Academic Affairs Newsletter
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Spring semester is off to a quick start, and it is truly inspiring to see how much you care about our students every day.
As we approach Valentine’s Day, I invite you to show some Huskie love by donating snacks and supplies to Founders Snack Pantry. We have drop-off boxes set up at Altgeld Hall 215 and in the lobby of Founders Memorial Library.
This resource was established in Founders Learning Commons during the spring 2023 semester and helps ensure convenient access for all students in need of food to sustain them between meals as they study, collaborate and create.
Food items needed: Individually wrapped snacks such as peanut butter crackers, pretzels and trail mix.
Supply items needed: Whiteboard markers, highlighters, pens, pencils, folders and three-ring binders.
Students regularly utilize this resource – approximately 1,000 individual snacks are distributed every month.
Thank you for all you do to support student success at NIU!
With gratitude,
Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D. Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
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Meet the new director of Academic and Labor Relations
Please join us in welcoming Dave DeThorne to NIU! DeThorne is our new director of Academic and Labor Relations. Prior to this role, DeThorne served as director of Academic Labor Relations at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He brings a total of 13 years of experience with labor relations to this position at NIU.
We are thrilled to welcome Dave to the Huskie family. His prior experience will serve him well here at NIU, and we look forward to working with him and continuing our ongoing efforts to provide support to faculty members.
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New Faculty Affairs websites
The Division of Faculty Affairs has new and improved websites with useful information for faculty members. Bookmark the new Faculty Affairs landing page and the new faculty resources page. You will find links to forms, awards, diversity and inclusion materials, policies and procedures, benefits, professional development opportunities and more on the resources page.
Preparing future faculty of color conference
As part of our continual efforts to increase faculty diversity, so students of all backgrounds will see representations of themselves in their classrooms, departments and throughout their university experience, NIU will host the Preparing Future Faculty of Color Conference Feb. 23-24 at Holmes Student Center. The annual event brings graduate students of color representing 17 universities in Illinois and other states to NIU’s campus to learn about the professoriate as an impactful career and how to prepare for it.
This year’s theme is: “Representation Still Matters! Creating Pipelines and Pathways in Promoting Faculty Diversity and Championing Social Justice in Higher Education.” Conference activities begin at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. Contact Janice Hamlet at jhamlet@niu.edu or 815-753- 6346 for more information.
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Undergraduate Research Month to debut at NIU
This year, the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning (OSEEL) and the University Honors Program are taking the celebration of research to the next level at NIU, with the debut of Research Month in April.
This month-long celebration will highlight research accomplishments and provide engaging new opportunities for students, departments and colleges to get involved. You can get involved by sharing OSEEL content on your social media pages and helping spread the word about Research Month.
Undergraduate students involved in research are encouraged to share gratitude posts to show how research impacted their undergraduate experience and thank those who supported them. Faculty mentors are encouraged to share research story highlights featuring undergraduate researchers who made a positive impact. These gratitude posts and research highlights will be shared on NIU’s social media pages, and you are encouraged to share these posts to help recognize these accomplishments.
Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE)
This annual event returns to the Duke Ellington Ballroom Tuesday, April 30 for the first time since the pandemic. CURE gives NIU students the opportunity to present faculty-mentored undergraduate research, artistry and engagement projects.
Registration is open until Wednesday, April 3 at noon. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are encouraged to attend. New this year, NIU Career Services staff and volunteer alumni will be hosting a Career Corner. This will help students learn how to communicate skills gained during their research journey to future employers or graduate schools.
UNIV 101 teaching opportunity for fall 2024
The provost’s office is seeking applications to teach UNIV 101 in fall 2024. This is a one-credit course, currently being redesigned. The course is designed for first-year freshmen and will include content and experiences on broad areas like belonging and connecting to NIU, academic resources, time management and academic policies.
As part of the SEM 2.0 Working Group, a team is building out each of the modules with learning outcomes, content, assessment and suggested class exercises that will become a course shell in Blackboard.
Apply through this internal posting. Priority review of applications will start March 1 and training will take place in April. Reach out to vice provost Schatteman with questions.
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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Celebrating Black Heritage Month
The Center for Black Studies, in collaboration with partners across Northern Illinois University, organizes events every February to celebrate Black Heritage Month. This year’s theme is African Americans and the Arts.
