Through the Latino Resource Center, Northern Illinois University is offering a specialized, one-credit-hour UNIV 101 course that focuses on getting freshman students familiar with college life. The Latino Experience is geared specifically toward Latino students and issues related to their college experience, and it is designed to help identify and prevent common pitfalls, giving students...

First-Year Experience invites all NIU staff, faculty and graduate students to attend the morning of the UNIV 101/201 Instructor Development Conference, scheduled Friday, May 17, in Barsema Hall 300. The day will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a presentation by Vice Provost Anne Birberick on “Factors Influencing Academic Achievement for NIU Students.” Kevin Clarke,...

Orientation & First-Year Experience and the NIU chapter of Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society have teamed up this semester to offer second-year students an opportunity to give back to the campus and community. Through “Sophomore Days of Service,” Lambda Sigma members will join with second-year students from other organizations, such as Alpha Phi Omega service...

Interested in helping first-year students learn how to succeed at NIU? Apply to become a UNIV 101/201 instructor for fall 2013. UNIV 101 is a one-credit, 12-week course focused on helping first-year students develop the essential academic and social skills needed to make an enjoyable and successful transition to NIU. UNIV 201 is a similar...

Northern Illinois University’s Common Reading Experience, Orientation & First-Year Experience and the Student Association are collaborating to sponsor “This I Believe about POLITICS,” an event centered around expressing beliefs related to government, laws, rights, leadership and other issues connected to the upcoming election. The event will take place in the Sky Room of the Holmes...

Dan Gediman, executive producer of National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” series and co-editor of the books, “This I Believe” and “This I Believe II” is coming to NIU. Gediman will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, and 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center. For...

Vasti Torres will provide the keynote address for “Strengthening the Student Experience,” the annual Midwest Drive-In conference for faculty, academic administrators, student affairs professionals and graduate students who work with first-year students. The conference is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 28, at NIU’s Holmes Student Center. Co-sponsors are the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience...

NIU faculty, administrators, staff and returning students are encouraged to “Get the Book, Read the Book and Donate the Book” as part of the First-Year Common Reading Experience (CRE) this fall. For the second year, NIU’s book selection is This I Believe II, a collection of seventy-five 500-word essays written by a variety of Americans...

Second-year students at NIU could win an iPad 3, a Kindle Fire or a $25 gift card for Ollie’s Frozen Custard by participating in the Sophomore Experiences Survey online by Saturday, March 31. The 15-minute survey was sent as a link in an e-mail to nearly 1,700 second-year students earlier this month. Developed by Laurie...

If you were asked to write a 350- to 500-word essay about a strongly held belief, what would you say? Would it look the same as another person who hails from the NIU community? We all might have a connection to NIU, but our experiences at NIU might have a different impact on each of...

Interested in helping first-year students learn how to succeed at NIU? Apply to become a UNIV 101/201 instructor for fall 2012. UNIV 101 is a one-credit, 12-week course focused on helping first-year students develop the essential academic and social skills needed to make an enjoyable and successful transition to NIU. UNIV 201 is a similar...