NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
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Academic Affairs Newsletter
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Hello Colleagues.
As the 2025–26 academic year comes to a close, I encourage you to join us for commencement ceremonies on May 8 and May 9 at the NIU Convocation Center, and the College of Law ceremony on May 30 at the Holmes Student Center as we celebrate our Class of 2026 graduates. Commencement is always a powerful reminder of why we do this work. It is a privilege to see our students reach this milestone and prepare to move on to the next chapter of their lives—made possible through their perseverance and the collective support of you, our dedicated faculty and staff.
This time of year also brings the culmination of another busy and meaningful semester: final classes, performances, exhibitions, research presentations and exams, along with the countless moments of learning and connection that shape our students’ experiences. Thank you for your dedicated efforts throughout the year to support student success, whether through teaching, advising, mentoring, providing academic support or so many other essential contributions. Your work truly makes a difference in the lives of our students.
Wishing you a restful and enjoyable summer ahead. I look forward to connecting again through this newsletter in the fall as we welcome a new class of Huskies to NIU and continue the important work ahead for our university community.
Sincerely,
Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
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Faculty Affairs leadership update
Following an internal search, Rachel A. Gordon has been selected as vice provost for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Gordon has served as interim vice provost for Faculty Affairs since January 2026 and associate vice president for Global Affairs and Faculty Development since July 2025.
She brings extensive experience in faculty development, personnel, labor relations and shared governance, and she is widely known for advancing faculty success through inclusive, collaborative and data-informed initiatives. She previously served as associate dean for Research and Administration in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
A tenured professor and nationally recognized scholar, Dr. Gordon works across multiple disciplines and methods, with research that examines the contextual, social and policy factors shaping individual development.
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MAC Academic Leadership Development Program
For nearly a decade, NIU has joined the other colleges and universities in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in participating in the MAC Academic Leadership Development Program. The program's goal is to help faculty from MAC member institutions develop and advance as academic leaders.
As part of the program, fellows complete a project together and present it at a spring workshop. This year's fellows, Shondra Clay, chair of the School of Interdisciplinary Health Professions, Mohammad Saadeh, chair of the Department of Engineering Technology, and Alecia M. Santuzzi, chair of the Department of Psychology, presented about "AI at NIU: Building AI Literacy and Rethinking Learning in the Age of Generative AI".
Provost Fellows
Provost Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year are as follows: Pallavi Singh, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences is the Provost Fellow in Faculty Affairs. Nicholas Grahovec, associate professor in the School of Rehabilitation and Performance Sciences is the Provost Fellow in Undergraduate Affairs. Learn more in this news site post.
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Mathematics Research Project
APLU has selected NIU to participate in the organization’s introductory Mathematics Research Project, affiliated with Project EMBER, a national effort to transform mathematics from a barrier into a bridge for student success.
Introductory mathematics courses are among the most persistent barriers to degree completion, so NIU and 24 other public universities will examine student outcomes while seeking to elevate institutional strategies that are improving student success in gateway mathematics. This work directly advances Goal 3 of NIU’s Strategic Enrollment Management Plan 3.0, which emphasizes reducing DFW rates in gateway courses, addressing equity gaps and disseminating inclusive teaching practices that support student progression.
New online course evaluation platform starting summer 2026
Reports for spring 2026 and previous semesters using Explorance Blue will be available until Tuesday, June 30. All credit courses will be evaluated using Anthology Evaluate starting in summer 2026. The platform has the same functionality based on your role, using single-sign-on credentials.
To view reports, go to the online dashboard through Blackboard/Tools/Anthology Evaluate or directly to your dashboard. Please contact evaluate@niu.edu or call 815-753-1203 with questions regarding online course evaluations.
Apply for community-engaged course or section designation
Community-engaged course designation can be at the course level or just for a particular semester as a section in MyNIU. Begin with this application form.
Designated courses will be promoted to students, and the 2026-27 faculty cohort will be supported by a team to assist with community partnerships and assessment. Visit the Community-engaged Courses website to learn more and contact Alicia Schatteman aschatteman@niu.edu if you have any questions about the designation process.
Summer career development
NIU Career Services is offering “Huskie Summer Road Trip: Destination - Career Readiness”, a curated set of flexible, self-paced opportunities that help students build skills, gain experience and explore career paths over the summer. We encourage you to share these key resources with your students:
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- Forage job simulations: Short, self-paced experiences that build real-world skills and strengthen resumes.
- Virtual career counseling: One-on-one support for resumes, job searching, interviews and career exploration.
- Huskie Career Launchpad: A collection of asynchronous skill-building activities through the university’s digital badging platform. Students can complete sets of experience at their own pace to build career-ready skills and earn badges along the way.
