Provost Raymond Alden
Steve Cunningham
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the fall semester. To continue the healing and recovery process that began last February after the campus tragedy, a number of recovery sessions will be held Monday through Friday from August 22 until September 5 at Northern Illinois University (NIU) for instructional and non-instructional personnel.
These recovery sessions are being scheduled for a number of reasons: many members of the NIU community reported to us that while they were coping with the emotions and thoughts in the aftermath of the tragedy, some of them experienced delayed or lingering reactions. The recovery sessions may provide the necessary support and help in the healing process. In the upcoming academic year, we will be welcoming a new class of entering freshmen and transfer students, and new faculty and staff who, while they were not present during the events, certainly know about what occurred and will have their own set of anticipated or surprising reactions as they come in contact with the students, faculty and staff who lived through our collective tragedy. New members of our campus will benefit from these recovery sessions that may help them understand and feel a part of the NIU community as we move forward.
To meet the recovery needs, two types of sessions have been scheduled. The sessions titled “Returning to the Classroom” are designed to assist instructional faculty, teaching staff, and graduate assistants and will include discussions on a variety of classroom issues such as handling large classes after a crisis. The sessions titled “Returning to School” are designed to assist non-instructional staff in coping with the aftermath of the tragedy and supporting the campus community. The sessions will be conducted by experts from the Employee Assistance Program and with the assistance of faculty.
Please forward the schedule of sessions to your colleagues and post them in your department offices. Faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate assistants who would like to attend the sessions are requested to contact 815-753-9191 or ksmith12@niu.edu to register. It is anticipated that attendees will take account of operational needs in scheduling their attendance. Hourly staff should confirm supervisory authorization prior to attending. Registration is requested to ensure seating and for copies of handouts and not for taking attendance or identifying attendees during the sessions. Walk-ins will be accommodated based on seating availability and additional sessions will be scheduled to accommodate demand. Sessions are also being scheduled for our off-campus centers.
Campus units, individuals or groups of employees who need additional support can contact the Employee Assistance Program at 815-753-9191. Please refer students who need counseling support to the Counseling and Student Development Center at 815-753-1206.
Thank you for your continued support in the healing and recovery process especially as we begin the new academic year.
Sincerely,
Raymond W. Alden III
Executive Vice President and Provost
Steven D. Cunningham, Associate Vice President
Administration and Human Resource Services