executive branch officials to compete with each other and strengthen their public speaking, teamwork and leadership skills.
The UIS MIG Club competed against students from 17 schools across Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. In addition to the Outstanding Large Delegation award, two UIS MIG members won individual awards for their performance at the event: Isaiah Gauwitz won Outstanding Member of the Senate, and Samuel Moore won Outstanding Member of Staff.
No. 6: College of Business and Management opens trading lab
The new Sean and Taryn Grant/Landmark Auto Trading Lab allows UIS students to use real-time data to analyze investments, research markets and to perform modeling and valuation.
The lab, which features 12 Bloomberg terminals, gives students interested in finance, data analytics and related fields an opportunity to gain hands-on learning experience with a professional platform.
The lab also promises to give back to the University, as work done on the terminals will help support informed investment decision making for the UIS Student Managed Investment Fund. Students will also be able to earn Bloomberg certifications, which the UIS College of Business Management hopes will improve their ability to compete in today’s job market.
No. 7: UIS teams escape winter in new Springfield Clinic Dome
UIS sports teams that normally play and practice outdoors now have a way to keep their skills sharp over the winter.
The new Springfield Clinic Dome at Scheels Sports Park opened in the fall. UIS softball and baseball teams began renting it out for practices. And Feb. 12-13, the softball team hosted a tournament inside the facility, which is billed as the largest air-supported dome in the world.
Spanning over 196,000 square feet, the dome contains basketball and volleyball courts, soccer and softball fields, batting cages and more. Additional fields are located just outside of the dome, part of a $ 60 million project designed to host year-round sports competitions.
The Sports Park and dome are estimated to bring in 200,000 visitors yearly and generate $25 million to $30 million in economic growth to the city of Springfield.
UIS also plans to use the dome to host the new Prairie Stars Women’s Flag Football team’s home games when they get underway in Spring 2027.
No. 8: Women’s flag football becomes UIS’ 18th varsity sport, hires first coach
UIS is now the second NCAA Division II program in Illinois to add Women’s Flag Football to its athletic program.
After the Illinois High School Association announced the inclusion of girls’ flag football in 2024, the popularity of the sport spread quickly across the state. Colin Wood will serve as the first coach for the team’s opening season in Spring 2027.
Wood brings his extensive football knowledge and experience from the Division III program at North Central College, where he helped win six national championship games. Wood has already begun recruiting to build the Prairie Stars Women’s Flag Football team in preparation for the 2027 season.
No. 9: Campus Movement’s annual 20,000 water balloon fight
Campus Movement (CAMO), a religious-minded student recreational organization on campus, is well known by UIS students for pulling off some of the biggest events during the school year.
CAMO hosts the most anticipated of these events each year at the beginning of Fall semester in August: a massive water balloon fight. Since its debut in 2021, CAMO has grown the event from 10,000 water balloons to this year’s total of 20,000 water balloons. This event is one of the most popular and well attended events during the school year and is a great way to start the semester off with a splash.
No. 10: St. Louis Cardinals make a stop at UIS
As part of their promotional tour through six states, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Caravan traveled to Springfield Jan. 17 and made an appearance at the UIS Recreation and Athletics Center.
Cardinals players Yohel Pozo, Andre Pallante, Thomas Saggese and Michael McGreevy, along with broadcasters Chip Caray, Brad Thomson and Bengie Molina, stopped by campus during a UIS Prairie Stars doubleheader basketball game.
Fans met with the players, enjoyed two highly competitive Division II basketball games and participated in a relay race with the Cardinals players during halftime. Fans also had the opportunity to receive two free tickets to a 2026 Cardinals game and autographs from the players. The UIS Athletics department plans for the Cardinals to return to campus in Spring 2027.
