Weekly Round-Up

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Poetry reading:

The graduate poetry workshop will be reading next week at the Urbana Free Library. Details below!

WORD WORK: Poetry on Family, Work & Life Writ Large
Date: Wednesday, May 03
Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Place: Urbana Free Library – Busey Mills Reading Room

exit questionnaire for graduating seniors

We invite all undergraduates who expect to complete their degree requirements by May or August of this year to complete this short Exit Survey about your experience in the English department at your earliest convenience (if you are registered for the ceremony please complete this survey BEFORE you pick up your tickets).  Everyone who completes the survey before May 11 will be entered into a random prize drawing, and five lucky winners will be chosen to receive a gift card!  

Only the aggregate results will be distributed to the department for assessment purposes; individual participants will not be identified.  Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to improve our programs and services. 

help a professor!

Please consider responding to this call for survey participants from Professor John Gallagher:

Dear students,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request your participation in a survey that I am conducting as part of my research project on perceptions of academic dishonesty and artificial intelligence writing programs, such as ChatGPT (IRB approved #23989). I am reaching out to you as I believe that your valuable input and insights, as students, would contribute to the success of my study.

Your participation is entirely voluntary and confidential, and you have the right to withdraw at any time. The survey will take approximately 7-10 minutes to complete, and your responses will be strictly anonymous and confidential.

Your participation in this survey will enable me to gather valuable information, which will help me to better understand perceptions of academic dishonesty and make meaningful conclusions about AI writing technologies.

To participate, please click on the following link: https://illinois.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8IGCw8YKsxiEZDw

Dates and Deadline

Last day of class
Wednesday, May 3

Reading Day (no classes, no final exams)
Thursday, May 4

Final exams 
May 5-12

Students may view grades
Saturday, May 20

Don’t Forget These!

Seniors: Please share your next steps after graduation!

Every year the University of Illinois surveys graduating seniors to find out where they are going next. The information you provide helps future students find their path at Illinois, and it helps departments and colleges support students more effectively. For example, in the English department we really rely on the results of this campus-wide survey to help us make the argument to prospective students that English and creative writing majors really do go on to find interesting jobs!

Whether you are still figuring out your next steps, plan to volunteer or travel, or have already accepted a job or graduate school offer, your data matters! Completing the Illini Success survey qualifies you for a drawing for Amazon gift cards. It also provides us with critical information necessary for career and academic advising, student recruitment, and institutional reporting needs.

You can receive your unique survey link here: go.illinois.edu/MyIlliniSuccess

Fefu & Her Friends

La Estación Gallery and Minor Aesthetics Lab Present: A Staged Reading of Fefu and Her Friends written by María Irene Fornés, produced by Dr. Sandra Ruiz, and directed by Laura Coby – In collaboration with Departments of Theatre and English. 

Come see Fefu and Her Friends on April 30th at 6PM! This staged reading will be held at the Channing-Murray Foundation Building located at 1209 W. Oregon St. in Urbana, IL.

Free & open to all! RSVP at this link to reserve a seat!:http://tinyurl.com/fefuuiuc

Education Advancement Office intern posting

The Office of Advancement within the College of Education is looking for an undergraduate student who can help the office with advancement initiatives for the fall semester If it works well, the intern can continue as long as they are a student at Illinois. See the flyer below for more information:

Academic Strategies and Independent Living Skills

 If you identify with neurodivergent conditions and are struggling with academics and/or the responsibilities of “adulting,” the following classes might be of interest to you:

Academic Strategies and Independent Living Skills

 If you identify with neurodivergent conditions and are struggling with academics and/or the responsibilities of “adulting,” the following classes might be of interest to you:

Need to Meet an Advisor?

To contact a college-level advisoruse the online chat, online advising appointment calendar and queue, and online forms for program change requests. Find a list of unit and college advisors along with hours and contact information on the college website.

science writing internship

The science writing internship, offered by the Office of Marketing Communications in the College of ACES will write and distribute press releases and feature stories related to research projects and faculty in ACES.

Major duties and responsibilities will include:
-Writing news articles, announcements, and feature stories about peer-reviewed research, grant awards, ACES faculty members, and other topics with the goal of breaking down complex science concepts for lay audiences. (60%)
-Collaborating with faculty sources and communications team to revise and rewrite content. (15%)
-Assisting with story distribution and promotion, including posting articles on ACES website and news distribution sites; drafting social media posts; working with faculty to create expert pitches; and related activities. (15%)
-Acquiring a working knowledge of AP style, ACES style, and editorial best practices. (5%)
-Performing other duties as assigned. (5%)

The ideal candidate is a strong, detail-oriented writer who can communicate complex ideas accurately, succinctly, and creatively for various audiences. Applicants must demonstrate excellent organizational and time-management skills and be able to work independently on simultaneous assignments. A familiarity with the scientific process and previous science writing experience is preferred but not required.

