Have you ever wanted to try out Campus Recreation facilities risk free? Campus Recreation is pleased to invite you to our Rec 4 All Week, Monday, Aug. 22 through Saturday, Aug. 27.
All students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to any of our facilities (Recreation Center, Gabel Pool, Chick Evans Field House, Outdoor Rec Sports Complex and Residence Hall fitness rooms) during normal hours of operation FREE OF CHARGE. Simply bring a photo ID to any of our locations, mention Rec 4 All Week, sign a waiver, and PLAY, EXERCISE, AND EXPLORE!
Want to bring your significant other or family? Great news! Adults 17 years of age and older are free all week with a photo ID; those 16 years and younger are free to visit the facilities Friday and Saturday with an adult.
Specialized programs will occur each day of the week, but highlights include:
Faculty/Staff Volleyball: Noon – 1 p.m.Monday through Thursday, Recreation Center, Court 6
For any questions, please contact the Assistant Director of Facility Operations, Chrissy Tluczek, at (817)753-9353, ctluczek@niu.edu or the Recreation Center main desk line at (815)753-0231.
Date posted: August 22, 2016 | Author: Jennice O'Brien | Comments Off on Try out the Rec Center during Welcome Week
Among the highlights of Welcome Days 2016 is the annual President’s Welcome Back Picnic. This year’s event hosted by NIU President Doug Baker will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21.
The location for the President’s Welcome Back Picnic is the west shore of the East Lagoon and the quad area west of Castle Drive. The event is one of many events scheduled during the weekend and beyond to welcome new and returning students to the NIU campus and community.
All NIU students, faculty and staff are invited to join President Baker for an afternoon of free food, live music and other fun activities. Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Adventures team will again provide canoe rides on the lagoon, and the Campus Activities Board will feature its “bubble ball” challenge at the event.
Several local merchants and organizations will also showcase some of the great resources and amenities the community has to offer.
The President’s Welcome Back Picnic has become one of the most popular Welcome Days events with more than 6,000 people attending the picnic in 2015. The event is a great way for the NIU campus community to celebrate the start of an exciting new academic year.
Date posted: August 17, 2016 | Author: Jennice O'Brien | Comments Off on NIU Community invited to attend President’s Welcome Back Picnic
An exciting start to the fall semester kicks off this Friday with Welcome Days events planned through the first week of classes to welcome new and returning students back to campus.
The weekend begins with Move-In Day on Friday, Aug. 19. A complete guide to moving into the residence halls is available on the Housing & Residential Services website.
Other highlights include the Huskie Fall Kick Off at Huskie Stadium on Friday, Aug. 19, at 4:15 p.m., when the newest Huskies will celebrate different NIU traditions with President Doug Baker, faculty, staff and fellow students. Immediately following the kick-off, students will head to the football field to form at giant “NIU” for a class photo.
On Sunday, Aug. 21, the Involvement Fair, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m., provides an opportunity for students to learn more about what our more than 300 student organizations on campus have to offer. Following the Involvement Fair, join President Baker at the East Lagoon for the annual President’s Welcome Back Picnic from 4 to 7 p.m.
This represents the first major redesign of the university’s news and information blog in six years. The new look features streamlined navigation, a cleaner look, a powerful search tool and a mobile-friendly interface.
This website is for NIU and about NIU; if there are people, programs, events or initiatives you would like to see us cover, let us know.
The Chicago White Sox and Northern Illinois University have again partnered to host NIU Day at U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday, Aug. 28, when the Sox take on the Seattle Mariners (1:10 p.m. first pitch).
NIU Day features specially priced tickets and a free giveaway item for Huskie students, faculty/staff, alumni, family members and friends. The first 1,500 fans who purchase their tickets to the game through the special ticket link (whitesox.com/niu) will receive vouchers to receive for co-branded White Sox-NIU baseball cap
The special ticket price allows fans to purchase lower box seats for only $30. Fans must enter the promo code NIU via the White Sox website to access the discount tickets and be eligible for the one-of-a-kind White Sox–NIU cap. Hat vouchers are limited to the first 1,500 tickets purchased.
