Weekly Round-Up

Follow the department on social media!

Important Dates and Deadlines

January 29: Deadline to ADD full-semester course
January 29: Deadline to add yourself to spring degree list if you expect to graduate in May (you can do this online in Self Service)
February 1: Deadline to apply to Sec Ed minor (for sophomores, not first-year students!)

As always, if you would like to schedule an advising appointment with Anna or Keshia, please CALL the office at 217-333-4346. We are happy to answers questions via email (englishadvising@illinois.edu) but for more complex matters such as schedule rearrangement, overall degree planning, or existential-crisis-management, an actual appointment is preferable (in person or virtual, as you prefer). We look forward to seeing many of you this semester and wish you all safe travels and a lack of frostbite in the coming week!

For those of you planning to graduate in May or August, be on the lookout for information about the English & Creative Writing Convocation ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, May 11 at 5pm in Smith Hall. We will be sending out emails in February with more details about the registration process, and we are in the process of updating the webpage for the event.

Study Abroad Open House

LAS International Programs will host an Open House  in 3060 Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, January 24 to promote study abroad programs for summer, fall and academic year 2024-2025 ahead of the February 15th application deadline. Lunch will be provided, and the schedule is as follows:

During the rest of the week, we will also host several info sessions:

Pre-Law Advising Workshop

Next week the Pre-Law Advising Services Office will be hosting their annual LSAT Jumpstart workshop series on  January 23 and January 24.  Sessions will be held via Zoom from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.  Program is open to both UIUC students and alumni.    Below is a brief agenda of the program.

Tuesday, January 23
6:00 pm CT: LSAT Overview with LSAC
7:00 pm CT: Blueprint Reading Comprehension Workshop

Wednesday, January 24
6:00 pm CT: Blueprint Logical Reasoning Workshop
7:00 pm CT: Blueprint Analytical Reasoning “Logic Games” Workshop

In addition to programming next week, participants will have the following benefits:

  • Free  mock LSAT with TestMasters,
  • LSAT Peer Perspective Panel on January 30, and
  • Be eligible to receive a  FREE LSAT prep course through Blueprint (2 courses will be given away–must be a current student to receive).  

Students may register online  through early next week.  All program details can be found online at:  https://prelaw.illinois.edu/node/98

A full list of upcoming pre-law programs and events can be found on the PLAS events calendar:  Pre-Law Advising Services Calendar (illinois.edu).

Call for Student Alumni Ambassadors

Interested in becoming a Student Alumni Ambassador? Come to an Info Nights on January 29th OR 31st at Lincoln Hall Theater, 7 PM

The Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA) group is responsible for events such as Illinois Sights and Sounds, Homecoming events, I love Illinois week, iHelp, Senior 100 Honorary, and more! Members of the Student Alumni Ambassadors are involved in fostering the Illini spirit in the campus community of the University of Illinois. Through engagement with their peers, as well as networking with professionals and alumni, the members of our organization create once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Each carefully selected member gets the opportunity to be a part of the planning and execution of long-standing traditions as well as developing new traditions for students to come.

If you wish to make a mark on campus that will be remembered for years to come, the Student Alumni Ambassadors is the organization for you. The application is now open and due on February 3rd at 11:59 PM. Visit our website www.illinisaa.com and apply now at SAA2023.”

Poetry Prize for First-Year Students

Submissions are now being accepted for the Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is made possible through an endowment by William and Donna Early in memory of their son, a poet, Kevin T. Early. It awards $2000 to a student with freshman standing at UIUC for the 2023-2024 school year. The deadline for application is Friday, February 9, 2024.  (If you started as a first year-student out of high school in the fall but gained sophomore standing early because of test-based credits, you are still eligible).

If you would like to be considered, please submit 5 poems via email to John Dudek at Jdudek4@illinois.edu. The complete submission should not exceed 5 pages (so 1 poem to a page). Submissions should be attached to the email as .docx (Word) files.

The subject line of the email should read: “EARLY PRIZE SUBMISSION: Last name.”

The body of the email should include the student’s name, address, phone number, e-mail, UIN, and the titles of the poems. The name should not appear on the entry file itself. Complete guidelines will be sent out via email. Please direct any questions to Jdudek4@illinois.edu.

LAS Career Services Spring Programming

Coming up soon is a series of “How I Got That Job” panels (click through for more details). Read on for details about a couple of other upcoming events that may be of interest.

