A student with an enrollment officer at NEIU

Monday, March 22, 2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on March 19 that starting in August 2021, all Illinois public universities will become part of the Common Application (Common App). Additionally, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a grant to the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project, and President Gibson issued a statement about the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia. Read about these events and more in this week’s edition of Noteworthy at Northeastern! 

Around the Commons

Northeastern Illinois University becomes part of the Common Application 

In an effort to make applying to college easier, Northeastern Illinois University and all 12 of the state’s public universities will become part of the Common Application (Common App) for college applications starting August 2021. This will make Illinois the second state in the nation to have all public universities use the Common Application. “As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Minority Serving Institution, Northeastern Illinois University is always excited to support initiatives that make it easier for all students to apply to college,” President Gloria J. Gibson said. “NEIU is thrilled to join all Illinois public universities in becoming part of the Common Application. It is my sincere hope this initiative further simplifies the college application process and is a significant step toward making higher education in Illinois more accessible to all."

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awards $873,000 grant to Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded an $873,000 grant to the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project (P+NAP). The Northeastern Illinois University  Foundation will serve as the fiscal sponsor for the grant, which will be distributed over the next two years. P+NAP offers more than 13 college-level courses a year, reaching approximately 120 people at Stateville Correctional Center. For the past 10 years, P+NAP has collaborated with artists and scholars, as well as other universities and nonprofit organizations, including the Poetry Foundation, University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies Erica Meiners is the grant’s project lead. 

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project,” Meiners said. “This grant is recognition of our amazing collective labor and will help us to continue our work, which includes offering college-level classes at Stateville prison, organizing public events and exhibitions outside of the walls of Stateville. This award will allow a number of incarcerated people to earn an undergraduate degree through Northeastern.”

President Gibson statement 

On March 19, President Gloria J. Gibson released a statement regarding the March 16 shootings in Atlanta, Georgia. The statement denounced the shooting and all racially-motivated attacks. “Tuesday’s news of the horrifying shootings in Georgia that took the lives of eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, is yet another sad reminder that more must be done to address and eliminate racism in all its forms” Gibson said. “On behalf of Northeastern Illinois University, my deepest condolences go to the families, friends and communities involved in Tuesday’s tragedy.” Gibson encouraged the entire Northeastern community to join her in condemning hateful actions against any individual. “To our Asian students, faculty and staff, please know we are here to support you,” Gibson said. She continued, “Please be kind and compassionate toward one another as we all share this world.”

Noteworthy Survey

In an effort to ensure the University community is able to stay up-to-date with information and events taking place at NEIU, the Division of Marketing and Communications would like you to take a brief survey about Noteworthy at Northeastern. We are particularly interested in learning when you are more likely to read these updates. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

And there’s more!

  • The University has extended the Spring 2021 withdrawal deadline to 11:59 p.m. Saturday, May 8. 
  • Advance registration for Summer 2021 is now open. 
  • Assistant Professor of English Ryan Poll published an article in PopMatters titled, “Zack Snyder’s Theories of Justice.” 
  • The NEIU Libraries 8th Annual Awards for Excellence in Research submissions are open until 11:59 p.m. April 11.
  • The Student Government Association is seeking Senators and Council of Clubs Representatives. Students interested in these positions should complete the SGA Interest Form.
  • Northeastern’s library is seeking student submissions for “Sheltering in Place: NEIU Archives COVID-19 Documentation Project.” All current Northeastern students as well as alumni who were students during the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 terms are encouraged to submit pieces to the archive. 
  • Northeastern’s student media organizations are currently recruiting students. Any students interested in participating can fill out the NEIU Student Media Interest Form. Additionally, the Northeastern Programming Board and Student Government Association are hiring student workers. Students interested in any of these opportunities can contact Student Media Coordinator Dennis Sagel at drsagel@neiu.edu for more information.

To do

Womxn’s HERstory Month

The Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs invites the University community to celebrate Womxn’s HERstory Month 2021 by participating in a series of virtual events. On March 12, the University hosted a Women in STEM Career Panel as part of its 4th Annual Women in Science Conference. View the recording of the discussion above and sign up for part two of this free conference, which takes place on March 26. The first 100 students to sign up for the conference will receive a free Women in Science conference t-shirt and a copy of the book “Lessons from Plants” by Dr. Beronda Montgomery. 

Next week’s events include: 

To view the complete schedule and sign up for more events, visit the 2021 Womxn’s HERstory Month website.

More Upcoming Events

In the Media 

Student Support Spotlight

Student Counseling Services

Student Counseling Services has provided some tips for helping individuals manage anxiety and worry they may be feeling, and listed some important resources. This week, Student Counseling Services also recommends the following short educational TEDx Talks on self-care and how it impacts us:

Students are welcome to contact Student Counseling Services to set up an appointment to talk either by phone or their online platform for teletherapy. To access NEIU’s Student Counseling Services, call (773) 442-4650 or send an email to counsect@neiu.edu between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours, students may also reach a counselor for more urgent consultation by calling the main number and pressing “2” during the outgoing message.

Student Food Pantry

The Student Food Pantry has a new partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository and will now be able to offer fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to canned and other non-perishable items. Due to COVID-19 regulations, the Student Food Pantry will continue its online ordering service through a new system and steps to complete orders are available on the Student Pantry website. Hours of operation are 1-4 p.m. Monday and Thursday. For questions, please contact Chris Maxwell at c-maxwell2@neiu.edu.

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