April 21, 2025

On Friday, May 9, 2025, Human Resource Services (HRS) will move to its new permanent location at 102 Lowden Hall, providing faculty and staff with more central access to employment services and resources. As part of this transition, HRS will be decreasing its footprint with several team members working fully remote. Services at the current location (1515 West Lincoln Highway) will be discontinued. The official mailing address for HRS will be 1425 West Lincoln Highway. The most effective ways to connect with HRS representatives will be via email (humanresources@niu.edu), phone (815-753-6000), or by scheduling appointments directly with specific representatives. This strategic relocation reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing service accessibility while adapting to evolving workplace arrangements.

Lincoln Dr. North will be temporarily shut down  between Grant Dr. East and Stadium Drive East during the week of April 21. During this time new deaerator and new condensate tanks for will be delivered and installed at the West Heating Plant.  Roads are expected to reopen April 25.

Each year members of the NIU community are presented with presidential awards in recognition of professional success and contributions to the university. Come and celebrate the recipients of this year's university staff awards. The ceremony will be held in Altgeld Hall Auditorium from 3 to 5 p.m on Thursday, April 24.

The Office of Research Development (ORD) in the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) invites faculty to apply for the University Grants Academy (UGA). This semester-long, cohort-based program is designed to enhance faculty success in securing extramural funding by guiding participants through the development of competitive, submission-ready grant proposals.

UGA follows a structured, faculty-facilitated curriculum with weekly meetings that include collaborative discussions, and peer and facilitator feedback to refine draft proposals.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2025

Submission: Internal proposals must be submitted via ORD’s InfoReady internal competition portal.

For questions about UGA or the application process, please contact ord@niu.edu

Looking to increase student participation in course evaluations? Follow these simple tips to maximize your response rates:

For additional information about Blue Evaluations, please visit our website. 

The Staff Professional Development Academy is a yearlong, cohort style program that both promotes professional development and creates a network of leaders across campus. We aim to have diverse cohorts with representation across campus and encourage staff at all levels to apply. Learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply by visiting the Office of the President's website.

Deadline for applications is May 1, 2025.

We look forward to celebrating our graduates during commencement ceremonies Friday, May 9, 2025 and Saturday, May 10, 2025 at the Convocation Center.

Please consider volunteering your time at these events to help make them successful for our graduates, families and guests. Volunteers are critical to creating fun, organized and celebratory events.

If you are able to help, and are not already participating through your academic college or the Graduate School, please visit the commencement volunteer website and fill out the volunteer form by no later than Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

NIU alumni, faculty, staff and community members are invited to volunteer at our Huskie Food Pantry during finals week. Your volunteer participation carries on the legacy of genuine care among our NIU community. Our student shoppers always enjoy the supportive spirit you bring to the pantry, and our student leaders and volunteers appreciate the chance to focus on their final projects and tests.

Pantry shifts run from Tuesday, May 6 through Thursday, May 8. Learn more and register at our HFP volunteer registration page for community, alumni, and faculty and staff (current and retired).  

Shift openings, May 6-8, 2025:

The Faculty Academy on Cultural Competence and Equity (FACCE) committee invites you to the final session of the academic year, “Supporting Mental Health in the Classroom with a Trauma-informed Approach,” facilitated by Professor Tammy Wynard and Professor Melissa Clucas Walter.

As trauma-informed practices become essential to creating equitable and effective learning environments, this interactive session will introduce universal strategies for strength-based teaching and learning. These approaches can support all students, including those who are neurodivergent. Participants will also receive a collection of curated resources for continued self-directed learning.

Date: Friday, April 25, 2025.
Time: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Holmes Student Center, Capital Room.
This is a brown-bag session — feel free to bring your lunch.

Register today. 

We hope to see you there!

Save the Date: Summer Academy

May 19-22, 2025
Mark your calendars! Additional details and registration information will be shared soon.

Join us from 12:15 to 12:40 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 20 to June 26 for a six-week, 12-session fitness program designed to fit perfectly into your busy day.

This quick and efficient workout uses functional movement and adaptive circuit training across various NIU facilities. Walk to the Rec to warm up and get ready to sweat. You'll have time to work out, grab lunch and get back to work feeling energized. Outdoors, weather permitting. Spots are limited — let’s slim down this summer, Huskies!

Pricing:

Join Sponsored Programs Administration Monday, April 28, 2025, for the sixth session of virtual open houses to focus on various aspects of grants management. This session will cover nonfinancial award actions (prior approvals, no-cost extensions, change in personnel). Each session will include a Q&A segment. Our final session will be Monday, May 12, 2025, and will cover time and effort. If interested, please register and join. For more information and to register for our last two sessions, please visit our Sponsored Programs Newsblog.

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 April is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon Friday, May 9, 2025. Journals not posted at that time will go into May business. Submit April journals before end of business Thursday, May 8, 2025. Final April reports are scheduled to be available Monday May 12, 2025. In addition, May reports are scheduled to be available Tuesday, May 13, 2025. These and other important dates can be found on the Controller's Office website.