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Important dates
Deadline to drop, CR/NCR, or elect grade replacement in a second half-session course
Friday, Nov. 10
Fall Break
Saturday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 26
upcoming ESA events
Diwali on the QUAD
Diwali on the Quad
5:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, Main Quad
Celebrate Diwali with home-cooked food, music, and the beautiful lighting of the Quad. Attendance is free with food available for purchase.
Undergraduate research showcase
Reading and discussion with John Milas
Saturday, November 11
4:00pm
Lewis Auditorium at Urbana Free Library
“This is a beautiful horror story told masterfully and elegantly. It is a brilliant, different kind of war novel, one that reveals the insidious ways the violences of war can tear people apart from the inside out.” ―Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
Author (and English department alumnus!) John Milas joins us for a reading and discussion featuring his highly-acclaimed novel, The Militia House. The novel takes place in 2010 on a base in Afghanistan where Corporal Loyette and his unit are finishing up their deployment. Their days are a mix of boredom and dread until they make a brief visit to a Soviet-era barracks outside the wire that is rumored to be haunted. In the days that follow they try to forget about the strange, unsettling sights and sounds from the house, but things are increasingly . . . not right. The Militia House is a gripping and brilliant exploration of the unceasing horrors of war that’s no more easily shaken than the militia house itself. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
About the Author:
John Milas served on active duty in the Marine Corps and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. He later earned a BA and MFA in creative writing. He lives in Illinois, where he reads, writes, and watches baseball. The Militia House is his first novel.
Test anxiety workshop
The Counseling Center is conducting a Test Anxiety Workshop on Monday, 11/13/23, at 3:00 PM. This is an outreach event so anyone can attend as long as they register.
Many students find taking tests, completing assignments, and/or giving presentations very stressful. At times, this stress can be counterproductive and negatively impact performance. The American Test Anxieties Association estimates between 16 and 20% of college students have high anxiety when it comes to taking tests or performing well on assignments. Fortunately, there are ways to address anxiety so that you can do your best work. During the academic year, we offer drop-in Test Anxiety Workshops. These workshops are free for students, but space is limited, so we request that you register in advance by completing a brief form for the date you want to register.
Healing with Rhythm and Movement
explore careers in human resources
voice reading
Thursday, November 16, 7:00pm
The Literary Book Bar
122 N Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820
Featuring:
Isabella Escamilla
Madeline Furlong
Andrea Sielicki
book sale
auditions coming up!
spring course on artificial intelligence
spring 2024 course for neurodiverse students
Is your differently-wired brain causing extra stress, frustration, and difficulty surrounding your academic work? Consider signing up for HDFS 199, Section JK (Academic Strategies) this spring. This course will use the assignments from your current classes to teach executive function strategies that will promote success this semester and throughout the rest of your academic and professional career. You will learn effective strategies to improve difficulty getting started, staying organized, remembering due dates, paying attention, planning projects, managing stress, study skills, and more. Lab time will be used to complete course assignments, build social networks, and provide a quiet study space with structured accountability. This course is for students who have or suspect they have a neurodiverse brain. Instructor approval required. Contact Dr. Jeanne Kramer (jjkramer@illinois.edu) for approval to register.
scholarship opportunity
To learn more or apply, visit:
For questions regarding the scholarship criteria that are not answered on the website above, please contact Kasey Umland at umland@illinois.edu
Student Survey Participants Needed for MACS/IS/CS 265
Students in Fall 2023 MACS/IS/CS 265 are conducting an anonymous online student survey as part of their final class projects. The survey considers campus practices and policies around student digital safety, and how it impacts student life at the U of I. The survey is open until Monday, November 27, and can be found here: https://surveys.illinois.edu/sec/1814918691.
I would really appreciate it if you could send this request to your students and urge them to participate on behalf of their peers. The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes (if that) and all responses are optional.
check las career services new website
New website for LAS Career Services
Check out the new LAS Career Services website, which provides helpful resources if you’re beginning to explore options, seeking opportunities, making connections and building networks, or applying to jobs or graduate school. Even if you aren’t sure where to begin you can find support from LAS Career Services.
writers workshop events
Don’t Forget These!
How to schedule a registration appointment
Here’s an abbreviated version of the email we recently sent out about advising processes during the registration period. If you didn’t read the email, please read this!
First-semester students (whether first years or transfers) are required to meet with us. Continuing students are not required to meet with us but we certainly recommend that you check in one way or another; email is fine for quick questions or confirmation of your plans, but longer conversations are best had in real time either in person or over zoom.
When you are ready to schedule your appointment call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30 to request an appointment (we do not schedule via email).
