If you’re graduating this May or August and missed the deadline to register for convocation, we need to know ASAP if you’re planning to participate. Please email englishadvising@illinois.edu to let us know!  Plus, don’t forget to order your cap and gown by April 12 for the best price!

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.

paid internship opportunity–apply now!

For the 22-23 academic year, the Department of English is looking to hire a Social Media Management Intern from any major in the English Department (must have at least sophomore standing for AY22-23). This is a great opportunity for students to apply their love of writing and literature while gaining valuable media-writing experience.

Position Responsibilities:
• Develop creative thematic post series for Facebook and Instagram
• Promote, attend, and create social media posts about department events when safety allows
• Design flyers, memes, and other posts for informing and entertaining students
• Develop creative semester-long multimodal projects
• Attend weekly meetings for brainstorming, task assignments, and collaboration
• Edit videos and design flyers or posts
• Collaborate with Advising Office in creating content
• Conduct and publish interviews with faculty, alumni, students, and visiting speakers

Average hours worked per week: 5 (about 75 hours over a semester)
Position Wage: $11/hour.
Position Starts: August 22

Recommended Skills and Experience:
• Concise and catchy writing
• Writing for social media
• Develop and follow-through on creative ideas
• Tailor message and style to genre and audience
• Visual design
• Work independently
• Interpersonal communication
• Collaboration
• Reliability
• Word, Publisher, Adobe, photo & video editing
• Photography, video, and editing skills a plus

To Apply: Submit a resume and cover letter. Application materials can be addressed to Kay Emmert, Interim Co-Director for the Program in Professional Writing, and sent as email attachments to akemmert@illinois.edu by no later than 9 am on Friday, April 22.

 

mark your calendars!
The 6th Annual Grantathon is coming up in a few weeks! Grant-writing is a crucial skill for many career paths: nonprofit work, research, performing arts, healthcare, education. At this day-long workshop, you will get instruction in identifying grant opportunities and crafting successful grant applications, along with hands-on practice using those skills with local agencies that are currently applying for grants. Lunch and supplies are included in this free event.