The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approved construction of a recreation and fitness center at the University of Illinois at Springfield, bringing the $13.1 million project a step closer to reality.

UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen expressed his gratitude to the IBHE and to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees for supporting the project and understanding the vital role that the center will play in developing campus life at UIS. "The center will be for all of our students, for those who live on campus and for those who commute to campus," he said.

The design phase of the project will begin this fall for the multipurpose facility that will increase the space devoted to recreation and fitness at UIS from about 13,800 square feet to 66,000 square feet. The center, to be located just west of Kiwanis Stadium and south of University Hall and Lincoln Residence Hall, will eliminate overcrowding at current facilities on campus and improve convenience and accessibility for users.

The facility is expected to be completed by August 2007.

"The programmed facility is to be large enough to support increased underclass enrollment and to facilitate the needed development of fitness, wellness, and student life programs on the campus," said Dr. Chris Miller, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

The center will include fitness and exercise rooms and equipment, racquet and handball courts, volleyball and basketball courts, locker rooms, a weight training room and equipment, instruction rooms, a gymnasium and performance arena.

The U of I Board of Trustees approved the project in June following a UIS student referendum held in April 2003 supporting the center's construction. In addition, an assessment by the Division of Student Affairs in conjunction with outside and university consultants determined the need for the center based on increasing student enrollment.

Andrew Hollingsead, UIS student member of the Board of Trustees, noted, "The new recreation center will constitute the most significant step forward for student life at UIS to date. It will be a tremendous boon for our ability to recruit and retain students. Everyone involved with bringing this project to passage should be proud of their efforts."

A total of 66 percent of the students who voted in the referendum supported establishment of a recreation facilities fee starting at $60 per semester this fall, increasing to $90 in fall 2005, and $185 in fall 2006. For UIS alumni, the referendum provided that any student who has paid the recreation center fee prior to the opening of the building will receive one semester of use for each semester they have paid the student fee. Chancellor Ringeisen said that, given that the design and construction of the center will take about three years, "The commitment on the part of our forward-thinking students is astounding."

For more information about the center, contact Chris Miller at 206-6581.

UIS student among finalists for prestigious national humanitarian award

University of Illinois at Springfield student Elizabeth Moran has been selected as a finalist for the 2004 Howard R. Swearer Humanitarian Award, presented by Campus Compact to five college students nationally in recognition of outstanding public service. Moran was nominated for the honor by UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen.

Campus Compact is a coalition of more than 850 college and university presidents committed to the civic purposes of higher education, particularly community service that develops students' citizenship skills and values. Swearer Awards are made to students who demonstrate commitment to public service as well as an innovative approach to social, educational, environmental, health, economic, or legal issues within their communities. Nominees must have connected service with academic study, developed systems to ensure long-term support for projects, and linked service with a larger social context.

"I recommended Liz for the award without hesitation or reservation," said Chancellor Ringeisen. "Her commitment to public service is outstanding. She has been involved in service both on campus and off and she is constantly engaging students, faculty, and community members in conversations about social change and encouraging people to think critically. It is not an understatement to say that Liz's presence has invigorated many members of the UIS and Springfield communities."

A senior this fall majoring in Political Studies, Moran was in the original class of Capital Scholars and has been involved in a number of civic engagement and activist issues while at UIS.

She is a member of the board of directors and volunteer coordinator for the Heartland Peace Center, a local non-profit organization, and in spring 2004 also established and was part of the volunteer teaching staff at the Heartland Peace Academy, a school for social justice education designed to empower students to act on a wide spectrum of issues. At the time, Moran noted that the idea for the school was inspired by the frustration of students who were upset about the problems facing society today but felt they lacked the education and skills to bring about positive change.

"Peace is more than the absence of violence," she said. "It takes a lifetime commitment to change the way you speak to others. People have to be willing to withstand the pressure of conformity. Education helps build the confidence people need to speak out against injustice."

This summer Moran is one of three National Raise Your Voice Fellows, chosen from 250 applicants nationwide, who are working in the National Campus Compact headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island. The fellows are charged with compiling the experiences and perspectives of the more than 450 campuses and 200,000 students who took part in the recent Raise Your Voice: Student Action for Change Campaign, a two-year program designed to create opportunities for students to contribute to issues that they care about through community-building and political and civic engagement.

Moran's other activities have included being part of a group of UIS students who traveled to Nicaragua to work on a service project with Witness for Peace. She is president of the club Campus Greens, served as co-facilitator for the Student Civic Engagement dialogs hosted by UIS in the fall of 2002, and has managed the campaign of a candidate for Springfield City Council. She served on the Illinois Campus Compact student advisory board for two years and was part of a student delegation to the Oxfam America Free Trade Coffee conference in New Orleans in 2003.

Howard R. Swearer was the 15th president of Brown University and founder of Campus Compact. Established in 1987, the award that bears his name honors his belief that universities should be communities of compassionate people involved in serious intellectual pursuits, yet never divorced from the realities of their communities.