Resource of the Week: The Major Requirements Cheat Sheet

Looking for a course to satisfy a specific time period requirement? Wondering which non-workshop creative writing courses are being offered next semester? Want to find a course that will complete your Difference & Diaspora requirement? Use the Major Requirements Cheat Sheet to see which courses satisfy certain major requirements each semester!

You can find the Major Requirements Cheat Sheet along with other helpful coursework planning materials on the department website.

Carr Visiting Author Series Alumni Reading

Featuring Matthew Gavin Frank & Jessica Tanck

Thursday, April 2 | 4:30
Illini Union Bookstore Author’s Corner 

A reading by alumni of the creative writing program, Jessica Tanck and Matthew Gavin Frank. This event is made possible by the Robert J. and Katherin Carr visiting author series. 

Jessica Tanck is the author of Winter Here (UGA Press, 2024), winner of the 2022 Georgia Poetry Prize. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed a B.A. in English Literature – Creative Writing and Comparative Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing – Poetry. Her work appears or is forthcoming in The Adroit Journal, Alaska Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Blackbird, Colorado Review, DIAGRAM, Gulf Coast, Kenyon Review, The Los Angeles Review, Meridian, New England Review, New Ohio Review, Ninth Letter, Waxwing, and others. Jess was born in Chicago, IL, but grew up in Sheboygan, WI, on the shores of Lake Michigan. https://www.jessicatanck.com/winter-here

Matthew Gavin Frank’s new nonfiction book, SUBMERSED: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines, will be published June 3, 2025 by Pantheon Books.  His previous nonfiction book, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers (about, among other things, the ways in which carrier pigeons were used by diamond smuggling rings in coastal South Africa) was published in 2021 by W.W. Norton: Liveright. It was selected as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2021 and as a finalist for the 2021 Heartland Booksellers Award in Nonfiction. He is also the author of the nonfiction books, The Mad Feast: An Ecstatic Tour Through America’s Food (W.W. Norton: Liveright, 2015), Preparing the Ghost: An Essay Concerning the Giant Squid and Its First Photographer (W.W. Norton: Liveright, 2014), Pot Farm (The University of Nebraska Press, 2012), and Barolo (The University of Nebraska Press, 2010); the poetry books, The Morrow Plots (Black Lawrence Press, 2013), Warranty in Zulu (Barrow Street Press, 2010), and Sagittarius Agitprop (Black Lawrence Press, 2009). https://www.matthewgfrank.com/

Schedule a Pre-Registration Advising Appointment

Registration time is upon us again! Time tickets (which tell you when you can start registering for summer and/or fall) will be available for you to view this Monday, March 30th. Summer and Fall 2026 courses are now available to view on Course Explorer.

Continuing students are not required to meet with us (unless they are on academic warning) 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.  To schedule an appointment please call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30am-noon or 1:00-4:00pm. 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!

How to Request an English Honors Seminar

If you would like to sign up for an English honors course in the fall, please email the English Advising Office at englishadvising@illinois.edu (include your full name and UIN) and let us know which seminar you hope to take this fall, including the title/topic and the CRN.  You’ll find descriptions of the courses and the CRN in Course Explorer.  Please allow one week to get a response. Once you have been granted permission to take the course, you must still go into the registration system and add it to your schedule.  We cannot actually enroll you in the class; we are simply giving you the override that will allow you to enroll yourself! 

Eligibility rests on the following: a GPA of at least 3.33 in the major and overall, and prior 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 request permission.  For more details about the honors program check our English department website: https://english.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/honors-research/honors-research. 

If you would like to take two seminars at the same time, then you may, but you must receive approval for the first before you can request a second.  If you are approaching graduation and need a particular seminar in order to complete the honors program, please get your request in right away! Permission is granted on a first-come, first-served basis, although we do reserve the right to prioritize students closer to graduation.

Clothing Swap!

Interested in refreshing your wardrobe? The University Library is hosting a clothing swap event! Students who received tickets after donating clothing at earlier drop-off times can swap them for new (to you) clothing from 2-4pm in the Main Library, room 106, on April 2nd. From 4-5pm, any student is welcome to come and see if they can find anything for their wardrobe; no tickets are required.

Come find some new treasures! We hope to see you there!

LAS International Programs – Hiring Interns

LAS International Programs is looking for motivated, creative, and globally minded students to join our team as paid undergraduate interns.

