Northeastern Illinois University and the City of Chicago lost a mighty activist and educator with the passing of Dr. Conrad Worrill. Read about his life and contributions to the University, a new accreditation for the College of Education and more in this week’s Noteworthy at Northeastern.
Around the Commons
Remembering Dr. Conrad Worrill
Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies Dr. Conrad Worrill, who taught at Northeastern for more than 40 years and whose activism has been at the forefront of social and racial justice, African-centered education, African liberation and self-determination for people of African descent, died on June 3. “Our deepest sympathies go out to Dr. Worrill's friends, family and the countless people who have been inspired by his leadership and community activism,” Northeastern President Gloria J. Gibson said. “He had a welcoming, pleasant smile, and he challenged me to be the best that I can be. Dr. Worrill was an amazing, multi-talented humanitarian, and I will miss him.” Funeral plans are pending, and Northeastern will find a way to honor his legacy in the near future. Tributes to Dr. Worrill have been featured in the Chicago Defender, Chicago Reader, Chicago Sun-Times, NBC5 and many other news outlets.
Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education accreditation
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has granted the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education accreditation at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level. Both accreditations are effective from Spring 2020 through Spring 2026. “For more than 150 years, Northeastern Illinois University has been training the next generation of teachers and educational leaders,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis Rome said. “This accreditation is further validation of the value Northeastern presents for our students, as well as the communities and schools they go on to serve after graduation.” The Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education was previously accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, which has now merged with another accreditation body and changed its name to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
‘Full and real commitment to justice’
Earlier this week, Northeastern President Gloria J. Gibson issued a message regarding the University’s commitment to equality and justice. “I speak from both perspectives, the professional and the personal, when I say that I am deeply grieved by the death of George Floyd—deeply grieved,” Gibson said. “I extend my heart-felt condolences to his family and friends. My heart aches when I see the injustice that has been normalized and embedded in the fabric of our society. We know, however, that these acts of injustice are historic (400 years). Sadly, other recent examples include Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Our ‘new normal’ must be a full and real commitment to justice. The brutalization of communities of color and treating people as expendable must not be normalized. We must continue to find effective ways to combat injustice.”
Illinois Writing Project
The Illinois Writing Project at Northeastern is hosting a series of online summer workshops, which offer Illinois State Board of Education Professional Development Hours. Courses include Social Emotional Learning, Digital and Media Literacy and Using Writing for Innovation and Inquiry, among others.
Second Half of summer and Fall 2020
Registration is open for the Second Half of Summer and Fall 2020 semesters. Academic and financial aid counselors are meeting with students remotely to ensure students have everything they need to register for classes and continue on their chosen degree paths. The deadline for new students to apply for the Fall 2020 semester is July 15. All of Northeastern’s academic programs are listed on a new sortable webpage.
Rotary Club
Three Social Work faculty members are scheduled to give online presentations for the Rotary Club of Chicago-O’Hare this month. Aissetu Ibrahima is scheduled to present “Advancing Human Rights, Social and Economic Justice while Tackling a Pandemic: What can we learn from COVID-19?” on June 11. Judith Rocha is scheduled to present “Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving in the Latinx Community” on June 18. Noe Mojica presented “A Supportive Response to Fathers of Children with Cancer” on June 4. All sessions have been made available for the NEIU community to participate in live via Zoom. Questions or problems can be directed to Ed Jacob at (630) 282-4730.
And there’s more!
- Northeastern’s library is looking for student submissions for “Sheltering in Place: NEIU Archives COVID-19 Documentation Project.”
- Department of English Associate Professor Kristen Over and Acting Chair Tim Scherman have published articles in the PopMatters Reading Pandemics series, which is being curated by Assistant Professor Ryan Poll.
- Northeastern’s Bookstore is offering free ground shipping on domestic orders so students can still receive their books for courses, as well as order University-branded items such as notebooks and apparel.
- Many of Northeastern’s Community and Professional Education (CAPE) classes, including the new NEIU English Institute courses, are being offered remotely. Registration for many programs is now open.
- Ensemble Español is offering a variety of online dance classes this summer.
Events at home
Though its buildings are locked, Northeastern has adapted by creating remote events.
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies will host a Virtual Graduate Open House at 6 p.m. June 10 to explore the Master of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies and Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science programs. RSVP to Melinda Storie at ms-storie@neiu.edu or (773) 442-5697 for virtual meeting instructions and agenda.
View all of Northeastern’s future events at neiu.edu/events. Please email public-relations@neiu.edu to submit events for consideration in future editions of Noteworthy at Northeastern.
In the media
- Alumnus Ryan Walsh (B.A. '09 Interdisciplinary Studies) was featured on the blog Persons of Infrastructure.
Student Support Spotlight
The Learning Success Center (LSC) offers remote tutoring for general education courses, math, writing, reading and learning support. To schedule an appointment with a tutor, either send an instant message through Nmail Chat or email lsc@neiu.edu and include your name, student ID, phone number, the subject/assignment, and the date and time you would like the appointment. Desk staff will respond to Nmail Chat messages and emails 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. To see a tutor’s schedule, please visit Discipline tutors, Math tutors, and Writing tutors.
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