How I Got that First Job with a Nonprofit Organization (Wed., Jan 31, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job in Business/Tech (Mon., Feb. 5, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job Doing What I Love (Wed., Feb. 7, 5 – 6:30pm)

Among the questions to be discussed at these panels:

  • What did panelists do while in college to set themselves up for future success?
  • How did they land the first job?
  • What has the transition from college to working life been like? Highs? Lows?
  • How does their current position fit into their overall plan for the future?

Day in the Life of an Intern – Working with a State Representative, Monday, Jan 22, noon – 1pm. Conference Room 143, the Career Center. “Join us for a glimpse into the daily experiences of an intern working alongside a State Representative [Carol Ammons, IL103]! Discover the intricacies of the legislative process, engage with influential leaders, and develop practical skills in research and proposal drafting. Seize the opportunity to inquire and learn more about this distinctive internship, where you can connect with a dynamic network and contribute significantly to impactful projects that directly affect communities.”

Lunch, Learn, and Workshop Your Resume with Teach for America. Tuesday, Jan 23, noon – 2pm, 107 Gregory Hall. Lunch will be provided. Registration required. Bring a resume, get individualized assistance with updating it, and learn more about TFA.

Opportunities in Business Consulting and More!

The following opportunities are open to students in all majors, so if you are looking ahead to a career in business or entrepreneurship, check these out!

Professional Development with the ILC!

FOCUS Scholars Program

Become a FOCUS Scholar
Application deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 24
Are you looking for a way to impact your career trajectory and earnings potential for years to come? FOCUS is an intensive semester-long program created to aid in eliminating the gap in post-graduation outcomes and starting salaries between underrepresented, first-generation students and their peers. 

Call for Submissions

You are invited to submit your work to the Madison Journal of Literary Criticism for the Spring 2024 Dream Edition! This edition will encompass what it means to “dream of more,” which includes both contemplating future aspirations and reimagining in a multitude of constructed contexts. Whether it entails the past, present, future, systems, institutions, relationships, methodologies, holidays, politics, fashion, education, emotions…we live in a world of constructs. To break away from these constructs, we dream of something new, something kinder, something better. This edition focuses on how those dreams take shape and will showcase the collective desire—and manifestation—of change that transcends the limits of our current reality. This edition we hope to publish criticism: academic, poetic, in the medium of art or prose or short stories. We hope to have a loose theme as writers and creators are more than willing to interpret, define, and redefine the term however suits them best, so the submitted work does not have to explicitly tie to abolition or social justice. We welcome nuanced perspectives and multiple interpretations, so please submit! 

For samples of work previously published : View MJLC’s Past Editions

If you have any questions, please direct them to mjlc@rso.wisc.edu

Opportunity for Pre-law Students

Have you considered summer study abroad and are interested in studying law? Join Cornell Law School faculty and the Office of Global Learning to learn more about the Cornell Prelaw Program in Paris, a three-week academic program in international and comparative law. Study law in a uniquely international and culturally rich environment, combining the excellence of Cornell Law School faculty and the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Prepare for the law school admissions process and acquire the study skills for success in law school.

Virtual Info Session:

Don’t forget these great elective options!

SAME 490: Special Topics
TOPIC: Digital Research Skills
This course is an introduction to digital tools, data management, and data visualization. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across various disciplines. Throughout the course, students will acquire the skills to conduct research, efficiently organize their research materials and data, and use digital tools to present their work. Students will have the option to work individually or collaborate with peers or ChatGPT. Importantly, this course provides an opportunity to explore digital tools without the need for coding knowledge. Digital skills are vital for employees in the digital era and new employees needs to have soft and hard skills!

Pre-Semester Round Up

Follow the department on social media!

Important Dates and Deadlines

January 15: Advising Office Closed for Martin Luther King, Jr Day
January 16: Classes Start
January 29: Deadline to ADD full-semester course
January 29: Deadline to add yourself to spring degree list if you expect to graduate in May (you can do this online in Self Service)
February 1: Deadline to apply to Sec Ed minor (for sophomores, not first-year students!)

As always, if you would like to schedule an advising appointment with Anna or Keshia, please CALL the office at 217-333-4346. We are happy to answers questions via email (englishadvising@illinois.edu) but for more complex matters such as schedule rearrangement, overall degree planning, or existential-crisis-management, an actual appointment is preferable (in person or virtual, as you prefer). We look forward to seeing many of you this semester and wish you all safe travels and a lack of frostbite in the coming week!

