Celebrating First-gen Week  

During First-gen Week, campuses and communities come together to celebrate students who are the first in their family to attend college. Throughout the week we're highlighting the significance of this journey by offering events, workshops and support networks that empower first-gen students. It’s a chance to share stories, build connections and acknowledge the immense strength it takes to break barriers and create new pathways for future generations.

This week also serves as a reminder that first-gen students bring invaluable perspectives and contribute to the diversity and richness of our campus. It’s about celebrating their accomplishments, providing mentorship and resources, and fostering an inclusive atmosphere where all students can thrive.

Fall 2024 graduates: Get red, black and white philanthropy cords by contributing to the NIU Foundation.

Congratulations upcoming graduates on earning your degree and joining our 262,000-plus Northern Illinois University alumni worldwide.

As you embark upon your next chapter, we hope that you will keep NIU as part of your story by supporting our NIU Foundation through your senior class gift so that you may build your Huskie legacy. By making a gift of $24 or more to the Northern Fund, you will receive a red, black and white philanthropy cord to celebrate your outstanding support of NIU. Make Your Gift.

Your senior class gift supports the evolving needs of our NIU campus community and is an investment in an institution where extraordinary work is done every day by students — like you — and faculty who are filled with grit, determination and a desire to improve our world.

Go Huskies!

P.S. Keep your information current to stay connected with NIU and learn about networking opportunities, events, university news and additional resources exclusive to alumni.

The contest is open to all currently enrolled NIU students. Entries consisting of original artwork or photography can be submitted up until 5 p.m. on November 18, 2024. Students may submit multiple entries. We encourage submissions to review past years' winners and think creatively about how to avoid repetition or duplication.

A committee of faculty and staff will select the top three submissions based on quality, originality and holiday/Huskie spirit. The students with the top three selections will receive a one-time scholarship (first place $500, second place $300 and third place $100) and be featured in the president's electronic holiday card.

 Prior to Professor Grandin’s talk, NIU STEAM will host a free resources and activity fair from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to celebrate and support the many kinds of neurodiversity in our community. The fair will highlight the many resources available to support NIU students and community members who are neurodivergent, and their families. Activities will be available for all  ages — from preschool through college — including hands-on art projects, sensory bins and books related to neurodiversity from the NIU Libraries and DeKalb Public Library.

The events are free and open to the public, but space is limited, and registration is requested. Learn more and register at go.niu.edu/neurodiversity-fair.

Now is the time to start preparing to register for spring 2025 classes. Read the tips below and learn when to register and how to register for classes. 

1. If you have not met with your advisor, do so. They are here to help you.

2. Log in to MyNIU and Navigate Student.

Registration for spring 2025 classes opened Monday, Nov. 4. We would love to have you join us for UNIV 301: Braven Leadership Career Accelerator.

UNIV 301 will help you learn important career skills, create career readiness materials and get you plugged in with career professionals so you can get a great job and succeed in the workforce when you graduate. Plus, industry leaders will mentor you along the way.

“The experiences through Braven have been great. The United event at Willis Tower was incredible — just being in a professional environment and being able to talk to professionals in the field I want to go into. Learning networking skills was huge as well. I love this course.” - Haley Heckermann, management major and current UNIV 301/Braven student.

“One of the best things about Braven is the leadership coaches. We have a person who works at Microsoft and another person who works at a big company. Having regular one-on-one meetings and being able to bounce ideas off them is something I'm definitely taking advantage of.” - Kevin Dela Paz, computer science major and current UNIV 301/Braven student.

Upcoming Information Sessions:

Tuesday, November 12 (virtual) from 1-1:30 p.m. CT via Zoom
Monday, December 2 (campus) 3 -3:30 p.m. CT, Peters Campus Life Building room 235

Registration for spring 2025 classes is right around the corner. Do you know that you can search for and select classes that use low- ($40 or less) or zero-cost course materials in MyNIU?

To find courses with affordable course materials in MyNIU, apply the Textbooks/Low Cost or Textbooks/Zero Costfilter to class searches. Or you can search by the keyword low cost.

Note: Course materials are defined as required books, textbooks, ebooks, streaming video, CDs or DVDs. Because students using the book charge program must purchase texts through the bookstore, the cost of materials is determined by the bookstore price. 

Want to know more? Check out our Affordable Materials Search and Filter for Students page.

NSF Virtual Grants Fall Conference Dec. 9-12, 2024

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will host a free virtual event, the 2024 Fall NSF Virtual Grants Conference. This event is for anyone new to NSF looking to learn key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF, and for those who are experienced and would like to catch up on the latest agency policies and information.

See our Sponsored Programs Administration Newsblog for additional information.

Are you an undergraduate student looking for an on-campus job? Are you looking to gain transferable skills while helping new Huskies join our pack? If you answered “yes,” consider applying to be an Orientation Leader today.

Orientation Leaders work with incoming first-year and transfer students to build connections between new students and help form a sense of belonging on campus. Our Orientation Team is a paid student leadership opportunity that trains during the spring semester and supports orientation programs over the summer.

2025 Orientation Leader Application

Visit the Join our Orientation Team page for more information.

Contact Scott Johansen, program assistant for student training and development for the Office of Orientation and First Year Programs, at sjohansen@niu.edu with any questions and to learn more about the Orientation Leader position.