Share Tweet Share Email

President Doug Baker and Dr. Dana Stover invite the campus community to a complimentary holiday luncheon in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Attend as your schedule allows. No RSVP is necessary. Questions may be directed to the Office of Special Events at ellena@niu.edu.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Date posted: December 1, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Staff invited to lunch with President Baker

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage

Human Resource Services Training Programs still has a few more workshops scheduled for employees before the end of the semester. Employees who are seeking to enhance their skills in coping with and navigating change may want to consider attending “Normalizing Change in the Workplace” which will be facilitated by Brian Smith, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) director, on Friday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m.

Lesley Gilbert, assistant director for Training Programs, and Brian Smith will discuss how to supervise and lead teams while working with multiple generations of employees in “Working Across Generations” on Monday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. 

Employees can learn some of the reasons why communication can break down amongst employees or tips to improve communication skills during, “Effective Communication” on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m., which will also be led by Lesley Gilbert and Brian Smith. 

Finally, in case you missed the first training in November, there will be another opportunity for employees who have direct responsibility for handling and depositing cash and overseeing cash operations to attend “Managing and Handling Cash” on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 1:30 p.m., led by Christine Monteiro and Sandra Fasnacht of the Internal Audit Department and Acting Director Nyoka Polyak from Treasury Operations.

To register for any of these training opportunities, please contact the Training Programs office at hrtraining@niu.edu or by calling 815-753-9192. Training opportunities for the spring semester are already available.

Employees are reminded to learn more about these and other training sessions by regularly visiting the Training Programs web page .

Date posted: November 30, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Staff training opportunities in December

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage

All are welcome to attend the Holiday Open House hosted by the McKinley “Deacon” Davis CHANCE Program on Friday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the CHANCE Lobby in Williston Hall East. Celebrate the season with sweet treats, good eats and music. We ask that you please bring a dish to share.

Please RSVP to CHANCE@niu.edu no later than Friday, Dec. 9. We look forward to celebrating with you.

Date posted: November 30, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Celebrate the season at CHANCE holiday open house

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage

The month of November is closing for all financial reporting activity at noon on Thursday, Dec. 8. Journals not posted at that time will go into December business. Final November reports are scheduled to be available on Friday, Dec. 9.

December reports are scheduled to be available Monday, Dec. 12. These dates and other important dates related to the Controller’s Office can be found on the FMS Reports Calendar.

Date posted: November 30, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Financial month end close on Dec. 8

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage

488-0Fundraiser A: My Fight for Freedom and Justice” (NIU Press, 2015) by Robert Blagojevich has been named the winner of the 2016 Best Book Award in the law category.

The Best Book Awards are sponsored by the i310 Media Group. Jeffrey Keen, president and CEO of i310 Media Group, said this year’s contest yielded more than 2,000 entries from mainstream and independent publishers. Keen said that “the 2016 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States.”

A gripping memoir, “Fundraiser A” tells Blagojevich’s side of events that transpired in 2009, when he was charged along with his brother, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, in a federal indictment. It details how Blagojevich endured the ensuing trial and includes excerpts from a journal he kept during that time. The charges against him were dropped in 2010.

Blagojevich believes that he was used as a pawn in the prosecution of his brother, and he hopes his book informs Americans about the need to protect their civil liberties and hold their public officials accountable. As he told WGN-TV, “When they go after people with prosecutions, they go to win and it is not about justice. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.”

To learn more about Blagojevich, visit RobertBlagojevich.com. “Fundraiser A” may be purchased on the NIU Press website or at your preferred bookstore or online retailer. To order by phone, call the Chicago Distribution Center at 800-621-2736.

Since its founding in 1965, NIU Press’s mission has been to support and enhance the reputation and research mission of Northern Illinois University by publishing outstanding works of scholarship for a global audience. The press also promotes understanding of the Midwest through books on regional history and culture. For information on the press’s nearly 600 titles in print, visit the NIU Press website.

