Feb. 9, 2026

Northern Illinois University sponsors the Northern Illinois University Supplemental Retirement Plan – Internal Revenue Code Section 403(b) (“Plan”). As an employee of Northern Illinois University receiving compensation reportable on a W-2, you are eligible to voluntarily elect to invest a portion of your compensation to the Plan to supplement your retirement savings. The Plan allows employees to make tax-deferred (pre-tax) and/or Roth option (after-tax) 403(b) investment contributions.

The approved Vendor(s) in the Plan will be holding on campus appointments to provide individual financial counseling. Whether you are currently enrolled in the Plan or seeking additional information for future enrollment, each vendor listed below has provided a link to their company information and the dates of their future appointments for those who would like individual financial counseling.   

To obtain more information on the NIU Supplemental Retirement Plan 403(b), please visit the Human Resource Services website.

NIU academic departments are invited to participate in upcoming career fairs to promote on-campus employment opportunities. These events provide a platform to connect with undergraduate and graduate students seeking positions that support departmental operations, teaching, research, and student services. Departments recruiting student employees are encouraged to participate; there is no cost for NIU departments.

Upcoming Fairs:

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Steph Horgan at sluka1@niu.edu.

University-level committee service provides an important opportunity for NIU faculty to take an active role in shared governance. It is through shared governance that faculty can impact campuswide academic decisions, help set the direction of NIU for the future and contribute to the promotion of academic freedom and productivity.

Soon the administration of NIU’s colleges and University Libraries will be reaching out to offer these opportunities to serve on a wide variety of committees, councils and boards for terms to begin in fall 2026. Faculty are encouraged to engage in this process and consider representing their college or University Libraries in this way.

Shared governance rests on the idea that the healthy functioning of our university is the shared responsibility of faculty, administration, staff, students, and the Board of Trustees. Serving on these committees is one way for faculty to directly contribute to the health of our university.

Do you lead or oversee a volunteer leadership group like an alumni council? Looking for ways to support their professional development? You and your volunteer leaders may be interested in the 2026 Volunteer Leadership Summit. Hear from professional experts about key university initiatives, expand volunteer leadership skills and network with fellow volunteer leaders.

Learn more and register by the priority deadline Feb. 27.

NIU’s Campus Climate Survey is open until March 6, 2026. The survey, which was sent to your NIU email address, will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please note that your email address will not be linked to your responses. By partnering with Viewfinder to collect survey data on our behalf, we’re able to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of responses. Each employee has received a unique survey link tied to their NIU email address.

The survey includes sensitive topics related to individual identities, discrimination, sexual harassment and the overall campus experience. These topics may bring about different emotions, and there are several university resources available to support you before, during or after taking the survey. 

Resources for Employees: 

If you have questions, please reach out to JadeSilva Tovar, Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at equity@niu.edu. Further information can be found online. 

The PCPD invites nominations for the Exemplary Advocate Award for Faculty/Staff, the Exemplary Advocate Award for Community Partner, and the Gregory Long, Ph.D., Award for Excellence in Service and Leadership. Please see the Presidential Commissions Award site for more information and to access the nomination form. Nominations are being accepted through Monday, March 2, 2026.

The Couple and Family Therapy Clinic located in Wirtz Hall is currently accepting new patients.

We offer long-term, low-fee therapy services for individuals and couples, provided by advanced graduate clinicians under professional supervision.

If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy or would like additional support, we encourage you to take advantage of this affordable service.

Call today for a consultation: 815-753-1684.

Supportive Professional Staff (SPS) and Operating Staff (OS) have a critical role in NIU’s success. NIU annually recognizes current staff members and staff teams who have demonstrated exemplary performance and service in promoting the goals of the university while demonstrating the core values of excellence, advancement of NIU’s mission, vision and values, integrity, collaboration and service.

The awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge staff members’ extraordinary effort and exemplary service. The nomination deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. and references must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Please plan to submit nominations early, so references have enough time to provide information by the deadline.

Campus visits by both prospective and admitted students are a critical part of the recruitment and enrollment process, playing a definitive role in helping students choose to enroll at NIU. The Undergraduate Admissions team hosts more than 15 on-campus events each academic year, welcoming hundreds of admitted and prospective students to learn what it’s like to be a Huskie.

During the spring 2026 semester, those events include:

While information is available online and electronically, visiting in person and seeing buildings, residence halls, classrooms, athletic facilities, green space and social spaces gives our prospective students a true feel for what our campus is like. And talking with faculty, staff and current students helps them understand what it means to be part of the Huskie Nation.  

Interested in volunteering at these events and helping welcome future Huskies? Sign up at the NIU Admission Events Volunteer Form.

Whether you play a direct role in these crucial events or can simply offer up a smile and wave to a group of touring students as they pass by, we hope you’ll help welcome our future Huskies.

The Office of Research Development (ORD) is pleased to announce an internal selection process for the Public Impact Research (PIR) Award sponsored by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

NIU is limited to one institutional nomination. To ensure a strong and competitive submission, ORD will conduct an internal competition through the InfoReady portal to identify NIU’s nominee.

Deadlines:

ORD will provide robust proposal development support. If interested, please use the Research Development Consultation Request Form.

The APLU Public Impact Research Award recognizes an APLU member institution for exceptional outcomes from one or more PIR initiatives. PIR reflects how university research improves lives and serves society locally, regionally, nationally and globally through multidisciplinary, community-engaged, research-practice partnership, participatory, translational, co-produced, and other use-inspired, public-facing efforts.

Applications are evaluated based on four core criteria: connection to public need, leveraged resources, evidence of impact and sustainability.

For more information:

Students intending to graduate in May 2026 must apply in MyNIU by no later than Feb. 15. Please share this date with students and colleagues. This is the only (and final) deadline for spring (May 2026) graduation candidates. More information about applying for graduation is available at niu.edu/registration-records/graduation

Submissions for the Student Engagement Fund (SEF) are being accepted through Feb. 27 for proposed projects in the upcoming academic year (summer, fall and/or spring). SEF provides funding for undergraduate students working on faculty-mentored research, artistry and creative inquiry projects.

Faculty are eligible to apply for a maximum of $3,800 per year.  

Read the full details and apply by Feb. 27 to be considered for funding.  

Questions can be emailed to ugresearch@niu.edu.  

Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) invites all faculty and members of campus to attend an upcoming RIPS Town Hall. These town halls include a brief overview of the current external funding landscape and a short presentation about NIU’s historical investments in research, scholarship, artistry and innovation, followed by a Q&A discussion with RIPS leadership. This is an opportunity to learn more about RIPS services, ask questions and share feedback on how RIPS can best support research, scholarship, artistry and innovation across our university. Most importantly, this is an opportunity to shape the future of RIPS and how it serves campus.  

Two more town halls will be offered on different dates at different times; we hope you can attend one. All sessions will be held in Altgeld Hall, Room 315 and will be offered in a hybrid format. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged and appreciated to support discussion and engagement. 

Townhall dates and times: 

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2-3 p.m. 
Townhall #2 Meeting Link  
Meeting ID: 259 370 814 314 51  
Passcode: GV6by2G9  

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.