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Academic Affairs
Newsletter
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Dear Colleagues,
As university
commencement ceremonies approach, I find myself reflecting on the
semester and feeling grateful for what happens here at NIU every day.
The hard work and
accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff were on display at
award ceremonies throughout the month of April. It was a great pleasure
to get to introduce some of the winners, and wonderful to see these
dedicated individuals honored for their efforts.
The annual Conference on Undergraduate Research and
Engagement (CURE) event was a big success, with more than
170 presentations from nearly 250 student presenters. Nearly 90 faculty
judges helped determine the winning projects; 18 of them were part of a
graduate student cohort who provided meaningful feedback to the
undergraduate researchers.
Countless other events
this semester have illustrated the talent and dedication of all who
make up this university.
As students cross the
stage and receive their diplomas, I feel such a sense of pride for
their accomplishments and gratitude for all you did to contribute to
their success through teaching, mentoring, advising and assisting them
along the way. Your efforts to support our students and their success
makes a difference in their lives.
You received an email
earlier this week with an update regarding budget and resource
planning, but I want to share a few of the main points in this letter.
We are developing and implementing strategies that specifically align
to our University Goals, including Goal 6A to
implement an all-funds, multiyear budget and to reduce the deficit
through university-wide efforts to generate revenue, as well as to
reallocate and reduce expenses.
One key area of that
message detailed the FAFSA rollout delays and the impact. NIU and
schools across the nation have only very recently received student data
to begin to process student aid. Without this vital information,
students do not have the ability to make informed choices about where,
or if, to go to college.
We know prospective
students will need extra support and guidance to start with us in the
fall, so we are adding events and activities to host them on campus. I
ask that you make every effort to personally encourage new and
returning students to not let FAFSA challenges put off their dreams,
and to seek help from our teams in Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarships and Student Financial Advising Services.
Leaders in the Division
of Academic Affairs have worked to increase academic efficiencies and
reduce curricular complexity this past academic year. Whether it is
reducing the number of low enrollment course sections or introducing a more efficient way to propose and
manage curricula, we are striving to maximize the impact of students�
tuition dollars and faculty and staff members� time to provide the best
experience for everyone at NIU.
We are also asking for
your help with encouraging current students at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels to re-enroll for summer and/or fall courses to make
progress toward degree completion.
Once again, thank you for
your efforts toward student success and all you do here at NIU. Have a
wonderful summer!
With gratitude,
Laurie Elish-Piper, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
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Cheer on our
graduates
Seeing faculty members in
attendance at commencement makes a big impact on our
graduates and their families. Faculty members, we look forward to
seeing you at Graduate School Commencement Friday, May 10 and
Undergraduate Commencement Saturday, May 11.
No ticket is needed, a
snack will be provided and there is reserved parking for faculty. All
you need to do is show up in your regalia and be acknowledged during
the ceremony. Thank you for all you do to support our students and
thank you for an excellent academic year at NIU!
2024-25 Provost
Fellows announced
Congratulations to our
Provost Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. Peter Chomentowski,
associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical
Education is the Provost Fellow in Faculty Affairs. Shannon Becker,
associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures
is the Provost Fellow in Academic Affairs.
This program is designed
for faculty members interested in exploring leadership and
administrative roles. Provost Fellows will become more familiar with
university-level decision-making and campuswide initiatives, while
gaining a more expansive range of leadership
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Help students move
forward faster with UNIV 301
NIU partners with Braven
to offer the 3-credit UNIV 301: Leadership and Career Accelerator
course. More than 600 Huskies have enrolled in UNIV 301 since it began
in 2022. Space is available for the fall 2024 semester, which will be
offered in three sections � two online and one hybrid.
Students in the course:
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- Create a professional portfolio, including a
resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile.
- Build community on campus and in professional
networks.
- Gain long-lasting support: When you complete
UNIV 301, you can be paired with a mentor to support you through
your academic and professional career planning.
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Visit the UNIV 301 website to learn more, and
please pass this information along to your students who might be
interested in this course.
Career Services
debuts updated website
Check out NIU�s newly
updated Career Services website, where
students will find personalized guidance for every step of their
college journey.
The new Steppingblocks Digital Career Counselor
page has information about this online resource that will help students
build their career game plan. The new Career Success page walks students
through the stages of career development, with tips and plans for each
year as a Huskie. You�ll find this information and much more on the
newly updated Career Services website!
