NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
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Academic Affairs Newsletter
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Dear Colleagues,
As we reflect on another successful Homecoming, I am reminded of the tremendous pride we share in our NIU community and the enduring impact of our alumni. Homecoming offers an opportunity not only to celebrate our traditions, but also to recognize the lasting contributions our graduates make every day in communities in Illinois, across the nation and around the world.
NIU alumni are improving lives and strengthening society in countless ways. They are leading organizations, educating future generations, pursuing scientific discovery, delivering healthcare, creating jobs, serving in public office, advancing the arts, driving innovation, and addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities.
Their accomplishments are a powerful reminder that the impact of NIU extends far beyond our campus. The knowledge, skills, experiences and support students receive while they are here help prepare them to make a positive difference long after graduation. Every day, our alumni demonstrate the value of an NIU education through the lives they touch and the contributions they make.
Thank you for all you do to support our students and uphold NIU's mission. The achievements and impact of our alumni reflect your commitment, expertise and care. Together, we continue to transform lives, strengthen communities and create a brighter future for our region, our state and beyond.
With gratitude,
Laurie Elish-Piper
Executive Vice President and Provost
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2026 NIU BookLab Faculty Development Initiative
This hands-on training program Dec. 14-15 is designed to foster pedagogical innovation, equipping faculty with practical skills for integrating NIU BookLab maker tools and technologies into their courses.
The workshops will focus on engaging faculty to empower students as makers and creators of knowledge in traditional print forms and emerging digital content. The goal is to support faculty in integrating experiential, maker-based learning into their courses, while building a sustainable community of practice in the process.
All tenure-stream faculty are eligible to participate and, if interested, should apply for this training program by Sunday, Nov. 1.
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CURE 2027 Save the Date
Mark your calendars for the 18th annual Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement to be held Tuesday, April 27, 2027. Presenter registration opens in November, and judge registration opens in January. This inspiring and exciting event showcases the innovative research, artistry and engagement of our undergraduate Huskie community.
Writing Infused Task Force Seeking Input
The Writing Infused Task Force will review the writing infused course and graduation requirement, as it has been 10 years since this requirement came into effect. The task force will give a report to Faculty Senate Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Baccalaureate Council in December.
Staff and faculty are invited to give feedback via an online survey by Friday, Nov. 13. Contact Alicia Schatteman at aschatteman@niu.edu with questions.
David W. Raymond Award recipient presentations
Join us via Zoom at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16 as Melissa Adams-Campbell (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,) Yongwoog “Andy” Jeon (College of Business,) and Biagio Palese (College of Business) make presentations on their award-winning use of technology in teaching.
The Committee for the Improvement of the Undergraduate Academic Experience, a standing committee of the Baccalaureate Council, oversees this award process. Applications open in early 2027 for the next award cycle.
Spring 2027 Course Material Adoption Training Session
We are hosting a training session at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23 on how to adopt your course materials for the spring semester. Contact aschatteman@niu.edu if you did not receive a calendar invitation for this Teams meeting and wish to join. The deadline to adopt course materials for spring is Sunday, Nov. 1 to ensure materials are available by the first day of class.
General education session on accommodations
Register for the next Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) session, scheduled for noon Friday, Oct. 23. Jennifer Salmon, executive director of the Disability Resource Center and Huskie Academic Success Center, will present on “Beyond Compliance: Accommodations that Foster Access and Student Success in General Education.” You may also review recordings of previous EDGE sessions.
Virtual Graduate and Professional School Fair
Do you work with students who are thinking about graduate school or professional school? Encourage them to attend the Virtual Graduate and Professional School Fair Thursday, Oct. 15 where they can learn about programs, ask questions and explore next steps after NIU. Students should log into Huskies Get Hired, go to Events, then find the Graduate and Professional School Fair to RSVP and receive attendance details.
Real work experience through Extern
NIU undergraduate students with sophomore standing or higher can apply for Extern externships – remote, 6–10-week projects with companies like Amazon, TikTok and Pfizer. Students produce a real deliverable, work with industry professionals and gain experience they can talk about during interviews; 74 percent of participants land a job or internship within 12 months. Applications are open through the end of the day Thursday, Oct. 15.
