The University Program Board as it is known today started in 2003. However, programming at Illinois State University has always existed just in many different formats. The University Program Board was formed with a combination of four different Registered Student Organizations; Capen Cinema, Forum Committee, Entertainment Committee, and Homecoming Committee.
Redbird Cinema, formerly known as Capen Cinema Board is the oldest committee of the UPB and the oldest student organization on campus. Students have always had input on the type of movies that were shown at Capen, but unlike now it was not possible to get recently released films. In 1972 students became directly involved in the selection and ordering of the films shown at Capen. This student organization was initially called Media Enterprises until 1975 when the name was officially changed to Capen Cinema. Capen was one of the largest campus film programs in the United States. Until fall 2006 when a new state-of-the-art projector was installed, Capen held one of the only working 35mm projectors on a college campus.
Due to lack of recorded history, there is not as much information on Forum Committee, Entertainment Committee, and Homecoming Committee, but each played an integral part in the formation of the current University Program Board.
In 2003, the four original committees joined together with five new committees to form what is now know as the University Program Board. The nine committees in 2003 were Redbird Cinema, Redbird Days, Redbird Diversity, Redbird Entertainment, Redbird Extensions, Redbird Family, Redbird Life, Redbird Nights, and Redbird Series. The first three years of the UPB was a learning experience and in 2007 the board was restructured with a few committee name changes and the addition of a new non-programming committee called Redbird Graphics. The UPB is now going into its fifth year and can’t wait to see what Redbird Moments lay ahead.