Academic Affairs Newsletter
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Happy New Year!
As we set off into 2024 together, many people are making resolutions. Others identify a word for the year and, with that in mind, I have a question for you: What is your word for the new year?
Mine is opportunity.
What a tremendous opportunity it is to serve in this role, where I get to meet and know so many hardworking and dedicated people. The team here at NIU is second to none, and I thank you for the efforts you make every day to teach, advise, mentor, supervise and provide opportunities to our students to support their success.
The new year provides an opportunity to look ahead, and the future is bright at NIU. Thanks to your efforts, our spring re-enrollment is strong, our intersession pilot was successfully completed, all spring courses in Blackboard will be using the Ultra Course View, the Founders Learning Commons is ready to provide academic support, and the Graduate Student Success Series has already launched for the spring semester.
With our commitment to providing a quality education for students of all ages, backgrounds and interests, the stage is set for great things to happen at Northern Illinois University in 2024.
We each have the opportunity to provide a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for the students who call NIU their home. This year’s university goals put a spotlight on our shared commitment to being student-centered. More specifically, Goal 1A focuses on using “shared leadership to advance a Huskie culture that truly centers and serves students.” I look forward to the many opportunities we all have to put that goal into action as we focus our work around student success.
I’d love to hear from you. What’s that word for you in this new year, and why is it important to you? If you’re willing, please share your word and thoughts behind it with me at provost@niu.edu.
Here’s to a great spring semester. I’m excited to see what we’ll accomplish together!
Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D. Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
Provost Office Hours
If you have an idea, suggestion, question, or concern, I invite NIU faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members to meet with me during scheduled office hours.
Upcoming sessions are as follows:
- Tuesday, Jan. 30, 10 to 11 a.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 29, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 22, Noon to 1 p.m.
- Monday, April 22, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Meetings will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams and are limited to 15 minutes. Please use this form to make a request, no less than one week in advance. I look forward to speaking with you!
Huskie Trek Talks
The “Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion” event will bring together the NIU campus, donors and friends to celebrate the innovative spirit of faculty and staff, while deepening connections. NIU faculty and staff (full-time and part-time) can showcase their leading research programs, projects, initiatives and startup companies.
Featuring polished presentations in the engaging storytelling spirit of Ted Talks, each faculty or staff member’s talk offers a window into what makes the Huskie spirit so innovative and special. Presenters will be eligible for funding awards from the NIU Foundation Grants Committee, the Division of Outreach Engagement and Regional Development and the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships.
Make your submission of a 2-minute video or a written 1–2-page summary by Friday, Feb. 23. This event is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 3. Contact Sam Guerrero at sguerrero@niu.edu with questions.
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Thank you! We wish to extend a sincere thank you to all faculty members who attended and participated in December’s commencement ceremonies! Your presence and enthusiasm for our students did not go unnoticed, and we greatly appreciate your dedication to being there alongside students as they celebrated this important milestone in their lives.
Anti-bullying working group We have formed a working group to develop anti-bullying policies, which includes experts on the subject from the ranks of our faculty. NIU strives to develop policies and procedures intended to protect the rights of its students, employees and the university community, and this group is being charged to augment these policies.
This group will be working on a draft to be finalized by the end of the spring semester. We expect a new policy to be up for all faculty to review by the start of the fall semester.
Please reach out to Bárbara González at bgonzalez4@niu.edu if you have questions or are interested in participating.
The art of the steelpan: A lecture by Board of Trustees Professor Liam Teague Join Liam Teague, NIU professor of music and head of steelpan studies, at Founders Memorial Library Gallery for a holistic discussion of the youngest family of acoustic instruments to be invented in 20th-century. As part of this Board of Trustees Professor Lecture special event, guests will enjoy a musical performance on the steelpan.
This free event will take place Thursday, March 28 at 11 a.m.
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Honors Program grows again
NIU’s University Honors Program now serves just over 1,100 students, the highest enrollment since 2017. Students can work toward Full University Honors or Associate University Honors, very suitable for transfer students. Both options include a certain number of honors courses and Honors Engaged activities.
