LIONS IN WINTER is an annual literary festival that has included author readings, craft talks by featured writers in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, editors panels, book fairs, and more.

Wednesday, January 29 and Thursday, January 30

The 2025 Lions in Winter festival features three internationally known writers: The Heartbreak Years author Minda Honey, teacher and the author of Maddalena and the Dark Julia Fine, and 2024 Kate Tufts Discovery Award winner Jacqui Germain.

Wednesday, January 29

Author Roundtable at Noon

Minda Honey Craft Talk at 4:00 PM

Jacqui Germain Craft Talk at 5:00 PM

Thursday, January 30

Julia Fine Craft Talk at 4:00 PM

Reading and Reception at 5:30 PM

The festival is free and open to the public and will be held at the Doudna Fine Arts Center on EIU's campus. Tickets are required and can be obtained from the Doudna Box Office.  For more information go to  Lions In Winter. 

In accordance with the 2022-2026 EIU-UPI Unit A agreement, Summer Research and Creative Activity Awards are available this year.  The awards are for research and creative activity projects conducted between the end of the spring semester and August 31, 2024 by tenured/tenure track faculty in Bargaining Unit A.  Approximately 16 awards of $5,000 each in the form of personal services payments will be granted.  Faculty who wish to apply for funding should apply online (https://www.eiu.edu/grants/admin) or hand-deliver their proposal to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, 1102 Blair Hall, no later than noon on Wednesday, February 5, 2024.  Researchers who have previously received a Summer Research and Creative Activity Award should make sure all reports are on file in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.  To obtain a copy of the application materials, please visit the website (http://www.eiu.edu/grants/).  Applicants should be sure to use the most current application forms.  If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at eiugrants@eiu.edu or call (217) 581-2125.

Register Now for Renew!

Registration for Renew is now open. Renew is a program to reinvigorate the mind and body, clarify purpose, and strengthen relationships. It offers strategies for all aspects of well-being — physical, mental, social, and emotional. Participants can personalize their experience, focusing on the Renew activities most relevant and inspiring to them. With 30 activities to choose from participants never run out of ways to renew and refresh.

Motivating program features include:

• Tracking fitness and nutrition habits as you uncover a portion of a serene image in the natural world.
• A new scene each week with new surprises, animations, and activities that inspire you to reveal each masterpiece.
• Friendly Duo challenges offer extra motivation and accountability as friends support each other toward their renewal goals.
• Interactive message board (and Team Chat feature*) to give and get support.
• More than 200 delicious, healthy recipes to fuel success... and more!

Winners can choose from select prizes ($50 value) including:

• Ear buds
• Smart scale
• Activity tracker
• Magic Bullet

Logging activity is simple using your favorite tracking device or the Step Converter tool. By renewing and refreshing your well-being, you can start the year with more energy to do the things you love.

Sign up for Renew here: https://bewellillinois.renewmyway.com

EIU's Choral Department will hold voice placements for spring semester choirs Monday-Wednesday of Week 1 (Jan 13-15). Please get in touch if you are interested in joining one of our choirs! There are exciting things happening this semester, including an invitation for selected singers to travel to New York to perform at Lincoln Center and exciting collaborations on campus! Contact: heckdahl@eiu.edu

Voice Placement Form: https://www.eiu.edu/music/machform/view.php?id=54731

Looking to enhance your students’ learning experiences this spring? The CSI Active Learning Classroom (ALC) offers a dynamic space designed to foster innovative teaching and active engagement. The ALS is available for course sessions to support enhanced pedagogical innovation opportunities and student learning outcomes. Faculty members can reserve the ALC for up to four class periods per semester, per course!

This opportunity provides the following active teaching and learning opportunities:

Classroom Layout and Environment 

• The ALC has flexible seating which allows for countless arrangements that facilitate group work and otherwise can enhance the effectiveness of active learning.

Alternative Techniques 

• The ALC can support various active learning techniques, such as think-pair-share, group discussions, problem-solving tasks, case studies, and peer teaching, to cater to different learning styles.

 Technology Integration 

• Upon request, the CSI can provide a variety of technologies to support active learning including tablet computers and presentation monitors. These tools can also bridge with external applications like learner response apps or collaborative tools like Google Docs or Kahoot!.

Reservations will be on a first-come, first-serve basis; not all requests may be accepted due to availability, usage rationale, or technology accommodation(s). Please submit your request at least 14 days in advance to ensure that we can accommodate your request and technology needs. Requests can be submitted at this link: CSI Active Learning Classroom Reservations.