Open Positions:
Marketing & Outreach Intern
• Operational Support Intern
• Administrative Communications Intern

These roles are perfect for students who want hands-on experience in global education, student engagement, program coordination, and professional communications while making a real impact on campus. Application deadline: Friday, April 10 at 11:59 PM

Ready to grow your skills and support international education? Apply now: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/2060714700?referrer=https://shibboleth.illinois.edu/

Help Improve Student Mental Health Resources on Campus

The Mental Health Early Action on Campus team is conducting a short survey to better understand how students are using mental health and wellness apps and how they feel about trust, privacy, and accessibility when using these tools. Your feedback will help guide how the university communicates about and supports digital mental health resources for students.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and will be open from March 23 through April 3. Take the survey here: https://illinois.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3UvRRWEI9chVnhk

Knit & Sit

Where: Krannert Art Museum, 500 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign
When: Saturday, March 28 from 1-3pm

Do you weave, crochet, knit, felt, or embroider? Krannert Art Museum invites you to Knit & Sit! Bring your project and join us for a weaver’s circle in the galleries. All ages and experience levels are welcome! 

First-time knitter? A limited amount of yarn and needles will be available—and anyone wanting to learn can receive a simple knitting lesson. Everyone will get a chance to explore the art on view. 

Presented in conjunction with the Memorias de la Mujer Lotina: Arpilleras, Women, and Coal in Chile exhibition (on view through Sep 5).

Free and open to everyone!

Pre-Health Advising Application Prep Series

Practice Social Justice in Community Service

How might community service and volunteering subtly (and not-so-subtly) promote inequity? Join We CU and Diversity & Social Justice Education on Wednesday, April 1, at 5:30 PM at the College of Education, Room 10 (O’Leary Center) for a workshop on practicing social justice in community service. 

Join Michelle Naese and Sang Lee from Diversity & Social Justice Education as we discuss how systemic forms of oppression come up in our lives and in our service work. We will also talk about how we can critically examine biases and center the voices and experiences of the communities we are serving. This training will also help you develop strategies for promoting social justice in your volunteer and service work. 

The workshop includes interactive activities, and we will have time at the end for questions. Dinner will be provided. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register here.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at we-cu@illinois.edu if you have any questions!

Fulbright Information Sessions and Writing Workshops

Are your students interested in research, teaching, 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, for one academic year. 

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

The selection committee rates candidates based on academic/professional qualifications; language skills; knowledge of the host country; maturity, motivation, and capacity to adapt to a different cultural environment; and ability to represent the U.S. abroad.

The priority deadline for undergraduates and recent alumni is June 15, 2026.
The required campus deadline is August 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (noon).  

Humanities Gateway Internship

Part-Time Job with Champaign County Forest Preserves

As an education support specialist you would assist with implementation and evaluation of cultural/historical education programming for people of all abilities and backgrounds served by the Museum of the Grand Prairie within the Museum and Education Department of Champaign County Forest Preserves (CCFP). See this page for full details and application link.

The Jeffries Center Spring 2026 Workshop Series

The English Department has a study abroad exchange agreement with the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. They are offering online information sessions for students interested in finding out more about spending a semester or year abroad at UEA:

Monday, March 30 – 17:00 BST – Register here
Thursday April 9 – 8:00 BST – Register here

How to Connect with LAS Career Services

• Mondays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
• Tuesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Wednesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Thursdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Thursdays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
• Handshake Appointments (in-person or virtual) are 30 minutes during available staff times. We have an energetic team to help you. Reach out to connect. Having trouble? Reach out to us at las-careerservices@illinois.edu. 

Sharing News

As a reminder, if you have an award, a publication, or some other triumph to report please send news to engl-news@illinois.edu so the social media interns can celebrate you and your accomplishment. Also, if you are a member of a student group affiliated with the English department and you would like an upcoming event posted on our undergraduate calendar (now available at the bottom of the advising page) please send that info to the same address. Thanks!