The position will start July 1, 2023 and extend through the academic year. Summer hours can be up to 40 hours per week, depending on the intern’s availability. During the fall and spring semesters, hours will be reduced to 10-20 hours per week. This is a paid remote or hybrid position, requiring weekly check-ins with the supervisor. Work schedules may vary depending on story assignments.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and two or three writing samples to Lauren Quinn at ldquinn@illinois.edu. Scientific manuscripts are not acceptable samples. Apply by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 28.

2023 Q Magazine writing contest

The Janelle Joseph Environmental Writing Award gives students a chance to have their work published in Q Magazine, a publication of the Certificate for Environmental Writing (CEW) at Illinois. The top awards also carry a cash prize.

The contest is open to all Illinois undergraduates of any major and is geared toward those with an interest in environmental writing.

Winners will have their work published in an upcoming issue of Q. The top prize is $1,000, and $500 prizes will be available in five categories this year: feature, memoir, op-ed, Q&A, and “At Illinois” (see the below link and attached flyer for descriptions and examples of each category).

The final deadline to submit an article is Sept. 30, 2023. You can find more information on the attached flyer and the “Janelle Joseph Environmental Writing Award” page on the Q Magazine website.

We Have Each Other

Join Darrell Hunter (director of the College of LAS First Year Experience program) for We Got Each Other, a weekly hangout for men of color in LAS. Connect with your peers, get tips on navigating the University of Illinois and College of LAS, and share your experiences in a supportive, welcoming space. Plus, free pizza!

Sessions will continue every Wednesday at Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC) from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Darrell Hunter

registration appointments still available!

Don’t forget: if you want to talk to an advisor about your plans for the fall, please call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30 to request an appointment. Remember that we are very busy during the registration period so please don’t wait until your time ticket opens up and then send an email demanding an immediate reply. Plan ahead!

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 fall. 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 fall. 

LAS Current Student Scholarships

The scholarship application can be found on the LAS Scholarships webpage under the “Current Students” tab. Filling out this application is quick and easy, and with this one step you are considered for a wide variety of scholarships. Applications accepted through Friday, May 12.

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) Now Hiring

Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is looking for recent college graduates who are passionate about public service and giving back to the community to join the Illinois Student Assistance Corps (ISACorps). For more information, see the flyer below:

new courses!

We’re pleased to announce a never-before-taught course in the English department’s fall line-up.  Lori Newcomb will be teaching an advanced methods course called “The Art of Research” (see ENGL 461), and it’s open to all juniors and seniors who have completed ENGL 301 and 350.  This is perfect for any Topics concentrator graduating in December (this will count as your capstone), anybody thinking about graduate school in English or a related field, or anyone who just wants to beef up their research skills. Check it out!

some other recently added courses . . .

CW 463 (meets with GSD 409): Advanced Topics in Creative Writing (TOPIC: Design & Programming of Narrative Games & Simulations)


ENGL 461: (meets with CWL 481) Topics in Arabic Lit & Culture (TOPIC: Arabs and the Americas)

National Name Exchange

The Graduate College invites University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduate and master’s students to enroll in the National Name Exchange. The National Name Exchange was established to help match graduate schools with students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups interested in graduate education. The National Name Exchange seeks to:

  • Increase the number of qualified students from underrepresented groups accepted into graduate school.
  • Improve student access to information on graduate school opportunities.
  • Work towards personalizing the recruitment effort by designating a National Name Exchange institutional representative to facilitate information exchange between the institution and prospective students.
  • Assist graduate schools in identifying qualified candidates from underrepresented groups for consideration for graduate study.

The NNE enrollment portal is now open for the 2023 year. Students can now enroll in the National Name Exchange database. The password to access the student portal is NNE2023.  

Qualifying students must be enrolled at a participating Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) member institution (Illinois is a member institution), maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above, and be from a group historically underrepresented in higher education (qualifying groups can be found here). Students who decide to participate will be asked for their consent to share their information with other participating CGS institutions.

Teacher licensure: Golden Apple Scholars Program Recruitment

Get up to $23,000 in total financial assistance and stipends and become a teacher in Illinois! For more information about the benefits, eligibility requirements, and application, visit https://www.goldenapple.org/scholars.

Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative (INI)

If you need accommodations to be successful in college, INI could be a good resource. See the flyer below:

Sourcebooks summer internships

Some summer internships are available at Sourcebooks. For more information, visit https://read.sourcebooks.com/careers.html

Open positions at ravinia festival

Ravinia is looking for talented individuals who are able to start working sooner than later. Here’s a list of what’s currently open, with more being added by the week:

Ravinia Steans Music Institute

Program Assistant, Ravinia Steans Music Institute

Coordinator, Ravinia Steans Music Institute

Production and Artistic
Production Assistant

Assistant Production Coordinator

Development

Development Seasonal Assistant, Auxiliary Boards

Development Intern, Major Gifts

Development Intern, Corporate Relations

Communications

Intern, Web Content Editor

Guest Services

Box Office Representative

Confidential Advisors @ BNAACC, La Casa, & WRC

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). That means when they talk with students, staff, and faculty who have experienced harm, they make sure you get what you need and on your terms! There are several Confidential Advisors at the WRC who can provide you – or someone looking to support you – with support and advocacy services. They also have two Confidential Advisors embedded at BNAACC and La Casa two days/week.

