UIS welcomes new Volunteer & Civic Engagement and Disabilities Services directors

The University of Illinois Springfield is proud to introduce two new leaders on campus. Dr. Mark Dochterman is the new director of the Volunteer and Civil Engagement Center and Dr. Sarah Colby Weaver the Office of Disability Services.

Dochterman comes to UIS from Louisiana State University (LSU) where he served as director of student activities for the Honors College. He was born in Chicago and grew up in Marengo, Ill. He attended Illinois College in Jacksonville where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He earned his master’s degree in Communication Studies from Ball State University and is currently awaiting his Ph.D. confirmation in Higher Education Administration from LSU.

“My wife and I have always wanted to return to the Midwest, and while I have a very deep appreciation for my time at LSU, I have long wanted to work at a smaller school where one individual can have a broad impact. I hope to do exactly that at UIS,” said Docterman.

He hopes to capitalize on the past successes of the Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center, build new initiatives, and in the process provide a clear mission for the office.

“More than any of that, I want to be a part of making UIS be a place where students develop an understanding that as educated citizens they have a responsibility to balance the actions they take for their own advancement with service to the greater communities and society that structurally and functionally allows for such individual advancement,” he said.

Weaver comes to UIS from Auburn University where she served as Director of Disability Services. She has previously held Director of Disability Services positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Missouri-Columbia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from West Virginia University. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

“I’m happy to be here and excited about being a part of the UIS team,” said Weaver. “My goal as it’s been everywhere as the Director of Disability Services is to make this program for students with disabilities one of the best in the country. It takes commitment from the administration and it’s apparent to me that they are committed and with their support and the resources needed we will succeed to make this goal possible.”

Weaver brings her 20 years of experience at three different institutions to her new role at UIS and looks forward to working with everyone to best serve students with disabilities.

“The campus is smaller, which is very appealing to me and its part of the University of Illinois system which is a great University,” said Weaver.