President John G. Peters will present his annual State of the University Address at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, in the auditorium of Altgeld Hall.
Members of the NIU community should make plans to attend this informative presentation. The president’s address also is streamed live on the Internet at live.media.niu.edu.
Direct questions or concerns to the Office of Special Events at (815) 753-1999 or via e-mail at ellena@niu.edu.
Faculty and staff with Recreation Services memberships can participate in new faculty/staff-only group fitness classes and cardio/strength and nutrition sessions for free. Classes begin today.
To purchase memberships, sign up for classes or view the schedule, visit the Recreation Services Web site.
The Office of Assessment Services is pleased to present the Fall 2009 issue of Toolkit, its quarterly “nuts and bolts” e-newsletter. Toolkit is specifically designed to assist the NIU community with practical assessment issues in a user-friendly format.
This issue reviews resources available through the Office of Assessment Services. The “Tool of the Month” demonstrates a way to assess knowledge, skills and dispositions. Also included are a video featuring Carrie Zack, information about NIU’s participation in the Voluntary System of Accountability and more.
Back issues are posted on the Assessment Services Web site under “Toolkit.” Contributions to the newsletter are welcome at any time.
Self-checkout of books is now available at Founders Memorial Library.
A self-checkout machine is located near the reference desk and is available during all the open hours of the library. The machine is easy to use with instructions on the accompanying monitor. It works with an NIU ID card and a laser light reading of the library’s barcode on the item being borrowed.
Self-checkout will work with most, but not all, of the circulating items in the library. It will not work with the VHS video collection and a number of old books that lack the library barcode. These items will need to be checked out at the circulation desk.
The NIU Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has announced dates for its Fall 2009 Colloquia, co-sponsored by NIU’s Graduate Colloquium Committee.
All talks will be held at 4 p.m. Fridays in Davis Hall 308. For directions and updates to the schedule, visit http://www.niu.edu/geology. Call (815) 753-1943 for more information.
The Division of International Programs will host its Fall 2009 Brown Bag Series from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays in Faraday West, Room 300.
Attendees are invited to bring lunch and listen to speakers covering a variety of topics such as international perspectives, cultural diversity and study abroad experiences.
Upcoming lunches:
For other details, contact Heesun Majcher, director of the International Student and Faculty Office, at (815) 753-8275 or hmajcher@niu.edu.
NIU students, faculty, staff and local residents can renew driver’s licenses and state IDs, purchase their annual vehicle license plate stickers, register to be an organ and tissue donor or conduct other transactions at a mobile office coming to campus.
The mobile office will visit campus from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in the lower level of the Holmes Student Center. Other fall dates include Monday, Oct. 19, and Monday, Nov. 16.
Acceptable forms of payment include personal checks, cash, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit and debit cards. Other services available include vehicle title registration and parking placards for persons with disabilities.
A complete list of acceptable forms of identification is online.
The deadline is approaching for 2010-11 Student Fulbright Program applications.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships on a competitive basis for graduating college seniors, graduate students and artists to study abroad for one academic year.
NIU students seeking more information should contact Deborah Pierce, Fulbright Program adviser and associate provost of International Programs, at (815) 753-1989 or dpierce@niu.edu. General information on the program also is available online at www.us.fulbrightonline.org.
Applications must be submitted both electronically and in hard copy to Pierce (Williston Hall 406) by Friday, Sept. 25. For the national deadline, applications must be received at the Institute of International Education (IIE) electronically by Oct. 19, and in hard copy by Oct. 21. The IIE administers and coordinates the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
For more than 60 years, the federal government-sponsored Fulbright U.S. Student Program has provided future American leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to study, conduct research and teach in other countries. Fulbright student grants aim to increase mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchange while serving as a catalyst for long-term leadership development.
About 1,500 grants are awarded annually. The program currently operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships are now available to more than 40 countries. Fulbright full grants generally provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident coverage and full or partial tuition.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application and hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent by the beginning of the grant.
In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets this basic eligibility requirement. Professional applicants lacking a degree but with extensive professional study and/or experience in the field in which they wish to pursue a project may also be considered.
The NIU Foundation is calling for proposals for its annual Venture Grants, to be awarded in late fall of 2009.
Venture Grants back NIU faculty and staff in their commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and affecting positive change in the larger community.
The grant program will focus support toward the university’s strategic planning initiatives. Grantees will be selected based on their potential to advance two of the plan’s major imperatives.
Based on the strength of applications, as determined by the NIU Foundation Grants Committee, more than one proposal can receive funding. The combined budget for FY2010 is $35,000. This is for one-time, short-term (one year maximum) funding.
To be considered for FY2010 grant awards, proposals must be received in the Foundation Office, Altgeld 135, no later than Wednesday, Oct. 14. Applications and forms are available online.
All faculty and staff from units within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, the Division of Administration and University Outreach and Intercollegiate Athletics are eligible to apply. Awards will be announced in mid-December.
For more information, contact Diane Johnson at (815) 753-9469 or via e-mail at dianejohnson@niu.edu.
Introduce your child to the wonderful world of art this fall in the popular Art Express class, offered by the NIU Community School of the Arts.
Children create original works of art in this fun and intensive class taught by NIU School of Art education students. This class is offered for children ages 4 to 12 and meets from 1 to 3 p.m. for five Saturdays beginning Sept. 12. All materials are supplied. The classes are free to children of NIU employees and students.
Teachers are students in the art education program at NIU; they are supervised by faculty. The curriculum changes every semester.
Contact the office (Room 132 of the Music Building) for an application form. For more information, call (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
Administrators, faculty and staff are invited to nominate an outstanding NIU student for the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award. The NIU Student Laureate will represent the university at a special ceremony in the Illinois State Capitol this fall.