All NIU faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend Black Heritage Month programs to recognize, learn and celebrate the central role of Black diasporic experiences in U.S. History and globally – past, present and future.
Film screening and discussion
NIU’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center seeks your support in attending and sharing the activities below with students and your colleagues.
Join us in the Capitol Room at Holmes Student Center Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 6-8:30 p.m. for a film screening and discussion of the 2015 documentary "Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequality" followed by an interactive discussion with Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center facilitator, Dr. Joe Flynn. The screening will include breaks for reflection and dialogue. Popcorn and beverages will be provided.
This is a stimulating film designed for learning about, reflecting on, discussing and more deeply considering the causes, challenges and consequences of systemic inequity. According to the filmmakers, this film works to disentangle internal beliefs, attitudes and pre-judgements within, and it builds skills to address the structural drivers of social and economic inequities.
Decolonizing Race and Pedagogy Part
Decolonization is one of the big ideas in education today, but its meaning and implications can be elusive. Join us Friday, Feb. 16, as Dr. Daryl Dugas and Dr. Joseph Flynn will be picking up where Part 1 left off.
Last month, Dr. Flynn and Dr. Katy Jaekel provided some theoretical and historical context to decolonization, but that session ended with the question, "How do we see and work with these ideas in our classrooms?" During Part II, Dr. Dugas and Dr. Flynn will help participants further consider specific examples and strategies for decolonizing race in classrooms and recognize how those approaches can produce academic success for all students.
Lunch will be provided. Register now, as space is limited.
Spring 2024 Save the Dates
Save the dates as we invite all faculty, staff and students to celebrate and honor graduating students this spring through various special interest graduation ceremonies and celebrations hosted by the Centers. Further details coming soon!
UndocuGraduation: Wednesday, April 17
Latino Graduation: Sunday, April 28
Asian American Resource Center’s Graduation Recognition: Sunday, May 5
Black Graduation Recognition Celebration: Sunday, May 5
Lavender Graduation: Thursday, May 9
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Announcing Dr. Rachel Boldman, new Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs is thrilled to welcome Dr. Rachel Boldman, new Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs! In this senior leadership role, Dr. Boldman will drive the development and administration of dynamic campus life programs and services designed to recruit, retain, and graduate a diverse student body, with a special focus on those from underrepresented and low-income, first-generation backgrounds. Responsible for supervising key departments including Military and Veteran Services, Counseling and Consultation Services, Commuter and Off Campus Student Programs, Students’ Legal Assistance, and the Disability Resource Center, along with support services for special populations and assisting with case management. Dr. Boldman’s leadership will extend to leading and evaluating services and activities related to student belonging, leadership development across the student population, and overall student engagement, health, and well-being.
Involvement Calculator
Student Involvement is excited to announce the launch of the Involvement Calculator, a user-friendly tool to assist students in finding student organizations tailored to their interests. The Involvement Calculator streamlines the search process for students who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about joining a student organization. The Involvement Calculator is a helpful starting point for getting involved and connecting with student leaders!
Serve as a Student Organization Advisor
Student Affairs is actively looking for passionate and dedicated faculty and staff members to become advisors for our student organizations. Being an advisor for a student organization can be an incredibly rewarding experience. You'll have the chance to mentor and guide students as they navigate their academic journey and develop leadership skills. Your expertise and insights will play a pivotal role in shaping the growth and success of these groups.
To get involved or for more information about becoming a student organization advisor, please fill out this form.
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Open Classroom Weeks
Open Classroom Weeks is a new program that provides you with the opportunity to sit in on a colleague's course or a co-curricular learning event. Participating in Open Classroom Weeks is an opportunity to learn new approaches to teaching and make connections across disciplines. Unlike peer observation for tenure and promotion, the focus is on learning as opposed to critiquing.
Some of NIU's best faculty are opening their classrooms to colleagues interested in exploring teaching strategies and techniques, including recipients of the Presidential Teaching Professor, Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction and Excellence in Online Teaching Awards, as well as ACUE Distinguished Teaching Scholars.
Learn more and register to observe a colleague.
Spring 2024 Teaching Effectiveness Institute: Grading for Equity: What is it and Why Does it Matter?
Dr. Shantha Smith, an advocate for students of color, led an interactive discussion on how our continued use of traditional grading practices can undermine effective teaching and learning, raise stress and perpetuate student achievement disparities during the Teaching Effectiveness Institute this January. Dr. Smith introduced the equitable grading framework and its three pillars of accuracy, bias-resistance and motivation. Nearly 50 participants joined the discussion on paradigm-shifting practices to make your grading more equitable.