Student staff support is available during your sessions. If you need instructional design assistance or would like to work with FDIC staff on designing sessions appropriate for the CSI, contact fdic@eiu.edu. 

Time reporting clarification for Monday, January 6th inclement weather:

• All biweekly paid employees that report their time via PAWS timesheet and were affected by today's late start due to weather, should report the two hours as "Emergency Closure - Non Worked."  This earn code will pay the regular hourly rate.
• Employees who were unable to work for the entire day because of the weather, may record 2 hours of Emergency Closure-Non Worked time and 5.5 hours of other time per IGP 23.
• Essential employees who were required to report to work at their required report time and worked a full day, should be offered 2 hours of flex time on future day with supervisor approval. The alternative time off must be taken by March 31, 2025.

Join us on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Tarble Arts Center for a closing reception to celebrate the fall exhibitions An Other World, Touch Me: A Flat File Exhibition, and Famous Black Americans: The Dolls of Ida Roberta Bell. This event will be free and open to all with free refreshments served. 

The UPI and the Office of the President will be hosting a town hall to provide members of the campus and broader community an opportunity to learn more about this proposed funding formula, wherein new funds would be directed to the State's public institutions based on the funding needs of each university, the needs of their students, and their unique mission. The event will take place Monday, January 27, 2025 at 4 p.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Lecture Hall.
 
 

 

Qdoba, in the Food Court, will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, January 18 & 19. Panther Grille and Chick-fil-A will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days.

EIU's Food Court will have abbreviated hours on Monday, January 20 -- from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Applications are being sought for the EIU Civil Service Council scholarship established to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the EIU Civil Service Council. 

Applicants that receive financial assistance or tuition waivers are encouraged to apply.  The scholarship is intended to assist with tuition, fees, or other costs associated with attending EIU, such as housing, supplies, daycare, gas, etc.  The award is payable in Fall 2025 to your student account, and any remaining amount will be dispersed to the recipient.  Fall 2025 enrollment must be verified before the scholarship is distributed.

The recipient must:  1) be a former, current, or retired Non-Negotiated Civil Service Employee; or a child or grandchild of a former, current, or retired non-Negotiated Civil Service Employee; 2) be a current or incoming freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or Graduate EIU student at enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours; 3) maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and in good academic standing; high school seniors accepted to EIU shall enroll in a minimum of 6 semester hours of coursework and be ranked in the top 25% of their class.  Financial need shall be the determining factor if all other qualifications are equal.

Please apply online at https://eiu.academicworks.com/opportunities/15788

The deadline to apply is March 15, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Morgan, EIU Civil Service Council President at (217) 581- 1107 or email mlmorgan@eiu.edu.

SURS representatives will be on campus Wednesday, March 5 to conduct face to face retirement counseling sessions with eligible employees who schedule an appointment.

The schedule is now open and will close Friday, February 21, 2025.  Sessions will begin at 8 a.m. and run through 4:30 p.m.  Sessions will be held in the MLK University Union, Casey and Greenup rooms. Appointment requests will be taken on a first come/first served basis.  Please call early to reserve your desired time!

Please see the following for more information on SURS counseling sessions, and to register.

Scheduling a Counseling Session or Written Estimate with SURS

President Jay Gatrell invites the entire campus community to the EIU Spring Update, scheduled for Wednesday, January 22.

Join your colleagues for coffee and donuts at 8 a.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Concourse with the update beginning in the Dvorak Concert Hall at 8:30 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you there if your schedule allows. If you cannot make it in person, you can watch the livestream via WEIU.

Booth Library’s collections are continually growing to meet the research and information needs of the EIU community. During December 2024, Booth Library acquired and cataloged 235 physical items (books, DVDs, government documents, archival resources, and more) and 30,730 electronic resources (including ebooks, ejournals, digital audiobooks, and streaming videos). Included in the December e-resource list are over 28,000 digital graphic novels, manga, and comics from Booth’s new Comics Plus database. Individual issues of current periodicals are excluded. All items are discoverable through the library’s online catalog.

New acquisitions include items selected for purchase by Booth’s subject librarians, donations, re-cataloged library items, freely available government publications, and consortium-wide purchases.

Please contact your subject librarian with any questions.

