A Debate Over Defunding The Campus Police Takes Root At The University Of Illinois
This is the first of a two-part digital story series. The second story publishes on Illinois Newsroom tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. URBANA – Surrounded by dozens of people wearing face masks, carrying pots, pans and handmade protest signs, William Burke stepped up to a microphone outside the University of Illinois Police Department on the […]
‘It Was An Incredible Experience’: U of I Professor Tapped By Biden Administration To Transition USDA
URBANA – A University of Illinois professor helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) transition from the Trump to the new Biden-Harris administration. Jonathan Coppess is one of hundreds of people — including researchers, professors and scientists — who volunteered their time on the effort. Coppess, an assistant professor within the U of I’s agriculture […]
U Of I Admins Urge Students To Stay Vigilant As They Return To Campus
URBANA – As University of Illinois students return to the Urbana campus this month, administrators urge them to remain vigilant as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Campus leaders said during a virtual COVID-19 briefing yesterday that many of the same precautions that were enacted in the fall semester will remain in place during the spring, […]
December Flash Index Shows Slow, Steady Recovery For Illinois Economy
URBANA – The Illinois economy continued its slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in December, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. The monthly report measured the state’s economy at 95.9 in December, up from 95.6 in October and November. The number shows an improvement in the state economy since the Flash Index dropped […]
Bielema Introduced As New U Of I Football Coach
CHAMPAIGN — Two days after hiring Bret Bielema as new head football coach, the University of Illinois introduced him at a virtual news conference Monday afternoon. Listen to Bret Bielema’s introductory news conference here. Bielema says one of his top priorities will be keeping the top high school football players in the state from going […]
Greenville Officials Say U Of I’s COVID-19 Test Made Campus A ‘Safe Haven’
GREENVILLE – About 10% of undergraduates at Greenville University in southern Illinois contracted COVID-19 this semester, according to data from the campus. The small private Christian college located about 50 miles east of St. Louis used the University of Illinois COVID-19 Shield program during the fall semester. President of Greenville University, Suzanne Davis, says thanks […]
U Of I Needs FDA Authorization To Expand Access To COVID-19 Testing In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign still does not have emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its saliva COVID-19 test — and that’s causing delays in expanding it to the rest of the state’s public universities and K-12 schools. University officials discussed the matter at a hearing hosted […]
Report: Teaching In Illinois ‘Not Sustainable’ During COVID-19
SPRINGFIELD – The COVID-19 pandemic will likely worsen Illinois’ teacher shortage. Educators who were already in short supply in the state face increased challenges on the job, according to a new report from the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Meghan A. Kessler, who authored the report and is an assistant professor […]
U Of I Chancellor Releases Plan For Campus Life After Chief Illiniwek
A plan for addressing issues related to the University of Illinois’ use of Chief Illiniwek as a mascot includes formation of a student council to look at the development of new traditions for the Urbana campus. Chancellor Robert Jones released the implementation plan on Friday. The plan draws from input from a series of community-wide […]
Food Insecurity Disproportionately Affects Certain Regions, U Of I Study Shows
URBANA – Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of food insecurity were lower than they had been in more than two decades, according to hunger relief nonprofit Feeding America. Now that trend is reversing, and millions more Americans are facing hunger this year due to loss of employment and reduced access to school meals. Feeding America […]
More People Are Dying During The Pandemic — And Not Just From COVID, U Of I Researchers Find
URBANA – During the first three months of the pandemic, the number of U.S. adults dying increased compared to previous years, according to a recent study led by University of Illinois researchers involving data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The statistically significant increase in deaths remained even after deaths attributed to […]
University Building Monitoring For COVID-19 Lax After Hiring Shortfall
URBANA — To get into University of Illinois buildings, students and employees are supposed to show an app saying that they’ve had a recent, clean COVID-19 test. Nearly one-third of the time, however, there’s no one at the door to check their status. This is the finding of a group of University of Illinois student […]
What The University Of Illinois Learned From Reopening Amid The Pandemic
When University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign officials decided to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they launched an ambitious plan to…
U.S. Dept. Of Education Opens Investigation Into Alleged Anti-Semitism At U Of I
URBANA – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the University of Illinois’ response to reports of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist incidents on its Urbana campus. Three Jewish organizations — including the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, the Jewish United Fund and Hillel International — filed a complaint earlier this […]
University of Illinois Students Hold Vigil To Raise Suicide Awareness
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include information about the number of counselors and funds for mental health services provided by the University of Illinois. URBANA – Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign held a vigil Nov. 1 to honor the life of a student who died by suicide in late […]