Notices
Participants Needed: Study on Higher Education Teachers and Teaching Online due to COVID-19
You’re invited to participate in a study about the effects of COVID-19 on higher education teachers (including professors, faculty and graduate teaching assistants) who have transitioned from teaching face to face to online due to the pandemic. This research study is about your online teaching self-efficacy and your communication with your students. This study includes an anonymous, IRB-approved survey. This study is being conducted by the research team of Rebekah Chiasson, graduate teaching assistant of communication studies (rchiasson1@niu.edu) and Mary Lynn Henningsen, professor of communication (henningsen@niu.edu). You are asked to complete this survey, which will take 10 to 20 minutes. At the conclusion of the anonymous survey, you’ll be redirected to an external survey in which you can provide your name and email address if you wish to participate in a drawing for one of four $25 gift cards. Thank you very much for your participation in this research! Questions can be directed to Rebekah Chiasson, rchiasson1@niu.edu.
Nominations for 2021 Operating Staff Outstanding Service Awards For some members of our Huskie Pack, their job description is just the beginning of the story of the service they provide to their colleagues, our students and the community. Does that describe a member of your team, or perhaps even you? Nominations are open for the Operating Staff Outstanding Service Award – and this year you can nominate someone else or yourself!
This award is presented each year to recognize individual civil service operating staff who make contributions to the university beyond a narrow reading of their job descriptions and also serve their community. Up to four individuals will be selected annually to receive the award which includes $1,500 (considered taxable wages) and a plaque. The awards will be presented in the spring.
Eligible employees must be full- or part-time status civil service employees who have been continuously employed at NIU since Feb. 1, 2014, or before.
The nomination form and additional information can be found on the Operating Staff Council website. The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021.
Nominations Sought for Supportive Profession Staff Awards
The Supportive Professional Staff (SPS) Council is requesting nominations for the Supportive Professional Staff Awards. The five SPS awards recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the university in special fields of expertise:
• Advocacy: Must have advocated for policies and practices that helped create a positive environment for students, faculty and/or staff.
• Cultural competency: Must have shown leadership in creating a more culturally competent and diverse NIU community.
• Excellence in supervision: Must have demonstrated outstanding leadership and ethical practices when supervising professional and student staff.
• Institutional advancement: Must have shown leadership in activities, programs and/or research that helped advance their department and the university.
• Partnership and collaboration: Must have cooperated and collaborated for the betterment of the NIU community. Recipients may be individuals or groups (departments, offices, etc.). Recipients are not limited to SPS employees.
Each recipient is given a plaque in honor of their accomplishment. An individual can receive each SPS award only once.
You can nominate someone by filling out the nomination form. You'll upload a nomination letter that explains how the nominee meets the award criteria. You'll also upload a letter of support. Materials must be received by 4:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. If you have any questions, contact Laura Lundelius at 815-753-9391 or lundelius@niu.edu.
Apply for Need-based Scholarships and Enroll for Spring Music Lessons, Classes and Ensembles at NIU Community School of the Arts
Spring 2021 registration at the NIU Community School of the Arts is now open. All NIU community members are invited to enrich their lives with music and art classes, private lessons and the music ensemble experience.
Learn to play a new musical instrument or brush up skills by taking private music lessons — register for music lessons and start as soon as the week of Jan. 18.
Online guitar and piano group classes for adults and for kids make learning to play an instrument more fun — register now for classes that begin in January.
CSA Guitar Ensemble, CSA Steel Band, Symphonette, Sinfonia, Suzuki music instruction and Art Express "Saturday School" all start new spring sessions in January.
Families in need of tuition assistance should complete a need-based scholarship application. A family with an annual adjusted gross income of less than $75K will now qualify to apply, and applications are accepted through Jan. 15. Pick up an application at the Music Building, Room 132 or call for more information.
Programs that meet in person in the NIU Music Building will strictly adhere to safety measures outlined by the NIU Community School of the Arts and the safety requirements of Northern Illinois University. Call for more information at 815-753-1450 and visit the NIU Community School website for complete details and to register.
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