Upcoming Career Services workshops
Please share this listing of upcoming career events with students to help prepare them for entering the workforce. Here are just a few of the numerous events that are planned:
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- Bite-sized Tips for Getting Career Ready; Monday, Oct. 19 (Peters Campus Life Building, Room 100)
- Leveraging LinkedIn for Career Success; Monday, Nov. 2 (virtual)
- How to Stand Out in an AI-driven Job Market; Wednesday, Nov. 4 (virtual)
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2026 Raíces Public Policy Conference
NIU student leaders attended the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation's 2026 Raíces Public Policy Conference in September as part of NIU's Hispanic Serving Institution initiatives. The event fostered connection to important topics centered on equity, justice and community development while gathering policymakers, stakeholders and community members together to drive meaningful discussions in key areas affecting the Illinois Latino community. The experience empowered students to engage civically, emphasized the importance of coalition building, and provided confirmation about their respective fields of study.
First-gen Week Save the Date
NIU is proud to celebrate our first-generation in college Huskies during the week of Nov. 8-13. Join us at events throughout the week to recognize the strength of the first-generation college students, faculty, staff and all who champion first-generation student success. Contact Ana Velazquez at avelazquez5@niu.edu if you have an event you want to partner on or promote as part of First-gen Week.
The week coincides with the annual First-generation College Celebration Day Sunday, Nov. 8. The day commemorates the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which created federal financial aid programs to fund students' education and made key investments in higher education.
Native American Heritage Month
Join NIU in honoring Native American Heritage Month this November. Start the month at a zine drop-in event Wednesday, Nov. 4 where you will create a zine, explore your creativity and connect through art, writing and self-expression.
Upcoming events
We look forward to seeing you at numerous upcoming events, including the following:
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- Son Jarocho: An Afro-Mexican History and Music Showcase; Monday, Oct. 19
- Join student organization, Son Jarocho NIU and the Latino Resource Center to learn about the history of Son Jarocho, its Afro-Mexican roots, the different instruments used, and what it looks like today. Register to attend this event at the Latino Center.
- Reclaiming Space: Indigenous Beading and Belonging; Thursday, Oct. 22
- Join Nicole Holland (Oneida) for a hands-on beading workshop where you'll create your own pair of earrings or a keychain while learning about Indigenous beading traditions and their cultural significance. Participants will explore beading as a practice connected to creativity, community and the passing of knowledge across generations.
- Halloween is the Queerest Holiday; Friday, Oct. 30
- The fifth installment of this event invites you to find the answers to this question: What makes Halloween the Queerest Holiday? All are welcome to stop by and learn more through conversation and spooky trivia.
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Student Affairs expands consent education and peer leadership
NIU student athletes completed Active* Consent training through Student Affairs’ partnership with the University of Galway this fall with encouraging participant feedback, preliminary assessment findings and strong engagement.
NIU students, including health and wellness peer educators and Fraternity and Sorority Life members, trained as Active Champions to co-facilitate sessions alongside trained staff from Athletics, Student Affairs, ADEI and Title IX, strengthening peer leadership and expanding campus capacity. NIU staff also trained to facilitate and deliver consent programming related to Digital Intimacy. Both Active* Consent and Digital Intimacy are now available by program request through Student Wellness, increasing opportunities for campus engagement and education.
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Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium
NIU is proud to partner again with all Illinois public universities to offer the 3rd annual Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium. This free, virtual conference scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6 is for all who learn, teach, develop, support or administer online education. This year's theme is Accessibility, highlighting practices and perspectives that support inclusive and equitable online learning experiences.
Talk with a colleague about teaching
Meet with a Faculty Teaching Mentor to find new ideas to enhance your teaching or connect more effectively with students. These experienced faculty colleagues can offer practical advice and peer-to-peer support on topics including communicating with students, responding to accommodation requests, improving courses based on student feedback, incorporating active learning strategies, creating engaging discussions, assessing learning efficiently, and using technology to increase participation and feedback.
Whether you are refining an existing course or exploring new approaches, schedule a conversation and gain personalized guidance to support your teaching success.
Showcase the quality of your online course
NIU faculty are invited to participate in the Quality Essentials Course Review, an internal process designed to strengthen online course quality and support student success. Faculty complete a guided self-review in Blackboard using NIU’s Quality Essentials standards and may request a formal review by a trained reviewer.
Courses that meet all 29 standards receive official recognition as Quality Essentials online courses, along with a course badge, acknowledgment from university leadership, and eligibility for additional quality awards and recognition. Learn more and submit your course for review.
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Meeting of Minds
You can join NIU’s Department of History to learn about the historical significance of revolution at the upcoming “Meeting of Minds – Revolution!” event from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 at Cavan Auditorium, located in Gabel Hall 126. As part of a year-long recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, six history majors assuming the roles of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Abigail Adams, Benedict Arnold, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Karl Marx will gather at a table in costume with a mediator to discuss and argue important questions about revolution historically and their current relevance.