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 and a “cheat sheet” that tells you which variable topics courses satisfy which requirements in the coming semester.
great new spring courseS!
We need just two more focus group participants!
As part of our ongoing assessment of the undergraduate program in English, we are hoping to conduct another small focus group at some point in the coming month. Participants will be asked to talk about their general learning experience in the major and their answers, which will remain anonymous, will help us gauge and strengthen the program’s goals and learning outcomes. Students who participated in the last focus group are not eligible this time around (but we thank you once again for the feedback you gave us). We plan to hold this meeting at lunchtime (noon to 1pm), and will provide lunch in the form of empanadas from Manolo’s!
If you are willing to help out with this, please do let us know. Just email englishadvising@illinois.edu ASAP.
Social Group for Neurodiverse Students meets every wed!
new tutoring resource
Here’s a message from Brian Becker (academic outreach specialist at OMSA and an alum of our department!):
On behalf of the Office of Minority Student Affairs, I am thrilled to share our new partnership with NetTutor®! Through this partnership, the OMSA now provides FREE 24/7, 1:1 online tutoring across over 350+ subjects and disciplines. Each tutoring session is facilitated by professionally trained, degree-holding NetTutor staff who are committed to providing a welcoming, accessible virtual learning experience! Thanks to our integration with the NetTutor platform, students can conveniently log in using their Illinois credentials at:
NetTutor Student Log-In: https://go.illinois.edu/OMSANetTutor
All of the information pertaining to our partnership with NetTutor, including a comprehensive User Guide, quick Log-in button, and accessibility options can be found on our dedicated OMSA Online Tutoring landing page.
critical language scholarship program
The Critical Language Scholarship, provided by the U.S. Department of State, is a fully funded, intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for undergraduate and graduate students. A list of eligible languages is available here.
The CLS institutes cover one academic year of university-level language coursework in 8 to 10 weeks over the summer, and include cultural programming, local language partners, and excursions. Participants receive academic credit at their U.S. institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age and enrolled in a degree-granting program at the undergraduate or graduate level. For more information about this scholarship, please visit: http://www.clscholarship.org/.
If you’d like to talk to an advisor about preparing your application, contact the National and International Scholarships Program at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit our website at www.topscholars.illinois.edu
get involved with montage
new RSO
There’s a new RSO in town and it’s called Uplift! Uplift’s mission is to foster a community of pre-professional students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign dedicated to collaboration, unity, and mutual support. Our RSO will serve as a hub for students of all backgrounds. We are committed to fostering an environment wherein members feel seen, heard, and empowered to pursue their goals. The RSO will provide resources for pre-professional students to prepare for their future careers and professional or graduate schools. We will also enable students to pursue their goals through study hours and access to review resources. Check out their site and sign up for email notifications if you’re interested.
apply now to be a golden apple scholar!
Resource for our LGBTQIA+ Students
Lisnek Hub
The Hub is open again! Stop by Tuesday- Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm. Under the Lincoln Hall theater is the Lisnek Hub where you can chat with peer mentors.
find a workshop for you!
If you’re struggling in one or more of your STEM courses, perhaps there’s a workshop that could help. Check out the LAS Success Workshop Schedule, and be sure to click on “see more” at the bottom for the full list of options.
Tuesday@7 Workshops
Each week, undergraduate Counseling Center paraprofessionals offer interactive workshops on various topics. Please visit our website for login information and upcoming topics.
writers workshop
Writers Workshop drop-ins are available beginning 4-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 100b Main Library. These sessions are best for brainstorming, specific questions, or shorter documents (1-3 page papers, application materials, etc.). These sessions are first-come, first-serve.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Want to keep up with research-related opportunities and events hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUA)? Subscribe to OUA’s monthly newsletter and you won’t miss a thing!
You might also want to learn more about the Humanities Research Institute (HRI), particularly opportunities for undergraduates (did you know that they hire student interns and that some of them are English or creative writing majors?) in which case you should check out the Undergraduate section on the HRI website.
ACCESSIBLE COUNSELING RESOURCES
It can be hard to take the first step when you’re in need of counseling, so for ease of access the College of LAS has its own embedded counselor, Andy Novinska and you can contact him directly to schedule an appointment at anovinsk@illinois.edu.
Students can also access Counseling Center services by calling 217-333-3704 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday – Friday to set up an appointment via the same-day scheduling system. There is also an online scheduling system (please note that appointments are limited via this option so if you try to schedule online and cannot find anything that works please call the office or email Andy).
Workshops for Test Anxiety, ADHD Symptoms, Perfectionism, Body Image, etc. can be found here.
PSA–HEARD ABOUT 211?
