Greetings! I hope the rest and relaxation of Spring Break – and the anticipation of spring weather – brings you some excitement and energy as we journey to the second half of the semester.
Reasons for that optimism are plenty.
Consider, for example, my March 5 trip to the Illinois Capitol in Springfield to participate in NIU Advocacy Day.
One aspect that struck me was the sincere interest the legislators had in our students, wanting to learn about their backgrounds, educational experiences and current circumstances. The senators and representatives who met with our team asked great questions of our NIU students.
At the same time, the lawmakers also impressed me with their keen and genuine interest in understanding the legislative priorities of NIU and their willingness to listen. If you haven’t taken part in this initiative, I encourage you to consider participating in future NIU Advocacy Days. I know you would find the process well organized and the experience fruitful.
Meanwhile, the Huskies United fundraising campaign begins at 4:25 p.m. this Wednesday, March 20.
One of our areas of focus is the Dr. LaVerne Gyant Alumni Mentoring Program, which currently has 17 students, including 12 undergraduate and 5 graduate students, paired with mentors. The program connects Black/African American students and alumni of the college to network and receive guidance.
Under the direction of Kelly Wesener-Michael, we’ve observed positive impact on our students, including personal and professional development. With unlocking gifts from Dr. Gyant and me, we look to continue our support of students. For more information and to read testimony from participants, visit our mentoring program webpage.
Clearly, our students are accomplishing great things – and we’re only a few weeks away from the annual Student Research Symposium, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in the Learning Center.
For me, this event is an exemplar of faculty mentorship in the research process, and speaking of ways to acknowledge our work, we are bringing back our end-of-year All College Update and Celebration of Excellence. An Outlook appointment will be sent soon for the morning of Reading Day – 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 3 – as we gather to applaud our faculty and staff.
We will take some time to provide our academic community with important college information, including a budget update, and recognize our retirees and College of Education Award winners. Nominations for our various awards are being accepted until Friday, March 29. The nomination process is detailed in this Ed News.
I look forward to seeing our faculty and staff at this event.
See you soon, and Go Huskies,
Bill
