Janet L. Gooch: It's an honor to take on the role as UIS chancellor
When I first stepped onto the University of Illinois Springfield campus, I was struck by the level of commitment to place and purpose. The energy was palpable, and the sense of promise was contagious.
It is such an honor to take on the role as UIS chancellor and to follow in the footsteps of some remarkable leaders. This is an opportunity I won’t take for granted, and I cannot wait to learn as much as I can about this amazing university and welcoming community.
I am so thankful to Dr. Karen Whitney for serving as UIS interim chancellor for the past two years during such a difficult and transformative time, and for creating a positive momentum that will keep UIS growing and thriving in the years to come.
The future is exceptionally bright!
Previous UIS column: UIS Perspectives: It has been an incredibly fulfilling two years
What an exciting time to be stepping into the role of chancellor, to be part of a tremendously talented team that is leading the way to seize the great opportunity that beckons on the horizon.
In front of us is the opportunity to make sure growing numbers of students know what UIS and Springfield have to offer, to engage them in the community, and help them to be successful academically and in the workforce beyond.
We will work together to ensure faculty continue to have what they need to teach successfully within new educational models and an evolving paradigm; to cultivate partnerships and foster a spirit of collaboration and innovation with community partners and our leaders at the state Capitol; and to help unlock the great potential for continued economic development and vitality for the region.
More: UIS union faculty overwhelmingly vote to ratify 4-year labor contract
It’s quite inspiring to think about the extent of possibility.
This is also a very exciting next chapter for me personally – one of great individual opportunity and a time ripe for professional growth.
I’ve spent the last 27 years at Truman State University, a leading liberal arts university with about the same enrollment as UIS. It was a wonderfully rich and fulfilling experience, offering so many interesting challenges, proud accomplishments and meaningful outcomes.
I was fortunate to be a part of the warm, embracing Midwest community of Kirksville, Missouri — in many ways very much like Springfield.
As proud as I am of my time at Truman and my community in Kirksville, I am ready for new and greater challenges, to take that next step in making a bigger difference — in building on the growing stature and reputation of UIS, educating even more students and creating wider impact to better the region, state and country.
To this new role, I will bring humility, selflessness, the desire for shared purpose, mutually beneficial collaboration, and collective celebration of success — all for the greater good.
In that spirit, I look forward to getting to know all of you in the business community; civic and government leaders; the administration, faculty, staff and students within UIS and the University of Illinois System; and the many partners in the surrounding region.
I know that together, we will accomplish amazing things.
Janet L. Gooch is the chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: It's an honor to take on the role as UIS chancellor
