Category: Weekly round-ups

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Weekly Round-Up

arts and culture career fair is now a panel!

This year’s Arts and Culture Fair has adapted and is an online panel this week: https://uic.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrfuuopz0qGdLHZ8v8z2GfeW47HYQxcHUV

vandervelde downs: fiction speckled with european history:

In this Brown Bag lecture, Brett Ashley Kaplan, Director of the Initiative in Holocaust, Genocide, Memory Studies and Professor of Comparative and World Literature, will speak about the process of switching from academic to fictional writing in middle age and then briefly read from her two novels in progress. Dr. Kaplan publishes in Ha’aretz, The Conversation, Asitoughttobe, AJS Perspectives, Contemporary Literature, and The Jewish Review of Books; she is the author of Unwanted Beauty, Landscapes of Holocaust Postmemory, and Jewish Anxiety and the Novels of Philip Roth. She is currently working on two novels: Vandervelde Downs and Rare Stuff.

During the Second World War, the Nazi regime looted hundreds of thousands of art objects, many of which were stored in myriad places all over Europe—tunnels, castles, hovels, you name it. Vandervelde Downs and Rare Stuff touch upon these vast unethical and often unresolved thefts.

This event will be held on Zoom:

Link: https://go.illinois.edu/EUCBrownBagKaplan

Meeting ID: 813 1848 6063

Password: 272447

Research Support Grant (RSG):

The Office of Undergraduate Research invites applications for its Spring 2021 Research Support Grant competition. This grant provides students from all disciplines with the funds necessary to conduct research or creative projects during the academic year both on and off campus (including summer terms). Awards will be up to $2,000 and are meant to cover research travel costs, living expenses incurred during academic breaks (i.e., winter break and summer terms, NOT regular semester living expenses), and materials or other ancillary costs. For details, eligibility requirements, and link to the application please visit: http://go.illinois.edu/OUR_RSG

The deadline for applications is March 17, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research at ugresearch@illinois.edu.

Conference Travel Grant (CTG): 

The Office of Undergraduate Research invites applications for its Spring 2021 Conference Travel Grant competition. This grant provides undergraduate students with awards of up to $350 to subsidize costs associated with presenting their research posters, papers, or creative works at in-person and virtual professional conferences. Please note, the Office of Undergraduate Research does not provide funds for conference attendance only; grants are meant for students who will present their work. For details, eligibility requirements, and link to the application please visit: http://go.illinois.edu/OUR_CTG

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2021 at 11:59pm. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research at ugresearch@illinois.edu.

Colors of Faith:

If you are interested in diversity and inclusion, dancing for fun, and learning about other faiths, then Colors of Faith hopes to have you! Colors of Faith is an interfaith dance team that celebrates religious diversity and unity through their art. They dance to devotional and cultural songs of various religions. Having danced to Jewish, Sikh, Christian, and Hindu songs in the past, they hope to continue their celebration of faith as they grow. Students and community members of all identities are welcome! No prior dance experience is required to join.

Virtual clinics will be on Thursday, February 11 from 9-10pm CST. During clinics, you will have a chance to learn the dance and meet the current team members! RSVP for clinics at bit.ly/COFrsvp

Colors of Faith is recruiting for spring 2021!

Auditions:

Send audition video to colors.cu@gmail.com by
Sunday, Feb 14  /  11:59 pm CST 

Environment Leadership Program:

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a new initiative launched this spring by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE). Targeted at undergraduate students, the Program will include pre-professional workshops, field trips, and networking opportunities.

iSEE is piloting two ELP workshops in Spring 2021: March 24 on environmental policy; and April 13 on corporate sustainability. Up to 25 students may register for each event, which are scheduled on campus non-instructional break days.

These workshops will allow students to develop their sustainability leadership and communication skills, to learn about relevant career paths in sustainability, and to establish valuable networking connections. Successful professionals in the environmental policy and corporate sustainability fields will lead the sessions.

More details will be forthcoming on the workshops, but registration is now open. Visit the Program page for more information and for links to register! >>>

Career Readiness:

One micro goal you might set this semester is to attend a career fair simply to get experience meeting with employers. Set your account up in Handshake and join a Life + Career Design Community to join like-minded students in reaching that goal!

Gilman International Scholarship Information Session and Writing Workshop:

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is a need-based award for students pursuing study abroad opportunities. The National and International Scholarships Program is offering a writing workshop for which you can register here.

Today, Friday, Feb. 5, 3pm, via Zoom!

Undergraduate Research Workshop:

Next week the Office of Undergraduate Research will host online workshops including their popular “Value of Undergraduate Research” (why you should participate) and “Getting Started in Undergraduate Research” (how to find opportunities and identify/contact a mentor). You are encouraged to take advantage of the resources offered by them. You can find more information about the workshops here https://calendars.illinois.edu/list/6175.

Need to Meet with an LAS Advisor?

To contact a college-level advisor, use the online chat, online advising appointment calendar and queue, and online forms for program change requests.

