Help students jump start careers with UNIV 301.
It's never too early for our students to get a jump on developing their careers. With course registration underway, encourage Huskies to speak with their advisor about UNIV 301: Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator, a three-credit elective course that debuted in fall 2022.
This online, weekly course is taught by leadership coaches working in a variety of industries in Chicagoland and beyond. As mentors, they provide students with valuable feedback and insight so they are better prepared for their future after NIU.
Students are grouped in small cohorts with the same Leadership Coach throughout the semester. When the spring semester ends, nearly 400 Huskies will have already completed UNIV 301.
Other benefits of the course include:
- Small class size. Students are a team with 5-8 other Huskies from a variety of majors.
- Completely online and once-a-week. They meet with their Leadership Coach and teammates once a week online either Tuesday or Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Career exploration and preparation. They develop a professional portfolio, including strong interview skills, a competitive resume and a professional Linked In profile.
- Hands-on learning with leading companies. They work with their teammates on creating solutions for companies and clients in Chicagoland and beyond.
- Long-lasting support. Once students complete the Braven Accelerator course, they’re paired with a mentor who will continue to support them with academic and professional career planning throughout their time at NIU.
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Fiscal Year 2024 Purchase Requisitions now available.
Purchase requisitions (PR) may now be submitted for FY 2024. Departments are encouraged to submit FY 2024 requisitions as soon as practicable to ensure purchase orders/contracts are in place prior to start of services or deliveries.
Please note that FY 2023 purchase orders (PO) will need to be rolled forward for any items not received by June 30, 2023. If a FY 2023 PO is still open, please complete a change order to zero out the available fund balance and then roll forward the PO to FY 2024. This helps to ensure invoices will be processed on the correct PO.
If a FY23 PR is needed to take advantage of current pricing for goods that will not be received by June 30, 2023, please consult with Procurement Services for approval. If approved, use account code 253200. You may then roll forward the PO to FY2024 using an appropriate expense account. Please see tips below to facilitate timely processing of purchase requisitions:
- List payment terms/dates in the header comments of PR. Do not list in the funding line description.
- Include the word “Change” or “Rollover” in the requisition name when submitting a change to an existing PO. Also include any details for the change in the header comments.
- Funding line description should include specific details of merchandise/service and dates of service. For example, FY 2024 Open Order Environmental services for Lowden Hall for the period July 1, 203 to June 30, 2024.
- Only mark a PR as a “Net Check” if paying by contract or an independent contractor work statement for which no invoice will be provided to the university, or if deposit or scheduled payment terms are required.
For technical inquiries, please email PSCM@niu.edu. For account code inquiries, please email AccountsPayableSrvs@niu.edu.
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RSVP for preview of student orientation.
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Faculty and Staff are invited to relive your orientation experience! You are invited to join the Orientation and First Year Programs team on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 to kick off the summer orientation season. You’ll get the chance to experience new student orientation, meet our orientation leaders, receive an overview of campus-wide orientation programs for first-year and transfer students and learn about plans for Week of Welcome (WOW).
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Grants time and effort reporting reminder.
In early May, Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) will distribute effort statements (aka time and effort reports or effort certifications) for the period July 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
Effort statements are required for any NIU faculty, staff or student receiving pay from a sponsor-funded award. Hourly employees verify their time via timesheets and do not receive effort statements.
Colleges and divisions will receive all effort statements for distribution to their faculty, staff and students. Statements are due back to SPA May 31, 2023. SPA will review any corrections to reports and will work with the principal investigator and their department to make any necessary adjustments.
See Sponsored Programs Administration News Blog for more information.
New SPA proposal notification process and deadline policy.
To keep pace with the increasing volume and complexity of sponsored proposals and continue with grant modernization efforts, Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) is implementing a new proposal intake process and timelines to submit proposals for external funding.
Principal investigators planning to submit a proposal for external funding will now need to notify SPA of their submission by completing SPA’s new Proposal Intake Form. This form is available on our SPA homepage and on the new Submitting Proposals resources page.
To align with our new SPA deadline policy, principal investigators should use the Proposal Intake Form to notify SPA of their submission at least 30 business days before a proposal deadline; proposals should be ready for submission five business days before the sponsor’s deadline. Currently, SPA is unable to accept proposal submissions with less than five days’ notice without an exception. Principal investigators should contact Dara Little at dlittle@niu.edu to discuss the need for any exceptions.
See our Sponsored Programs Administration Newsblog for an announcement from Vice President Blazey and Associate Vice President Little explaining these changes and for more information on submission timelines and SPA review.
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Staff Awards Ceremony takes place Thursday, April 27.
