Weekly Round-Up

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registration

Priority registration will start October 31. Students are assigned a time on or after that day according to the schedule found here. We recommend that you schedule your registration appointment one to two weeks ahead of your registration date, but if you want to meet sooner than that you can. When you are ready call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30 to request an appointment. As always, you may request a particular advisor or ask for the first person available. First-semester students (whether freshers or transfer students) are required to meet with us, as are students on academic probation. All others are invited to make an appointment or check in via email, as they prefer.

If you would like to sign up for an honors course, please email Nancy at nrahn@illinois.edu (include your full name and UIN) and tell her which seminar you hope to take this spring, including the title/topic and the CRN.  See ENGL 396 entries in Course Explorer for the information you’ll need to include.  Please allow one week to get a response. Once Nancy has given you permission to take the course, you must still go into the registration system and add it to your schedule. It’s first come, first served, so act now! If you want to take two seminars, then you may, but you must receive approval for the first before you can request a second. 

Eligibility rests on the following: a GPA of at least 3.33 in the major and overall, and completion of at least three ENGL courses, of which one must be ENGL 200 and another must be ENGL 301 or 350.  Most students begin honors coursework in their junior year, but eligible sophomores may sign up if they meet the basic requirements.

Here are some things you can do ahead of time to make your registration appointment more productive: 

  • Run your degree audit and see what you can make of it. Even if you find it a little confusing, try to get a sense of what requirements you have left to fulfill, and then when we do your registration appointment we can confirm (or correct) your interpretation of the audit and help explain anything that’s confusing. 
  • Think about what you want to accomplish in the spring. What major/minor/Gen Ed requirements would you like to complete, and what other areas would you like to explore?   
  • If you are thinking of adding a major or a minor, do you know what you need to do to get started? If you’ve already begun, can you figure out the next step?  You can explore major and minor requirements listed here: http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/
  • Consult Course Explorer and be sure to read the course descriptions in full.  Remember that if a course is called “Topics in X” then you must click through to see the individual sections and find out what topics are available. It’s also worth clicking through on any 199 (usually called Undergraduate Open Seminar) because there you may find some interesting and unusual topics being piloted, and they’re usually unrestricted. 
  • Consult the resources available on the Planning Coursework section of the advising site.  You’ll find checklists of major requirements, plus the “cheat sheet” that tells you which variable topics courses satisfy which requirements this spring. 
English student association meetings and more!

You are invited to attend the weekly ESA meetings: Wednesdays from 6-7 in the Mary Kay Peer Lounge (basement of the English building), for example. If you want to know more email esaillinois1867@gmail.com.

Or, get involved with Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors Society if you want to connect with fellow English students, writers, and lovers of literature. You will have opportunities to gain experience publishing, speaking as a panelist at conferences, and/or meeting English students from around the world. For more information, email sigmataudeltaillinois@gmail.com.

U-C Comics Colloquium:

The U-C Comics Colloquium, a monthly comics discussion group, will be meeting via Zoom on Saturday, October 29, at 1pm. We’ll be discussing Sarah Andersen’s just-released Cryptid Club (2022), available via all fine comics and book purveyors.

If you are interested, see the attached flyer or join directly on Oct 29 via this link: https://go.illinois.edu/Cryptid 

You are also welcome to join our listserv: uc-comics-colloquium@lists.illinois.edu. If you’d like to know more, contact Shawn Gilmore, Director of Specialized Faculty, at sgilmore@illinois.edu.

Intro Journals Project Contest | Deadline Nov. 1

The time of AWP Intro Journals Project submissions is nigh. The English department collects submissions from creative writing students of all levels and then submits their pick of each genre to this national award. For four consecutive years, we’ve had either winners or honorable mentions from the University of Illinois. If you’d like to have your work considered for submission, see the flyer below for instructions.

SKY Happiness Retreat:

The SKY Happiness Retreat introduces SKY Meditation, an evidence-based meditation practice integrated with breath work that can significantly increase one’s well-being and calmness, and significantly reduces anxiety and stress markers.  The course features interactive group processes, experiential learning, emotional intelligence training, breath-work, yoga, and evidence-based meditation. It’s one of the coolest places to connect with yourself, make new friends, and most importantly, have fun!  

The SKY Happiness Retreat is fully funded for University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff. Availability is first-come-first-serve, by registration only and requires attendance to all sessions. Limited spots are available.  

Location: on campus
Time: November 4th (Fri) | 6pm – 9pm and November 5th and 6th (Sat & Sun) | 1pm – 5:30pm 
Apply here: http://tiny.cc/skyretreatfall2022

Dates and Deadlines:

October 21: Deadline to ADD a POT B course
November 11: Deadline to DROP a POT B course

Don’t forget these!

Beinecke Scholarship Informational Sessions

The Beinecke Foundation is looking for students who have demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise during their undergraduate years. The program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated U.S. citizen juniors (those expecting to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2023 and August 2024) to pursue graduate studies in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Each scholar receives $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. Preference is given to candidates for whom the awarding of significant financial aid would increase the likelihood of the student’s being able to attend graduate school.