The deadline for nominations is Monday, Sept. 14.
To be considered, a student must be an undergraduate who will graduate during the 2009-10 academic year (December 2009, May 2010 or August 2010). The NIU Student Laureate should have an NIU grade point average of 3.5 or higher and should have demonstrated leadership in extracurricular activities.
Visit http://www.scholarships.niu.edu/scholarships/ for more information about this prestigious honor and to access the nomination form.
NIU’s Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education will offer an early-childhood motor development program.
The eight-week program for children ages 3 to 5 runs from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays from Monday, Sept. 14, through Wednesday, Nov. 4. The program costs $100 and is held in Anderson Hall.
The program curriculum includes learning movement concepts, developing fundamental motor skills, coordination, swimming and rhythmical abilities as well as games and fitness, program director Clersida Garcia said.
For more information, call Garcia at (815) 753-1400 or e-mail cgarcia@niu.edu.
Fulfill your lifelong desire to learn to play an instrument while getting to know other like-minded adults at the NIU Community School of the Arts this fall.
All classes take place in the Music Building.
“Group Piano for Adults” is a group class for beginning piano students ages 18 and older. The class meets from 6:15 to 7:10 p.m. for 12 Mondays beginning Sept. 14. Teacher Susan Breitner Hurm is a longtime piano teacher who has experience teaching children and adults. She teaches Suzuki and traditional piano lessons for the community school.
“Guitar Basics” teaches the fundamentals of guitar for adults and teens ages 13 and older. Beginning Sept. 16, the class meets from 6 to 6:55 p.m. for 12 Wednesdays. Teacher Quentin Dover is a graduate of NIU and has taught children and adults for many years. A second section of this class also is available for children ages 9 to 12 from 5 to 5:55 p.m.
“Electric Guitar for Beginners” is a new class offered this fall for those ages 14 and older who want to transition to or learn the electric guitar. The class meets for six Mondays, beginning Oct. 5. Teacher Lisa Baker is a graduate student at NIU where she studies with Fareed Haque. She has taught and performed for many years in Nashville.
These and many other classes and ensembles are offered at the NIU Community School of the Arts this fall. The office is located on campus in Room 132 of the Music Building. For more information, call (815) 753-1450 or visit www.niu.edu/extprograms.
All letters of nomination for the 2010 Presidential Teaching Professorships should be submitted to Vice Provost Earl “Gip” Seaver, Office of the Provost, Altgeld Hall 220, no later than Monday, Sept. 28.
Following receipt of a letter of nomination, the selection committee will invite each nominated faculty member to prepare materials in accordance with the published procedure. Only full professors with tenure and at least six years of service at NIU are eligible for the award. The Presidential Teaching Professorships were established in 1990 to recognize those outstanding teachers who have demonstrated over time that they:
The procedure calls for a rigorous and thorough portfolio review including contacting former students. The 2010 recipients will be announced next spring.
Paul Zientarski, chair of the Department of Physical Education at Naperville Central High School, will speak Wednesday, Sept. 30, on “Understanding the Science Behind the Impact of Exercise on Literacy and Learning.”
Zeintarski’s lecture is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Faraday West, Room 200.
The speech is sponsored by NIU’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy (CISLL). For more information, e-mail cwickens@niu.edu.
Provost Ray Alden has called for nominations for the 2009-10 NIU Board of Trustees Professorships. Nominations are due Friday, Sept. 25.
The professorships were established in 2007 by President John Peters and the Board of Trustees to recognize those tenured professors who:
In considering the qualifications of nominees, special emphasis will be placed upon those who are renowned scholars or artists and have engaged students in their research and/or other professional activities.
Up to three professorships can be awarded each academic year; the 2009-2010 awards will be made at the Faculty Awards Recognition Ceremony in April 2010. The recipients will receive a stipend of $10,000 per year that will be renewed annually during the five-year period term of appointment as Board of Trustee Professors.
The responsibilities of the professorship include delivering the Board of Trustees Professorship Lecture; participating in workshops for the professional development of junior faculty and in activities that advance the university’s reputation and mission; maintaining an active program of teaching, scholarship or artistry, and service; and submitting a report detailing activities and accomplishments during the award period.
Additional information about the nomination process and the professorships is available online. Application portfolios should be submitted electronically to the Office of the Provost, Kathleen Carey (kjahns@niu.edu).
The University Women’s Club of NIU will hold its annual fall open house from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the home of President and Mrs. Peters, 901 Woodlawn Ave. in DeKalb.
The University Women’s Club invites every woman associated with the university, whether she is a current or retired faculty or staff member, or the wife of a current, retired or deceased faculty or staff member, to join this long-standing organization of NIU women.
Meet people with a common interest in NIU, participate in distinct interest groups, enjoy social events and support the club’s philanthropic endeavor of providing scholarships to deserving NIU women students.
The Northern Illinois University Art Museum will open three exhibitions Tuesday, Aug. 25. All run through Saturday, Oct. 10. An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept 10, with an artists’ talk planned at 6 p.m. in Altgeld Hall Room 315.
Elona Van Gent will present an artist talk at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Jack Arends Hall/Visual Arts
Building Room 111. Jessica Gondek will present a curator’s talk at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, in the gallery.
Located on the west-end first floor of Altgeld Hall, the galleries are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and by appointment for group tours. Exhibitions and lectures are free; donations are appreciated.
The exhibitions of the NIU Art Museum are funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the Friends of the NIU Art Museum, and the Arts Fund 21. For more information, visit www.niu.edu/artmuseum or call (815) 753-1936.