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Join your colleagues from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 at the Barsema Alumni and Visitor's Center to honor the recipients of the following awards:
- Board of Trustees Staff Award
- Presidential Award for Staff Excellence
- Staff Inclusive Excellence Award
- Staff Mentorship Award
- Staff Award for Campus Impact
- Staff Award for Student Impact
- Rising Huskie Award
- Patricia S. Siebrasse Administrative Professionals Award for Excellence
- Staff Team Award for Advancing Creativity and Innovation
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Last chance to tell us how we’re doing.
As we, Campus Dining, conclude our campaign to gather valuable feedback, we’d like to give you one more opportunity to tell us how we’re doing. We’d appreciate it if you could please take a moment to complete a brief, anonymous survey regarding your most recent experience at one of our residential dining or retail dining locations. All are welcome to participate. Thank you.
City Nature Challenge
Celebrate biodiversity and engage in citizen science. Compete against the world in the City Nature Challenge. There are several local events happening during this challenge including a Bioblitz at the East Lagoon 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 30. You can also upload observations on the free iNaturalist app anytime during the challenge, April 28 to May 1, and you’ll help support our Rock River Valley team hosted by Severson Dells.
Register for STEAM Summer Camps.
Your summer adventure awaits! Check out sessions for grades 2–12. Various camps available in July through early August.
- Day Camps – for campers entering grades 2-5 or grades 6-9. Monday through Friday,
with half- and full-day options. Great for parents working on campus. Campers can explore art, food, robotics and other fun STEAM topics.
- Residential Camps – for middle or high school campers.
- At Lorado Taft Field Campus – for middle school campers entering grades 6-9. Experience the beautiful outdoors and explore topics in nature or survival skills.
- At NIU DeKalb – High school campers experience life on a college campus and explore career topics like engineering, video game design, technology and health sciences.
Visit our STEAM Camps website for details and registration. Don’t miss our April 30 early-bird deadline.
Online Teaching Symposium call for proposals.
The Online Teaching Symposium is a two-day, multimodal event celebrating our outstanding online faculty and instructors. Proposals are now being accepted for virtual sessions on Tuesday, May 30.
We’re looking for NIU faculty and staff to share their own experience teaching online at the symposium. The proposal requirements are brief and informal, so no need to stress over the perfect title or abstract. The submission deadline is Friday, April 14. Learn more and submit a proposal at citl.niu.edu/ots.
We look forward to connecting you with colleagues and sharing success stories. Please join us on May 30 and 31 for panel discussions, keynote addresses, award ceremonies and more. For the first time since 2019, we are offering both virtual and in-person symposium events.
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Presidential Commissions accepting membership nominations.
The Office of the President invites nominations of faculty, staff and students for appointment to the presidential commissions for terms to begin fall 2023.
Self-nominations are welcome.
Forward nominations, including name, title, classification (faculty, instructor, supportive professional staff, operating staff, undergraduate student, graduate student), email address and a brief statement summarizing your qualifications and desire to serve, to Pat Erickson, Office of University Council, at pje@niu.edu.
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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:
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- Through April 30: Asian American Heritage Month
- Monday, April 24: Open Forum for Vice Provost for Academic Affairs - Candidate 4
- Monday, April 24: Huskie Fresh: Creamy Tuscan Chicken order deadline
- Tuesday, April 25: Mental Health and Suicide Intervention: C.A.R.E.S. Model
- Tuesday, April 25: Ellington's: Chicken Picatta, Pesto Gnocchi, Caprese Salad, Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes and Tiramisu
- Tuesday, April 25: Open forum for Chief Human Resources Office - Canididate 1
- Tuesday, April 25: Military & Veteran Services Graduation Celebration
- Tuesday, April 25: Bike Service at the Adventure Center
- Tuesday, April 25: Huskie Pup Camp Info Meeting
- Tuesday, April 25: Baseball vs UIC
- Tuesday, April 25: Softball vs Western Michigan
- Wednesday, April 26: **ONLINE** Blackboard Learn Ultra Best Practices
- Wednesday, April 26: **ONLINE** Calculating Overall Grades with Blackboard Ultra Gradebook
- Wednesday, April 26: CHHS Beyond the Classroom
- Wednesday, April 26: Outdoor Adventures: Hourly Lagoon Boat Rentals
- Wednesday, April 26: Outdoor Adventures: Weekly Crate Climbing
- Thursday, April 27: Resilient Food Systems - Innovation Conversation
- Thursday, April 27: University Staff Awards Ceremony
- Thursday, April 27: DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Local Showcase and Job Fair
- Thursday, April 27: NIU Baseball ALS Strikeout Home Run Derby
- Thursday, April 27 through Sunday April 30: Spring Dance Concert - NIU School of Theatre and Dance
- Friday, April 28: 27th Annual NIU LGBTQ+ Pride Awards
- Friday, April 28: Anderson Market Garden Day
- Friday, April 28: Outdoor Adventures: Camp and Climb
- Friday, April 28: Baseball vs Akron
- Friday, April 28: Open House and Reception for Jerry Blazey
- Saturday, April 29: Meet the Collectors: Part II
- Sunday, April 30: City Nature Challenge: Meet Up at the East Lagoon
- Thursday, May 4: Plants 101 Workshop at the Rec Center
- Friday, May 5: Outdoor Adventures: Mindful Nature Yoga
- Friday, May 5: Outdoor Adventures: End of the Year Campfire Bash
- Thursday, May 25: Electronic Requisitions Training
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NIU Baseball ALS Strikeout Home Run Derby
Take a swing for ALS! NIU Baseball is hosting a Home Run Derby presented by MetroNet to support the ALS Strikeout initiative. Bring your best swing and hang out with your baseball team. There will be a food truck, live DJ, free giveaways and raffle for exclusive prizes 5 p.m. Thursday, April 27 at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park. Visit the calendar event for more info and sign up for your session.
