UIS has just in the past few years actually become a full 4-year university. As a result, there's still a lot of shifting around and growing pains. The campus is very cute though, very clean and cozy.
One nice part about UIS is the fact that for a less expensive admission and smaller more intimate class sizes, you get a University of Illinois degree. It's a little cozy campus but it keeps itself busy, and there's always opportunities to try new things if you're willing.
The administration isn't terribly accessible, though attempts have been made to remedy this. Our Chancellor has a show that runs on the campus TV channel called "Chancellor's Chat" where he answers questions the students send in, but we've really yet to see any changes happen as a result.
For instance, one of UIS's most incessantly frustrating issues for students is parking. UIS campus is literally surrounded by corn fields. As it grows, it will be replacing the corn with sports fields and buildings, but UIS will still be far enough from the actual city of Springfield that you'll need access to a car to go anywhere.
Assuming you don't live in the dorms and actually want to get to see the city, you will need a car. We have a bus, but it is not as accessible as everyone would like. And the city itself is so spread out, it's pretty frustrating to get around if you don't own a car. Which means you'll have to deal with parking issues at least once.
Wrongly given tickets, ridiculously distant parking assignments, the frustrating quest for the proper decal, and the complete lack of assigned visitor parking is all a part of parking at UIS. But, as irritating as it gets, there are ways to take care of problems and at the least make them less severe. UIS is good about recognizing mistakes and correcting them. The Student Government also has been working on making parking less of an ordeal for students, and hopefully a resolution will be reached at some point before things get too desperate.
Overall, the spirit of UIS is in growth and striving to become a better university. While some of the changes may bother some, overall the school is headed in the right direction. Right now we're still in transition in terms of a lot of things, but I'm sure that in the near future, UIS will have most issues all sorted out. On the whole, the goal of UIS is to grow and expand, providing the most unique and welcoming campus experience to its students as possible.