Find a list of unit and college advisors along with hours and contact information on the college website.

Summer Institute for Languages of the Muslim World (SILMW):

The Summer Institute for Languages of the Muslim World (SILMW) is an annual intensive language program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This summer SILMW will take place from June 14 to August 7, 2021, and will be offering Arabic, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, and Wolof. These languages can assist students in securing international positions in governmental, development, and academic sectors. The program is 8 weeks and is divided into two, 4-week semesters. This is an immersive experience, complete with instruction, cultural activities, opportunities for language practice, conversation tables, cooking classes, movie nights, and more!

When you complete the program, not only will you be able to hold a conversation in a new language and have earned up to 10 credits.

The following selected web pages might be of interest to you, should you want to learn more about the program:

Prospective Students

Frequently Asked Questions

Summer 2021 General Schedule

Summer 2021 Activities Schedule

For more general information, visit the website https://linguistics.illinois.edu/languages/summer-institute-languages-muslim-world.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact the SILMW at silmw@illinois.edu.

Winner of the Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship:

The winner of the 2020-2021 Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship is Amara Bivins. This scholarship is made possible from 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 2020-2021 school year.

English faculty judges had this to say about Amara’s poetry:

“These poems stood out for their strong argument, urgency of their stakes, and for the clarity of their composition.  This is a talented young poet who will likely develop even further into a singular voice.”

Congratulations to Amara on her win and excellent writing. Thank you to everyone who submitted this year.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

Advising and intercollegiate transfer/curriculum changes for Spring 2021
Through Friday, Feb. 5

Last day to add a full-semester course
Through Friday, Feb. 5

Break – non instructional day
Wednesday, Feb. 17

Last day to drop or C/NC first eight-week course
Friday, Feb. 19

Advising and intercollegiate transfer/curriculum changes for fall 2021
Monday, March 1 through Friday, March 26

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Weekly Round-Up

sigma tau delta info session:

Join Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, on Wednesday February 3 at 6:00 pm on Zoom (link attached below). You can learn more about our organization and what we have to offer. Members have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other English students, participate in volunteer opportunities, conferences, and social events (safely on Zoom or at a distance!), and work on your writing skills with chances to publish your papers! Email us at sigmataudeltaillinois@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/5785282196?pwd=aXdCM0hyc0JzYmQrdlMrNjV2Z3djZz09

Meeting ID: 578 528 2196
Password: alma2020

Part-Time Job Fair:

The Career Center’s Part-Time Job Fair is taking place on Tuesday, February 2nd from 11am-1pm virtually in Handshake. On-campus and local employers will be hiring students for paid, part-time work opportunities during the spring and/or summer. Register NOW for 1:1 and group sessions: Student Registration for PT Job Fair.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Information Events:

Are you interested in study abroad, but concerned about the cost?

The Gilman International Scholarship Program provides awards of $5,000 (plus up to a $3,000 supplement for critical languages) for U.S. citizen undergraduate students to pursue summer, semester, or academic-year study abroad opportunities in other countries. This is a need-based award, and to be eligible, you must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant.

The National and International Scholarships Program will assist in reviewing your scholarship application material. To get you started, they are offering a two-day informational event about the Gilman Scholarship.

  1. Gilman International Scholarship Information Session

When: Feb 4, 2021 03:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkf-Cgrj8oGdJVLJj9YqazvNmyQv6wq2ax 

  1. Gilman International Scholarship Writing Workshop

When: Feb 5, 2021 03:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oce6vqzooH9dTrCn2Setuf3w9RaZ3er9X 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information, contact the scholarships office at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit their website.

Internship Opportunity with LAS:

LAS is looking for interns and we encourage you to apply! More information can be found here Apply to be an LAS intern | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois.

Call for Submissions:

There is an exciting opportunity for English majors to publish in a national, peer-edited undergraduate journal. The Madison Journal of Literary Criticism at UW-Madison is devoted to publishing outstanding essays of undergraduate literary analysis, and the journal is soliciting submissions of 8-20 pages for its tenth issue. This is an excellent and rare opportunity for you to gain recognition for your work in literary criticism.

Submissions and any questions can be sent to mjlc@rso.wisc.edu. The deadline to be included in the tenth issue is March 1st, but submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information and previous issues, click here https://dept.english.wisc.edu/TheMJLC/.

In-Person Confidential Advising Services:

The WRC is now conducting walk-in services for those who cannot safely meet virtually or over the phone, Monday – Thursday. To speak with one of our Confidential Advisors, call the Women’s Resource Center from a safe number at 217-333-3137 or e-mail us at womenscenter@illinois.edu.

For more information, visit https://oiir.illinois.edu/support-services.

CHLH 126: Campus Acquaintance Rape Education:

Want to Change the World? Register for CHLH 125 Today!

