Academic Affairs Newsletter
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Welcome back, colleagues!
I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating summer. As we begin a new academic year, I’m filled with excitement and optimism for what lies ahead. Each fall brings a fresh opportunity to make a meaningful impact – on our students, our colleagues and our university community.
One highlight from the summer I’d like to share is the launch of our newly updated Career Services website. It’s a fantastic resource for students looking to build strong resumes, explore job opportunities and showcase their achievements to potential employers. I encourage you to explore the faculty tab, which offers tools and insights to help you support students in developing career readiness and achieving success during their time at NIU and as they embark on their careers.
I am also grateful to the Academic Affairs AI Task Force Advisory Committee and Working Group co-chairs and members for their work. Please visit our Task Forces website to view their report and recommendations.
I know we’re all aware of the challenges facing higher education across the country. While those challenges persist, a new semester gives us the chance to refocus, recommit and move forward together. I’m confident that through our shared dedication, we’ll continue to provide our students with a positive and productive experience at NIU.
It’s an honor to serve as NIU’s provost, and I want you to know that my team and I are here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We’re looking forward to a successful and inspiring fall semester.
Go Huskies!
Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
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The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is transitioning to operate as part of the Division of Academic Affairs at NIU.
The DRC will offer the same excellent service to support the success of our students, and none of the existing offerings will be changing. The DRC mission continues: to create an accessible and inclusive learning environment where disability is recognized as an aspect of diversity in the campus community and society. By working in conjunction with Academic Affairs, more students will be able to engage in services that will help them moving forward.
A special thank you to Jennifer Salmon, who serves as the director of the DRC, and is also currently serving as the interim director of the Huskie Academic Success Center. Her expanded and elevated role will ensure a smooth transition of the DRC to Academic Affairs. Through her excellent leadership and strong relationships across campus, we look forward to what is ahead.
We want to also take this opportunity to remind you, increasing numbers of students are coming to NIU and other universities with documented disabilities. As educators, we are required to implement the accommodations for these students. Please contact drc@niu.edu if you have any questions about accommodations or the services of the DRC.
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New chair orientation
Leaders from across campus spoke to incoming department chairs and school directors during new chair orientation this summer. Pallavi Singh, provost fellow for Faculty Affairs, and Bárbara González, vice provost for Faculty Affairs, organized the event. This orientation equipped new chairs with tools, perspectives and support they need to succeed in their leadership roles.
Invited speaker John Augusto, executive director of Leadership and Institutional Development at Kennesaw State University, leads strategic initiatives to cultivate leadership capacity among faculty and administrators. Augusto shared insights on being a successful leader with attendees at the event.
Introducing LeadNET
This semester, NIU is launching LeadNET: Department Leadership Network, a training and networking initiative designed to assist new and seasoned leaders at the department and school level. The program is designed to support department chairs and school directors by fostering leadership development and collaboration through theme-based discussion. These sessions provide a platform for exploring current challenges, sharing best practices and engaging with subject matter experts to enhance strategic decision-making and academic leadership.
LeadNET is being led by Bárbara González and Pallavi Singh. The program aligns with NIU’s strategic theme and guiding principle of empowerment and shared responsibility, with a design to specifically support the development of leaders and replaces the Department Leader Development Program (DLDP).
Check out this news site post to learn more about LeadNET.
Interfolio committee member training
NIU is using the Interfolio system for managing promotion and tenure processes for the 2025-2026 cycle. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the support we provide to faculty, department chairs and deans during the promotion and tenure process.
If you will be serving on a department personnel committee or college council during FY26, please let us know by sending an email to provost@niu.edu with the name of your committee. This will help us make sure you're included in the upcoming Interfolio committee member training, hosted by the Interfolio Team at NIU. This training session will provide you with the tools and support you need to successfully use Interfolio.
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Academic Recovery Program
Academic struggles can happen during a student’s collegiate journey. Our Academic Recovery Program pairs students with Huskie Academic Success Center (HASC) academic coaches to develop a plan to get them back on track.
NIU undergraduate students receiving federal financial aid must maintain a 2.0 GPA and pass at least 67% of credits to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. If students cannot maintain this level, their financial aid may be impacted.
As part of the reinstatement process, students must complete academic tutoring. Students are paired up with an HASC academic coach, who gets to know them and answers any questions, to help best support them. Coaches then develop an academic success plan for students, based on their individual needs.
During the Spring 2025 semester, many students who didn't meet these standards but had an approved appeal were required to engage with HASC programs as part of their Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) plan. 57% of these students successfully met the requirements of their SAP plan, a significant improvement over the historical average of 40%. All students on an SAP plan were strongly encouraged to utilize HASC's services, contributing to a record number of HASC student visits during the 2024-25 academic year.
Enriching the Design of General Education (EDGE) for 2025-26
EDGE supports faculty, instructors and graduate students who teach general education courses at NIU. Register to attend our monthly sessions starting with the kickoff from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, where we will share the results of the first year of general education assessment in foundational studies’ courses. Check out the EDGE website for a schedule and recordings of past sessions.
Free test prep courses
Since January, 17 institutions across Illinois have implemented Kaplan's All Access program providing students with test preparation, skills courses and micro credentials preparation at no cost. Students have until Wednesday, Dec. 31 to sign up and will be able to access any courses they have signed up for after this date.