ANNUAL SPRING ELECTRICAL OUTAGE 2025                     

Listed below is the schedule for the Annual Spring Break Electrical Outage.  We are sending out the notice now to give everyone an early heads-up for scheduling and planning purposes.  As it gets closer to March, additional reminder notices will be sent out. 

The following buildings WILL NOT have electrical power on the dates listed.   

Saturday, March 15, 2025 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (10 hours) 

1. Old Main
2. Pemberton Hall / Pine Honors College 
3. Student Services Building (Portable Generator to be used for Data Center)
4. Old Steam Plant (will run off of generator power during outage)
5. Physical Science Building
6. Physical Science Building Chiller
7. Martin Luther King Jr. University Union FOOD COURT ONLY
8. Blair Hall

It’s FPMs intent to complete all the required service on the 8 areas listed here on Saturday March 15,2025. The focus will be on buildings 1 – 4. However, if unforeseen circumstances arise, the remainder of the required service will be performed on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Thank you for your assistance and flexibility as we plan 2025's annual service outage. 

Last Chance to register for the 2025 Spring Pantherpalooza Student Involvement Fair!

 **Please disregard if you have previously registered**

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 21, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the MLK Grand and University Ballrooms. The fair is great way for student organizations and EIU Departments to promote their activities, recruit new members or volunteer!

The deadline to register on-line for the 2025 Spring Pantherpalooza is Friday, January 17, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Each student organization or EIU Department registered will have the opportunity to have information about them featured during the event. Also, a short description of student organization or EIU Department will be made available to EIU students attending based on the registration form information supplied below.

Questions? Please contact the EIU Student Government at pantherpalooza@eiu.edu or call 217-581-5522, M-F.

To reserve your table/table space at the fair, please submit the form at:

https://www.eiu.edu/stdtgov/machform/view.php?id=63114

Get ready to cheer on our Panthers at the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Games on Saturday, January 25 in Groniger Arena!

As an EIU employee family, you’ll receive one complimentary ticket for both games! Plus, you can snag additional tickets for just $3 each—a perfect chance to bring family or friends along to share the fun.

Here’s the game plan:

• Women’s Basketball tips off at 1 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball follows at 3:30 p.m.

How to claim your ticket:

1. Email Amber May at ammay@eiu.edu to request your complimentary ticket.
2. Want extra tickets? Purchase them online here and use the discount code STAFF at checkout.

All complimentary tickets will be available for pickup at will call on game day.

Let’s fill the stands with Panther pride and show our teams some love. See you there! 🐾

Go Panthers!

Amber May
Assistant Athletic Director for Development
Eastern Illinois University

Booth Library now has early access to JSTOR's cutting-edge interactive research tool.  This new JSTOR feature uses advanced technologies, including AI, to help you expand your research within JSTOR's large collection of journal articles and ebooks.  It helps you find relevant materials faster by surfacing key points and arguments from the text you want to read, discover new topics and results within JSTOR, engage conversationally by asking questions about the text, and search more effectively using everyday language queries.

The interactive research tool is available on content pages for journal articles, book chapters, and research reports, and as an alternative to JSTOR’s standard keyword search.

Here’s how to get started:

1.            Go to jstor.org.

2.            Create a JSTOR personal account or sign in to your existing personal account.

3.            Ensure you have institutional access through EIU (look for the banner at the top of your JSTOR screen).

4.            Run a search and open any journal article, book chapter, or research report to start using the tool.

Get involved!  As an early user, you’ll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback that will help shape the tool’s development. Remember, it’s a work in progress and will evolve. Because the tool is still in rapid development, JSTOR is requesting feedback, either in the tool via prompts to give interactions thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings, or you can email JSTOR’s beta team. Your insights will play a key role in refining this exciting new feature!

Explore the interactive research tool today and take your research to the next level!  Please ask a librarian if you have any questions.

Join us for another great Webinar from Be Well Illinois!  Smart Money Moves: 10 tips to set yourself up for long-term financial success will occur on Thursday, January 30 at noon.  No matter your age or circumstance, there are 10 key tips to help you set yourself up for long-term financial success.  From having a tax strategy and keeping an eye on your credit score to allocating assests and maximizing your retirement plans, there is something for everyone to learn.  Come celebrate good financial health through money management!

To register please use the link in your email from Be Well Illinois or CLICK HERE.

