The deadline to complete annual online ethics training is midnight Friday, Nov. 14. There are no extensions.
Under the terms of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, all full-time, part-time, regular and temporary faculty, staff, graduate assistants, extra help and student employees must complete this annual training.
The training covers such topics as accepting gifts and bribes, conflict of interest, inappropriate use of university resources for personal matters, whistleblower protection and avoidance of political activities during the work day. Everyone who receives a paycheck from the university must complete this training.
Training should be completed during normal work hours. Employees should check with their department on whether special arrangements are being made for workstations for employees without computers, or for scheduling of training times.
Employees can contact the Ethics Training Administrator at (815) 753-6039 or Human Resource Services at (815) 753-6000 for information or assistance. Technical questions will be addressed by Information Technology Services Helpdesk at (815) 753-8100.
The State of Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General notes that employees who do not comply with the annual training mandate can be subject to fines and disciplinary actions.
For further information, contact:
The NIU Percussion Ensemble, directed by Robert Chappell and Greg Beyer, with graduate conductors Robert Houpe and William Cooley, will present its fall concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall.
The concert is free, open to the public and accessible to all. The focus of the concert will be on new works for keyboard percussion, world-influenced compositions and popular jazz adaptations.
The ensemble is preparing for two major performances in the winter of 2009 that will include a number of the works found in this concert. On Jan. 24, the NIU Percussion Department will host the Illinois Day of Percussion, bringing together percussionists and major artists from throughout Illinois and beyond. On Jan. 31, the NIU Percussion Ensemble will perform at the Illinois Music Educators Convention in Peoria.
Opening the Nov. 13 concert is “Sharpened Stick,” a composition for five multiple percussionists playing drums, metallic instruments and even brake drums.
World-influenced compositions include “Repercussion,” for six percussionists playing the Brazilian ground bow or berimbau; “Sud,” a composition from North Africa featuring Middle Eastern hand drums in a funky nine-beat pulse; and “Marimbando” from Costa Rican composer Marvin Araya for three marimbistas and Latin percussion.
Clarice Castilho, an NIU percussion major from Brazil, will be featured on the closing work, a samba version of George Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy.” Castilho will play the Brazilian tambourine.
For further information, contact Chappell at (815) 753-7973 or rchappell@niu.edu or Beyer at (815) 753-7981 or gbeyer@niu.edu.
Join others for a screening and discussion of “Hot and Bothered,” a groundbreaking video that explores the ties between the pornography industry and the feminist community.
The event will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Women’s Resource Center, 105 Normal Road, DeKalb.
For details, call (815) 753-0320.
NIU’s Civic Leadership Academy will offer a Thursday, Nov. 20, workshop on “Reaching Out:
Managing Public Information & Getting Out the Message.”
This workshop will guide participants through a study of the theory, principles and practices of organizational public relations in the complex environment of leading in the public. Participants will engage in active learning exercises and discussion to help them understand the theories that make up a strong public relations/public information program.
The workshop also will explore the power of knowing and understanding what the media’s needs are and how to use them effectively. Topics include how to do interviews and presentations, and the difference that positive communication skills can make in leaving others with a strong professional impression. Crisis strategies and Freedom of Information Act requests also will be addressed.
Presenters are Cheryl Fayne-dePersio, director of communications for the Village of Northbrook; Mike Green, retired deputy police chief for the Village of Northbrook; Natalie Marquez, management analyst and public information officer for the Village of Skokie; and Greg Kuhn, Ph.D., assistant director and senior research associate for the Center for Governmental Studies.
Registration and more information about CLA and its upcoming workshops are available online.
Join alumni and friends for a private skating party from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the new DeKalb Community Ice Skating Rink located at First and Locust streets. Enjoy skating, hot chocolate, cookies and fun.
Tickets for this event are $7 for adults, $5 for kids and free for Cardinal and Black and Legacy members of the NIU Alumni Association. Ticket costs include entrance fees, skate rentals, hot chocolate and goodies.
Registration is required. Visit myniu.com or call (815) 753-1452 for more information.
The Office of External Programming in the College of Liberal Arts and Science is organizing a Friday, Dec. 5, trip to the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago to see “The Seafarer” by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson.
The bus departs from the Normal Road entrance of the Holmes Student Center at 4:30 p.m. with a pick-up at NIU-Naperville at 5:30 p.m.
“The Seafarer” tells the tale of Christmas Eve in Dublin. In the rundown house where Sharky cares for his blind brother, old acquaintances gather for a card game – and are joined by an ominous stranger.
As the booze flows and the game intensifies, Sharky discovers he is playing for his soul. In this eerie, darkly humorous tale, McPherson examines how we face the demons of our past as we struggle to find redemption. For more detailed performance information, visit www.steppenwolf.org.
Cost is $25 for NIU students and $45 for others (includes transportation and theater ticket). For more information or to register, call (815) 753-5200 or e-mail LASEP@niu.edu.
In accordance with President Peters’ holiday closure schedule for 2008-09, all departments within the Materials Management area will close from 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, until operations resume at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5.
No receiving of U.S. mail, parcel post, UPS, Fed Ex, Fed Ex Ground, DHL/Airborne or any common carrier packages will take place during this time.
Employees who anticipate delivery of any packages to Central Receiving at NIU near or during this time period should make necessary arrangements for delivery to an alternate address to avoid delays or packages being returned to sender as undeliverable.
When operations resume in January, Central Receiving and Campus Mail Services will begin processing the backlog of mail and packages as quickly as possible. Exercise patience and do not call to find out where or when packages will be delivered.
Hearing loss is not just a part of old age: It can affect people of any age. Unfortunately, too many people wait years before seeking help.
NIU’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, 3100 Sycamore Road in DeKalb, will host two free hearing screenings and technology demonstrations, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, and 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Dec. 8.
The screenings and demonstrations are by appointment only. Call (815) 753-1481 (voice) or (815) 753-2000 (TTY) for more information or to reserve a time. The clinic is part of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
NIU’s Supportive Professional Staff Council is requesting nominations for the Presidential Supportive Professional Staff Award for Excellence.
This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the university. All Supportive Professional Staff are eligible. If you have previously nominated an individual, please consider re-nominating them.
Four awards worth $1,500 each will be presented. In addition, each recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of their accomplishments. To be eligible, an employee must be actively employed at the time the award is presented (in March or April 2009).
The nominator is asked to address the following topics in a letter addressed to the SPSC Awards Committee:
A completed application packet consists of the nomination referral form and four letters: a nomination letter and three letters of support.
The support letters must address the above topics. Only these four letters will be considered for each nominee. All nominations must include the nominee’s and nominator’s name, title and department.
Awards will be announced by the president in February 2009, and awards will be presented at a reception hosted by the president in March or April 2009. Nominators are responsible for submitting the complete set of nomination materials. Contact Deborah Haliczer at (815) 753-6039 or via e-mail at dhaliczer@niu.edu for more information.
The nomination referral form, nomination letter and three letters of support should be sent to Deborah Haliczer, co-chair of the SPSC awards committee, and must be received in the office of Human Resource Services (1515 W. Lincoln Hwy.) by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3. There will be no extensions of the deadline.