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Open House and Reception for Jerry Blazey on April 28.
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An open house and reception will be held to celebrate the career of NIU’s Gerald C. Blazey, who will retire at the end of June from his post as vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS). The event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 28, in the Altgeld Hall Board Room (315).
Blazey is a well-known scientist specializing in high energy particle physics. Over an impressive career at NIU spanning more than 25 years, he has served in leadership roles in the physics department, at Fermilab and in Washington, D.C.
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Open House and Reception for Vernese Edghill-Walden on May 19.
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Join fellow Huskies on Friday, May 19, 2023 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of Dr. Edghill-Walden, NIU vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Come wish her well as she transitions to her new role as the vice president for Equity and Inclusive Excellence at her undergraduate alma mater, Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
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Financial Month End Close
The month of April is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Journals not posted at that time will go into May business. Submit April journals before end of business Monday, May 8. Final April reports are scheduled to be available Wednesday, May 10, 2023. In addition, May reports are scheduled to be available Thursday, May 11, 2023. These and other important dates can be found on the Controller's Office website.
Year-end Financial Deadlines
The following deadlines have been established to allow adequate processing time to successfully close FY23 and prepare financial statements to meet the University’s reporting deadline with the State of Illinois Comptroller’s Office. By not doing so, exposes the University to audit findings related to improper year-end cutoff and inadequate control over good/services provided prior to approved contract/purchase order, among others. The cooperation of all departments is needed to keep to this schedule to ensure a successful close process.
- June 16, 2023: Purchase requisitions and change orders for new FY23 requirements under $100,000 due to Procurement Services & Contract Management. Also,
- Consider competition requirements for small purchases ($20,000 to $100,000, based on the aggregate amount). Submit competition or waiver document with requisition.
- Requests that have associated contracts should be submitted as soon as Department/Divisions have them to allow sufficient processing time to meet this cutoff date.
- Note: For FY23 requests greater than $100,000, please contact a Procurement representative (abridges3@niu.edu) for guidance.
- June 19, 2023: Year-end cutoff for posting all journal activity for transactions occurring prior to June from all fund sources due to General Ledger
- June 30, 2023: All FY23 cash and/or checks received must be deposited at the Bursar’s Office in Swen 235, and must be made in accordance with Bursar’s Office procedures
- July 14, 2023: All FY23 approved invoices, check requests, and travel reimbursement requests due to Accounts Payable Services
- July 14, 2023:Year-end cutoff for posting all journal activity for transactions occurring in June from all fund sources due to General Ledger.
It is very important to note that transactions required to be processed in FY23 must be received by the requested due dates (do not hold FY23 documents even if the deadline has passed).
Should you have any questions about the year-end process or initiating FY24 requisitions, please contact the Controller’s Office at (ControllerOffice@niu.edu) or Procurement Services and Contract Management at abridges3@niu.edu for further assistance. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance to ensure a successful close out of FY23.
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Bill Pitney chosen to fill acting dean role for College of Education for 23-24 academic year
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Bill Pitney Bill Pitney knows exactly why he’s moving back to Graham Hall. “The college’s mission really resonates with me,” says Pitney, professor of Athletic Training in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Read more.
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New research and innovation website to power NIU collaborations
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The Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) has built an impressive new front porch. RIPS recently launched a dynamic Research and Innovation website to celebrate the “local focus and global reach” of NIU efforts, highlight faculty and student innovators and provide an extensive resource to potential partners from outside the university. Read more.
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This message has been approved for distribution by the appropriate NIU party and is distributed by the Division of Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications. NIU Mass Email Policy.
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Northern Illinois University's vision is to be an engine for innovation to advance social mobility; promote personal, professional and intellectual growth; and transform the world through research, artistry, teaching and outreach. Learn more about NIU’s vision, mission and values.
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