The National and International Scholarships Program will be hosting a two-day informational event for students to learn more about this opportunity. At the in-person information session, attendees will receive an overview of the scholarship. There will be an online info session for those unable to make the in-person event. At the writing workshop, you will get tips on how to write a competitive scholarship packet.  You are encouraged to attend both the info session and writing workshop:

Beinecke Scholarship Information Session (in-person)
Location: 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building
Date: October 27, 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Beinecke Scholarship Information Session (online) 
Date: October 28, 9:00 – 10:00 am  
Zoom Registration Link: 
https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcOmrrz4oGdVF1bXcVVti97V3dGg_ANPr   

Beinecke Writing Workshop
Location: 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building
Date: October 28, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

1-credit course in multisequential novels

If you are seeking a chance to read interesting novels for one credit hour you may be interested in enrolling in a class that starts Monday and runs through December. For more information, see the flyer below:

Embedded Confidential Advisors

The Women’s Resources Center (WRC) is the designated confidential campus resource related to sexual assault/rape, sexual harassment, stalking and abuse within a relationship (sometimes called dating or domestic violence). There are several Confidential Advisors at the WRC who can provide you – or someone looking to support you – with support and advocacy services.

Embedded Advocate Hours: 
TU/WED: 10 am – 5 pm @ BNAACC
M/TH: 11 am – 5 pm @ La Casa

Advising available by appointment | Monday – Friday @ the WRC
Hours may vary. Walk-in appointments offered as available.
Learn more about Advocacy & Support Services, here

Opening of the Speaking Center:

The University Library is excited to announce the opening of the Speaking Center this fall! Beginning October 18th, students will be able to receive free and personalized public speaking assistance for any presentation and at any stage in the preparation process.

Students can work one-on-one with a trained Speaking Consultant to improve presentations and speeches, attend workshops focused on building lasting speaking skills, or participate in language sessions to build foreign language skills. Students can sign up by visiting https://www.library.illinois.edu/tlas/speaking-center/. At this time, graduate and professional students may only register for Wednesday appointments. Undergraduate students may register for any available appointment. 

Volunteer opportunity

The university YMCA is looking for tutors for K-12 students this semester. It’s a wonderful opportunity for anyone who likes working with children or wants to get more connected to the immigrant community in CU.

If interested, please contact nawctutoring@universityymca.org.

Campus Mental Health Fair:

Student Mental Health Fair will take place on October 25, 2022, 1-3 p.m. in the Illini Rooms at the Union.

Call For Applications: Funded MA/PhD, Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies:

The Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies at the University of Alabama is currently accepting applications for MA and PhD admissions for Fall of 2023.

  • The Strode MA program offers students the unique opportunity to specialize in Renaissance studies at the master’s level. Students admitted to the Strode MA program receive enhanced graduate stipends, and they are fully funded for two years (the current MA stipend is $19,500 per year)..
  • The Strode PhD program offers advanced training in Renaissance studies for a select cohort of students who pursue their research interests through an individually tailored plan of study. Students admitted to the Strode PhD program receive enhanced graduate stipends, and they are fully funded for five years (the current PhD stipend is $21,500 per year).
  • All MA and PhD students can also take full advantage of the resources of the Strode Program, including travel funding, summer support, and access to a range of programming, such as the Alabama Shakespeare Project, Shakespeare in performance workshops, and lectures by distinguished guest speakers. The University of Alabama is also a member of The Folger Institute. Students and faculty in early modern studies at The University of Alabama are eligible to participate in the Institute’s many cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary workshops and seminars, designed to enhance participants’ research interests.
  • The Strode Program works closely with the Alabama Digital Humanities Center (ADHC) and co-sponsors of the University of Alabama’s international Digital Humanities conference, Digitorium (https://apps.lib.ua.edu/blogs/digitorium/). Strode students have access to the ADHC for support with digital techniques for their research and teaching,

Please note that the deadline for applying for admission to either the MA or the PhD program for the Fall term is December 1.

For more details about the program and the application process visit  https://strode.english.ua.edu/

FLAS Fellowships for English Majors:

Do you study a less commonly taught language (any language except French, German, and Spanish)? Are you a U.S. citizen or permanent resident? If so, consider applying for a Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship for summer 2023 or academic year 2023-24. FLAS fellowships support both undergraduate and graduate study in modern foreign languages in combination with global or area studies. The purpose of the FLAS program is to train students to integrate global knowledge into a future career in areas of national need like cyber security and business, where knowledge of additional languages is crucial. Learn more about FLAS fellowship opportunities through the European Union Center here, and learn more about FLAS opportunities across campus here. Please look out for the FLAS information session in November. Applications will be due in late January.

More help with research:

MONTAGE ARTS JOURNAL:

Montage Arts Journal, the undergraduate literary magazine of UIUC, is now open for submissions. All publishable forms of art—photography, paintings, sketches, digital art, collages, sculptures, poetry, prose, creative nonfiction, drama, and more—are welcome. This semester’s reading period closes December 15th, but submissions can be emailed to montagejournal@gmail.com any time before then. Please see https://montagejournal.wordpress.com for more information. 

DOUBLE YOUR ADVISING, DOUBLE YOUR FUN!

Ready to connect with our humanities professional development experts?  Beginning 9/22 you can stop by Greg Hall 105 any TUESDAY MORNING between 9:30 and noon or THURSDAY AFTERNOON between 1:00 and 4:00 to meet with Julie Higgs (note that these times have changed since last spring).  Starting September 24 Anna will be there Tuesday mornings as well so if you want some academic advising you can schedule an in-person appointment with her during that time and then talk to Julie before or afterwards. It’s one-stop shopping!

You can also connect with Julie in the English advising office during her drop-in hours: 1:30-4:00 every other Monday starting September 12.

fall workshops:

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