Date posted: November 30, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU Press title wins 2016 best book award

Categories: Awards Centerpiece Community Faculty & Staff Parents Students

safe-passage-centerpieceIt is the season of giving, and Huskies are supporting a DeKalb County agency for the victims and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Safe Passage provides a range of services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including crisis intervention and medical advocacy, short-term and long-term housing for victims and their children, community education and a batterer’s intervention program. The agency also advocates to raise awareness and prevent future incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Donation boxes are in the Stevenson Area office, and no donation is too small. The office is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and the boxes will be available through Dec. 10. Some of the items being collected include non-perishable food, diapers, toilet paper, deodorant and children’s toys. No used items, please. A full list of needed items can be found online at safepassagedv.org/wishlist.

For more information, contact Angel Hannah at ahannah1@niu.edu.

Date posted: November 30, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Holiday donation drive supports Safe Passage

Categories: Community Faculty & Staff Homepage Parents Prospective Students Students

College of Law alumni Karoline Carstens (‘06), Elizabeth Shine Hermes (‘03) and Adam R. Vaught (’05), have been honored as “40 under 40” attorneys by The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

The Law Bulletin publishing company conducts the “40 under 40” survey annually to determine who they believe are the up and coming young attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40. Forty attorneys are chosen – from hundreds of nominations each year – based on professional achievements, passion and a desire to help the community.

Karoline Carstens, an associate at the Alton law firm of Simmons Hanly Conroy, handles a large caseload for the asbestos and mesothelioma litigation team. She has assisted in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for her clients working every step of the legal process from initial inquiries through discovery and deposition to preparation for trial.

Elizabeth Shine Hermes, a partner at the law firm of Odelson & Sterk, Ltd., based in Evergreen Park, devotes her practice to municipal law and property tax law. She counsels municipal clients on a variety of matters such as property tax issues, land use and zoning, economic development, intergovernmental agreements, annexation and contracts, as well as the drafting of resolutions, ordinances, agreements and policies.

Adam R. Vaught, a partner at the Chicago-based law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP., focuses his practice in professional liability defense, with emphasis in the counseling and defense of attorneys and law firms in malpractice and disciplinary matters. He also has a significant appellate practice and serves as a board member for the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association.

“We are thrilled to see our alumni recognized for their contributions,” said Eric Dannenmaier, dean of the NIU College of Law. “They join an impressive list of NIU alums and faculty recognized for their efforts in their areas of practice as well as in their respective communities.”   

As the only public law school in northern Illinois, NIU College of Law has been named a top law school nationally for diversity, value and careers in public interest/government service. Its graduates enter a variety of legal and public service careers, including over 90 alumni who are active or retired judges. In addition to practicing law, many graduates also choose careers as leaders in government and business where the J.D. degree is a recognized advantage.

Date posted: November 29, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Three NIU Law alums honored in “40 under 40” list

Categories: Alumni Centerpiece Community Faculty & Staff Law Parents Prospective Students Students

giving-tuesday-homepage-portraitAfter you’ve packed away the Thanksgiving leftovers and gleefully counted the money you saved on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, join your Huskie family for another joyous celebration: #GivingTuesdayNIU.

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving and the ideal time to support our hardworking, grateful students as they pursue their dreams and make the world a better place for us all.

NIU’s 2016 goal is to raise $60,000 from 200 online donors on #GivingTuesday. To kick things off, the President’s Cabinet will be making a $7,000 gift to the University’s Unrestricted Top Priorities fund.

The deans from all seven colleges have also joined the #GivingTuesdayNIU movement again this year by making challenge gifts. Each dean is making a gift of $1,000 to match new donations.

Every gift, any size makes a big difference! In fact, this year the seven colleges are in competition with each other to see who can get the greatest number of donations. To show support to your college and help them win the competition, make your donation on #GivingTuesday at http://go.niu.edu/GivingTuesday. A gift of $8,000 will be made to the college that wins the competition.

