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Important Dates

April 7: Priority registration begins
April 18: Deadline to drop a 2nd 8-week course

Schedule Your Pre-registration Appointment!

Registration will start April 7. Students are assigned a time on or after that day according to the schedule found here. Time tickets (which tell you when you can register for Summer and/or Fall 2025 classes) should be visible to you starting March 24. Log in to Student Self-Service to view your time ticket. When you are ready to schedule your appointment call 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30. You may request an in-person or a virtual appointment, whichever suits you. 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!

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”).

RBML Event TODAY

Play Through History: A Hands-On Board Game Adventure — Friday, April 4, from 3-5pm in 346 Main Library

Join the RBML for a hands-on journey through history! Play historical board games that bring the past to life as you roll the dice, make your moves, and uncover the stories behind them. Perfect for all ages, this interactive in-person event invites families, students, and community members to connect, learn, and have fun. Don’t just study history—experience it through play! This event is free and refreshments will be served.

VOICE: MFA student reading

Wednesday, April 9
Gallery Art Bar | 119 W Main St, Urbana, IL 61801

Join us for a reading by Graduate students in the MFA program in Creative Writing. This event will feature: 

• Hannah Thorpe
• Mason McVeigh 
• Justine Mercado
• Steven Bergmark

Learn About Fulbright Scholarship Opportunities

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. 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:

Online – Monday, April 7, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Register HERE
Online – Wednesday, April 9, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Register HERE
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

Major Exploration Workshop

While we would like to think that you are all totally in love with your English or creative writing major, we know that sometimes it takes a while to find your major home here, and being able to talk openly about your uncertainties is important. If you’re not sure you’re in the right major, check out this upcoming event:

Carr Visiting Author Series: Dante Micheaux

Dante Micheaux is author of Circus (Indolent Books, 2018), which won the Four Quartets Prize from the Poetry Society of America and the T. S. Eliot Foundation, and Amorous Shepherd (Syracuse University Press, 2010).

Micheaux’s other honors include the 2020 Ambit Poetry Prize and fellowships from the Cave Canem Foundation and the New York Times Foundation. 

Student Gala–Come One, Come All!

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
• Arabic, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, 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

Remaining Spring 2025 Creative Writing Events

We’ll advertise these individually as they approach (with location info) but now would be a great time to get them in your calendar.

Poetry Reading by Janice Harrington and Angie Estes
Thursday, April 17, 2025 | 6:00

MFA Public Reading
Saturday, May 3, 2025 | 1:00

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.