NIU President John and Mrs. Barbara Peters have announced their annual holiday luncheon for the NIU community, a festive tradition for all friends and colleagues of the university.
This spirited event to celebrate the joy of the holiday season is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center. A buffet lunch will be served.
Contact Ellen Andersen at (815) 753-1999 or via e-mail at ellena@niu.edu for more information.
Human Resource Services will host its annual blood drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4.
The drive is held in rooms HR166 and HR178 of the Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources section of the HR building. The average time for blood donation is 45 minutes.
Heartland Blood Centers will conduct the blood drive. HBC is a community blood center open 24 hours a day seven days a week, providing and delivering all blood products to local hospitals for total patient care.
HBC works toward collecting more than 100,000 units of blood annually. At least 1,900 donors are needed each week to meet this need. One blood donation can save up to three people because the pint is broken down into three distinct components – plasma, platelets and red blood cells.
Appointments can be made by scheduling online at www.heartlandbc.org or calling Human Resource Services at (815) 753-6000. Walk-ins also are welcome, but appointments will be taken first. Donors should remember to bring a photo ID to the drive. Each donor will receive a free pair of Heartland lounge pants.
NIU’s Avalon String Quartet will continue its 2008-09 season at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall with an all-Beethoven program.
Quartet members Blaise Magniere, Marie Wang, Anthony Devroye and Cheng-Hou Lee plan to play Beethoven’s String Quartet in F major, Op. 18 No 1, String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95. Serioso, and String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130.
The concert is free and open to the public. The building is accessible to all. For more information, contact Lynn Slater at (815) 753-1546 or via e-mail at lslater@niu.edu.
A “Winter Wonderland” concert is planned for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Egyptian Theater.
The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents seasonal favorites: a guest performance by the Celebration Chorale, the annual community sing-along and the popular Toy Symphony (instruments for children will be provided).
Santa will be on hand to greet families before the concert, and a post concert meet-and-greet with the musicians will include holiday treats. This performance is supported in part by the George E. and Betty B. Dutton Foundation.
General admission tickets are available at the door after 6 p.m. and cost $13 for adults, $10 for seniors age 62 and older, $10 for students with valid ID and $5 for children 12 and younger.
The CSA Children’s Choir gives its first concert at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the Recital Hall of the Music Building.
The 17 children from DeKalb, Sycamore, Kingston, Kirkland and Shabbona began rehearsals in September, and the children have learned vocal techniques and musicianship skills as they have worked on high-quality choral literature.
The concert includes holiday music sung in Latin, French and English and features guest musicians on a variety of instruments. It is free and open to the public.
Choir members include Eliza Bowers-Chen, Eliza Coran, Rachel Day, Violet DeStefano, Katie Hagaman, Daphne Howell, Allison and Rachel Hunter-Rosene, Kaleb Jeske, Ryan Johnson, Katelynn Lothson, Zoe Markle, Samantha Myers-Miller, Benjamin Rodriguez, Sadie Schultz, Grace Verbic and Athena Ye.
Mary Lynn Doherty, on the faculty of the NIU School of Music, is the director. Travis Erikson, music coordinator for the DeKalb Public Schools and choir director at DeKalb High School, also works with the singers as the choir’s accompanist.
The CSA Children’s Choir is one of many programs offered by the NIU Community School of the Arts. The choir welcomes new members in January. Registration for the spring semester begins Dec. 15.
For more information about the community school, call Renee Page at (815) 753-1450. Information also is available at www.niu.edu/extprograms.
The DeKalb Festival Chorus, under the direction of Jennifer Whiting, will perform its holiday concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall.
Chorus members again welcomes the Prairie Brass Band from Arlington Heights, directed by Dallas Niermeyer.
The program takes shape around the beloved story by Dylan Thomas, “A Child's Christmas in Wales,” with Robert Dean Ludden as the dramatic reader. Musical works include “Gloria” from Haydn’s “Theresienmesse” and a selection of traditional and contemporary seasonal pieces. Amanda Hughes is the piano accompanist.
Tickets are available in advance from chorus members or at the door: $8 for adults and $5 for children, students and seniors. The concert will be recorded; audience members are kindly asked to “be as quiet as Christmas mice.”
Founded in 1975, the DeKalb Festival Chorus has striven for a balance between traditional and contemporary vocal works. Ellwood Smith, a music professor at NIU, was the first director. Today’s chorus includes several members who have been with the group since its beginning, while others have joined over the years to bring the current membership to more than 50 singers.
Whiting, who teaches music classes at Kishwaukee Community College, joined the chorus as director in 2004. She holds a master’s degree in music and a performer’s certificate in conducting from NIU.
The Southeast Asia Club of NIU announces a call for papers for the 2009 Student Conference on Southeast Asian Studies. One-page abstracts are due by Wednesday, Dec. 31.
One of the distinct characteristics of Southeast Asia is its complex and deep mixings of traditions, cultures and systems. This conference will explore these blends on various levels. Papers from all disciplines pertaining to the 2009 theme will be accepted from undergraduate and graduate students.
E-mail the following information to conference organizers:
Final drafts are due by Feb. 13, 2009. Best papers will be awarded $150 (undergraduate) and $250 (graduate).
Housing with students on campus can be arranged.
Please direct inquires and abstracts to Sarah Wiley, conference coordinator, Southeast Asia Club at NIU, by calling (630) 670-5703 or e-mailing SEA.Conference.2009@gmail.com.
The 2009 Graduate Student Research Conference on Education, Learning and Human Development is scheduled for March 27 and March 28 in the Holmes Student Center and will feature paper and poster presentations by NIU graduate students.
