Fostering Engagement and Belonging
The following resources and activities promote engagement and development of students' sense of belonging at NIU.
Email Communications
Engagement and availability of activities
Communications periodically sent to importance of engagement.
Sample Email to Faculty Sample Email to ChairsOnline Course Engagement
Curated tips from NIU faculty and staff
Highly recommended practices for promoting increased engagement in online courses.
Online Engagement RecommendationsOnline Teaching Principles
Research-based principles for success
Recommended online course delivery best practices
Online Teaching PrinciplesTeaching First-Year Students
NIU Instructional Guide
Engagement tips for teaching first-year students
Teaching First-Year StudentsTeaching Effectiveness Literature
Curated literature references organized by teaching strategy
Collections of references on teaching effectiveness topics provide faculty with the opportunity to further explore new teaching strategies and approaches
Teaching Effectiveness LiteratureCalendar of Events
Opportunities for students to keep involved
Curated calendar co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, faculty encouraged to incorporate into course activities
Keep Involved CalendarStudent Success Resources
NIU academic success supports for students
Faculty encouraged to incorporate these academic support resources into their teaching and to refer students to utilize the services available for their academic success
Student Success ResourcesOnline Course Essentials
Research-based quality standards used to design online and hybrid courses
All new and redeveloped online courses are expected to meet essential quality standards
Online Course EssentialsLearning Communities
NIU Instructional Guide
Recommendations for forming learning communities for students to engage outside of class
Learning CommunitiesFlexible Teaching
Guides for developing flexible courses
Approach to course design and delivery that helps students learn and succeed in any mode: face-to-face, online, or hybrid
Flexible Teaching Course Design GuidesQuick Access to this Guide
citl.niu.edu/belonging
