April 7, 2025

It’s that time of the semester — course evaluations for 16-week classes are open. Keep an eye on your inbox for an email from BlueEvaluations@niu.edu with all the details. 

Pro tip: Want to boost your response rates? Set aside class time for students to complete their evaluations — it's a win-win! Starting in April, you’ll be able to track response rates, so stay tuned and help us make every evaluation count.

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

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 faculty and staff awards. Both ceremonies will be held in Altgeld Hall Auditorium from 3 to 5 p.m. 

Thursday, April 17: Faculty Awards Ceremony 
Thursday, April 24: University Staff Awards Ceremony

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.

Thursday, April 10: Staff Professional Development Academy Informational Session
Thursday, April 17: Staff Professional Development Academy Informational Session

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 long-term, off-campus use of equipment form is transitioning from OnBase to PeopleSoft April 21, 2025. Current approved forms will be transferred to PeopleSoft April 21, 2025. Any OnBase forms that are pending approval will be transferred to PeopleSoft once they are approved. This form will be very similar to the current OnBase form. The form will be available through the Human Resource System. Benefits of moving to the PeopleSoft solution include:

It is important that records on the use of NIU property at off-campus locations be maintained to support an efficient annual inventory process as required by the state.  More information and detailed instructions will be available on the Property Control website soon. 

Counseling and Consultation Services and Employee Well-being proudly presents NIU’s annual Wellness Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 16 in the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom. Faculty, staff and students are all invited to attend and engage in the variety of free opportunities offered at the fair. Campus and community partners will provide attendees with interactive activities, services and information focused on “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind and Healthy Spirit.” Additional interactive wellness opportunities include free workshops featuring healthy eating, fitness tips, mental health support training and more.

A release for staff will be granted and more information will be announced in the following weeks. The NIU Wellness Fair is offered in partnership with and sponsorship by the Presidential Commission on Well-being. Interested in hosting a table at the fair? Contact us at Employeewellbeing@niu.edu for more information.

WOW 2025 is set for Wednesday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 24 and we’re excited to introduce theme-based schedule tracks to help new Huskies navigate their first week at NIU! These tracks will allow students to prioritize academic readiness, well-being, social connections or Huskie Pride while experiencing a well-rounded extended orientation.

WOW is a campus-wide effort, and we invite faculty, staff and other campus partners to get involved by submitting event proposals, volunteering or accepting the invitation to participate in a planning group. The WOW Event Proposal form is now open! To learn more or get involved, visit the WOW webpage or contact Orientation and First Year Programs. Let’s make WOW 2025 an unforgettable welcome for our newest Huskies!

Starting May 1, Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) will send automated email notifications to principal investigators (PIs) at 120, 90, 60 and 30 days before an award's end date. These reminders will guide PIs through key closeout tasks. SPA's goal is to support PIs in meeting all closeout requirements efficiently and on time. For more information, please visit our Sponsored Programs Administration Newsblog.

As previously indicated, HRS is actively pursuing form automation. Effective immediately, the following form is accessible on the HR website through a dedicated Kuali link.

Relocation Stipend Check Request

HRS aims to enhance accessibility and streamline processes by making forms available through Kuali Build, an online workflow toolkit.

Please visit the Kuali Build information page for addition details about Kuali Build or its functionalities.

Please email any questions to HumanResources@niu.edu.

Looking to enhance your volleyball skills? NIU Volleyball offers camps just for you!

NIU staff and employees are eligible for a discount. Please email Mackenzie Rombach (mrombach@niu.edu) with your NIU email and the camp you would like to sign up for to receive your discount code.

Register for NIU Volleyball camp today.

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 March is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Journals not posted at that time will go into April business. Submit March journals before end of business Tuesday, April 8. Final March reports are scheduled to be available Thursday April 10, 2025. In addition, April reports are scheduled to be available Friday, April 11, 2025. These and other important dates can be found on the Controller's Office website.