Do you have a child or grandchild who is a current student at Eastern Illinois University? The EIU Annuitant Scholarship Committee invites you to ask your student to apply for the Annuitants Association Scholarship. Following is the scholarship criteria:

1. The recipient(s) may receive the scholarship one time only.
2. The recipient(s) must be a full-time undergraduate at Eastern Illinois University and have completed at least twelve (12) semester hours at the time the award is selected.
3. The recipient(s) must be the child or grandchild of a current Eastern Illinois University employee with five or more years of service to the University OR the child or grandchild of a retired Eastern Illinois University employee with five or more years of service to the University.
4. The recipient(s) must have a minimum EIU GPA of 3.0.
5. Applicants must submit a written statement listing career goals and financial need.
6. Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from Eastern Illinois University advisor or faculty member.
7. In the event that there are several suitable applicants, preference will be given to the recipient(s) with financial need.

To apply for the scholarship, sign onto the EIU Scholarship Search on the University web site. The link to the search can be found at http://eiu.academicworks.com. When completing the information requested, please make sure that the question regarding “child or grandchild of an EIU employee or annuitant” is completed correctly.

The application deadline is March 15, 2025.

Kathy Reed, EIUAA Scholarship Chair

Please join the Civil Service Council; in cooperation with the EIU Grounds Department, the Central Illinois Master Gardeners, and the EIU Staff Senate, in our efforts to create the Larry Shobe Memorial Garden.  The garden will be located between Old Main and Blair Hall and will provide a welcoming space for visitors and the campus community to gather.  Larry Shobe, EIU Alum and 27-year EIU Groundskeeper passed away in July of 2023.  In addition to his work in the Grounds department. Larry was a botany expert and served as a master gardener on the Illinois Public Media produced program Mid-American Gardener that airs on WEIU TV. He loved EIU and enjoyed providing tours of the beautiful gardens he created and cared for on campus.

At this time, we are seeking donations to reach the expected cost of around $7000.  Any amount you can give is appreciated.  If you wish to donate plants or volunteer time to help maintain the space, just e-mail one of the commttee memebers listed below.  

To Donate:

1. Mail checks made payable to “EIU Foundation” to EIU Foundation, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920.  Please make a notation in the check's memo line or attach a note stating it is for the “Larry Shobe Memorial.” Checks can also be brought to the Business Office, Attention Trisha Fritts.  
2. Online gifts can be submitted at https://www.eiu.edu/giving.php.  Select an amount, then click on the box “Please select the Designation for your gift.” In the drop-down menu, select “Other Gifts” and then type a short note in the Special Instructions box “Larry Shobe Memorial,” then complete the remaining payment options and submit.
3. Employees can also drop off donations or authorize a monthly payroll deduction.  To do so, contact Tisha Fritts (trfritts@eiu.edu) in the Business Office.
4. For more information about the project, visit our website at https://www.eiu.edu/council/shobegarden.php.

If you have questions, contact:

• EIU Foundation - 217-581-3313
• Shobe Memorial Garden Committee Members
  • Michelle Morgan (mlmorgan@eiu.edu)
  • Ke’an Armstrong (ksarmstrong@eiu.edu)
  • Arlene Brown (aebrown@eiu.edu)
  • Tony Craven (jacraven@eiu.edu)
  • Jonathan McKenzie (jrmckenzie@eiu.edu) 

This fun session provides tips, tricks, and activities that allow us to find what's best for our personal self-care. Prioritizing ourselves and continuously taking care of our well-being will set students up for success!

Join us for an Exhibit Opening and Artist Talk

Booth Library invites the EIU campus and greater community to a reception celebrating the launch of a new exhibit: PLAY, an exhibition to celebrate enjoyment and interactivity. Join us on Wednesday, January 29th at 2 p.m. in the library’s Marvin Foyer for light refreshments and discussion by our student exhibitors.

Featuring work by EIU Graphic Design students and EIU Art Education students, The PLAY exhibition first debuted at the Glenn Hild Gallery located in the Doudna Fine Arts Center last fall. Students from ART 3921, Graphic Design II, along with Samantha Tableriou, Associate Professor of Art, will discuss how they collaborated as teams last spring to reimagine and redesign four classic board games. The redesigned games, complete with boards, packaging, cards, and game pieces, are on display within the Marvin Foyer.