Dr. Smith is the author of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms. The ebook is available through University Libraries.
Online Enrollment and Trends – Spring 2024
With our spring enrollment numbers compiled, here are a few current online learning trends and highlights for the spring semester, consistent with trends from prior semesters:
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- 1,117 students (797 graduate and 320 undergraduate) are enrolled in online programs. This is up 3 students from last spring.
- Student demand for online courses remains strong. 6 in 10 undergraduate students and 1 in 6 graduate students are taking at least one online course in spring 2024.
- In spring 2024, 29.1% of student credit hours are from online courses and 4.8% are from hybrid courses.
- 1 in 3 faculty are teaching at least one online course and 1 in 10 faculty are teaching at least one hybrid course in spring 2024.
- Faculty who teach online continue to utilize available online teaching support at NIU. Of the 421 faculty teaching online courses and 115 faculty teaching hybrid courses in spring 2024, 71% received individualized support and 53% attended online teaching workshops during the past 5 years.
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Nominations for David W. Raymond Award
Calling all classroom innovators! Faculty in all content areas using technology in their classes may apply for the David W. Raymond Award for the Use of Technology in Teaching. This grant awards $1,000 annually and all tenured/tenure-track faculty are eligible. As a faculty member, you may be nominated by your students, colleagues or nominate yourself! Applications are due Monday, March 18.
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NIU College of Business awarded prestigious AACSB accreditation since 1969
NIU is pleased to announce both its business and accountancy programs have received AACSB International (AACSB) accreditation for another five years. For the college, the end of this new accreditation cycle will mark 55 straight years that the college has been accredited, first achieving accreditation in 1969. The accountancy program first earned its separate, rigorous AACSB accreditation in 1983. Fewer than 200 business schools worldwide have earned accreditation in both these areas.
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Young Trailblazers Panel Showcases Alumni Entrepreneurs
Thursday, Feb. 1, the College of Business’ De La Vega Innovation Lab hosted its Young Trailblazers Panel. This event featured innovators and changemakers who shared their career journeys with students and members of the NIU community.
Alumna Gabrielle Foreman, ’21, founder and CEO of Secondary Success and Beyond, came back to serve as a panelist for the event along with Shazor Khan, ’23, Gustavo Casas, ’20, and Tayyaba Ali.
“I was honored to be invited into a space to talk about my business and hopefully encourage someone else,” Foreman said. “I think events like this resonate with students because we are so close in age. It helps them to feel that their dreams are attainable when someone who is not that much older than them has not only attempted to reach their goal but was successful.”
High School and Community College Students to Compete at NIU Business Olympics The College of Business will host its annual NIU Business Olympics on Saturday, April 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Barsema Hall. This year's competitions will include:
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- Accountancy Data Visualization Competition
- Big Idea Pitch Competition
- Marketing Simulation Competition
- AI Superhuman Competition
- Valuation Challenge
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Students can compete for cash prizes, gaining precious hands-on business experience. Plus, the event looks great on college applications! If you know a high school or community college student who is interested in business, please direct them here.
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- The Division of Academic Affairs has a newly redesigned website and a news site! You will find information and links to reporting units, an administration directory and more on the Academic Affairs pages. Check out stories about new programs and initiatives, upcoming deadlines and events and more on the news site.
- A new online service provides added support to students facing challenges that often come with being in college. NIU Counseling and Consultation Services recently added Togetherall to its suite of services. Togetherall is a peer-to-peer round-the-clock support service that allows students to speak anonymously to other college students, via an online chat, about struggles such as relationship issues, roommate or parent conflicts, loss of a loved one and others. Please let your students know about this helpful resource.
- 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 would 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.
- Students who engage in disordered eating often struggle amidst academic pressures and uncertainty about seeking help. Sign up for the Cultivating Care: Supporting our Students with Eating Concerns workshop Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Holmes Student Center Heritage Room to learn about this important topic, and gain confidence to advocate for students who may be at risk.
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Shout-out to the NIU web team for being so responsive, and for your continual help with website update requests. You are appreciated!
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Do you have comments, ideas for future newsletter topics or shout-outs about your colleagues to share? We would love to hear from you. Please complete this form to submit your feedback. Thank you!
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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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