UIC 101: What you need to know to start the year  

Welcome to fall semester, Flames! You’ve made it to UIC, and now you’re ready to start the semester strong. UIC offers a wide range of resources to help you feel a sense of belonging on campus, find your niche and excel in and out of the classroom. You can see a complete list of resources on the current student resources website, but here are a few to get you started.

Academic resources

First, how to excel in class. You can connect with your advisor, attend your instructors’ office hours, sign up for success coaching and find tutoring services to help you meet your academic goals.

Belonging

There are dozens of student organizations, some for community service or social justice, others organized around common interests like sports, anime or Italian. UIC also has fraternities and sororities. To learn more, attend the Involvement Fair, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 4-5, on the University Hall lawn. Or you can connect through the UIC Center for Student Involvement. Keep an eye on their calendar for fun upcoming events, like UIC’s exclusive SPARK concert Sept. 14.

Between-class hangouts

UIC has many learning centers and oases. These are informal spots where students can hang out, study or collaborate with classmates.

Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change

These centers offer learning opportunities, student mentorship programs, cultural programming, advocacy, collaborative research, community partnerships and more. The seven centers are: 

• Arab American Cultural Center
• Asian American Resource and Cultural Center
• Black Cultural Center
• Disability Cultural Center
• Gender and Sexuality Center
• Latino Cultural Center
• Women’s Leadership and Resource Center

Child care

Looking for child care? The UIC Children’s Center offers fully accredited, full-time early childhood education for children ages 2 years and 9 months to 6 years old who are children of faculty, staff and students.

Commuting

If you’re new to UIC and maybe also new to Chicago, you might be feeling overwhelmed with all the commuting choices. Here is a list to help you find the best option for you.

UIC’s Commuter Student Resource Center provides a home away from home for commuter students. Located on the second floor of Student Center East — walk through the Wellness Center to get there — it has quiet study space, a social lounge, computers, kitchen, lockers and lactation rooms.

Culture

• Gallery 400 is a free art space at UIC that supports contemporary arts, architecture and design through exhibitions, lectures and more.
• UIC Theatre showcases student actors in professional-quality productions. You don’t have to be a theatre major to audition.
• Are you a musician? UIC has a variety of groups, from choirs and bands to orchestras and ensembles. Membership is open to all.
• Jane Addams Hull-House Museum exhibits are related to societal issues important to the pioneering social reformer.
• UIC partners with both the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago History Museum, and students can get free admission.

Dining

With nearly 30 dining options at 14 locations, Dining Services has something for everyone.

Disability Resource Center

The Disability Resource Center provides programming, services and resources for students with disabilities and guidance for faculty on accessible teaching.

Financial aid and scholarships

UIC Student Financial Aid and Scholarships administers federal, state, external and institutional aid. Students can also apply for scholarships based on academic achievement, special interests, leadership, financial need and more. 

Health and wellness 

CampusCare, a student health plan paid for with student fees, includes services at nearby providers. 

The Counseling Center provides counseling, therapy and workshops.  

The Wellness Center offers food assistance, free wellness supplies and information on health.  

Housing 

UIC residence halls offer a variety of arrangements, including living-learning communities, options for graduate students and temporary guest housing. Housing residents have access to programming, tutoring, interactions with faculty and connections to other students and campus resources. 

ID Center  

If you’re a new student, this may be one of your first stops. The ID Center distributes i-cards for students, faculty and staff. They also issue the CTA U-PASS, good for unlimited rides on CTA buses and trains. And they administer the Dragon Dollars meal plan payment program.  

IT resources 

UIC’s Technology Solutions offers a range of resources, from equipment lending and on-campus computer labs to printing services and online learning tools. 

Job services 

UIC Student Employment helps students find part-time jobs on and off campus to help with their expenses. 

The Office of Career Services helps students prepare for careers and find jobs. 