Design teams include:

Game: Payday

• Kaylee Albers
• Logan O’Laughlin
• Sam Pickett
• Anna Turner

Game: Through the Decades

• Gabby Hetzel
• Leon Lomax
• Shaley Murray
• Chad Smith

Game: Wizards and Warlocks

• Quinteen Bien
• Eli Elkins
• Lynn Judy
• Jenna Peck

Game: Sorry Not Sorry

• Sarah Brown
• KeiKei Carey
• Holly McReynolds
• Serra Pizano

The exhibit will continue through March 7.

The Department of Biological Sciences is excited to announce the Toner Recycling Program. This program will allow you to recycle your used printer toner cartridges in an environmentally responsible way. Starting on February 3rd and 4th, departments can contribute by placing empty toner cartridges in a box and dropping them off at the Department of Biological Sciences, Room 2070 Life Sciences. Moving forward, collections will take place on the first Monday and Tuesday of every month. We appreciate your support in making this program a success!

Don't stop stressing! Stress is a part of our everyday lives. Come learn skills and strategies to help you manage your stress levels. We'll chat about time management, self-care, mindfulness, and much more! We'll be in the Arcola/Tuscola Room in the MLK Jr. Student Union.

"Retrain your Brain" is a 4-week curriculum that offers a careful selection of evidence-based exercises to build coping skills and promote thriving. The ReST philosophy is that there are many routes to achieving greater resiliency. Please sign up using the link below:

https://www.eiu.edu/herc/machform/view.php?id=98963

Join HERC staff as we cover all things sexual health. During this particular tabling event, learn more about how to avoid STIs, unintended pregnancies, and resources to cover your stinger! On 2/4 we will be tabling from 9 AM to Noon and on 2/5 we will be tabling from 1 PM to 4:30 PM in the MLK Jr. Student Union

Spring 2025 dates for Mental Health First Aid have been announced.  Any staff and faculty member who provides academic, professional, and/or personal support to students or advises a student recognized organization is highly encouraged to complete this training. 

Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course created by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance-use issues. In this training you will learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn to for help. Topics covered in this course include depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, on-campus resources, and intervention strategies.  This training is not intended to help one become a counselor, but to help provide early intervention and encourage those in need to seek appropriate assistance and help. 

More information about the program, available dates, and sign-up machform may be found at: https://www.eiu.edu/mentalhealth/Mentalhealthfirstaid.php

IGP #75 - Student Conduct and IGP #54 - Library Circulation were recently updated with approval by the President. Please take time to review the changes to these policies.

This interactive presentation educates students on condom use and other healthy sexual behaviors. Those who attend become rubber lovers can obtain a free sex packet! Join us from 5 to 6 p.m. in Blair Hall Room 2165.

Booth Library’s new subscription to Feature Films for Education, a streaming video collection from Infobase, has almost 700 popular movies available to stream.  Included are recent blockbusters, classic cinema, dramas, musicals, science fiction, documentaries, animation studies, Academy Award winners, and more.  The films were chosen for their suitability for instructional purposes and can be linked within D2L.  And for students, there’s a great selection here if you’re having a movie night in the dorm.  We recommend using a browser other than Firefox to access the collection, since Firefox has trouble loading the videos.

The videos come with public performance rights for campus use, so they can be shown outside the classroom for campus events as long as admission isn’t being charged.

The U.S. Department of Education is currently assessing the full impact of the Office of Management and Budget's memo issued on January 27, 2025, which temporarily pauses certain federal financial assistance programs. However, according to the memo, this pause does not affect "assistance received directly by individuals." This includes Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Student Loans, which are awarded directly to students.

EIU remains committed to supporting students and will continue to disburse financial aid according to our standard timelines.

EIU's Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is here to assist students and their families. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact finaid@eiu.edu or 217-581-6405.

Learn tips and tricks to practice self-care and take care of your mental health!

The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students in any major. Entries may be a research paper or thesis, artistic work, exhibit, musical work, video, podcast, documentary, oral history, performance, data analysis or visualization, or other formats. As long as the student(s) used library resources to complete the project within the last 12 months, it is eligible for the competition. To be eligible for these awards, participants must submit their entries electronically before the deadline of 11:59 p.m. CST on March 7, 2024. This award is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their academic expertise and innovative creations!

Prizes will be awarded as follows: Graduate Students – First Place: $500, Second Place: $400, Third Place: $300; Undergraduate Students – First Place: $300, Second Place: $200, Third Place: $100. Certificates of recognition will also be presented to winners.

Additional info on how to apply: eiu.edu/booth/awardsforexcellence/