A woman wearing protective gloves and goggles reaches for a glass container

Monday, March 21, 2022

Northeastern Illinois University is pleased to celebrate Women’s History Month with a series of in-person and virtual events happening throughout the month of March. Read about these events, the latest COVID-19 updates and more in this week’s Noteworthy at Northeastern. 

Around the Commons

Women’s History Month

This year, NEIU’s Women’s History Month Committee is dedicated to creating a brave space for all women to connect, share and participate meaningfully within our campus community. The 2022 Women’s History theme, “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” is a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers and the countless ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history. The committee and Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs invite the University community to celebrate this month by participating in a series of in-person and virtual events. Next week’s events include:

Purchase Women in Science merchandise to support future NEIU Center of Health conferences and events NEIU Libraries has compiled reading and viewing recommendations celebrating women authors as well as works that reflect the lives and experiences of women. All materials in the Women’s History Month book display are available as e-books or online resources through the NEIU Libraries. To view the complete schedule and sign up for more events, visit the 2022 Women’s History Month webpage. 

TESOL at ITBE

Several faculty, students and alumni of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and School for the Advancement of English Language Learning programs attended the 47th Annual Illinois Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages-Bilingual Education (ITBE) Convention in Lisle, Illinois, on. Feb. 25-26. The TESOL Program had a booth at the convention, which allowed faculty, students and alumni to help recruit prospective students for NEIU's TESOL M.A., TESOL Graduate Certificate and TESOL Endorsement programs. Three faculty members and six current TESOL students presented research during the two-day conference. Associate Professor and Acting Coordinator of TESOL Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov was a featured speaker and gave a lecture titled "Professional Development Opportunities for MA-level TESOL/Applied Linguistics."

Application Assistance

At Northeastern Illinois University, our mission is you! That’s why, if you’re ready to apply, the NEIU Alumni Association wants to waive your application fee! Use code ALUMREF (all caps) to save $30. If you’re not ready to take that step just yet, that’s okay! Create a custom online viewbook, learn more about our programs and apply when you’re ready. Remember, if you’re a first-time, full-time student and meet eligibility requirements, you could receive four years of tuition assistance with the NEIU For You scholarship! NEIU For You also offers some tuition assistance for transfer students. With our more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and over 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs, there are a lot of opportunities for you to earn your degree. We aim to help you break barriers, not your bank account. 

And there’s more!

  • Professor of Political Science and Jewish Studies Ellen Cannon served as a convener for a presentation titled, “Eye of the Beholder: American Antisemitism Perceptions and Realities” on March 7. The webinar was part of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism & Policy’s (ISGAP) “Historical Tropes in Contemporary Antisemitism International Seminar Series.” Cannon has organized, moderated and served as a panelist for the series.
  • Coordinator, Advisor and Associate Professor of Economics Scott Hegerty co-authored “The role of refugees in the underground economy of the European Union,” which was published in the latest edition of IZA Journal of Development and Migration.
  • The National Institutes of Health MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) U-STAR Program at NEIU is currently accepting student applications for MARC Scholar appointments. To be considered, please apply by 5 p.m. Friday, March 25.
  • Northeastern’s Summer Bridge Programs are currently seeking energetic, interested students to become student Success Coaches and Peer Leaders. To be considered, apply by 5 p.m. April 15.
  • Registration for Summer and Fall 2022 classes is now open. Current and admitted students interested in taking summer classes are encouraged to talk to their academic advisor or contact the Registration Office at registration@neiu.edu or (773) 442-4040, or by visiting Enrollment Services in Room D 101.

To do

9th Annual Inspiring TriVia: The Sarah L. Hoagland Speaker Series 

The Department of Philosophy will host the 9th annual Inspiring TriVia lecture from 3-4:40 p.m. March 24 in Alumni Hall. This year’s speaker is Dr. Ainsley LeSure, an assistant professor of Africana Studies at Brown University. LeSure will present a lecture titled, “Assuming a World: A Phenomenology of Racism,” in which she will discuss an alternative to the traditional binary between psychological and structural accounts of racism. This lecture series is named for Professor Emerita of Philosophy Sarah L. Hoagland, who endowed this series to foster philosophical discussion at the intersections of race, class, and gender. Hence the title: Inspire (to breathe life into), and TriVia (the goddess of crossroads). 

Social Justice Choral Performance 

Join the NEIU Choral Program at 3:05 p.m. March 24 in the Recital Hall on the Main Campus under the direction of Dr. Christopher Owen for an interactive exploration of songs and choral music that engage with the topic of social justice.

this week

In the Media

  • Associate Professor of Psychology and Gerontology Program Coordinator Lisa Hollis-Sawyer was cited in “What Every Brand Needs to Know About Adaptive Packaging” on Shutterstock.

COVID-19 update

From March 9-16, 2022, one student and two employees reported positive COVID-19 tests. Both of the employees were on campus. Since March 2020, a total of 136 employees and 417 students have self-reported to the University that they tested positive for COVID-19. Employees and students who feel sick should stay home. If you test positive for COVID-19, students should immediately notify Student Health Services, and employees should notify their supervisors and the Office of Human Resources. Additionally, faculty and staff are required to report positive and presumptive student COVID-19 cases and exposures to Student Health Services. When someone who has been on campus tests positive, Northeastern works with the Chicago Department of Public Health to determine the appropriate response, which differs greatly depending on the situation. We continue to follow Chicago Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines as we ensure proper protocols and preventative measures are in place for the health and safety of our students and employees. 

Student Health Services has currently verified the following COVID-19 vaccination rates for Spring 2022: 

  • 95% of NEIU employees are vaccinated; 77% of employees have received boosters
  • 88% of students are vaccinated; 23% of students have received boosters

It is expected that all students and employees will show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or testing in compliance with the current NEIU COVID-19 vaccination policy. Noncompliance may result in disciplinary actions.

Other COVID-19 updates

  • Face masks are still required in all indoor public spaces at all NEIU locations. 
  • The NEIU COVID-19 Interim Policy will remain in effect through the Spring 2022 semester.
  • Campus vaccination clinics and SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing are open and available for NEIU community members and the general public. 
  • The federal government is offering free at-home COVID-19 tests through the U.S. Postal Service. 
  • Free KN95 masks are available at City of Chicago alderman offices. It is recommended that residents call their alderman’s office first to ensure they have supplies. Walgreens and CVS locations will also begin distributing free N95 masks provided by the federal government. 
  • The Illinois Department of Public Health will also distribute 225,000 free at-home COVID-19 tests to residents in vulnerable communities through Project Access Covid Tests (Project ACT). Tests are available on a first-come, first-served basis to residents in specific Illinois ZIP codes. 
  • Northeastern has free surgical, KN95 and/or N95 masks available for students and employees. Masks have been distributed to offices and classrooms and are also available at the Welcome Desk at the Main Campus, the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies and El Centro. 

Stay up to date on everything regarding COVID-19 by visiting the Return to Campus website. 

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