Poetry Prize for First-Year Students

Submissions are now being accepted for the Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is made possible through an endowment by William and Donna Early in memory of their son, a poet, Kevin T. Early. It awards $2000 to a student with freshman standing at UIUC for the 2023-2024 school year. The deadline for application is Friday, February 9, 2024.  (If you started as a first year-student out of high school in the fall but gained sophomore standing early because of test-based credits, you are still eligible).

If you would like to be considered, please submit 5 poems via email to John Dudek at Jdudek4@illinois.edu. The complete submission should not exceed 5 pages (so 1 poem to a page). Submissions should be attached to the email as .docx (Word) files.

The subject line of the email should read: “EARLY PRIZE SUBMISSION: Last name.”

The body of the email should include the student’s name, address, phone number, e-mail, UIN, and the titles of the poems. The name should not appear on the entry file itself. Complete guidelines will be sent out via email. Please direct any questions to Jdudek4@illinois.edu.

LAS Career Services Spring Programming

This will be the first of a series of “How I Got That Job” panels, each one of which features a student from the English Department, so be sure to attend if you can! Following is some more information about these panels and a couple of other upcoming events that may be of interest.

How I Got that First Job with a Nonprofit Organization (Wed., Jan 31, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job in Business/Tech (Mon., Feb. 5, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job Doing What I Love (Wed., Feb. 7, 5 – 6:30pm)

Among the questions to be discussed at these panels:

  • What did panelists do while in college to set themselves up for future success?
  • How did they land the first job?
  • What has the transition from college to working life been like? Highs? Lows?
  • How does their current position fit into their overall plan for the future?

Day in the Life of an Intern – Working with a State Representative, Monday, Jan 22, noon – 1pm. Conference Room 143, the Career Center. “Join us for a glimpse into the daily experiences of an intern working alongside a State Representative [Carol Ammons, IL103]! Discover the intricacies of the legislative process, engage with influential leaders, and develop practical skills in research and proposal drafting. Seize the opportunity to inquire and learn more about this distinctive internship, where you can connect with a dynamic network and contribute significantly to impactful projects that directly affect communities.”

Lunch, Learn, and Workshop Your Resume with Teach for America. Tuesday, Jan 23, noon – 2pm, 107 Gregory Hall. Lunch will be provided. Registration required. Bring a resume, get individualized assistance with updating it, and learn more about TFA.

Opportunity for Pre-law Students

Have you considered summer study abroad and are interested in studying law? Join Cornell Law School faculty and the Office of Global Learning to learn more about the Cornell Prelaw Program in Paris, a three-week academic program in international and comparative law. Study law in a uniquely international and culturally rich environment, combining the excellence of Cornell Law School faculty and the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Prepare for the law school admissions process and acquire the study skills for success in law school.

Virtual Info Sessions:

Looking for interesting electives? Check these out!

SAME 490: Special Topics
TOPIC: Digital Research Skills
This course is an introduction to digital tools, data management, and data visualization. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across various disciplines. Throughout the course, students will acquire the skills to conduct research, efficiently organize their research materials and data, and use digital tools to present their work. Students will have the option to work individually or collaborate with peers or ChatGPT. Importantly, this course provides an opportunity to explore digital tools without the need for coding knowledge. Digital skills are vital for employees in the digital era and new employees needs to have soft and hard skills!

Weekly Round-Up

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Follow English Department communities on social media

VOICE: Graduate Student Reading

Come hear MFA students read their work at The Literary Book Bar!

122 S. Neil St.
Dec 7, 2023  
7:00 pm
 

ESA HOLIDAY PARTY!
deadline approaching!


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NEW LAS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY!

Job Title: Media and Communications Intern, LAS Career Services

Job Description: 
LAS Career Services is looking to hire a Media and Communications Intern for the Spring 2024 semester, with the potential for continued employment into the summer and/or 2024-25 school year based on mutual interest. 

This is a great opportunity for students who would like to explore their love of writing, creativity, communication, and/or social media in a professional setting. Gain valuable career-related experience in a supportive and high-energy environment.

