The administration, faculty, student body and alumni of the University of Illinois Springfield share their heartbreak over the announcement that Dr. Clarice Ford, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, passed away on April 19. Dr. Ford has always been a most loved administrator at UIS due to her active involvement in ensuring students’ successes, consistently going above and beyond what would be expected of a university professional. Words cannot describe the impact she has had on thousands of students. The university’s official announcement is as follows: 

“Dear Students, Faculty and Staff, 

It is with deep sadness I write to inform you that Dr. Clarice Ford, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, passed away Sunday, April 19, 2020, at Memorial Medical Center following a brief illness. Dr. Ford has been a profoundly important voice for students and an essential member of the UIS leadership team since 2008 – first serving as Executive Director of the Diversity Center and Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Services and, starting in 2014, as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Dr. Ford has been a leader who was dedicated to cultivating inclusive communities and ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has an opportunity to succeed. She has been the embodiment of “Leadership lived.” Her impact on the University of Illinois Springfield will live on in the many students, faculty and staff she has guided and influenced. 

Funeral arrangements are pending and we will have an appropriate celebration to honor Dr. Ford’s many contributions to the university at a later time. In the meantime, I hope you will keep Dr. Ford’s family, colleagues and students in your thoughts.” 

Dr. Clarice Ford’s legacy will live on in the lives of the thousands of students’ lives she changed. The UIS Counseling Center is available for anyone who needs it. They can be contacted at (217) 206-7122.