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In addition, please consider including career fair events (see September and October events in this calendar listing) in your syllabi to ensure students are aware early and can plan to participate. Contact Steph Horgan at sluka1@niu.edu for more information.
Registration Promotion Action Team helps students stay on track
NIU’s cross-functional Registration Promotion Action Team serves as a critical driver for undergraduate persistence by prioritizing registration promotion, the continuous persistence of current undergraduates. By registering while course availability is high, students secure preferred schedules that make it easier to stay on track, one term at a time.
Using Navigate Staff’s enrollment campaign and automation features, students receive communications that keep them informed. Outreach guided by student voices, captured through Mission AI, ensures conversations are rooted in actual student needs.
Data-informed strategies are showing promising results:
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- 82% of eligible undergraduate students enrolled this spring have already registered for fall 2026
- 9% reduction in median days between scheduled and actual registration
- 36% rise in students utilizing academic support services
- 17% increase in students regaining financial aid eligibility
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Become a GIVE Circle facilitator
Growing through Inclusive Vulnerability and Empathy (GIVE) Circles are a part of NIU’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center’s work to build connections, foster understanding and bring communities together. Become a GIVE Circle facilitator by attending a training session from 1-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12. Register online for the training session.
GIVE Circles are opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage in deep listening and conversation of shared experiences related to various topics. GIVE Circles offer participants moments to build connections, understanding and practice empathy, bringing the campus community together to explore our common humanity.
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Join us for the Digital Accessibility Institute
Register today to learn how to create accessible digital content across multiple formats including Word, PowerPoint, PDFs, video and more at NIU’s first Digital Accessibility Institute May 12-14. Designed for university faculty, staff and graduate assistants, the event offers a flexible series of online and in‑person sessions that focus on practical strategies, real‑world examples, and time‑saving tips you can apply right away.
Choose from sessions that fit your roles and interests – whether you design course materials, share information on websites, collaborate with colleagues or create public‑facing documents. Attend one session, build momentum across several or engage with the full Institute experience.
Departments recognized as leaders in course materials affordability
This spring, NIU’s Course Materials Affordability Task Force presented the fourth annual Affordable Course Materials Department Awards. These awards are part of the task force’s Leading Impact Program, which supports and recognizes academic departments and individual faculty for their adoption of Open Educational Resources and low-cost materials in courses. Zero‑cost courses saved NIU students more than $1.5 million this year, bringing total savings to $6.7 million since 2021.
The top three departments for the 2025-2026 academic year are:
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- Departmental Achievement Award: Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (34% low/zero‑cost courses)
- Honorable Mention: Counseling and Higher Education (27%)
- Outstanding Effort: Communications (22%)
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Blackboard office hours: calculating and submitting final grades
Grading deadlines come quickly at the end of the semester. The Blackboard Gradebook helps you calculate final grades efficiently, and the Blackboard Grade Submission Tool lets you post grades directly to MyNIU, saving time and reducing data entry errors.
Join upcoming office hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 7 to meet one‑on‑one with Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning staff and learn how to set up grade calculations in Blackboard. You can pop-in to the session or register to let us know you’ll be attending. Can’t make office hours? Schedule an individual consultation with us.
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Faculty perceptions and continuous improvement
How do faculty perspectives shape academic decision‑making and continuous improvement? A recent news site post from Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation shares insights from a June 2025 departmental survey, which gathered feedback from academic departments.
Findings highlight strong faculty engagement around evidence use, shared responsibility and ongoing improvement, while pointing to opportunities to better connect data with curricular and programmatic conversations. The post offers practical takeaways for departments seeking to support student learning through reflective, evidence‑informed practices regardless of formal assessment roles.
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- If you are a faculty member with academic regalia you no longer need, you can donate it to the Huskie Closet so others may borrow it for future commencement ceremonies. Please drop off clean regalia in good condition at Chick Evans Field House, Room 102 Mondays from noon-1 p.m., Wednesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m. When dropping off, please include a note with your name and what degree and academic area your regalia represents; items will be organized and available for faculty to borrow in future semesters.
- Faculty mentors play a key role in the development of the next generation of researchers. Research Rookies faculty mentors guide undergraduate students who are brand new to research through the research or artistry process by providing hands-on opportunities to engage in a research project. If you are interested in mentoring an undergraduate student through the Research Rookies program this academic year, please complete the interest survey.
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Thank you to Hillary Neibert for her exceptional support in navigating complex grant accounts and administrative processes. She consistently keeps everything organized, ensures timelines are met, and provides clear guidance that makes even the most complicated processes feel manageable. Working with Hillary brings a genuine sense of relief. She is highly responsive, proactive in identifying potential issues, and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Shout-out to Tracy Ash for helping create an informative news article on Pre-health Professions!
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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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