Submit book
adoptions for Summer and Fall 2024
If you have not yet
submitted your book adoptions, please do so as soon as possible. Submitting adoptions on time gives
students the best opportunity to succeed by offering them a better look
at potential costs so they are ready for the first day of class.
The quickest and easiest
way to adopt your books and course materials is by using Follett
Discover through Blackboard.
You can also email your request to Celeste Bryant, course materials
market manager at 2089txt@follett.com.
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Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion
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Nomination
deadline to serve on Presidential Commissions
The Office of the
President seeks nominations for individuals to serve on the Presidential Commissions. These
commissions play a critical role in advising the President and provide
an opportunity to engage the relevant expertise and multiple
perspectives of faculty, students and staff to promote problem solving,
innovation and change in pursuit of NIU�s mission, vision and values.
The commissions support
the university�s commitment to fostering an inclusive and accessible
Huskie community where individuals feel welcome and experience a
profound sense of belonging. Accordingly, we seek nominations for
individuals with interests, experiences, or expertise related to the
commissions� work to enrich their efforts and ensure that their
recommendations reflect the diverse viewpoints of the Huskie community.
Please complete the online application by Friday, May 17
to nominate someone or self-nominate.
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Adobe Creative
Cloud Suite available for all NIU faculty
NIU faculty of all ranks
and classifications now have access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite. This
includes all the industry-leading Adobe applications, like Photoshop,
Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign, as well as Adobe Stock, a library of
over 200 million images and videos. It also includes the new Adobe Express, an easy-to-use platform
that integrates graphic design, image editing, video production and
website creation with cutting-edge generative AI features.
Get started by logging in
at creativecloud.adobe.com with your
NIU credentials (i.e., A-ID@mail.niu.edu).
You can also open the Adobe Creative Cloud application, which may
already be installed on your NIU-managed computer. From either the web
or the application, you can click �Request Access� and install the
tools you would like to use. If you already have an Adobe license
through NIU, your account will not be affected.
NIU students will be able
to request access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite this fall.
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Child care
assistance for parenting students at NIU
A Child Care Access Means
Parents in School (CCAMPIS) federal grant provides assistance for
current parenting students. Up to 100% of child care tuition may be
covered at NIU�s Child Development and Family Center or
one of our contracted nationally accredited child care sites in
Illinois.
To be eligible, parenting
students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours for the fall and
spring semesters and at least three credit hours in the summer
semester. Students must be Pell-eligible or income-eligible and either
enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.
Please share this
information with students, along with the application link.
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Disability
Resource Center
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End of semester
reminders
As we wrap up the
semester, it is important to be aware of several important aspects
regarding students with disabilities.
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- Review of Accommodations: Ensure all
accommodations provided throughout the semester were effective and
consider any adjustments for future semesters.
- Feedback and Assessment: Seek feedback from
students on how accommodations have helped them and what
improvements can be made.
- Preparation for Finals: Be prepared to
implement any necessary accommodations for final exams and
projects, to ensure equal access and opportunity.
- Planning for next semester: Start planning for
next semester by implementing Universal Design principles in
the classroom and online.
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- The National Science Foundation (NSF) is
issuing several important policy changes with the new Proposal Award Policies and Procedures Guidethat
will take effect for proposals submitted on or after Monday, May
20. Faculty and staff members who work with the NSF should
carefully review these changes. Key changes involve new
requirements for current and pending support and biographical
sketches, graduate student mentoring plans and research security
disclosures. Learn more and find a detailed summary of the changes
here.
- You can report digital barriers or
accessibility issues with NIU webpages or course materials. Your
feedback helps identify areas for improvement and helps make our
digital resources more accessible. For instance, if you find a
website or online tool is difficult to navigate with a screen
reader, report an accessibility barrier.
When filling out the digital accessibility barrier form, select
Technological from the Types of Accessibility Errors pulldown and
include the description and any documentation pertaining to the
accessibility barrier.
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Thank you to Ted
Hogan, associate
professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, for going the
extra mile to show care and concern for your students!
Shout-out to Olivia
Monteiro for your caring and considerate work provided as an advisor!
Your concern for our students is greatly 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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This message has been
approved for distribution by the appropriate NIU party and is
distributed by the Division of Enrollment Management, Marketing and
Communications. NIU Mass Email Policy.
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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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