University of Illinois Springfield

The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995. As a public liberal arts college, and the newest campus in the University of Illinois system, UIS is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. UIS is also part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. The campus' main repository, Brookens Library, holds a collection of nearly 800,000 books and serials in addition to accessible resources at the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campuses. The University of Illinois Springfield serves 4,198 students (Fall 2022) with 56 bachelor's degrees, 39 minors, 44 master's degrees, 1 doctorate degree, 37 graduate certificates and coursework that leads to 6 ISBE endorsements. The university was once one of the two upper-division and graduate universities in Illinois, but now accepts freshmen, transfer, and graduate students. History Sangamon State University In 1967, the Illinois General Assembly created a Board of Regents to operate Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University, as well as a third unnamed institution in Springfield. In 1969, Governor Richard Ogilvie signed into law a bill officially creating Sangamon State University. It originally operated as an "upper-division" university—that is, a university that offers only the last two years of undergraduate education, as well as graduate work. The first classes were held on September 28, 1970, at the former Hotel Leland in downtown Springfield. In October, SSU began offering classes in the current campus location near Lake Springfield.