Fans who purchase tickets for NIU Day at U.S. Cellular Field can redeem the hat voucher at the Sales Booth, which is located behind home plate on the 100 Level concourse, before the 4th inning.
The Sunday afternoon game will include the first pitch being thrown by NIU alumnus Joe Minoso (M.F.A. ’04), who stars in the hit TV series “Chicago Fire.” Members of the Huskie Hunks all-male student a cappella group will also be on hand to sing the national anthem.
Fans are encouraged to stop by the NIU Alumni Association tent outside of Gate 5 at U.S. Cellular Field from 10 a.m. to noon on the day of the game.
Date posted: August 12, 2016 | Author: Jennice O'Brien | Comments Off on White Sox to host NIU Day Aug. 28
NIU faculty, staff and students volunteers are needed to help welcome our new students and their families to campus at a brand new event, the Huskie Fall Kick-Off, set for 5:10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19.
At this event, new students and families will celebrate the different NIU traditions with President Baker, faculty, staff and other new students. Immediately following the Kick-Off, new students will receive their Northern Pact t-shirts and head to the field to form a giant “NIU” for a photo.
Volunteers are needed to welcome and direct new students and their families, as well as hand out Northern Pact t-shirts and help new students form the “NIU” on the turf.
Training sessions for volunteers will be held on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. You only need to attend one of the training sessions.
Please use this link, KickOffTraining, to sign-up and select your volunteer training time by Wednesday, August 17 at noon.
Date posted: August 10, 2016 | Author: Jennice O'Brien | Comments Off on Volunteers needed for Huskie Fall Kick-Off
The updated homepage features navigation changes and a new content strategy.
Updates to the NIU.edu homepage rolled out today, featuring data-informed navigation changes and a new content strategy.
“The navigation changes are a result of the website traffic analysis that we do on a quarterly basis,” said Jennice O’Brien, director of Creative Services. “We are also embarking on a new content strategy to drive traffic from the homepage to academic program information.”
Navigation changes include:
Moving links to “Libraries” and “Make a Gift” (formerly “Donate”) to the global navigation to make those sites accessible from every page of the NIU website;
Moving the “Apply” and “Visit Campus” buttons to the grey audience navigation bar to make them more prominent on the homepage;
Adding “Qualtrics” and “Huskies Get Hired” to the Quick Links;
Removing several underutilized links in the footer, and adding links for “Online & Regional Academics” and “Transcripts;” and
making a variety of updates to the top navigation, including a completely revamped “Research” menu.
“Our new content strategy centers on the premise that the main audience for the NIU.edu homepage is prospective students and is a first step in our response to the Program Prioritization Academic Task Force’s recommendation that we renew our focus on the promotion of academic programs,” O’Brien said.
The main homepage content feature will highlight recruitment-focused events and the university’s academic reputation and programs.
On the lower half of the page, a feed from the NIU Newsroom reinforces and promotes the university’s academic reputation. A new section called “Huskie Spotlight” highlights individual students, faculty and alumni and features calls to action related to admissions and academic programs.
With document-sharing tools such as OneDrive for Business, O365 Groups and SharePoint, in place for NIU employees and students, the Web Team is encouraging web page managers to no longer use their NIU.edu web pages as a digital filing cabinet.
“We are constantly looking at how website visitors use the website, and how we can improve their experience while supporting the university’s recruitment and retention initiatives and goals,” O’Brien said. “We look forward to fostering partnerships with academic departments to make their websites mobile-friendly and recruitment focused.”
Date posted: May 27, 2016 | Author: Jennice O'Brien | Comments Off on NIU Homepage update emphasizes program marketing, enrollment
Themed Learning Communities (TLCs) consist of two to three courses taken by the same cohort of approximately 25 students. These courses encourage learning across disciplines through the use of integrative assignments that utilize principles or concepts from each course within the TLC. Instructors of Themed Learning Communities work closely with one another to design their courses in such a way that easily facilitates this cross curriculum learning.