The LAS Career Services Media and Communications Intern will contribute to initiatives to share with LAS undergraduate students the value of engaging in career exploration and development throughout your college experience. We are looking for help creating student-friendly messaging for digital displays, weekly e-newsletters, blogs, flyers, and Instagram posts. APPLY NOW!

GREAT SPRING COURSES for english department students!

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TWO advanced-level ENGL COURSES TO CHECK OUT!

ENGL 461: Adv. Topics in Lit & Culture
TOPIC: The Art of Research
In this writing-intensive capstone course, students will spend the semester developing a major research project of their own design (such as a research paper, an interactive website, or a connected portfolio of related projects). These projects will use the knowledge and skills gained in previous study as English majors to explore a new research problem unique to each individual student. Our work together will be organized as a collaborative workshop focusing on key practices of writing and research, such as: developing research questions; finding and evaluating primary and secondary sources; drafting and revising; participating in peer review; defining an audience; and crafting a public presentation. Assignments will include shared readings and exercises, as well as research and writing assignments geared toward the development of individual projects. Juniors and Seniors only. Students should have completed English 301 and 350.

ENGL 461: Adv. Topics in Lit & Culture
TOPIC: The Scandal of Aestheticism
In the late 19th century, bohemian artists rallied around the slogan of “art for art’s sake” to attack the moral conventions of the Victorian age. This class will examine the Aesthetic Movement in Victorian and early 20th century British literature, ranging from the lingering importance of Keats and Shelley in the poetic works of Tennyson and the pre-Raphaelites to Oscar Wilde’s fusion of aristocratic and queer elegance and Henry James’s theories of the novel. It will also consider some contemporary discussions of aesthetic “autonomy,” the still-controversial declaration that art can transcend its historical context or social utility. Works will include philosophy by Plato, poetry by John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Algernon Swinburne, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Christina Rossetti, fiction by Oscar Wilde, the New Women, George Du Maurier, and Henry James, and cultural criticism by Walter Pater, Oscar Wilde, Queenie Leavis, Sianne Ngai, Linda Dowling, and Dustin Friedman.

SPRING 2024 COURSES FOR NEURODIVERGENT 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.

And for neurodivergent students who are preparing for work after college:

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FOR ADVANCED ENGLISH AND CW MAJORS INTERESTED IN LINGUISTICS

LING 490: Narrative Analysis
This course is an advanced sociolinguistic qualitative research methodology course with three components. The first is on conducting narrative interviews (face-to-face or on Zoom) and analyzing interactional positioning. The second is on analysis of narratives in everyday talk (e.g., classrooms, lunch rooms, or any public space). The third unit is about online discourse analysis of narratives on social media, community forums, comment threads, etc. The aim is to have students conduct an empirical study that can be expanded into a publishable article.

List of topics:
Evolution of narrative studies in applied linguistics
Narrative inquiry vs narrative analysis
Interviews as a social accomplishment
Sequential analysis of positioning
“Small stories” in everyday talk
Participation frameworks for analyzing narratives
Narratives co-constructed in online discourse

Questions? annamend@illinois.edu

ONE MORE INTERESTING COURSE FOR SPRING

MUS 199 WP – THE ART OF DJING
This course will be open to students from any major and will serve as a foundational hands-on exploration of DJing practice in Hip-Hop and other musical traditions. USB controllers will be provided, but students must bring their own laptop or tablet capable of connecting to the controller as well as their own headphones.

To learn more or apply, visit:
https://go.illinois.edu/VFY

Don’t Forget These!

FLAS FELLOWShips

The application cycle for Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships will open Nov. 28. This is a great fellowship for both undergrad and grad students who study languages other than French, German, or Spanish. FLAS fellows can apply for academic-year and/or summer fellowships, and they have the option to study abroad. The one caveat is that applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Students from all majors and programs are encouraged to apply, and although the application isn’t due until Jan. 26, the sooner they start thinking about their applications, the better. This is a prestigious fellowship that comes with generous tuition support and stipends.

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SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
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NEW TUTORING RESOURCE

NetTutor Student Log-In: https://go.illinois.edu/OMSANetTutor

All of the information pertaining to our partnership with NetTutor, including a comprehensive User Guidequick Log-in button, and accessibility options can be found on our dedicated OMSA Online Tutoring landing page.

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.

RESOURCE FOR OUR LGBTQIA+ STUDENTS 
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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.

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).

PSA–HEARD ABOUT 211?
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Weekly Round-Up

Follow English Department communities on social media

Calling December graduates!

