Sandra Mills, Ed.D., LCSW, Associate Professor / Social Work Field Education Director
Doctor Sandra Mills is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who joined the University in 1994 as a visiting professor, achieving tenure in 2003. Sandy spent over 20 years as a practicing social worker before joining the faculty at UIS. She obtained her BS in Sociology at Bradley University, her MSW at UIUC, and her doctorate in Adult Continuing Education from NIU. As a faculty member, Dr. Mills taught at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in the Child Family and Community Services (CFC) Program and for the past 11 years in the Social Work Program, where she teaches macro practice courses and Directs Field Work Education. She served as Department Chair in 2003 & 2004 during the Program’s successful reaccredidation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which granted recognition to the UIS-BSW program until 2012.
Dr. Mills was invited to Romania in 2001 to teach a 3 week seminar to local citizens and agency staff who were involved in community organizing efforts in Sighisoara. This trip was funded by a USA-ID grant. She was granted a sabbatical from UIS in 2004 and returned to Sighisoara, Romania. While in Romania she negotiated an internship placement opportunity for UIS students with the agency, Veritas, where she previously taught.
Sandy served on numerous campus committees, including the Graduate Council, Campus Senate, and the Higher Learning Commission task force, which recently produced the document that resulted in the successful reaccreditation of UIS. She was the Assistant Director of the UIS Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) until its closure. Her work of engaging students in service learning with Springfield’s East Side community earned 3 awards for UIS and resulted in her nomination for the UIS Spencer Service Award as well as the Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning from Campus Compact. Dr. Mills currently brings nearly $100,000 in training grants to UIS yearly. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the UIUC School of Social Work and the Honorary Social Worker of the Year Award from the IL. Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. In 2005 the Springfield Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) awarded her with the Ethel Gingold Civil Libertarian Award for establishing a campus chapter of the ACLU at UIS. Sandy has served on numerous agency boards and is currently a board member and legislative co-chair of Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocates (ICASA).
In addition to published articles and a book chapter on social work education, Sandy is a featured writer in the Networker, the State newsletter of the National Association of Social Workers, publishing a monthly legislative column for over 15 years. The Networker has over 10,000 subscribers, which include legislators as well as social workers. Sandy served as the Legislative Affairs Consultant for NASW-IL. for 17 years. She is a frequent invitational speaker on the Illinois legislative process at conferences and workshops, as well as an invited guest lecturer in social work classes throughout Illinois. Since 1992 Dr. Mills has been an appointed member of the Social Service Advisory Council to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Last year, following the tragic shootings on the Virginia Tech. campus, Dr. Mills was appointed by the Governor to serve on his Campus Security Task Force.
Dr. Mills has two grown children, Lisa, who lives in Seattle and Aaron, in Chicago. Both work in social services. Her husband, Joe, is retired.