Save the Date: Annual President's Holiday Gathering is Nov. 30.

Join President Lisa Freeman, her leadership team and fellow colleagues for the Annual President's Holiday Gathering on Thursday, Nov. 30 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Altgeld Hall Auditorium. Employees are granted release time to participate. Beverages and desserts will be provided. A photo station will be available to take holiday photos with colleagues and Mission III will make an appearance. You can also purchase our 2023 Pride with Purpose shirt, which would make a great holiday gift. Donations will also be accepted for the Huskie Food Pantry. A full list of items needed by the pantry can be viewed on the Huskie Food Pantry website.

Civil Service recruitment posting and holiday closures.

Human Resource Services (HRS) reminds the campus to be mindful of the winter holiday closures and how those dates might impact recruitment.  HRS encourages hiring officials to be mindful of setting the close dates within the two weeks before and one week after the New Year’s holiday closures to accommodate the search committee/team and HRS’ administrative support schedules.  HRS recommends that vacancies posted after Dec. 8, 2023, consider a closing date after Jan. 2, 2024. If you have any questions, please reach out to TalentAcquisitionHRS@niu.edu or vwronkowski@niu.edu.

Illinois minimum wage update.

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the minimum wage in Illinois will increase to $14.00 as authorized by Public Act 101-1.  As a result, Human Resource Services (HRS) will run a program that will convert the pay rates for any hourly employees who are paid less than $14.00 an hour to the new minimum of $14.00 effective January 1.  Accordingly, you will need to adjust resource allocations in cost centers to support the new minimum wage. No additional resources will be provided to fund the increases.  Please note that this change occurs in the middle of our fiscal year, so it will be necessary to account for future changes in the budgeting process that may occur in the spring at NIU.  While it is not necessary to submit requests to change pay rates for those employees to be raised to the new minimum, if your department has adjustments that need to be made outside of this process for students and extra-help employees, we would appreciate receiving the paperwork by Dec. 15, 2023.

PeopleSoft Financial Management System maintenance scheduled.

The PeopleSoft Financial Management System will be unavailable from 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, through 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 20 due to system maintenance.

Recreation Center undergoing updates.

The Recreation Center is getting an upgrade! At the end of November, construction begins to remodel our locker rooms. Unfortunately, this will also come with temporary inconvenience. On Monday, Nov. 13, demolition begins in the men’s showers. The men’s locker area, bathrooms and all the women’s locker room will remain open. On Monday, Nov. 20, men’s and women’s locker rooms will close for the remainder of the project. The project is estimated to be completed by February. Please email recreation@niu.edu with any questions or concerns.

 

Get fit with our personal training sale. This month, buy four personal training sessions and get one free. Achieve your fitness goals with our expert trainers. Limited time offer through November. Visit go.niu.edu/personaltraining for details. Reach out to Brendan Lochbaum, assistant director of fitness, blochbaum1@niu.edu with any questions.

Procurement Services and Contract Management to host Virtual Vendor Showcases

Procurement Services and Contract Management is providing a series of opportunities for NIU business partners to connect with potential vendors for possible business solutions and to continue our success in building a diverse portfolio of vendors in support of the Business Enterprise Program (BEP). The next Virtual Vendor Showcase is from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 14, 2023. To learn more about the businesses that will be attending, visit the NIU calendar.

Blackboard Courses from Fall 2017 to Summer 2018 to be deleted beginning Dec. 14, 2023

In accordance with NIU’s course retention guidelines for Blackboard, only the last five years of courses are retained in Blackboard. The Division of Information Technology will begin removing courses from the 2017-2018 academic year. Shells and organizations will not be affected at this time.

 

Courses to be deleted: All courses from fall 2017, spring 2018 and summer 2018 will be deleted. Courses from fall 2018 to fall 2023 will be retained in Blackboard.

Removal date: The removal process begins on Dec. 14, 2023.

 

You may save any courses you wish to retain before the course removal process begins by exporting the courses from Blackboard. You can store the exported package (a zip file) on your computer or in OneDrive. Faculty members are responsible for exporting their own courses. Learn more about exporting your Blackboard course.

 

You may also download the Grade Center if you wish to retain the grades for your records. Learn more about downloading the Grade Center in Original or Ultra Course View.

 

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please feel free to contact the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at 815-753-0595 or citl@niu.edu. If you experience technical issues while exporting a course or downloading your grades, please contact the DoIT Service Desk at it.niu.edu, 815-753-8100 or servicedesk@niu.edu.

SPA Winter Break Grant Processing Timelines

In preparation for the upcoming winter break, Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) has prepared timelines for proposal and award actions to help faculty and staff plan and to ensure the highest level of support possible during this busy time. 