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Disability Resource Center
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Resources for faculty and staff
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) reports an increase of students with disabilities registering for accommodations. This means that faculty are receiving more letters of accommodations in their courses.
The DRC is committed to assisting faculty navigate accommodations and how they function within their course design. You can find helpful resources on the DRC website; please utilize this website to gain more knowledge about working with students with disabilities. Also, DRC staff members are available to faculty and staff for consultation and presentations on disability-related topics.
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Add your community partnership to the map
The Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development maintains a map detailing NIU community partnerships. If you collaborate with a community partner where all parties contribute to and benefit from the partnership, you’re invited to add it to the map using this simple online form.
Programmatic; teaching and learning; and research partnerships are welcome. Some fee-for-service partnerships may not qualify as community engaged. Please contact Jeannine East, director of Community Engagement Impact, at jeast@niu.edu with questions, or if you need to make updates to an existing partnership.
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8 Countries in 1 Day
For the second year in a row, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) joined with NIU and community partners to feature a country at the annual “8 Countries in 1 Day” event. International students from Ghana volunteered by preparing authentic regional dishes, offering a craft activity, sharing Ghanaian clothing displays, and giving a presentation on Ghanaian historical sites, notable people and cultural heritage.
The event is a DeKalb Public Library tradition through which ISSS showcases the international community at NIU, and a crowd of hundreds learned about Ghana through the exhibit. NIU Campus Dining provided the use of their kitchen facilities and support from their staff.
Upgraded international travel registry
NIU is excited to launch an upgraded international travel registry system later this year. The upgraded platform will provide a more efficient and comprehensive international travel registration experience, with features including:
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- Streamlined international travel registration through direct data entry or by forwarding airline and hotel confirmation emails
- Integrated destination risk assessments aligned with CDC and U.S. Department of State travel advisories
- Up-to-date country and city intelligence to support traveler preparedness
- Automated destination risk briefs based on official government risk ratings
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Travelers planning university-related international trips on or after Jan. 1, 2027 will be supported to register their travel in the new system starting around mid-November. If your travel will occur between Monday, Dec. 21 and Friday, Jan. 1, you should register their travel by Monday, Dec. 14 to ensure time for review.
International Education Week
This annual event recognizes the benefits of international education while reflecting efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences.
This year, International Education Week is November 16-20, where we will embrace the theme of belonging “Global Huskies Belong Here.” Visit the Division of International Affairs website to submit your event to be included on the calendar feed. Also, you are invited to attend featured events, including:
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Random syllabus review supports policy alignment
To support ongoing alignment with NIU’s Credit Hour Policy and revised Syllabus Policy, Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation will coordinate a central review of a random sample of 214 course syllabi. This periodic review helps ensure consistency with institutional, accreditation, federal and state credit hour and disclosure standards across courses.
Departments and faculty with courses included in the sample have been notified. Contact Amy Buhrow at abuhrow@niu.edu for more information.
Annual report and October AI assessment workshops
Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation (AAE) has released the 2025-2026 Assessment Summary Report: Insights and Actions. The report highlights institutional assessment activities that have led to actions intended to improve support for student learning and advance institutional priorities. It also describes opportunities for improving assessment practice and outlines AAE’s improvement plans as a result.
Register for two upcoming online workshops to learn practical ways AI tools can assist with assessment planning, data interpretation and continuous improvement efforts.
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- NIU was the only institution of higher education in Illinois named to The Council on Undergraduate Research’s 2026-27 Scholars Transforming Through Research Program. From November 2026 through March 2027 a team from NIU will strengthen communication skills needed for civic impact, while exploring how to use research experiences to engage with their communities and demonstrate the transformative power of undergraduate research. The program culminates with a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators.
- National Transfer Student Week is Oct. 19-24 at NIU. You are invited to help make transfer student pride visible throughout the week. Share National Transfer Student Week events with students, talk about your own transfer or community college experience or even wear apparel representing where your journey began. Stop by MLK Commons Wednesday, Oct. 21 for the Transfer Student Takeover at Food Truck Wednesday to connect with students and colleagues and help us celebrate the many paths that make our Huskie community stronger.
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Shout-out to Career Services staff and Convocation Center staff for an outstanding All-majors Internship and Job Fair.
Shout-out to Jan Wylde for going above and beyond in helping with the recent Career Success Clinic and fashion show.
Shout-out to Diane Alberts for helping navigate a time-sensitive situation and making sure everything was handled smoothly.
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Do you have shout-outs about your colleagues or comments about this newsletter to share? We would love to hear from you. Please complete this form to submit your feedback.
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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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