Huskies strong graduation rate
Northern Illinois University student-athletes are graduating at near record rates, as 88 percent of student-athletes who entered NIU as freshmen in 2016-17 earned their degrees, according to the latest Graduation Success Rate Report by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Congrats to our amazing Student-Athlete Academic Support Services team for supporting our NIU Huskies.
Take advantage of NIU institutional memberships
NIU offers institutional memberships at no additional cost. Member benefits may include publications, research, webinars, communities of practice, events, conferences and other professional development opportunities.
- American Association of Colleges and Universities is dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation and excellence in liberal education.
- Association of Public & Land-grant Universities fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities.
- Association for General and Liberal Studies is a community of practitioner-scholars that provides strategic, effective and innovative support for peers engaged in the day-to-day work of general and liberal learning through an annual meeting, an awards program, publications and projects.
- Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to advancing the public purposes of higher education.
- Council for Adult and Experiential Learning provides resources to help universities with their goals and strategies in serving adult learners, to be part of a community striving to create a world where every adult has a pathway to lifelong learning and meaningful work.
- Council on Undergraduate Research focuses on professional learning and outreach activities to establish and institutionalize high quality undergraduate research programs.
- EDUCAUSE offers information on key issues and trends in higher education IT, including teaching and learning resources for academic leaders, faculty and instructional designers.
- Engagement Scholarship Consortium works collaboratively to build strong university-community partnerships anchored in the rigor of scholarship and designed to help build community capacity.
General education survey
The General Education Committee, advisory to the Baccalaureate Council, would like your input about general education at NIU. Please complete this 10-15 minute survey so we can gather input from the campus community.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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National Day of Racial Healing and Cracking the Codes screening and discussion
Join the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Division of Student Affairs to take the #HowWeHeal Pledge Tuesday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. in the lower level of Holmes Student Center, as part of the National Day of Racial Healing. Find out how you can be a part of the national conversation!
Continue your #HowWeHeal Pledge and attend a follow up film screening and discussion Tuesday, Jan. 23 from 5-8:30 p.m. in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium at Holmes Student Center. Come and watch Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequality followed by an interactive discussion with the Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Center facilitators, Dr. Joseph Flynn and Yixin Yu. Popcorn and beverages will be provided. Please share with your students! Register here.
Faculty Academy for Cultural Competence and Equity (FACCE) Workshop
Join FACCE Friday, Jan. 19 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for Decolonizing Race in the Classroom, Part I. In Part I of this two-part session, led by Drs. Joseph Flynn and Katy Jaekel, participants will explore the concept of decolonization by first considering the theoretical foundations for decolonization and then begin to think about decolonizing practices. Colonization in North America, the development of race and racism, and implications for today’s classrooms, pedagogy and practice will be examined. Lunch will be provided.
Register for this workshop.
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Huskies Vote
NIU is committed to promoting political participation by teaching about civic engagement in a democratic society and providing resources around voter registration. We know that encouragement from faculty, staff and classmates makes a significant difference in rates of student voter registration and turnout. NIU’s ALL IN-Democracy Challenge – Huskies Vote Initiative supported through the Division of Student Affairs has developed non-partisan voter engagement resources specifically for faculty and staff to share with students and to implement into the classroom to increase student voter registration and turnout.
The Faculty and Staff Resources to Support Students’ Voter Engagement guide provides a variety of ways to integrate voter registration and election content into your courses. Faculty in all disciplines can find relevant resources to help navigate sharing this information with students.
Some resources provided will help you:
- Set aside time in class to talk about the importance and process of registering to vote.
- Share important deadlines and online resources to help find information about what’s on the ballot without endorsing a particular candidate or position.
- Hold class discussions about the importance of voter engagement.
NIU’s Huskies Vote initiative and ALL IN-Democracy Challenge Committee are determined to continue to develop and share resources with our campus community to further promote Huskies’ voter engagement. Contact All_In@niu.edu for questions and additional ideas to share.
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Excellence in Online Teaching Award nominations Nominations are due Wednesday, Jan. 31 for the 2024 Excellence in Online Teaching Award. This award recognizes NIU faculty and instructors whose performance exemplifies a commitment to excellence in online teaching, course development and student engagement.
All who teach online or hybrid courses (tenured and tenure-track faculty members, instructors and teaching staff) are eligible. There is no limit as to the number of nominees from any department/program or college, and self-nominations are allowed and encouraged.