 

As with other university offices, SPA will observe the university holiday closure schedule.

Please see the Sponsored Programs Administration Newsblog for these timelines.

NSF Virtual Grants Fall Conference scheduled for Dec. 4-7, 2023

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will be hosting their free 2023 Fall NSF Virtual Grants Conference for anyone new to NSF looking to learn key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF, and for those who are experienced and would like to be caught up on the latest agency policies and funding information.

 

See the Sponsored Programs Administration Newsblog for additional information.

Do you have an event, activity or classroom lesson that could be enriched by alumni volunteers with real-world experience?
The NIU Alumni Association Volunteer Engagement is hoping to identify opportunities to both engage a variety of alumni volunteers and provide support to campus partners who would not normally be able to execute activities without volunteer help.

 

The partnership resulting from acceptance of the proposal includes recruitment and planning support from the NIUAA that is designed to complement your non-volunteer logistics, planning and communication efforts.

 

Want to brainstorm before you submit your proposal or have questions? Contact Liz McKee, M.S.Ed. '14 at lmckee1@niu.edu or 815-753-7400. Applications are due Dec. 15.

Join us in celebrating International Education Week.

Join the Division of International Affairs and their campus partners throughout the week of Nov. 13 through 17 to celebrate International Education Week. There are a variety of events taking place including the International Recognition Reception and an International Student Ambassador appreciation night!

• Monday, Nov. 13: New Employee Huskies Welcome Event
• Monday, Nov. 13: Sneak Peek at UNIV 301: Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator
• Monday, Nov. 13: Men's Basketball vs Illinois Tech
• Monday, Nov.13: Career Conversations: Careers Working in or with Government
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: **ONLINE** Creating Assessments in Learn Ultra
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Electronic Requisitions Training
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Virtual Vendor Showcase
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: 2023 International Recognition Reception
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Ellington's: Fattosh, Stuffed Mushrooms, Potato Croquettes, Mujadra, Chicken Alfredo, Soup, Pita Bread and Hummus and Cheesecake
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Rec Fitness: Small Group Training
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: Football vs Western Michigan University
• Tuesday, Nov. 14: NIU Opera Theatre
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: Introductory Commercial Card Training
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: ***ONLINE*** Faculty, Advisors & Staff: Engage students using Study Buddies in Navigate Student
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: Outdoor Adventures: Weekly Crate Climbing
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: STEM Café: Fusion Energy: A Clean Energy Source for the Future?
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: NIU Jazz Ensemble Concert
• Thursday, Nov. 16: Mindful Moments from a Graduate Assistant: Managing Workplace Stress (Inclusion in Action)
• Thursday, Nov. 16: Study Abroad Social
• Thursday, Nov. 16: Culture Fest 2023!
• Thursday, Nov. 16: Outdoor Adventures: Stand-up Paddleboard Yoga (SUPYO)
• Thursday, Nov. 16: "Havana’s Black Renaissance" - by filmmaker Juanamaría Cordones-Cook, Ph.D.
• Thursday, Nov. 16: "Decolonizing AfroLatinidades: The Field of Afro-Latinx Studies" - Treinta y tres Keynote
• Thursday, Nov. 16 through Saturday, Nov. 18: School of Theatre and Dance presents: A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Friday, Nov. 17: QueersGiving
• Friday, Nov. 17: "What is for Supper? What is a Meal?" and "Food for the Soul: Belief and Healing in Burma" Exhibition Opening Reception
• Friday, Nov. 17: Treinta y tres: Celebrating and Contesting Afro-Latinidad
• Saturday, Nov. 18: Climbing Club Bouldering Competition
• Saturday, Nov. 18: NIU Banda & Mariachi Concert
• Wednesday, Nov. 29: Third Rebel Music Conference
• Thursday, Nov. 30: "Enough on My Plate" Poetry/Short Story Night
• Tuesday, Dec. 12: Introductory Commercial Card Training

Research and Artistry 2024 internal grant competition open

Our 2024 Research and Artistry competition is accepting applications. This annual internal grant competition provides funding support for faculty research, scholarship and artistry activities. More information, including the 2024 request for proposals containing full details and application instructions, is available on the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships Research and Artistry website. Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, via our NIU InfoReady application portal.

 

Friday, Dec. 15: EUTA and EUIA award nomination deadline

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024: Nomination Deadline for the Excellence in Online Teaching Award

UNIV 301 course giving students jump start to careers

Now nearing the end of its third semester, a course that debuted in fall 2022 continues to help NIU students make a strong start once they graduate. Read more.

Leading the way in online learning

Nationally, nearly nine million college students take classes exclusively online. As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, Northern Illinois University is positioning itself to be a leader in online education. Read more.

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