Embedded Advocate Hours: 
Tuesday and Wednesday 10am – 4pm @ BNAACC
Wednesday 1pm – 5pm and Thursday 10am – 4pm @ 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.

Bailey Unpaid Internship Scholarship

The University YMCA’s Fred S. Bailey Unpaid Internship Scholarship program provides scholarship funding to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduate students who accept unpaid internships with public service agencies and not for profit organizations. The Application Opens on March 1, 2023! For more information and to apply, visit https://universityymca.org/bailey/intern/.

Office of Conferences and Special Events

The Office of Conferences & Special Events will be hiring several students to join the 2023 Summer Conference Team. There are a variety of full-time and part-time positions available ranging from Conference Clerk to Conference Coordinator. Summer housing, hourly pay, and discounted meals are included.

For more information, go to: go.illinois.edu/csejobs2023  

Writers Workshop Resources

You can make use of the Writers Workshop resources. See the flyers below:

Summer Institute for the Languages of the Muslim World (SILMW)

Summer Institute for Languages of the Muslim World will be held from June 12-August 5, 2023.

Session includes
• ArabicPersianSwahiliTurkish, and Wolof courses
• Small class sizes and dedicated faculty and staff
• Immersive experience, complete with instruction
• Cultural activities, opportunities for language practice, conversation tables,
cooking classes, movie nights, and more!

Program registration deadline May 7, 2023

Apply and earn up to 10 credits! To apply, visit https://linguistics.illinois.edu/academics/less-commonly-taught-languages/arabic/application-and-registration. For more information contact silmw@illinois.edu

OMSA Free Tutoring Class List

OMSA tutoring is free to all UIUC undergrads. For more information and the list of classes, see the flyer below:

Library Workshops, events, and services

With the start of Spring 2023, the University Library has been busy planning and scheduling workshops, consultation services, programs, and other helpful things for students. For information about the events and workshops visit events calendar as well as  Savvy Researcher workshops.

You can find some highlighted workshops and services below:

Research Consultations
Research consultations start again this Sunday! Students can receive help with their research papers, ranging from brainstorming a topic to synthesizing their sources.  Consultations are from 4-9pm, Sunday-Thursday, and are geared towards first- and second-year students.

Speaking Center
The Speaking Center opens again this week! Students can sign up for a consultation to 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. Upcoming workshops include “Coping with Speech Anxiety” and “Nonverbal Communication for Presentations.

Academic Success Series and Student Success Workshops
The Academic Success Series is in collaboration with the Counseling Center, and covers topics like “Healthy Relationships,” “Imposter Syndrome,” and more. Student Success Workshops will include some repeats from the fall, like “Study Skills for Neurodiverse Students,” and “Budgeting 101,” and also introduce new workshops, like “Using and Creating a LinkedIn Profile.”

Inclusive Speaker Series: Salvatore De Sando
Funded by the Library Innovation and Seed Grant, this series highlights members of the UIUC community who have done important work highlighting underrepresented voices. Salvatore will be the first in this speaker series, and will present on Feb. 14th at noon, via zoom.

Family Study Room
For students who are parents or caregivers, there is a space for them in the Main Library! Students can bring their kids with them to the Library, and can also check out Family Kits, a playpen, or children tablets for their children to play with while they study.

Introduction to Library Resources for Literary Studies

Are you new to UIUC? Do you need some help figuring out how to do research? Do you find it difficult to access library resources that can help you to succeed in courses? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, please consider attending “Introduction to Library Resources for Literary Studies.” This one-hour session will teach you to use a variety of library services and features (e.g. Inter-library loan, requesting books, accessing articles, and scheduling a research consultation). To participate, visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/savvy?cid=15337&t=m&d=2023-02&cal=15337&inc=0 and select a session that works for you. Can’t find one? Let Matt Roberts in the Literatures and Languages Library know, and he will reach out to you with more information to receive the instruction that you need.

Matt will continue to offer office hours for students. You can also schedule a consultation with him, but he will be free each Monday from 12-2 to talk with you.

Find peer mentoring at the Lisnek LAS Hub

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, First Floor of Lincoln Hall, Behind the marble staircase
Peer mentors help LAS students access opportunities to gain hands-on experience. Drop-in for a casual conversation about exploring student organizations, undergraduate research, volunteer opportunities, study abroad, internships, and more. Learn how to access resources and apply to opportunities. 

Our old friends at the Humanities Professional Resource Center (now LAS Career Services) are still in Greg Hall 105 and available to meet with students to talk about professional development opportunities, career planning, and general life stuff of the “what am I doing here?” variety. See their website for contact info and event announcements.

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