Sept. 8, 2025

We're excited to welcome Huskies home for our 118th Homecoming celebration happening the week of Sept. 28 - Oct. 5, 2025..

We hope you are making plans to join us during the week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 5. If you would like to volunteer to help with these special events, you should communicate with your supervisor about release time or flexible hours. With supervisor approval, and assurance that appropriate coverage is maintained for the unit/department, all employees are encouraged to volunteer and participate in Homecoming week activities. We hope you'll help us welcome Huskies back to DeKalb for our 118th Homecoming. 

It’s back for a third year – our Homecoming office decorating contest. This newer Homecoming event has been a big hit the past two years, and we look forward to seeing all the creative efforts from offices across campus again this year. It’s a great way to show your Huskie Pride, and also compete for bragging rights. Last year saw 49 offices participating in the contest, with Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development taking top honors for their Lowden Hall 307 decorating efforts. To get in on the action, be sure to register your department today.

Chelsea McGhee Studios is coming to NIU's Holmes Student Center for a Pizza, Paint and Sip!  All ages are welcome to come paint your choice of canvas and wood sign options at this family friendly event. 

Cost includes all paint & supplies, pizza and sodas!   Alcoholic Beverages will also be available for purchase. Free Parking is will be available for this event at the Holmes Student Center Lot.

Thank you to all faculty and staff who helped make Week of Welcome 2025 a success! We’d love your feedback on how communication, volunteer opportunities and campus connections supported your engagement this year. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts.

The Office of the President seeks to identify a member of the Supportive Professional Staff or Operating Staff interested in serving a year-long professional development fellowship. The Office of the President Staff Fellow will be assigned special projects needed to carry out the functions of the Office of the President and will be afforded professional development opportunities. The fellow will be appointed for the 2026 calendar year and will report to the university’s chief strategy officer. Learn more about the President Staff Fellow Program, including how to apply. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, Sept. 30.

The university is please to open for internal consideration an Administrative Assistant position. The Administrative Support Specialist (Administrative Assistant classification) will provide operational support for the Child Well-Being Grant Program (CWBP). The CWBP is a collaboration between NIU and DCFS with the goal to expand evidence-based interventions that enhance well-being for children and families involved with DCFS. These programs are designed to address the needs of at-risk families, promote stability, and lay the foundation for long-term success and self-sufficiency. The process of implementation and system change helps transform child welfare services, ensuring the programming is more effective, accessible, and sustainable. Interested candidates should apply online at: https://employment.niu.edu/postings/85956 no later than Sept. 19, 2025.

The NIU AI Network is a community of practice dedicated to exploring and advancing AI in ways that are ethical, equitable and aligned with our campus mission and values.  

By fostering collaboration and sharing, the AI Network equips the community (including faculty, staff and students) to navigate AI’s complexities by providing space for exploration and discovery.

The AI Network meets via Microsoft Teams from noon to 1 p.m. every other Wednesday starting with our first meeting Sept. 10.

Learn more and join the network at citl.niu.edu/ai-network.

RAPID provides up to $5,000 for time-sensitive and bridge funding for tenure-track and tenured NIU faculty facing funding interruptions or urgent opportunities related to their research, scholarship or creative activities. The purpose of this award is to assist faculty in competing for external funding mechanisms, including as they pivot to new corporate, foundation and governmental opportunities. Requests of up to $5,000 for project periods of up to one year will be considered. For eligibility, requirements and processes, please visit the ORD webpage or email ord@niu.edu.

Beginning Sept 15, 2025 the university will reactivate the convenience fee for all credit/debit card payments used to pay for tuition and fees. The fee will be 2.85% or a minimum of $3 per transaction. 

The date has been moved from September 2nd to September 15th to give students and families more time to submit payments prior to the reactivation of the convenience fee.

We encourage students with an outstanding balance to plan ahead if using a credit/debit card, to avoid the convenience fee that will be assessed starting Sept. 15, 2025. 

As a reminder, ACH/eCheck payments remain free of charge and are a great alternative for avoiding fees.

The university’s enhanced payment platform offers a more convenient and user-friendly experience for students and families. Features include the ability to securely save payment methods, receive automatic receipts via email, get payment notifications, and more tools to simplify managing your student account payments.

Payment Options:

For questions, please contact the Bursar’s Office.

Our Commercial Card Program Policy was recently updated based on work completed by a group of over a dozen procurement specialists, business managers and card service managers. A survey was also sent to the purchase card community about their experiences, opportunities and challenges with this program. Due to this comprehensive institutional work, the policy revisions were waived from the 30-day comment period.

Our Commercial Card Program Policy contains the following updates:  

Questions or concerns about the policy can be directed to Procurement Services and Contract Management at PSCM@niu.edu.

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) is a statewide network that advances research, public-private partnerships, and entrepreneurship to support innovation and economic development in Illinois. The Sustainability and Social Innovation Research Conference, taking place on Thursday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Sept. 26,  will provide a forum for NIU faculty and students to discuss their work on projects that are important to the future of Illinois and learn about research conducted by university faculty and collaborators from around the state. Topics will include climate resilience, food systems, advances in infrastructure and technology, equitable planning, ecosystem restoration, and social innovation to advance education and economic development.

The Office of Research Development is excited to announce the launch of the Faculty Grant Writing Group this fall, meeting at the 71N Partnership Studio Garage from 10 a.m. to noon every Thursday starting Sept. 18.

The Faculty Grant Writing Group is open to all NIU faculty and will provide participants with quiet, dedicated time and space to work on writing for external funding pursuits. ORD research development specialists will be available during sessions to support your grant writing as needed. An adjacent room is available for ORD consultation and faculty collaboration.

Sessions are drop-in friendly. Coffee and tea will be provided. Add the meetings to your calendar by visiting the event page. With any questions, please contact ord@niu.edu.

Applications are now being accepted for NIU Impact, the NIU Foundation's crowdfunding platform where students, faculty, staff members and researchers can raise money to turn their great ideas into reality. Since its inception in 2021, NIU Impact has helped raise over $450,000 from more than 3,300 total gifts.

Fall crowdfunding campaigns run Oct. 9 through Nov. 6. Please apply by midnight, Sept. 18. To submit your crowdfunding application or register for one of our informational webinars, visit the NIU Foundation crowdfunding page.

Questions? Contact Cody Carter, ccarter1@niu.edu.

Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Martin Luther King Commons

Over 75 local businesses and organizations from throughout the DeKalb area will join us for the party in the MLK Commons to welcome NIU students, faculty, and staff to the community. Come learn about area businesses, discover local resources and find out about all the fun activities to do in the community. There will be music, giveaways, a few samples, information about the community, and most importantly – a BIG FRIENDLY DEKALB WELCOME to our Huskies..

The event is free and open to the entire NIU campus.  Don’t miss the chance to meet the community and find out about our great communiversity.

The SHARE survey provides NIU with the ability to better understand students’ knowledge of and experiences with sexual and gender harassment, domestic violence, stalking, sexual violence, reporting options and support resources. We use survey results to further enhance our campus policies, procedures, education and support resources for students. Learn more about the outcomes from the SHARE survey.

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 August is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon Tuesday, Sept. 9. Journals not posted at that time will go into September business. Submit August journals before end of business Monday, Sept. 8. Final August reports are scheduled to be available Wednesday Sept. 10. In addition, September reports are scheduled to be available Thursday, Sept. 11. These dates, and other important dates related to the Controller’s Office can be found on the Controller’s Office Calendars and Important Dates webpage.