Follow the department on social media

Important Dates

Deadline to drop a full-semester course: Friday, March 13
Spring Break: March 14-22
POT B courses begin: Monday, March 23
Deadline to add a POT B course: Friday, March 27
Registration time tickets viewable on Self-Service: Monday, March 30
Registration begins: Monday, April 6

Resource of the Week: Free & Discounted Software at the WebStore

The university’s WebStore offers free and open software for students such as Adobe, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Learning, IBM, MathWorks, and more. Browse them here: https://webstore.illinois.edu/shop/category.aspx?zcid=129&shopby=1

You can also find other campus software, often at a discounted price: https://webstore.illinois.edu/shop/category.aspx?zcid=139&shopby=1

ESA Monthly Newsletter

Business Microcredentials

Undergraduate microcredentials help you strengthen specific business skills so you can stand out in internships, job applications, and leadership opportunities. They’re shorter than a minor, focused on practical outcomes, and awarded as a digital badge you can easily share with employers. Unlike a minor, a microcredential:

• Requires only 2-3 courses
• Can be completed in a shorter time frame (often as little as one academic year)
• Does not appear on your transcript
• Is awarded as a digital badge and certificate you can share instantly with employers, internship sites, and on your résumé or LinkedIn profile
• Is a focused, career-aligned set of courses that build specific business skills

You can find more information about Business Microcredentials here: https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/undergraduate-microcredentials

The Jeffries Center Spring 2026 Workshop Series

Student Success Series: Food Budgeting and AI

When: March 24th from 12:00-1:00pm
Keeping meals both affordable and enjoyable can be tricky, but we don’t need to take on these responsibilities alone! This workshop is designed to cover the basics of how to incorporate AI into food budgeting practices, including meal planning, grocery lists, and more. It covers several tools designed specifically for the purpose of food budgeting and meal planning, as well as discussing how to design clear, specific prompts for general AI chatbots like ChatGPT to assist with these tasks.  

Looking for a Second 8-Week (POT B) Course? Check These Out!

Why Scientists and Scholars Should Communicate Through the Media, Despite the Risks

Who: Laura Helmuth (Slate, Scientific American, Washington Post)
When: Tuesday, March 24th at 5:30pm
Where: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum

Universities, public health organizations, federal science agencies, and publishers have become targets of political forces that are threatened by the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. New restrictions on funding, collaborations, and inclusion are disrupting crucial research and limiting who is allowed to pursue it. The power imbalance is severe right now, and individuals and institutions are at risk of losing grants, students, jobs, and opportunities. Helmuth will argue for a way out through building support for academic freedom, long-term research, honest assessments of history, and life-saving public health policies. Experts who share their knowledge with journalists or communicate directly through mass media face risks but can make a difference. We’ll cover best practices, practical advice, and possible outcomes of doing so, and how people in different fields of expertise can support one another’s overlapping missions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Laura Helmuth is a journalist, freelance editor, writer, and consultant who formerly served as editor in chief of Scientific American, where you can still read her many features. She previously worked as an editor for the Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian and Science. A former president of the National Association of Science Writers, Helmuth is currently a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s standing committee on advancing science communication and an advisory board member for SciLine and The Transmitter. She has a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley, and recently won a Friend of Darwin Award from the National Center for Science Education. Her current writing can also be found at Slate and The Last Word on Nothing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• Sawyer Seminar Website
• Sawyer Seminar Instagram
• Email sawyerseminar@illinois.edu 

Fulbright For Artists

When: Wednesday, March 25th from 3-5pm
Where: Krannert Art Museum, Room 62 (500 E Peabody Drive)
Register: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/689459119

The National & International Scholarships Program and the Graduate College Office of External Fellowships will kick off the Fulbright application season with a workshop focused on Fulbright opportunities in: 

• Architecture (building and landscape) 
• Creative Writing (fiction, non-fiction, playwriting, poetry, and screenwriting) 
• Music (composition, performance, and world music) 
• Performing Arts (dance, performance art, and theater arts) 
• Visual Arts (animation, photography, illustration, filmmaking, etc.)

The session will feature Melissa Terrall, pianist and former Fulbrighter, who studied Mexican piano repertoire at Mexico City’s National Conservatory; Dani Nutting, flutist and former Fulbrighter to Bulgaria and Assistant Director of the National and International Scholarships Program, who advises undergraduate and alumni applicants; and Dana N. Johnson, former Fulbrighter to Serbia and Director of External Fellowships in the Graduate College, who advises graduate student applicants.

Advanced undergraduates, graduate students (including MFA candidates), alumni, and other interested members of the campus community are invited to attend. Presenters will share insights into pursuing a Fulbright as an artist and preparing a strong application. Topics include identifying a strong affiliation, meeting language expectations, assembling a compelling portfolio, and crafting persuasive narrative statements. 