Staff and faculty are invited to register for an orientation session either Thursday, Aug. 21 or Tuesday, Sept. 9 to learn more.
Mission AI shows positive links to student reenrollment
Supporting student retention via early and targeted outreach is one of the objectives of Mission AI, which launched in November 2024. Early indicators from the Navigate360 Staff Intervention Effectiveness Dashboard show positive results, just ahead of the Fall 2025 semester.
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- More than 72% enrollment among undergraduate students who engaged with Mission AI in AY25 compared to just over 62% who did not engage or opted out.
- Among first-generation undergraduate students, Mission AI engagement corresponded with nearly an 11-point increase in enrollment (71.3% vs. 60.6%) compared to first-generation students who did not engage with Mission AI.
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Mission AI is helping NIU reach students with timely support, indicating a measurable difference in reenrollment. We will continue collaborating with advising and support teams across campus to expand this effort and ensure every Huskie has the resources to succeed.
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Become a student organization advisor
Student Involvement and Fraternity and Sorority Life are 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.
If you’re interested in becoming a student organization faculty/staff advisor, please sign up! Contact studentinvolvement@niu.edu with questions.
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Week of Engagement
The first week of class provides an excellent opportunity to create an environment where students feel comfortable and excited to be a part of your classroom. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) offers a Week of Engagement Toolkit to increase your connection with students and promote a sense of belonging.
You’ll find tips on creating a student-centered syllabus, recommended strategies for inclusion and accessibility, activities to build engagement, helpful resources and more when you visit the Toolkit website. Meanwhile, CITL staff are available at citl@niu.edu to answer your teaching questions.
New Blackboard resource for students
Help students learn essential Blackboard skills with the new Getting Started with Blackboard tutorial. This includes key tasks for students like accessing materials, submitting assignments, taking tests and tracking their progress. Designed by recent NIU alum and former CITL intern, Jen Sacenti, the tutorial includes short videos and helpful resources from a student’s perspective. Consider sharing or linking to this tutorial in your Blackboard courses to support your students throughout the upcoming semester.
UPCEA Digital Teaching and Learning Conference
Save the date! NIU faculty and staff can register for free for the 2026 UPCEA Digital Teaching and Learning Conference. This virtual format, scheduled for Feb. 4-5, 2026, eliminates the barriers of travel and cost, enabling broader participation and a more diverse range of voices. The request for proposals is open until Friday, Sept. 19.
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College of Education’s PLEDGE program surpasses 200 graduates and continues to fill needs
Eighty-seven percent of Illinois schools need more teachers, according to the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools’ 2024-2025 Educator Shortage Survey, which also reports administrator vacancies.
The NIU College of Education’s PLEDGE (Partnering to Lead and Empower District-Grown Educators) initiative is still innovatively confronting the problem with existing and new partnerships.
Our PLEDGE programs have already graduated 239 educators via multiple off-campus avenues to serve location-bound, working adults, including more than 100 alumni from the thriving Elgin Community College (ECC) collaboration. Other graduates were enrolled in cohort-based partnerships with school districts and, currently, students are progressing to degree completion thanks to broader collaboration between district, community and non-profit/state (Illinois Grow Your Own) partnerships.
Fifty-four future educators began PLEDGE programs last fall, and more cohorts are now launching, including ECC, Principal Residency and two new iterations of LEAP-Licensed Educator Accelerator Pathway preparing paraprofessionals to become special education teachers: one in small-town/rural northwest Illinois districts (thanks to a federal grant) and one in partnership with East Aurora 131.
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Disability Resource Center
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Enhanced faculty website
We’re excited to begin another academic year and are excited to support you in creating an inclusive, learning environment. Our enhanced faculty website now includes a dedicated section on flexible accommodations designed to help you navigate common questions and scenarios related to attendance flexibility, deadline extensions and other forms of academic support.
These resources provide practical examples, guiding principles and best practices that you can include in your classroom. As you engage in conversations with students about accommodations, we encourage you to explore these updated pages to gain deeper insights, clarify processes and ensure consistency in your approach.
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- The new Huskie Career Launchpad is a free tool that helps NIU students grow their skills and talents, then showcase this growth by earning digital badges to display on platforms like LinkedIn and discuss with future employers. Students earn points toward badges by participating in activities – engaging with Career Services, attending campus events, joining clubs or organizations, or participating in research. Students will then keep track of everything in Suitable, a digital badging app. Please direct students to the Huskie Career Launchpad website to learn more.
- Karen E. Samonds, the 2025 David W. Raymond Award recipient, will present “Enhancing Student Learning with Virtual Anatomy Resources” via Zoom at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Please join us! Samonds is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at NIU. Her research integrates comparative anatomy, systematics and biogeography with field paleontology to address topics in vertebrate evolution.
- You have a unique story, which could make an excellent Huskie Spotlight. These features share the outstanding stories of NIU students, faculty, staff and alumni. Complete a Huskie Spotlight to share your story campus community or nominate a fellow Huskie to share theirs.
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Shout-out to Jory Keller for the excellent work in creating the new Career Services website.
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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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