Instructors within Themed Learning Communities are offered the benefit of additional pay, which is contingent upon the TLC gaining adequate enrollment and moving forward as a bundle.
Themed Learning Community students have the benefit of a peer leader who will assist TLC students in their courses and with acclimation to the university.
Proposal forms are available online (on the right side of the screen). Spring 2016 TLC Proposals are due Tuesday, Sept. 15, to the Office of Student Engagement & Experiential Learning.
Undergraduate students who have participated in faculty-mentored research or artistry projects will showcase their work through posters and oral presentations.
The three main summer programs include the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP); the Latino Oral History Project (a subprogram of SROP); and the McKearn Fellows program. Each program gives students the opportunity to conduct full-time research with established NIU faculty and participate in professional development workshops.
The Summer Research Symposium is free and open to the public. Students interested in a summer research program or getting involved in undergraduate research are encouraged to attend.
Thirteen undergraduate students have been chosen to engage in a full-time, intensive research program from June 15 until Aug. 7. These students will work to design, propose and complete research or artistry projects, as well as attend various events and activities on campus and within the NIU community. Students’ disciplines vary from chemistry, history and psychology to mechanical engineering, business administration and visual communications.
In addition, these students will work closely with 10 talented NIU faculty members. These mentors include professors, department chairs, directors of campus centers and recipients of National Institutes of Health research grants.
Kristin Huffine and Simon Weffer-Elizondo will support a team of four students to document local experience with immigration from the late 1920s up to the present. Faculty and students are especially interested in interviewing the earliest immigrants to the Chicago region who came during the late 1920s, just after the Mexican Revolution. The NIU Latino Oral History Project is also part of a larger partnership between NIU and the University of Guadalajara.
SROP and NIU Latino Oral History Project participants will present the culmination of their projects Friday, Aug. 7, at the Summer Research Symposium in Altgeld Hall. This event is open to all undergraduate students conducting or have completed faculty-mentored research or artistry projects within the last academic year (2014-15).
Students who will work as part of the NIU Latino Oral History Project are:
Ayde Flores Major: Community Leadership and Civic Engagement, Emphasis: Advocacy Mentor: Kristin Huffine
Suzanne Serrano Major: History Mentor: Kristin Huffine
Jorge Solorio Major: History Mentor: Kristin Huffine
The following nine students make up the remainder of the 2015 cohort of the Summer Research Opportunities Program. Follow these students’ journeys through SROP by visiting their online profiles.
Jazmin Bandera Major: Business Administration Mentor: Bill McCoy, Director of BELIEF Initiative
Yan Cao Major: Mechanical Engineering Mentor: Pradip Majumdar, Chair of Mechanical Engineering
What is the Research Rookies Program? Research Rookies pairs freshmen, sophomores and first-semester transfer students with faculty mentors to complete one-year research projects. Together, each team will write a formal research proposal, conduct a research project and create a poster, exhibit/digital media display or oral presentation for Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (URAD) in April 2016.
What are the expectations? Students should spend five to 10 hours per week working on their projects and attend monthly cohort meetings. Students must also commit to participate in the program for the entire 2015-16 school year, which will culminate with a presentation at URAD.
What are the benefits? This program will further students’ academic success and give them important tools for graduate school and/or their future careers. It will expand students’ network of distinguished faculty and talented peers. Students also gain experience presenting at a research conference (URAD), developing their communication and professional skills.
The Northern Lights Ambassador programwas established in 2011 to bring some of NIU’s most talented students into positions that will allow them to represent their colleges at university functions. NLAs are selected on the basis of academic excellence and involvement in engaged learning activities and academic leadership.
These students are responsible for interacting with students, faculty, alumni and community partners to discuss what is happening in their respective colleges and to positive represent the university.
Current NLAs have provided service at sporting events, open houses and receptions, and have served as hosts to several campus visitors including alumni, prospective students and donors.
Undergraduates interested in serving as Northern Light Ambassadors during the 2015-2016 school year are invited to submit applications. The application is available on the NLA website on the right side of the screen. Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, to be considered.