Sponsored by the College of Education, the conference seeks proposals for research papers in education, health and human services, the social sciences and in liberal arts areas that focus on education-relevant issues (for example, history and economics of education, human learning and human development).
Workshops, a keynote speaker, a series of brief “how-to” sessions by NIU faculty and a free buffet lunch are all part of the GSRC 2009. All NIU students, faculty and instructors are invited to attend this free conference.
Deadline for submission of proposals is Thursday, Jan. 15. All proposals will be peer-reviewed by a panel of graduate students. Accepted proposals are notified Feb. 15. Registration deadline is March 10.
Contact Professor M Cecil Smith at mcsmith@niu.edu or 753-8448 for more information.
The David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library has announced its hours through Jan. 11.
The law library will extend its hours for reading period and final exams, ending Thursday, Dec. 18. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays.
The library is open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 23. The library is closed Saturday, Dec. 20, and Sunday, Dec. 21, as well as from Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 4.
Hours in the first part of January are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays. Regular hours resume Monday, Jan. 12.
Call (815) 753-0505 for more information.
Join the NIU Community School of the Arts this December with a variety of music performances.
All recitals are scheduled in the Recital Hall of the Music Building unless otherwise noted, and many end with a gala reception. The recitals are free and open to the public.
Lessons, classes and ensembles in music, art and theater are offered for children and adults throughout the year. The spring semester begins in January. Scholarships are available for those in financial need; the deadline for spring applications is Monday, Jan. 5.
For more information about classes, ensembles and lessons, contact Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
NIU’s annual Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute is scheduled for the week of May 11, 2009, at the Holmes Student Center.
Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors and supportive professional staff are invited to participate in the institute, which assists participants in incorporating multicultural perspectives and content into their courses, improving communication with students and preparing alumni to participate in a diverse workplace and society.
The institute features plenary sessions by prominent specialists, focused thematic discussions by NIU faculty and students, syllabi critiques, video presentations and small group discussions. The sessions in the institute focus on topics such as race, gender, social class, disabilities and sexual orientation. Plenary sessions and some panels are open to the public; small group sessions are restricted to participants.
Approximately 220 individuals have participated in the institute since its inception, and they have benefited from opportunities to learn about multicultural issues, share experiences and ideas and establish lasting professional relationships. Participants have made a significant impact on NIU’s programs at all levels across all colleges.
Qualified faculty and instructional staff interested in participating in the institute are encouraged to apply for Multicultural Curriculum Transformation stipends. Individuals selected will receive $1,000 stipends to support transforming existing courses or developing new classes that address multiculturalism. Faculty and staff on 12-month contracts can participate in the institute but are not eligible for the stipend.
The deadline for applications is Thursday, Dec. 18. Information about applications for the institute is available on the Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Web site. Applications should be submitted electronically to mcti@niu.edu.
For more information, contact graduate assistant Charles Stapleton at (815) 753-8557 or e-mail mcti@niu.edu.
“Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges,” established in 1934, is a program honoring outstanding college students for their scholastic, extracurricular and community achievements. NIU is one of more than 2,300 institutions of higher education which annually nominates junior, senior and graduate-level students for these awards.
Students whose academic standing, participation and leadership in extracurricular activities and community service are decidedly above average should be considered for nomination. A campus selection committee will review all nominations and will recommend approximately 50 students, representing a variety of academic and extracurricular areas, to the national program for this honor. Students who have previously been named to “Who’s Who” cannot be nominated again.
Students selected will receive personalized certificates, local and national publicity, and be included in the 2008-2009 edition of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” “Who’s Who” recipients will be recognized further during the Kevin D. Knight Leadership Awards Ceremony in late April 2009.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit nominations for this honor. Nominations (with student signature) must be received by Student Involvement & Leadership Development no later than Wednesday, Dec. 17. Late nominations cannot be considered.
Please respond fully to all items on the nomination form. Nominators may solicit information from the candidate to give the selection committee a more complete picture of the student’s qualifications, but it is the committee’s intent that the form be completed by the faculty or staff nominator.
Women students, faculty and staff who love to sing and want to explore music from multiple cultures and traditions are invited to join the Women’s Chorus.
Rehearsals are held from 4:30 to 5:40 p.m. Mondays in Room 171 of the Music Building.
The chorus is a non-auditioned ensemble available for credit as MUSC 369 (undergraduate) and MUSC 769 (graduate credit). The Spring 2009 concert will feature music for women’s voices, instruments and dance from northern Spain. The chorus performs one concert per semester; the spring performance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 20.
For more information, contact Glenda Cosenza at glenza@niu.edu.
The Committee for the Improvement of Undergraduate Education is seeking nominations for the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction Awards.
Students in all majors are encouraged to make nominations for these prestigious awards. Nomination procedures, guidelines, and forms are available online for the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and for the Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction Award.
The Committee for the Improvement of Undergraduate Education is administering four different types of grants to support research in and projects for the improvement of instruction in undergraduate courses:
Use current grant forms only. Do not use any previous forms.
All proposals must be submitted to the committee by Tuesday, Jan. 20. E-mail the forms to jganshir@niu.edu by the deadline.
Candidate interviews for the position of director of NIU’s CHANCE Program have been scheduled.
Open interview forums are scheduled for faculty (4 to 5 p.m.) and the public (5 to 6 p.m.) on each date. All open forums will be held in Room 203 of Altgeld Hall. Call (815) 753-8381 for more information.
There are still a few seats available for the NIU Alumni Association holiday trip to Hawaii.
Warm trade winds and a traditional Hawaiian “Aloha!” await on this three-island touring itinerary. The islands of Maui, Hawaii and Oahu offer a vast diversity of landscapes, natural beauty and attractions.
Visit myniu.com or call (815) 753-1452 for more information.