Are you an English or Creative Writing major graduating this winter? @illinoisenglish want to honor you!

For the rest of the semester, @illinoisenglish will be posting senior spotlights every Wednesday. If you are willing to be featured in a post, please direct message the account or comment on their senior spotlight post.

Expect us to ask for your name, major/concentration (if applicable), favorite course or professor, and another unique question about your experience at the University of Illinois!

Library job opportunity

The library is seeking undergraduate students to work in the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections in the Main Library for the spring semester. English department students are strongly encouraged to apply!

Here is a link to a detailed description of the position: https://go.library.illinois.edu/ihlc-ugrad-sp24

research assistantship

Professor John Gallagher is seeking students who are interested in a research assistantship (RA) for the spring of 2024. These would be paid hourly positions of 5 hours/week for 8-12 weeks (depending on RAs availability).  He writes:

“I’m currently looking for RAs for three projects. The first two projects aren’t technical in nature (but will require detail-oriented work), whereas the third is related to web-scraping and requires computer programming.

  1. Watching YouTube and Tiktok videos around monetizing artificial intelligence (AI), likely around ChatGPT. The goal of this project would be to identify the strategies the creators argue the technologies can do and what kinds of argumentation do they use to describe these strategies (rhetorical, artistic, style, etc.). Part of this project would be to find the videos to watch.
  2. Watching YouTube and Tiktok videos about each platform’s algorithms and determining what figurative language the content creators use to describe the algorithm (analogies, metaphors, motifs, etc.)
  3. Web scraping a subreddit and a hastag from twitter.”

If you think you’d be a good match for some or all of these projects please send your resume and a cover letter consisting of a couple of paragraphs describing your interest and relevant experience to Professor Gallagher at johng@illinois.edu by December 6.  Any questions you might have should also be directed to Professor Gallagher at that address. 

Programs for pre-law students


The APPtitude Prelaw Certificate Program is an 8-week program designed to support prelaw students by providing information and resources related to academic, personal, and professional development particularly relevant for students on the pre-law track.


The I Am Ready: Law School Admission Readiness Program is a joint effort between the University of Illinois Pre-Law Advising Services Office and the University of Illinois College of Law. This program is designed to support central Illinois pre-law students through a diverse curriculum of topics and resources aimed to enhance success in the law admissions process and first year of law school. 

esa event after break
FLAS Fellowships

The application cycle for Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships will open Nov. 28, and the FLAS-granting centers will be holding info sessions on Nov. 28 and Dec. 4. This is a great fellowship for both undergrad and grad students who study languages other than French, German, or Spanish. FLAS fellows can apply for academic-year and/or summer fellowships, and they have the option to study abroad. The one caveat is that applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Students from all majors and programs are encouraged to apply, and although the application isn’t due until Jan. 26, the sooner they start thinking about their applications, the better. This is a prestigious fellowship that comes with generous tuition support and stipends.

auditions coming up!
great new spring courseS!
spring 2024 courses for neurodivergent 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.

And for neurodivergent students who are preparing for work after college:

for advanced English and CW majors interested in linguistics

LING 490: Narrative Analysis
This course is an advanced sociolinguistic qualitative research methodology course with three components. The first is on conducting narrative interviews (face-to-face or on Zoom) and analyzing interactional positioning. The second is on analysis of narratives in everyday talk (e.g., classrooms, lunch rooms, or any public space). The third unit is about online discourse analysis of narratives on social media, community forums, comment threads, etc. The aim is to have students conduct an empirical study that can be expanded into a publishable article.

Course objectives:

1. To understand the social constructivist epistemologies underlying narrative analysis.
2. To gain familiarity with sociolinguistic analysis of narratives in talk and in online platforms.
3. To engage in empirical data collection and analysis using this research methodology.

List of topics:

Evolution of narrative studies in applied linguistics
Narrative inquiry vs narrative analysis
Interviews as a social accomplishment
Sequential analysis of positioning
“Small stories” in everyday talk
Participation frameworks for analyzing narratives
Narratives co-constructed in online discourse

Questions? annamend@illinois.edu

scholarship opportunity

To learn more or apply, visit:

https://go.illinois.edu/VFY

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.
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 Guidequick 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!
Prospective Secondary Education minors can apply by Dec 1 for priority acceptance.
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?