Valronica Scales felt the call to work toward social justice while working in Chicago with low-income students and families. Some were undocumented. Some spoke no English. Most were people of color. “Because I spoke fluent Spanish, and had lived abroad for a
Read moreGreetings from our Program Coordinator
Hello HESA Community! Happy New Year! I cannot believe that we are already a few weeks into the spring semester. Fall 2020 definitely brought unique challenges as we transitioned our programs fully online and moved various community activities to virtual platforms. I
Read moreFrom the Desk of the Dean of Students, Kelly Wesener Michael
Hello Huskies! For all of us in Higher Education and Student Affairs, 2020 was a uniquely challenging year. But, like we do at NIU, our institution and students have faced each new hurdle with Huskie grit. The Division of Student Affairs continues
Read moreGreetings from Our Program Coordinator
HESA alumni, students, faculty and staff, I hope these newsletters, sent out three times a year (fall, spring, summer), will become a new tradition that brings our HESA community closer together. In these newsletters, we intend to share program updates; celebrate personal
Read moreWelcome to Our New Faculty
We are excited to welcome Dr. Jacqueline Mac to the HESA family. Dr. Mac, who serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education, teaches courses on assessment, higher education public policy and quantitative research in higher education for our program. Dr.
Read more2020 HESA Alumni of the Year Award
In Spring 2020, HESA Program faculty and staff selected Dr. Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as the inaugural HESA Alumni of the Year Award winner. Dr. Hephner LaBanc is an
Read moreCelebrations
We are excited to celebrate accomplishments and life events of our HESA community. Alumni, current students, and faculty can submit information for the newsletter. Please submit any announcements and pictures for our next newsletter (Spring 2021) to HESA Program Coordinator Dr. Gudrun
Read moreScholarly Activities
Many members of our HESA community actively participate in professional development. Please find announcements about recent publications and upcoming conference presentations below. To submit a publication or conference presentation for the next newsletter, please e-mail Program Coordinator Dr. Gudrun Nyunt at gnyunt@niu.edu.
Read moreAlumni Spotlight
We would love to feature some of our alumni in alumni spotlights. If you’re interested in being featured in an upcoming edition of our newsletter or would like to recommend a colleague to be featured, please contact HESA Program Coordinator Dr. Gudrun
Read moreEducator in Residence John M. Dunn tells students: ‘You can be the agent of change’
When John M. Dunn first came to NIU from his small hometown in southern Illinois, new and towering horizons opened to him. No longer surrounded by people who looked just like him – everyone in downstate Pinckneyville then was white, and Dr.
Read moreCAHE Department changes name, adds new undergraduate minor in Counseling
NIU’s Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education has revised its moniker to better reflect its mission. Meanwhile, this fall will mark the launch of a new minor expected to enroll large numbers of undergraduates. “The big news for the department is
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