Getting involved is easy! You can share our #GivingTuesdayNIU posts on social media, post your reasons for giving to NIU using the hashtag #GivingTuesdayNIU and make a donation to NIU or your college on Nov. 29. Gifts made to support the University and Athletics will also count toward the overall goal.

Thank you for supporting NIU and participating in #GivingTuesdayNIU. Go Huskies! 

Date posted: November 29, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Colleges compete for donors on #GivingTuesday

Categories: Alumni Community Faculty & Staff Homepage Parents Students

A presentation given on Oct. 25, by Dr. Michelle Timmerman, Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health Academic Research Award (NIH AREA) program, is now available online.

The presentation lists various academic research grant programs available through NIH. It also explains key features of the AREA program, intended to support small-scale research problems and expose undergraduate and graduate students to hands-on research.

Date posted: November 29, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on National Institutes of Health Academic Research Award presentation is online

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage

NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women is accepting nominations for the 2017 NIU Outstanding Women Student AwardsThe deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec.16th.

This recognition program was created in 1980 and is held annually to encourage the full participation of women students in all facets of the university experience and in their communities, to support their development of corresponding strengths, both cooperative and competitive, and to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Women with a graduation date during December 2016 through August 2017 are eligible (seniors, third-year law students and graduate students).

For more information and to submit your nomination electronically go to http://www.niu.edu/pcsw/awards/outstandingwomen.shtml.

Date posted: November 29, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Nominate outstanding women students for awards

Categories: Centerpiece Faculty & Staff

weight-watchers-homepage-portraitA free informational session about Weight Watchers meetings on campus for staff and students will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 29, starting at 12:30 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center, Blackhawk West. Please join us and bring a friend. There is no commitment to join.

The Weight Watchers “At Work” program will start a new series on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The current “At Work” group is proud to say they have collectively lost 130 pounds

Date posted: November 29, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on Weight Watchers set to begin new series

Categories: Faculty & Staff Homepage Students

thumbnail-37Thanks to the generous donations from two couples, the students at NIU’s School of Nursing can decompress in a comfortable on-site lounge.

The lounge has always been an oft-used respite for nursing students who attend nursing classes further away from NIU’s main campus. But the furniture had seen better days, and the room lacked appropriate spaces for studying, gathering, relaxing and recharging batteries – both personal and electronic.

When NIU alumni Earl and Cindi Rachowicz (’73) and Clay (’66) and Ethel Hock (’65) asked Nursing School Chair Jan Strom how their contributions could support students, remodeling the dilapidated lounge was suggested. A gift from the Rachowiczs made the lounge update possible. Furniture was reupholstered, new tables added, walls painted and adorned with photos, and new carpet installed.

The serenity room, an enclave off the main lounge, received an update as well, thanks to the Hocks’ gift. This room, with comfy furniture including a gliding rocker and soft lighting, offers a quiet space for reflection.

Including the serenity room was particularly important to Ethel Hock, who was a leader in her nursing school class over 50 years ago.

“Things were very stressful when we were students,” Hock said. “I’m sure things are even more stressful now.”

The Rachowitczs agreed.

“We come from stressful situations. We understand the need for a place for students to come and recharge their batteries,” Ms. Rachowicz said. “We’re delighted so many students will use this room.”

More than 70 nursing students and faculty attended the lounge grand re-opening Nov. 16. One of those is nursing student Rachel Shapland, a junior from Peoria, who thanked the Rachowitczs and the Hocks for their contributions.

“Our lounge was falling apart. We live in this lounge. We don’t have other places to go when we are out here. Now, we have options,” Shapland said. “We are grateful and thankful. You’re investing in our future.”

Date posted: November 28, 2016 | Author: | Comments Off on NIU School of Nursing lounge gets a booster shot

Categories: Alumni Faculty & Staff Homepage Prospective Students Students