Weekly Round-Up

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Important Dates

April 14: Deadline to order academic regalia (for graduates participating in convocation ceremonies)
April 18: Deadline to drop a 2nd-8-week course

Schedule Your Pre-registration Appointment!

Registration has begun! Log in to Student Self-Service to view your time ticket if you don’t already know when to register. When you are ready to schedule your appointment call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30.

Need to find a course that satisfies a particular requirement in the major?
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.  To access the sheet you’ll need to have your UI Box account set up; instructions are available on this page (scroll down to “Instructions for using Box”).

From LAS Career Services

Career Workshop Resume Critique by HRPO and Research Park: Join us Tuesday, April 15, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for an informative presentation followed by personalized resume and LinkedIn profile reviews. Gain valuable feedback and learn how to showcase your skills effectively in today’s competitive job market. This is a collaborative session, hosted by HRPO and Research Park. Learn more and register on the Research Park calendar

Resources to Combat Stress

Pre-Law? Check Out These Pop-Ups

Public Reading | Ross Gay

The Humanities Research Institute is hosting a public reading and book signing with award-winning poet and essayist Ross Gay, a New York Times bestselling author whose work embraces an exploration and celebration of the human need for joy and delight. This year marks the tenth anniversary of his collection Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude!

April 16, 7:30pm
Alice Campbell Alumni Center Ballroom

Books will be available for purchasing and signing at the event. Please note: per the author’s request, we ask that attendees refrain from taking photos (including selfies), audio, or video during the event and book signing. Thank you in advance for respecting the author’s wishes! 

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against WhichBringing the Shovel DownBe Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023. 

A Gathering of Poets: Angie Estes and Janice N. Harrington

Thursday, April 17, 2025
7:00 pm–9:00 pm (CDT)
Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL

Poets Angie Estes and Janice N. Harrington will present an evening of imagery and word art. Join us for the premier reading of Estes’ Last Day on Earth in the Eternal City and for poems celebrating a lifetime of writing by Janice N. Harrington. This poetry celebration is sponsored by the Spurlock Museum and the UIUC Creative Writing Program.

Renee Hudson Lecture

Take Care of Yourself!

Two Events Featuring Poet Richard Blanco

Learn About Fulbright Scholarship Opportunities

Interested in researchteaching, or graduate study abroad? The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards 2,000 scholarships annually for students to conduct research, teach English, or pursue graduate study in 140 countries. Apply to be a 2026 awardee! 

Eligibility
Current juniors, seniors, and recent alumni in all academic disciplines, who are U.S. citizens, are eligible to apply

Application Preparation
If you are interested in applying, please attend our information sessions:   

Fulbright General Information Sessions:
In Person – Friday, April 11, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – IUB Rm. 514

Fulbright Short Essays Workshops: Your Path and the Fulbright Mission
Online –Tuesday, April 15, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Register HERE
In Person – Wednesday, April 16, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.– IUB Rm. 514

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Workshops:
Online – Tuesday, April 22, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Register HERE
In Person – Friday, April 25, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – IUB Rm. 514

Fulbright Research & Graduate Study Workshops:
In Person – Thursday, May 1, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – IUB Rm. 514 
Online – Friday, May 2, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Register HERE

Curious about Careers in HR?

The School of Labor & Employment Relations will be offering LER 199: Introduction to Human Resources again this Fall 2025 semester.  During this pilot year, the course has received positive student feedback and high engagement with the material.  The course helps students explore the various functions of Human Resources and how HR professionals lead people within an organization.  The course is interactive and will include around 3-4 HR professionals to speak on their experiences and how the topics apply to their everyday work.  If you’re interested, check out LER 199, Section HR in Course Explorer!

Recognition of Community Engaged Scholars

Every year, through our Scholar Recognition Program, We CU Community Engaged Scholars seeks to recognize students for their community-based work and their commitment to service. Through the Recognition Program, students can also access benefits such as receiving mini-grants up to $199, which are designed to offset the expenses that come up during their service work. Recognized Scholars are invited to our Annual Recognition Reception on April 22nd, where we celebrate the impact made by students, instructors, and community partners in Champaign County.

Becoming a We CU Recognized Scholar is really simple: you just need to complete our Student Recognition Form before April 16. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach us at we-cu@illinois.edu.

Summer Courses

If you’re looking for a summer course to satisfy a requirement in English or creative writing, check these out!

CW 100: Intro to Creative Writing
ENGL 117: Shakespeare on Film
ENGL 206: Enlightenment Lit & Culture
ENGL 360: Environmental Writing
ENGL 378: Fairy Tales and Gender Formation

Women’s Resources Center Book Club–April

Join the staff of the Women’s Resources Center as we discuss “Saving Five“, written by Amanda Nguyen. During our conversations, we will examine the complexities of survivor healing and activism in speaking your truth.

Book discussions will take place at the Women’s Resources Center on Friday, April 18 from 4 – 5 PM.  Limited copies of the book may be available to students intending to attend book club.  Sign up to attend book club and request a copy of the book.

This book club is held in collaboration with the Asian American Cultural Center as part of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) programming.

Don’t Forget These!

Chancellor’s Senior Survey

All students graduating in May 2025 are invited to take the Chancellor’s Senior Survey, which prompts students to reflect on their Illinois experience by answering questions about participation in activities and services, perceived gains in abilities linked to the Illinois (campus-wide) student learning outcomes, campus climate, disability support services, attributions of success, barriers to success, and overall satisfaction with the Illinois experience.

New Certificate Programs

There are two new certificate programs you might be interested in, one in Business & Technical Writing, and one in Interactive & Immersive Storytelling. Check them both out to see if you might be interested.

Summer Language Learning

•  June 16th – August 8th, 2025  •

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 timeline
April 24th – May 12th, 2025

Application & Registration

For more information contact silmw@illinois.edu

A New Way to Share Good News

Do you have good news to share? Have you published something? Won an award? Taken on a new role or had an adventure? If so, please let us feature you and your news on the department’s website and/or social media. Just send a message to engl-news@illinois.edu with whatever information you’d like to share. This is a great way for other students to learn about opportunities so please don’t be shy!

Research Workshops

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) announces its Spring 2025 workshop calendar. We are offering a variety of workshops to support you regardless of where you are in your research journey. Information for each workshop, including how you can register, can be found on our website . For all workshops, participation is by advanced registration only; there are a limited number of spots available for each workshop, so please sign up as soon as possible. Workshops will be added throughout the term based on demand.

Tuesday @7 Workshops with the Counseling Center

Confidential Advising Resources

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 we talk with students, staff, and faculty who have experienced harm, we 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.

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