Oct. 27, 2025

NIU’s Budget and Planning site has been updated to include information on the current fiscal year (FY26) and planning for the upcoming year (FY27). Employees are encouraged to review the available data to help inform ongoing operations and future planning efforts. University leadership welcomes all employees to share ideas or suggestions related to NIU’s finances and multiyear budgeting goals by emailing budgetandplanning@niu.edu.

Members of the campus community are invited to attend the open forums for Chief of Police candidates. The candidates names and resumes will be made available on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 at the links below.

As previously indicated, HRS is actively pursuing form automation. Effective immediately, the following form is accessible on the HR website through a dedicated Kuali link.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Request Form

HRS aims to enhance accessibility and streamline processes by making forms available through Kuali Build, an online workflow toolkit.

Please visit the Kuali Build information page for addition details about Kuali Build or its functionalities.

Please email any questions to HumanResources@niu.edu.

Join us for a Disability Ally Training designed to build awareness and understanding. The training will take place on Thursday, Nov. 6 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Regency Room at the Holmes Student Center. Participants will explore key definitions of disability, learn about disability justice principles and engage in open conversations about creating more inclusive and accessible communities. Please bring your lunch. To sign up, please go to https://forms.office.com/r/QPhWZC8d2n. 

October is National Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC) Month. To celebrate, NIU’s EIM-OC team invites all students, staff and faculty to participate in the annual Walking Challenge to get everyone on our campus moving. The event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  at the East Lagoon. The university that walks and moves by wheelchair the most is named the winner. Let’s go, Huskies!

Huskie Books and Gear is having a faculty and staff appreciation event Wednesday, Oct. 29.

Receive a school branded lunch tote gift with a $75 purchase and 25% off drinkware. A OneCard will be required to receive the discount.

Come join us in supporting NIU students by volunteering at our Huskie Food Pantry. As faculty, staff, alumni or friends of the university, your time and energy can make a meaningful impact. This is a critical time for the pantry, and your support helps ensure students have access to essential resources.

Whether you're a returning volunteer or new to the pantry, we welcome your help. Available shifts include:

Learn more and register. Thank you and go Huskies!

Huskie Trek Talks is coming back on Saturday, April 18, 2026, with another exciting opportunity for faculty and staff to showcase innovative research, impactful programs and novel initiatives. The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, November 14. Finalists will be chosen and notified in December. Presenter coaching will take place from January through early April in preparation for the Trek Talks event later that month. Submit your proposal today! 

Please consider nominating students, staff or faculty for an Outstanding International Award. The nomination and submission information is on our website.

The award winners will be announced during International Education Week (Nov. 17-21) at the International Recognition Reception, which takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18 with remarks at noon, in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

We are seeking nominations for the following awards:

The deadline for all nominations is 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

Each year, the Division of International Affairs celebrates International Education Week (IEW), an opportunity to recognize the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.

International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, reflecting efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences. 

This year, International Education Week takes place the week of Nov. 17-21.

We want to feature and encourage others’ celebrations of International Education Week. If you plan on hosting an international education event between Nov. 17-21, please visit our Division of International Affairs website to have your event featured on our NIU International Education Week calendar feed. Simply follow the steps under the Submit an Event section.

A new policy is open to review and comment for a 30-day period. This provides our NIU community the opportunity to consider and respond to the policy before it takes effect. The policy is:

Sponsored Programs Equipment and Property Policy by Nov. 10.

To submit a comment, go to our Policy Library website. Click on “Comment on New/Renew Policies.” You’ll be able to review the policies and provide your comments. If you have any questions, please contact the university policy librarian at policy-library@niu.edu.

During the month of October, the following three (3) mandatory trainings for all employees will be available in Blackboard:

Each training varies in length from 45 minutes to one (1) hour. These trainings will be open from Oct. 6, 2025 through Oct. 31, 2025. All training must be completed by the last date of the training period prior to midnight. There will be no extensions available. Learn more about the trainings by visiting the NIU Calendar.

After a successful inaugural event last year, NIU is proud to again partner with all Illinois public universities to offer the second annual Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium. This free, virtual conference on Friday, Nov. 7 is for all those who learn, teach, develop, support or administer online education. This year's theme, "Doing Less with Less, Effectively," emphasizes innovative strategies for impactful online education within evolving resource constraints. Learn more and register today.

Who are Orientation Leaders (OLs)? 

An Orientation Leader (OL) is an undergraduate student who helps incoming first-year and transfer students transition to NIU, building a sense of connection and belonging. OLs lead small group discussions, lead campus tours, answer questions, and more!

Do you know any students who would be a good Orientation Leader?  

Serving as an Orientation Leader is a unique opportunity for students to develop leadership and communication skills, share their Huskie story by highlighting their academic and involvement journey, and make an impact on new Huskies.

Why should you recommend a student? 

This is a great way to recognize students for their hard work and share another opportunity for them to engage with the campus community. You can also recommend a student who is already highly involved on campus to recognize their hard work. There is no obligation for them to apply after being nominated. 

Recommend an Orientation Leader

Have any questions? Contact Scott Johansen, Program Assistant for Student Training and Development in the Office of Orientation and First Year Programs at sjohansen@niu.edu

Applaud a Colleague is a show of appreciation for those coworkers who go above and beyond. These are just a few of the employees throughout the university that go the extra mile:

Tip: Submit your event, lecture, training session or deadline to the NIU calendar to help inform Huskies about everything that is happening on campus. 

The month of October is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. Journals not posted at that time will go into November business. Submit October journals before end of business Friday, Nov. 7.  Final October reports are scheduled to be available Tuesday, Nov. 11. In addition, November reports are scheduled to be available Wednesday, Nov. 12. These dates, and other important dates related to the Controller’s Office, can be found on the Controller’s Office calendar webpage.