Participants will also learn about the campus application process and how to make effective use of advising services offered by the National & International Scholarships Program and the Graduate College Office of External Fellowships.

Questions about the event may be directed to: topscholars@illinois.edu. 

Scholarships Information Sessions

Applications Open for the 2026 Class of Carnegie Young Leaders

As a partner in the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness network, you are at the forefront of a critical mission: ensuring that today’s students graduate with the skills and agency to be effective participants in our democracy.

Our recent Gen Z Vibe Check study highlights both a significant challenge and a massive opportunity in our shared work to build the civic muscle of students across the U.S. 90%of young people say they care about making a change in their communities, however 37% say they don’t know how to get started. The opportunity? Nearly 55%are motivated by opportunities they can participate in with friends. 

We have officially opened applications for the 2026 Class of Carnegie Young Leaders. This program uses a collaborative leadership model in which a team lead brings together four of their peers, forming a team that will design and implement a project that addresses a need in their communities over the course of the year-long fellowship.

The Carnegie Young Leaders experience:

• Project Funding: Up to $7,500 to cover stipends and project expenses
• Expert Mentorship: Coaching to help students take their ideas from concept to reality
• National Community: Access to a diverse community of peers and seasoned civic practitioners

The inaugural 2025 Class of Carnegie Young Leaders is already making waves. One hundred teams of five young people are implementing community projects across the U.S. tackling everything from voting accessibility and disaster preparedness to mental health awareness and food access.

Deadline: May 4, 2026 
Priority Review: March 30, 2026

Apply HERE: https://cands.org/carnegie-young-leaders/

Applicants do not need a polished resume—only a drive to solve a local challenge and a team ready to build. By supporting Carnegie Young Leaders, we are helping your students move from “what if?” to “we did that,” proving that they are the experts our communities need right now.

Junior Quinn Award

The Junior Quinn Award recognizes achievement and potential in Creative Writing majors or minors with junior class standing by awarding one or more recipients with financial support to attend a writing workshop or conference. This year’s prize will be issued as a scholarship of $1000.

We recognize that it is not always easy to determine eligibility. If you are not technically a Junior this academic year but plan to graduate no earlier than December 2026 and no later than December 2027, you may be eligible. If you have any questions about your eligibility, check with our wonderful Undergraduate Advisors at englishadvising@illinois.edu. You may apply for the Junior Quinn only once. If you have eligibility questions, email John Dudek, Associate Director of Creative Writing, at jdudek4@illinois.edu. If you are eligible, we want to see a sample of your unpublished prose OR poetry:

· Prose submissions can be either fiction or creative nonfiction. Limit your submission to 1-2 pieces, no more than 15 pages total.

· Poetry submissions should contain 3-5 poems, no more than 7 pages total.

The first page of your submission (not included in page count) should be a statement of purpose explaining how attending a writing conference or other professional development opportunity would impact your writing. This statement should be no more than 250 words. A few conferences you might consider are listed below. Though feel free to find other opportunities that interest you more!
· AWP Conference
· Juniper Summer Writing Institute
· Kenyon Review Writers’ Workshop
· Port Townsend Writer’s Conference

Submit your statement of purpose and creative work in one file (.docx only) to John Dudek at jdudek4@illinois.edu by noon, March 27. To make sure your submission does not get lost, the subject line of the email should be ALL CAPS and either JUNIOR QUINN POETRY or JUNIOR QUINN PROSE. The body of this email should include: Your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and UIN.

The English Department has a study abroad exchange agreement with the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. They are offering online information sessions for students interested in finding out more about spending a semester or year abroad at UEA:

Monday, March 30 – 17:00 BST – Register here
Thursday April 9 – 8:00 BST – Register here

How to Connect with LAS Career Services

• Mondays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
• Tuesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Wednesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Thursdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
• Thursdays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
• Handshake Appointments (in-person or virtual) are 30 minutes during available staff times. We have an energetic team to help you. Reach out to connect. Having trouble? Reach out to us at las-careerservices@illinois.edu. 

Sharing News

As a reminder, if you have an award, a publication, or some other triumph to report please send news to engl-news@illinois.edu so the social media interns can celebrate you and your accomplishment. Also, if you are a member of a student group affiliated with the English department and you would like an upcoming event posted on our undergraduate calendar (now available at the bottom of the advising page) please send that info to the same address. Thanks!