UIUC Updates

 

This post includes some recent updates from last month's U of I Trustees meeting, pandemic updates, winter storm updates, and more. WCIA had an overview of the latest U of I Trustees meeting here, with updates afterward. Excerpt:

University of Illinois trustees at their main meeting Thursday gave final approval to tuition, fee, and housing rates for the 2022-2023 school year.

Trustees heard comments from Interim Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs Avijit Ghosh, repeating much of what he told a committee meeting Wednesday about why the hike is necessary...

U of I President Tim Killeen at Wednesday’s meeting said the decision came after “extensive conversations” and was “not taken lightly” by top school officials. Trustees did not shoot down the proposal on Wednesday, but some urged the administration to continue to explore financial aid opportunities.

That full article here with links to the proposed tuition, fee and housing rates. WCIA also had an additional blurb on the U of I trustees' approval for the library renovations. Excerpt:

The Undergraduate Library will be completely gutted soon. They’ll start construction to turn it into a new facility. The archives, special collections, and rare books will be moved there.

Some of the university’s oldest documents need to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. so the updated building will help preserve them and open up new teaching spaces...

The main library on campus will also be redesigned. The money will primarily come from donors, endowments, and a deferred maintenance fund.

Full blurb with video segment here. There was a similar blurb by WCIA here.

The Daily Illini had coverage of the University's recommendation and distribution of KN95 and N95 masks with the new Omicron variant:

The University began handing out one N95 mask per person for free at the start of the spring semester. 

These masks are being recommended and provided now because the Omicron variant is more infectious and N95’s are available...

The masks were reserved for the health care system, but now they are available to everyone. 

That full article here. University staff were also in the news over their vocal concerns about pandemic safety measures with University guests and students. More on that from Illinois Newsroom here.

Illinois Newsroom had an overview of the mental health access issues on campus, including shortages of mental health workers. Excerpt:

Despite a growing need for mental health services in the community, the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois says the resources remain underfunded and understaffed.

The University offers numerous services for mental health and counseling, but many students have complained that they’re ineffective and inaccessible, and with the rise of COVID-19 the Counseling Center has been left with not enough licensed counselors to match the needs of the students on campus. 

[Director Carla McCowan] hopes to hire more counselors to help meet the demand from students. According to the International Accreditation of Counseling Services, the nationally accepted ratio of students to counselors is 1,000-1,500:1, excluding trainees and interns, in order to best meet needs.

That full article is available here with a lot of additional information.

Other University news:

• WCIA had coverage on the passing of former UIUC dean Clarence Shelley.
• The recent severe winter weather caused classes to go remote again according to the Daily Illini. More recent Cheat Sheet winter weather updates here.
• The Illinois Student Government condemned a recent visit by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to campus on the first day of Black History Month, put together by college Republicans. From the Daily Illini.