Award recipients receive a plaque and a $2,000 one-time stipend. Submit a nomination today!
Starting strong in the first week of the semester
The first week is the best opportunity to make a positive initial impression and present your vision of the class to your students. This is a great time to pique their curiosity in the subject matter by introducing big questions they will answer or problems they will explore. You can create a welcoming and inviting environment through introductions or ice breakers that build a sense of community. The first days of class also establish norms and expectations for the rest of the semester; use this time to demystify the course and model what is to come.
Check out these strategies you can use the first weeks of the semester that will help you create an engaging, motivating and organized classroom environment.
All spring 2024 Blackboard courses to be taught in Ultra Course View
We are finally at the finish line – all Blackboard courses will use Ultra Course View this semester! Don’t worry, your courses from previous semesters will remain exactly as they are so you can continue to retrieve assessment data and course materials from them. For anyone new to Ultra Course View this spring or looking to learn more about it, the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning has programs and support available for you.
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Students get free admission to arts events at NIU
Did you know that NIU students can attend any arts event produced by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) for free? A benefit of the Arts and Culture Fee, NIU students can reserve a free ticket to any School of Theatre and Dance production or School of Music concert. In addition, the exhibitions in the NIU Art Museum and galleries of the NIU School of Art and Design have free admission.
CVPA hosts more than 200 concerts, productions, and exhibitions every year, so you are sure to find something you like. Please let your students know about the current listing of upcoming arts events, and we’ll see you at the shows.
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College of Health and Human Sciences launches inaugural Advisory Board
Dean Kelly Fiala welcomed founding members of the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) Advisory Board to campus in the fall. The 36-member board includes alumni, practitioners, community members and professionals within the fields of health and human sciences who are joining forces with our leadership team to advance the college and its mission.
Members meet formally three times a year, providing guidance on activities and events to support our strategic plan while offering insight on preparing students for internships and professional careers. Establishing the board is an important step in building alumni relations and support, and we look forward to building upon what we’ve started to best serve our students.
Learn more about the CHHS Advisory Board.
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Assessment and Accreditation
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Make Assessment More Meaningful Learn more about why the assessment process is important and how it relates to you, by attending Assessment Circle workshops during the spring semester.
Workshop 1 focuses on writing good student learning outcomes. Workshop 2 focuses on alignment and coherence of student learning outcomes in the curriculum. Workshop 3 focuses on assessment methods for informed decision-making. Workshop 4 focuses on analysis of data, decision-making and gauging impact.
Contact Amy Buhrow (abuhrow@niu.edu) for more information.
HLC student surveys and assurance argument This week, NIU students received a link to the student survey from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the institutional accrediting association that is comprehensively evaluating our school this year. Input received from these surveys is important, as it helps identify both strengths and weaknesses at NIU, as viewed through the lens of our students.
Please do not hesitate to mention this HLC survey to your students and encourage them to fill it out by Thursday, Jan. 25. The survey is brief and should take less than five minutes to complete.
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Huskie Spotlight Q & As elevate voices across NIU’s diverse campus community and let you experience the stories of students, professors and staff members in their own words. Do you have a unique story you’d like to share? Maybe something in your background that would inspire your fellow Huskies? The form is easy to fill out and you can provide as little or as much information as you desire.
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Nominations for the Newman Civic Fellowship are due Thursday, Jan. 25. One NIU student is selected for this program each year, based on demonstrated civic engagement leadership and commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities. The program offers students opportunities to expand their learning, make an impact and create meaningful professional connections. Please submit your nomination today!
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You can help students find information about scholarships, by directing them to the recently updated page on the NIU website. Students will find tips for how to apply for scholarships, deadline details, links to information sessions and additional helpful resources. The deadline for many scholarships is Wednesday, Jan. 31.
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Shout-out to the professors who made my son’s first semester here as a transfer student such an enjoyable one in the classroom. Thank you for caring so much about your students!
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Please email bwilliamsen@niu.edu to submit an item for possible inclusion in the monthly Provost Post newsletter, and please send along shout-outs celebrating colleagues who have earned accomplishments, gone above and beyond or simply made you smile!
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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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