Library 

There are two libraries at UIC — the Daley Library on the east side of campus and the Library of the Health Sciences on the west side. Check out the IDEA Commons — a learning and collaboration space on the first floor of the Daley Library with meeting areas, a performance area and more than 100 computers. The Library of the Health Sciences is home to the new Odehmenan Health Equity Center, a hub for education, events, dialogue and advocacy. 

Maps 

Worried about getting lost? Check out the online map of UIC’s campus. 

Office of the Dean of Students  

The  Office of the Dean of Students is a resource for advocacy, engagement, support services and other opportunities to help students achieve academic success. 

Recreation 

Zumba, swimming, massage therapy and more! UIC has recreation facilities on the east and west sides of campus that offer everything from intramural sports to personal training, as well as an outdoor field complex and outdoor recreation courts for tennis, sand volleyball, basketball and jogging. Interested in an off-campus adventure like camping, hiking or kayaking? UIC’s Outdoor Adventure Program provides students with outdoor experiences that are educational, inspiring and fun. 

Research 

UIC students have many  research opportunities to gain real-world experience in the classroom while working side-by-side with federal grant-funded investigators. 

Safety 

• The UIC Police Department works with Chicago Police and other area security agencies to keep the UIC campus and neighborhood safe. Services include bike registration, after-hours escort and crime-prevention programs. 
  Emergency: 312-355-5555 
  Non-emergency: 312-996-2830 
  TDD: 312-413-9323 
• UIC Night Ride is a transportation service in a designated area for students and employees, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week. Your UIC i-card is required to use UIC Night Ride. To request the service, students must download the UIC Ride app. 
• To stay safe,  register for emergency text messages. It’s free, and you can sign up to get alerts on several phones, allowing you to register your parents’ phones to receive the alerts. 
• The UIC Safe app allows users to share their location with family and friends, contact UIC Police with just the push of a button and more.  

Social media  

There are many UIC-affiliated social media accounts. A good place to start: 

• Facebook: UIC
• Instagram: thisisuic
• LinkedIn: University of Illinois Chicago 
• TikTok: thisisuic 
• Twitter: thisisuic and UIC News 
• YouTube: thisisuic 
• Follow Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda on Instagram 

Sports 

Fire up, Flames! UIC has NCAA Division I teams in men’s and women’s sports that compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, plus the fan group UIC Pyromaniacs. 

Student support services  

UIC offers the tools and support you need for the best college experience possible. A variety of offices  provide academic support for students, including peer mentoring, tutoring and specialized workshops. 

The Office of Student Success and Belonging also provides opportunities for students from all backgrounds to thrive at UIC to achieve their educational goals and timely degree completion. 

Student government 

UIC students are elected or appointed to represent their peers and weigh in on many aspects of campus life, such as events, policies and services: 

• Undergraduate Student Government 
• Graduate Student Council 
• Health Professions Student Council 
• Student Bar Association 
• Student representative, U of I Board of Trustees. This year’s student trustee is Quinn Basta. 

Supplies and school spirit  

Get prepared for the school year with UIC gear, course materials, electronics and accessories. Staff in two bookstore locations on campus can help students looking for things like UIC-themed apparel and gifts, laptops, textbooks and more. 

Sustainability 

UIC is working toward a greener world through recycling, improved transportation and energy efficiency. UIC has five climate commitments: to become a carbon-neutral university, zero-waste university, net-zero water university, biodiverse university and transformative scholarship university. 

Transportation 

• You can use CTA buses and trains to get to campus. The L train Blue Line (UIC-Halsted and Racine stops) and the Pink Line (Polk stop) connect campus to downtown. 
• Intracampus Bus Service provides free transportation for students, faculty and staff around campus. 
• Take the Metra train to campus from Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties. 
• With stations all around campus, Divvy bikes are a great way to get around. Discounts are available for the UIC community. 
• For parking, you can pay daily or by semester. 

UIC today 

Stay up to date on campus news, announcements, events and more by visiting UIC today. And be sure to check your email on Tuesday mornings for a weekly roundup of the week’s top stories and events.