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UIS chancellor outlines library project, enrollment shifts; alumni office reports growth in engagement
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Summary
Chancellor Janet Gooch described a 52,000-square-foot library commons under construction (expected 2027), reported a 19% rise in first-year enrollment but a nearly 6% overall decline driven by a 27% drop in international graduate students, and detailed recruitment and partnership plans. The UIS Alumni Association reported nearly 54,000 alumni and new engagement initiatives.
Chancellor and Vice President Janet Gooch told the Board that construction began last July on a three-story, 52,000-square-foot library commons at the University of Illinois Springfield that will combine library services, advising, career development and tech support; the project is expected to be operational in 2027. Gooch said the facility is part of a strategy to strengthen enrollment and student supports.
Gooch reviewed recent enrollment trends: fall 2025 first-year student numbers rose by 19%, and transfer enrollment edged up slightly, but total enrollment at UIS was down nearly 6%, a decline she attributed largely to a 27% drop in the international graduate student population. She cited visa processing delays and increased documentation requirements as obstacles and said UIS is pursuing expanded international partnerships, online start pathways, and diversified recruitment strategies to stabilize and grow graduate enrollment.
The UIS Alumni Association, represented to the trustees by Chuck Schrage, reported the campus has nearly 54,000 alumni, more than 45,000 living graduates, and concentrated in-state clusters. Schrage described digital engagement efforts (UIS Unite on the PeopleGrow platform), volunteer leadership structures, student philanthropy programming and an oral-history initiative due for publication in July 2026.
No formal votes were taken on the informational items; trustees thanked presenters and moved on to the board's agenda.