Chancellor/Vice President

Chancellor/Vice President

 

The University of Illinois Springfield is conducting a search for its next Chancellor/Vice President of the University of Illinois System. The Chancellor is the chief executive officer for the Springfield campus, reporting directly to the President of the University of Illinois System. 

 

THE UNIVERSITY

 

The University of Illinois Springfield provides a student-centered educational experience both in and out of the classroom through active learning, meaningful research and impactful civic engagement that prepares graduates to contribute fully to society. Uniquely located in the capital city of the state, the University is poised to have great impact on not only the Springfield community, but the State as a whole. The University serves about 4,000 students (36% are graduate students), with 207 full-time faculty, 532 full-time staff and an operating budget of $90.77 million.

 

Vision:

 

The University of Illinois Springfield will be a pathway to opportunity, a catalyst for change and a place of possibilities where learners become ethical and passionate scholars, leaders and citizens capable of transforming their local and global communities.

 

Values:

 

  • Student-focused Teaching and Learning: We place student development – fostered through meaningful interactions among students, faculty, staff and the community – at the core of all University activities.

 

  • : We conduct ourselves with honesty, professionalism and respect for others, accepting responsibility for the ethical consequences of our ideas and actions.
  • : We seek to understand the world around us through the mastery of core skills of perception, analysis and expression, through the acquisition of knowledge and through the pursuit of scholarship that is challenging and significant.
  • Civic Engagement: We build meaningful relationships that enable us to both learn from and contribute to our local and global communities.
  • : We embrace diversity in all its forms as both an intellectual commitment and a social responsibility, and we foster an inclusive culture that recognizes the needs and contributions of every individual.
  • Strategic Thinking: We are a proactive learning organization committed to continuous improvement, evidence-based decision-making and innovation.
  • : We translate intentions into actions via shared governance and fiscal stewardship, holding ourselves responsible to our students, colleagues and other stakeholders.

 

UIS At a Glance:

 

  • History: Established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly. On July 1, 1995, became a campus of the University of Illinois, thereafter, known as the University of Illinois Springfield;
  • Location: in Springfield, the capital of the State of Illinois (population 114,000).Approximately 200 miles southwest of Chicago and 100 miles northeast of St. Louis;
  • Colleges: Business and Management, Education and Human Services, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Public Affairs and Administration, and a recommendation to establish a new college – The College of Health, Science and Technology
    • 60 bachelor's degrees, 46 minors
    • 55 master's degrees, 1 doctorate
    • 48 graduate certificates
    • Coursework that leads to 6 Illinois State Board of Education endorsements
  • Member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), which emphasizes the value of a high-quality, public liberal arts education in a student-centered environment;
  • Strong commitment to public affairs, including a Center for State Policy and Leadership; 
  • An AACSB-accredited College of Business and Management;
  • Research Funding: Approximately $7 million annually;
  • US News & World Report America’s Best Colleges has ranked UIS the No. 1 public regional university in Illinois and No. 4 in the Midwest (2020, 2021);
  • No. 5 for students graduating with the least amount of debt, Midwest regional category (2021);
  • Top 20 best value school, Midwest regional category, and the only public university in Illinois on the list (2022);
  • No. 12 best college for veterans, Midwest regional category (2022);
  • Among the 15 best public regional universities in the Midwest since 2006;
  • UIS and its students and alumni add $833 million to the Illinois economy annually;
  • Member NCAA Div. II, Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC);
  • student clubs and organizations;
  • More than 44,000 living alumni located throughout the world.

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SYSTEM

 

The three universities in the University of Illinois system have a total operating budget of over $7 billion: over 93,000 undergraduates, graduate and professional students, and research expenditures exceeding $1 billion.  The Chancellor/Vice President works with the President and other university officers to set and implement a broad vision for the University System.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 

The University prefers outstanding candidates who possess:

 

  • Vision, integrity, leadership skills and experience to engage the entire campus community in maintaining the highest standards of quality and academic excellence in an atmosphere of collegiality and consensus building;
  • An understanding of the role of the chancellor in facilitating change in a dynamic environment, while ensuring a commitment to academic freedom and shared governance;
  • Familiarity with higher education policies and best practices as it relates to increasing enrollments and additional sources of funding;
  • Recognizes the importance of building and sustaining global partnerships for both students and faculty;
  • Ability and willingness to work collaboratively with collective bargaining units to advance the mission of the university and to build healthy, collaborative relationships with represented employees;
  • A track record and continued interest in building engagement and trust with the local and broader communities through inclusive discourse, collaboration and mutually beneficial initiatives;
  • Commitment to serving as a resource and collaborative partner for the economic, educational, cultural, artistic, and social betterment of the region;
  • The ability to strengthen relationships within the University of Illinois System including other system Chancellors, the President, and Board of Trustees while representing UIS’s identity;
  • An appreciation of and commitment to build upon UIS' strengths in liberal arts and public affairs;
  • Deep commitment to and proven track record in enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion;
  • Commitment to ensuring the success of UIS’s students and addressing the challenges of UIS’s diverse student population which includes first-generation students, online students, non-traditional students, traditional-age students, honors students, international students, etc.;
  • A commitment to campus safety and welfare;
  • Fiscal acumen with demonstrated success in navigating shifting financial landscapes;
  • Successful track record in fundraising and cultivating relationships from both public and private sources, as well as the ability to promote a university-wide culture that emphasizes campus engagement in philanthropic efforts;
  • Ability to foster an innovative environment that attracts high-quality faculty, students, and staff by encouraging creativity, research, teaching, and learning;
  • A firm grasp of information technology-driven innovations in higher education and online learning;
  • A commitment to and appreciation of the arts;
  • A commitment to and understanding of the value of a Division II intercollegiate athletic program;
  • An earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree.

 

APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS

The Chancellor Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, resume/CV and contact information for at least five professional references) or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to February 1, 2022 to:

Laurie C. Wilder, President

Porsha L. Williams, Vice President

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875

Atlanta, Georgia 30328

770-804-1996 ext. 102 or 109

lwilder@parkersearch.com | | pwilliams@parkersearch.com

 

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Other pre-employment assessments may be required.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment

The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants