September 20, 2004, Northern Today Abridged
Altgeld open house, State of the University Address
both scheduled for Oct. 7
NIU’s lovingly restored flagship building, century-old Altgeld Hall, will open its doors to the campus community in a series of events slated for Thursday, Oct. 7.
An open house featuring self-guided tours, docents and a commemorative booklet will be offered from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The building’s formal rededication will take place at 11 a.m. in the beautifully refurbished Altgeld Auditorium, restored to its original grandeur by a team of architectural historians and artisans.
Finally, the president’s annual State of the University Address at 3 p.m. will cap off the day’s events as the first formal speech in the building since completion of the five-year renovation project. A reception will follow the president’s speech in two reception rooms just outside and across the hall from the Auditorium’s main, second-floor entrance.
Alumni and community members will be invited to tour Altgeld the following week as part of NIU’s Homecoming celebration. Altgeld will be open for tours, and shuttles will run from the football stadium area throughout that morning (Saturday, Oct. 16).
For details on any of the Altgeld reopening events, contact Special Events Director Ellen Andersen at 753-1999.
NIU’s ‘Apprentice’ course finds namesake’s approval
Donald Trump isn’t shy about talking up a good thing when he sees it, and he is telling the world about the NIU Marketing “Apprentice” class.
In a 90-second radio spot airing on nearly 300 Clear Channel Communications radio stations nationwide today, Trump praises the NIU College of Business for creating the class based on his NBC show, “The Apprentice.”
The piece, part of a daily program aired across the country featuring commentaries by Trump, was created by Premiere Radio Networks, a division of Clear Channel Communications.
In it, Trump describes the course, talks briefly of efforts by students enrolled in the course to raise money for the USO and praises the idea of using the show as a teaching tool. The commentary can be found online here: http://www.niu.edu/pubaffairs/audio/trump.mp3
In the commentary, the man who has become famous for gruffly dismissing those who displease him is liberal in his praise of NIU.
“By the way,” ‘The Donald’ tells his listeners. “Northern Illinois is really doing a terrific job, I hear it’s a hot school.” He had more kind words as he signed off. “I want to hand it to Northern Illinois University’s College of Business,” he says. “They are just a little bit ahead of the pack. If I were 20 years old again, I’d be in that class.”
“We couldn’t believe it,” says Marketing Chair Denise Schoenbachler. “We just kept playing it over and over, screaming every time he mentioned us.”
Schoenbachler was tipped off to the piece by the husband of a COB employee who heard it broadcast on a Louisville, Ky., radio station. As it turns out, the station aired the piece early by mistake, giving the college an opportunity to alert friends and alumni to listen in today.
The class also has been featured in several Chicago-area newspapers (including the Daily Herald), on radio (WBBM, Chicago) and television (WREX and WIFR, Rockford.)
You’re fired:
NIU brings excitement of ‘Apprentice’ to classroom
Perhaps the only thing more unlikely than the rise of reality television as a leading form of entertainment would be the emergence of the format as an outstanding teaching tool.
That is exactly what is happening, however, for students and faculty from the Department of Marketing and the Department of Communication, who this semester are engaged in a class based on “The Apprentice.” The class pits teams of marketing majors against one another to complete various marketing tasks. Filming all of the action are communication majors who are creating videos aired on the Web and the campus cable channel.
The result for both groups has been some outstanding hands-on learning, say those who are teaching the course.
“The game is teaching them some great lessons. It has been an incredible experience,” says Marketing Chair Denise Schoenbachler, who credits her son, Brett, a junior majoring in finance, and his friend, Liz Siegel, a marketing major and daughter of NIU Trustee Myron Siegel, with coming up with the idea for the class.
“The show was very popular with students last semester and we thought it had some possibilities,” says Schoenbachler, who along with Marketing Professors Carol DeMoranville and Elisa Frederickson, quickly roughed out the basics of the course and solicited applications from interested students.
By the end of final exams, they had 30 applications to fill 16 positions. “That’s when we thought we might be on to something,” Schoenbachler says.
That suspicion has been confirmed through the first half of the six-week class.
“It has been a tremendous learning tool,” Schoenbahcler says. “It is forcing students to put together all of their business principles in a much more realistic way than you could ever do in a classroom.”
DeMoranville and Fredericks, who meet with students formally once a week, and advise them on an ongoing basis, agree, saying that it has brought out the best in students.
“This endeavor has gone way beyond our expectations,” says DeMoranville. “On every level – student performance on tasks, learning about marketing, learning about team dynamics – they have all done more than we anticipated.”
The demands of the class have been almost as grueling for the faculty as for the students, says Frederickson, but the rewards have also been tremendous.
“They are so enthused that they are stopping by my office and e-mailing me all the time, so you get to see all of the work they are doing and the effort they are putting into it,” Fredericks says. “We’re also getting to see students in ways we don’t normally see in class. We’ve seen how they handle themselves in front of businessmen and even the media – they have just been so poised and professional. It’s thrilling.”
Communication Professor Laura Vazquez is equally thrilled with the commitment demonstrated by her students and the quality of the videos they have produced.
“There videos have been fantastic. They have been putting in some very long hours,” she says. “They are learning a lot about field production aspects that we don’t always get to cover in class, but they are also learning about things like how to interface with people, how to work with teams and a whole lot about making ethical representations of people, which is tough to teach. It’s been great.”
The videos created by the students can be found online at the official Web site of the class: http://www.cob.niu.edu/apprentice/video.asp
Tasks undertaken by the class to date have included writing marketing questionnaires (to gauge attitudes about cheating in the college), raising money for the USO (they raised nearly $12,000 to buy care packages for troops), and creating ads for the student insurance program.
The one-credit independent study class runs through Oct. 4. By then, the cast of students will have been winnowed down to two teams of four. The two teams will undertake a complex, comprehensive marketing task. Members of the winning team will receive $1,000 scholarships. The second place players will receive $500 scholarships.
More information on the class, including weekly videos and updates can be found online at: http://www.cob.niu.edu/apprentice/.
Ouellette, Smart leading HHS departments
NIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences has turned to two longtime faculty members – and recent acting chairs – to guide two of its divisions.
Sue Ouellette has been named chair of the Department of Communicative Disorders, formerly headed up by Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver. Laura Smart is the new chair of the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences, formerly led by Associate Dean Mary Pritchard.
“We feel fortunate to have selected these two talented individuals to lead these departments forward in the future. We conducted national searches for both of these positions, and feel we have selected the top leadership,” Dean Shirley Richmond said. “I am confident these chairs will be an asset in these changing times in health and human science education.”
Ouellette, who first came to NIU in 1975 and later rejoined the university in 1985 after a two-year stint at the University of Arkansas, said she will join the faculty in finding new directions “while further developing the things that brought us national recognition and rankings.”
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the department. It’s a terrific department, and I’ve been energized by my year as acting chair. It’s given me insight into the tremendous potential that the department has,” she said. “I’m also excited about working with the faculty to chart a course that builds on our strengths and opportunities.”
The department’s already strong programs provide a good base to build upon, she said. In addition to continuing to develop nationally-ranked programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Counseling, goals which Ouellette hopes to pursue with faculty input include:
n a successful launch of the doctoral program in audiology – NIU’s first professional doctoral program.
The audiology degree (Au.D.) comes in response to new standards in the profession mandating a doctorate degree for entry-level practice. The doctorate is a four-year, post-baccalaureate degree, with a 114-hour requirement, exceeding the minimum requirements set by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
A major study conducted in 1997 by ASHA determined the field had outgrown the master’s degree, and association members subsequently voted to raise the requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology to a doctoral degree.
n Continuing expanding the work of NIU’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic further into the community.
The NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is open year-round and annually provides speech-language assessments and family-based treatment to more than 1,000 patients as well as hearing evaluations and hearing aid evaluations and fittings to more than 1,000 individuals.
Outreach speech-language and hearing screenings reach more than 2,000 people living in DeKalb, Boone, DuPage, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties. The clinic also provides clinical education for 125 graduate students and in-service learning activities for between 120 and 140 undergraduate students.
n broadening the base of the Program for Hearing Impaired, which transitions deaf and hard-of-hearing young adults into college and the working world.
The one-year program incorporates a rehabilitation concept, enabling participants to realistically evaluate and improve their academic, vocational, social, personal, and independent living skills, while they explore, select, and establish future goals. It provides many opportunities for students in speech-language pathology, audiology and rehabilitation counseling to learn from clinical interactions with these students.
Ouellette’s specialty in rehabilitation counseling centers on mental health issues of persons with disabilities, particularly those who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is also interested in studying individuals and families who are coping with disability-related issues.
Ouellette initially earned a Ph.D. in communication studies but her early interaction with deaf people in Cleveland, Ohio peaked her interest in communication disorders. Later, she added a specialization in rehabilitation counseling to her credentials then also studied family therapy. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor.
Ouellette and her husband Glenn, a banker who works in Chicago, are the parents of three children.
Smart considers her task at hand well-defined: to prepare a workforce equipped for tomorrow’s challenges with a “complex understanding of culture” to boot.
As the mother of a 17-year-old daughter who will enter college next year, and as a keen observer of gloomy news reports on the outsourcing of American jobs, Smart said responsible educators need to ponder the changing world their graduates will encounter.
“What types of jobs will be around? It’s a question everyone in education, certainly higher education, should be thinking about,” she said. “I’ve charged my faculty to critically examine the extent to which each of the many professions for which we prepare our graduates is resistant to outsourcing.”
She calls her school’s goal “21st Century Professions.”
“I hope people will ask what that means. These include jobs people do with their hands, such as the trades. Twenty-first century professions also include occupations where face-to-face interaction is essential, such as director of a child care facility, or manager of a hotel, department store or restaurant,” she said.
“We give our students skills for these occupations, including communication skills – not just writing skills, which are important – but how to read body language of both clients and co-workers. For example, a marriage and family therapist can tell something about bonds and power within a family when the family members walk into a room and choose their sitting arrangement.”
Another component defining 21st century professions is a deep understanding of context, she said, including cultural context and stage of life within that context.
“A dietician must know that foods which may be nutritionally helpful to a given client may be unpalatable culturally to the client and client’s family. Apparel industry professionals must understand that older consumers have different needs and wants than younger consumers.”
FCNS students practice their developing skills in off-campus internships and student teaching experiences. The school also boasts five on-campus laboratories, including three that serve the public: the Chandelier (dining) Room, the Child Development Laboratory and the Family Center (marriage and family therapy clinic).
Smart, who joined NIU in 1979, is the daughter of two professors of child development. Her father, Russell Smart, was chair of the Department of Child Development and Family Relations at the University of Rhode Island. His framed photograph sits on her desk to provide her with inspiration and encouragement.
“My parents always emphasized a systems view of the world – all disciplines are interconnected,” she said, adding that this view of reality is the framework for FCNS. “FCNS is an interdisciplinary academic unit with roots in biology, chemistry, social sciences, the arts, business and education. In our research, teaching and service, we apply our knowledge for the good of families, individuals and society.”
Smart, whose husband Roger Cohn is a real estate appraiser, said she already has evidence that FCNS is on the right track. She recently received a phone call from an employer who’d offered a job to a recent NIU grad but was turned down, much to his disappointment.
“He said, ‘Send me more,’ ” Smart said proudly. “Our programs have strong reputations. I think that FCNS is very well positioned for the 21st century.”
Thai educator studies NIU College of Education administration
Pongsak Pankaew requests forgiveness for his command of the English language, but his apology is unnecessary.
The Fulbright scholar from Thailand, a visitor in the NIU College of Education for six weeks ending Sept. 30, draws sharp distinctions between education in this country and in his homeland.
“In Thailand, instructors can work on outside projects for companies. Here, everyone pays attention to the college,” Pankaew says. “In Thailand, students pay more respect to their teachers.”
Pankaew is an instructor and associate dean for academic affairs in the Faculty of Education at Chaing Mai University. He is working closely with Associate Dean Diane Jackman, who will visit Pankaew on his home turf from late December through early February.
He is sharing his views on how to improve curriculum and instruction and how to plan courses, mostly in his specialized area of science education.
He is impressed by the promotion of healthy living found at the Chick Evans Field House and the Office of Campus Recreation, as well as their proximity to one another, but dismayed at the prevalence of smoking. Students at his university are forbidden to smoke on campus, he says.
He also believes NIU could benefit by offering more programs to students, and possibly could instill more school pride in students by modeling something done at Chaing Mai: blouse pins for women and belt buckles for men that tout their majors.
But mostly he is observing how things are done here in hopes of making schools better at home.
Pankaew wants to continue strengthening Thai curriculum and instruction, noting that his country already has changed education programs from four years to five.
“My country is a developing country. My government is trying to improve the economy and the education to improve the lifestyle of all people,” Pankaew says. “The United States is the leader of education, and very modern.”
He is eager to learn more about the creation of learning standards – “In Thailand, that is just beginning,” he says – and has developed an eager interest in NIU’s programs for special education teachers.
“To compare cultures and education, each can know one another to share views and improve points which are not strong for each one,” he says. “I am lucky to have come here. It is very beautiful, and all the faculty and deans in the College of Education are very nice.”
NIU Study Abroad Fair set for Sept. 23
Students interested in studying overseas can get more information on available opportunities at the 12th annual Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center.
The theme of this year’s fair is “Study Abroad – Your Passport to the World.” The fair will feature informational booths on study abroad programs in 65 countries. Students can meet with faculty and program representatives who coordinate NIU study abroad programs to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.
Academic advisers and representatives from international study abroad institutions will be on hand as well.
One section of the fair titled, “Countries of the World,” will offer travel and cultural information provided by consulates and embassies. NIU Student Financial Aid staff members will be present to offer information on financial aid for study abroad. In most cases, financial aid and scholarships are available. Participants will receive free goodie bags, enjoy international entertainment and have a chance to win door prizes.
“The fair encourages participants to explore the many study abroad options NIU has to offer,” said Anne Seitzinger, director of the Study Abroad Office. “Study abroad allows students to explore other cultures, learn new languages, or experience foreign business practices firsthand. Whatever your academic or personal goals, the NIU Study Abroad Office can guide you in every aspect of your journey.”
The last Study Abroad Fair drew more than 500 NIU students seeking study, research, internship and travel experiences abroad. More than 300 students participated in study abroad programs this past year.
“The fair is a wealth of information for students considering study abroad and obtaining NIU credit,” Seitzinger said. “Past study abroad participants will be present to provide first-hand information and offer guidance and encouragement.”
The fair is not only for students but faculty as well. “The annual Study Abroad Fair is an excellent opportunity for faculty to find out how study abroad might benefit them both personally and academically,” Seitzinger said.
“NIU is engaged as never before in trying to internationalize our curricula,” she added. “For many faculty members, the international emphasis presents a dilemma. Those who want to internationalize their courses would often benefit from a period abroad, but institutional resources for such an activity are typically severely limited. Directing an NIU study abroad program provides faculty development opportunities while also promoting internationalization of the curricula.”
The fair is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www3.niu.edu/niuabroad/fair02.htm or call (815) 753-0420 or 753-0700.
NIU conference aims to introduce female high school students to college, careers
Female high school students searching for college and career guidance are invited to attend the 2004 Conference for Young Women, hosted by NIU from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Holmes Student Center.
The eighth annual conference is geared for young women in their sophomore through senior years of high school and aims to introduce the students to a variety of career areas, including professions where women are historically underrepresented, such as math and engineering.
“This conference offers an exciting chance for female high school students to explore the academic side of college life,” said Amy Levin, director of the NIU Women’s Studies Program. Levin will serve as moderator during the conference, which will include participation from faculty members from across the university. Panel discussions on career opportunities for women will focus on fields ranging from communicative disorders to political science.
Conference participants also will tour Barsema Hall, NIU’s state-of-the-art College of Business building, or the university’s unique library system, including the nationally renowned Thoreau Edition center.
The conference is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the NIU Women’s Studies Program.
To register, call 1-800-345-9472. For additional information, call (815) 753-1038 or visit www.clas.niu.edu/wstudies/ywc2004.htm. The registration fee is $33 before Oct. 13, with a $5 additional late charge. Limited scholarships are available.
NIU seeks host families for brief international exchange
NIU is seeking families in DeKalb to host Muslim and Christian high school students and adult community leaders from the Southern Philippines for two weeks in April.
The visitors will be participating in a training institute led by the university’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies and International Training Office. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the institute is designed to promote conflict resolution and interethnic and interfaith dialogue. Participants are selected through a competitive application process, have outstanding academic credentials and are fluent in English.
The training institute will introduce participants to American institutions that promote tolerance and will expose them to the religious and ethnic diversity of the United States. NIU hopes to place the high school students with local families who have students of the same age.
The Filipino students will stay with their host families from April 17 to May 1, 2005.
Host families will provide the visitors with transportation to and from campus, where workshops will be held daily. Students will join their host families for breakfasts and most dinners. The students also will have at least one free day each week during the two-week host-family experience.
Host families will be required to attend an orientation session either late this fall or next spring. During the orientation, past host families will share their experiences from a similar program that was held earlier this year.
Interested families should contact Julie Lamb, outreach coordinator for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, by Nov. 1, 2004 at (815) 753-1595 or jlamb@niu.edu.
Bookstore to return books to publishers
University Bookstore will return books to the publishers for the first-half classes beginning today. Second-half books will begin returning the week of Oct. 25. Please advise students to make all necessary book purchases immediately.
Faculty who plan to start books later in the semester should notify the bookstore to prevent their return. For more information, please call the Text Office at 753-1866.
Golin to honor pioneer PR educator
Al Golin, founder and chairman of Golin/Harris International, will speak at 7:30 p.m. today at the inaugural Arthur W. Page Society Distinguished Ambassador Lecture. The address will take place inside the Barsema Hall auditorium, and is co-sponsored by the Departments of Communication and Marketing.
NIU was chosen by the Page Society as the site for Golin’s talk, which will be the first of a series of Ambassador Lectures to be given by noted public relations professionals throughout the nation. The lecture honors retired journalism professor Albert Walker, and commemorates the launching of an endowment in his name, the Emeritus Professor Al Walker Visiting Professionals Fund. The fund will help bring outstanding public relations professionals, such as Al Golin, to the NIU campus.
Golin, who was recently inducted into the Arthur W. Page Society’s Hall of Fame, will speak about the importance of trust in public relations and corporate communication initiatives in his lecture, “The Value of Trust in the Contemporary Public Relations World.”
World premiere remounts at NIU after Russian run
A modernized adaptation of Aristophanes’ ancient play “The Birds” was rehearsed on the stages of NIU’s School of Theatre and Dance last spring before making its world premiere in June on the stage of the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.
The production now has returned stateside to make its American debut in DeKalb.
“The Birds,” written by NIU professor Robert Schneider and directed by the Russian-born director of the School of Theatre and Dance Alexander Gelman, is a quirky slapstick comedy that follows its two main characters as they try to quite earthly life to become birds.
The production in Russia was performed during a month long study abroad program attended by sixteen NIU theatre undergraduate and graduate students. The students studied acting, dance, voice, and movement, which helped to bring “The Birds” further to life.
“The Birds” plays in the Stevens Building’s Player’s Theatre from Sept. 22 to 26, with weekday and Saturday shows at 7:30pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm.
Tickets can be purchased at the Stevens Building Box Office by calling 815-753-1600. Discounts are available for students and seniors. Please note that this production contains some harsh language and may not be suitable for children younger than 13. For more information, please call the box office or visit the NIU School of Theatre and Dance Web site: http://www.vpa.niu.edu/theater/.
Matthew Shepard’s mother to speak at NIU
Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, in the Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center.
Shepard and her husband, Dennis, lost their 21-year-old son to a murder motivated by anti-gay hate in October 1998. Determined to use her grief over her son’s death to make a difference, she is now speaking to audiences nationwide about what they can do as individuals and communities to make this world a more accepting place for everyone regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity and expression.
The event is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board.
Indian sitarist to play concert at School of Music
Narinder Narula, a well-known sitarist from India, will perform a demonstration of North Indian sitar music at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in the Recital Hall of the Music Building.
Narula is the principal at the Government College of Commerce in Patiala, India. He is a widely acclaimed sitar performer and a noted devotee of Indian classical music. He will perform and explain the principles of Indian classical music and demonstrate the technique of the sitar. He will be accompanied by Prof. Robert Chappel on the tabla
The event is sponsored by the Music Society and is open to all.
Parade of Flags promises to be banner event
Nearly 400 fourth and fifth graders from DeKalb and Sycamore schools will march while carrying the flags of more than 100 nations represented at NIU during the fifth annual Parade of Flags on campus.
The parade will step off at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, from the east side of Huskie Stadium. The NIU ROTC Color Guard and several members of the Huskie Marching Band will lead the parade.
Parade participants will march along Lucinda Avenue to the Martin Luther King Commons, where Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver will address the audience at noon, along with DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow.
The colorful parade has become an NIU tradition, anticipated each year by local school teachers, their students and the university’s international community. In the past, NIU borrowed flags for the event. This year, marchers will display national banners belonging to the university.
“Through the parade, NIU staff members hope to emphasize the many nations and cultures that together make up the fabric of our campus and community,” said Deborah Pierce, executive director of the Division of International Programs.
“The Parade of Flags also demonstrates in a very colorful manner the strong partnership between NIU and local schools in embracing the multicultural, global environment of the 21st Century,” she said.
For more information, call the Division of International Programs at (815) 753-9526.
Community School offers courses in art, piano, theater
NIU’s Community School for the Arts is offerings courses this fall in drawing, piano, photography and acting.
Cynthia Haskell de Seife’s art class, which began last week and runs for six weeks, is designed for people who enjoy creating art but who are convinced that they can’t draw. Students 18 and older learn about line, versus color in drawing, as well as proportion, perspective, and light and will learn to draw people, landscapes, and still lifes. No prior experience is necessary. Classes are taught in the Art Building.
JeongSoo Kim’s Class Piano for Children and Class Piano for Adults are for people who
want to enhance their piano skills in a group setting. Students work on all aspects of the piano, including technique, improvisation, accompaniment, rhythm, sight-reading, and ensemble playing. Some prior piano lessons are required. Class size is limited to four students so early registration is recommended.
Class Piano for Children, for ages 6 to 10, is a six-session class that meets alternate Wednesdays beginning September 22 from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Class Piano for Adults, for ages 15 and older, meets four weeks beginning November 3 from 4:30 to 5 p.m.
Gail Ledbetter’s Photo Techniques, a three-week class offered for teens and adults on Saturdays beginning Oct. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Ledbetter works with students to help develop basic techniques for taking good portrait and landscape photographs. Students bring their own camera (digital or 35 mm) to class each week. The class meets in the Art Building.
Children and teens who enjoy acting will want to consider one of two classes offered this fall. Classes are taught in Stevens Building.
Lisa Comer’s Theatre Games begins Oct. 3 and runs for four Sundays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Students ages 9 to 15 learn various theatre techniques and games to develop their ability as natural actors and to discover exciting ways to find characters and stage situations.
Haskell de Seife’s Puppet Art for children ages 7 to 12 begins Nov. 13 and runs for four Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The class combines the visual arts and theatre. Students make their puppets and then work together to create a puppet show.
For more information about these or any of the other offerings of the community school, contact Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or check out the Web site at www.niu.edu/extprograms.
Asian American welcome scheduled for Sept. 29
An Asian-American Welcome Night is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center. The program takes place from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m.
All are welcome.
Nominations sought for 2004-05 Lincoln Laureate
An outstanding senior from each of the four-year degree-granting institutions of higher learning in Illinois is chosen annually to receive the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award.
The University Scholarships Committee asks your assistance in identifying the student, graduating during 2004-2005 (August 2004, December 2004, or May 2005), who will be NIU’s recipient of this year’s award.
Lincoln Student Laureates are honored for their overall excellence in both curricular and co-curricular activities. The NIU Student Laureate should have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and should have demonstrated leadership in extra-curricular activities.
The person selected will represent the university at one of the most distinguished gatherings in the state, a special ceremony to be held Nov. 6 in the House of Representatives of the Illinois State Capitol. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, president of the Academy, will present each student laureate with a Lincoln Academy medallion and a check for $150. The ceremony will be followed by a luncheon in the Executive Mansion. Nominator(s) of the recipient will be asked to represent the university at this event.
The person selected from NIU to receive this award should be our most outstanding senior student. Please be selective in your nomination.
The form http://www.hr.niu.edu/resources/files/LaureateNominationForm2004.pdf and any supplementary pages should be returned to the Office of the Scholarship Coordinator, c/o Retention Programs, by noon Monday, Sept. 27, for the nomination to be considered by the selection committee. If you care to hand-deliver nomination forms, please submit them to 402 Adams Hall.
NIU tackles bullies: support group, institute
NIU will offer relief and support to the targets of bullies while providing occasional institute sessions on bullying.
The support group allows participants a safe place to share experiences with others who are dealing with some similar concerns. Feel free to come and share, listen, de-stress, and/or learn new strategies to help you deal with the bully in your life. The group also welcomes others who are witnesses to bullying or those who are supporting the target(s) of a bully.
The group meets from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Mondays from Oct. 4 to Nov. 8 at University Resources for Women, 105 Normal Road. Leaders are Judy Skorek, assistant director of University Resources for Women, and Diane Henning, counseling intern. Call 753-0320 for more information.
Institute sessions are “The Bully at Work: Behind Closed Doors” (Wednesday, Sept. 29, Blackhawk East); “Toxic Work Environments” (Monday, Oct. 11, Blackhawk East), and “Finding Your Voice and Your Body Too” (Monday, Oct. 25, Blackhawk East). Sessions on parenting include “Bullying at Home and School: The Nature of Bullying” (Thursday, Oct. 7, Blackhawk West); “Bullyproofing Your Parenting: Parenting Strategies to Prevent Bullies and Victims” (Friday, Oct. 22, Blackhawk West), and “Dealing with a Bullying Situation: How Can I Help My Child?” (Friday, Nov. 5, Blackhawk West).
Disability Mentoring Day scheduled for Oct. 20
The Office of Affirmative Action and Diversity Resource Program, the center for Access-Ability Resources and Kishwaukee College’s Assistive Resource Center invite participation in Disability Mentoring Awareness Day on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
See http://www.hr.niu.edu/resources/documents.cfm under informational documents then proceed to the correct document for application.
Faculty, Supportive Professional Staff and Operating Staff should visit http://www.hr.niu.edu/resources/files/Workplace_Mentor_Application.pdf to download the (Mentor) DMD application. Please send completed forms send to Phinette Maszka at the Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources (AADR) Office No. 169 by Thursday, Sept. 30.
More information also is available at Disability Mentoring Day Brown Bag luncheons. During the luncheons, participants will explore ways to make the day with mentees and students successful. Participants will receive information packets, applications forms and interact in group discussions.
Please contact Phinette Maszka at (815) 753-6030, TTY (815) 753-2000 or by e-mail at pmaszka@niu.edu to register for the luncheon of your choice: noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, at University Resources for Women, or noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Diversions Lounge in the Holmes Student Center.
Enhancing Success hosts workshops on disabilities
Project Enhancing Success is sponsoring three workshops on teaching university students with disabilities.
The workshops are entitled Enhancing Success for University Students with Disabilities (with an emphasis on teaching strategies). Each workshop has a focus on a different type of disability:
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
9:30 to 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4 9:30-11:00 A.M.
Campus Life Building Room 100
Blind/Low Vision
9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5
Graham Hall, Room 246
Learning Disabilities
9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6
Campus Life Building Room 100
Faculty, teaching assistants and graduate students are invited to attend the workshops. Refreshments, drawings for gift certificates and helpful publications will be provided. Anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP to svogel@niu.edu. For more information, call 753-0123 or e-mail ereed@niu.edu.
Convocation Center announces fall dates
Bob Dylan, Big and Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Sesame Street Live are on the fall schedule at the NIU Convocation Center.
Dylan plays at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. Tickets are $39.50, with a limited general admission for $29.50. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24.
Sesame Street Live’s “A Rainbow of Sesame Street Live Friends: Elmo’s Coloring Book” will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17. Tickets are $12 and $15. A limited number of $18 premium seats are also available, and a facility fee of $1.50 will be added to all ticket prices. Additional fees and discounts may apply.
Country music stars Big and Rich with “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson will play at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. Tickets are $22.50 and $28.50.
Tickets are available at the Convocation Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (312) 559-1212, or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
9-20-04
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