  • 3 credit hours
  • Virtual course
  • Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:30 – 4:50 p.m. CST
  • Spring 2021

Learn about:

  • Supporting survivors
  • Media and rape culture
  • Healthy relationships

For questions, email fycare@illinois.edu.

Virtual Book Club & Author Event:

Join the WRC, Women & Gender in Global Perspectives, and the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center for a virtual book club! They will be diving into Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by activist, writer, and Illinois alum, Mikki Kendall.

The book club will be held on Monday, February 15 @ 6 p.m. CST. Register now – the first 30 registrants will receive a free copy of the book! Register for the book club here https://illinois.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KoR5hOWTR0y3nrqYbB_I9g.

The author event will be held on Tuesday, March 2 @ 6 p.m. CST. Mikki Kendall herself will join the club for a (virtual) author talk and share what led her to write Hood Feminism and more. For the author even, register here https://illinois.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_apAetqoLT023K4BfEhTEXg.

RBG: Free Virtual Film Screening and Filmmaker Conversation

Women & Gender in Global Perspectives and the Women’s Resources Center will host a virtual screening of the acclaimed documentary, RBG. This film follows the life and legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and it will be available for viewing, for free, beginning at 4 p.m. CST on Tuesday, February 16th until 4 p.m. CST Thursday, February 18th.

On Wednesday, February 15th at 4 p.m. CST, there will also be a virtual conversation with the film’s directors, Julie Cohen and Betsy West.

2nd Annual International Women’s Day Photography Contest

March 8th is International Women’s Day! As part of the annual celebration events, including Women’s History Month throughout March, the Women’s Resources Center, OIIR-International Education and International Student and Scholar Services are hosting the 2nd annual photography contest. The top awards will be given during the Global Engagement Lounge on March 10, 2021. Share your talent and submit an original photo that celebrates women’s achievements, experience, and resilience here Illinois Identity Provider Selection. Deadline for submission is February 24, 2021.

Legal Studies Minor – Info Session:

The Pre-Law Advising Services Office will be hosting an Information Session regarding the Legal Studies Minor on Friday, February 5 at 1:00 pm.  There will be a brief program overview followed by Q&A.  Eligibility for the minor requires completion of 30 hours of course work, however, interested students of any class year are highly encouraged to attend!  Spring applications for the Minor open in February.

For more information about the Legal Studies Minor visit: Legal Studies Minor – University of Illinois College of Law. REGISTER ONLINE by February 4 to attend.

Creative Writing’s New Faculty Reading:

Join Creative Writing for a reading by two of its new faculty members in poetry: Ángel García and Christopher Kempf. The reading will take place Thursday, February 4 at 4:30 CST. The Zoom information is below:

Zoom Meeting Link:

https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84015260179?pwd=Q01PZHRJOUVIVlFpQUpHajAwcit6Zz09

Meeting ID: 840 1526 0179

Password: CWUIUC

Undergraduate Research Workshops:

The Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research will be conducting a number of research workshops in Spring 2021. More information can be found here: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/workshops.html

Remote Learning Help:

TAP at UIUC is offering free ZOOM workshops to support remote learning. After attending one of these workshops, you will have an individualized plan to:

  • stay on top of lectures and assignments
  • make the best use of your time
  • focus your attention to better learn the material

Pick a time to fit your schedule:

Tuesday February 2, 12-1pm

Thursday February 4, 6-7pm

Friday February 5, 12-1pm

Continued support for non-traditional learners will be offered at TAP throughout the semester. Attend to learn more. For questions or more information, contact jjkramer@illinois.edu. All attendees must register at: https://go.illinois.edu/startsmart

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End-of-Break Round Up

kevin T. Early Memorial scholarship for first-year poets

The Creative Writing Program would like to announce the 2020-2021 academic year’s Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is made possible from 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 2020-2021 school year. The deadline for application is January 28, 2021.

For consideration, students must submit 5 poems via email to John Dudek, the Associate Director of Creative Writing at: jdudek4@illinois.edu. The complete manuscript 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 your name, address, phone number, e-mail, UIN, and the titles of your poems. Your name is not to appear on the entry file itself. 

Secondary education minor application due by Feb 1

The Spring application for Secondary Education Minor will close February 1st. If you are a Sophomore who has completed all the pre-reqs for applying and have above a 2.5 in all GPAs, you should apply at this time.

The application can be found  here: https://education.illinois.edu/programs/information-for/ui-students-applying-to-the-minor

For questions and concerns, please set up a meeting with Amanda Heinsman, Academic Advisor to Secondary Education Minors, using this link Appointments for Secondary Education Advising – Online scheduling (oncehub.com). Also, Amanda will be happy to help with application essays if you would like someone to look over them.

Apply for NCSA’s SPIN Internships by Feb 15!

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has a history of nurturing innovative concepts, and some of the best ideas have come from highly motivated, creative undergraduate students. The Students Pushing INnovation (SPIN) internship program was launched to provide University of Illinois undergraduates with the opportunity to participate in hands-on research and contribute to interdisciplinary projects covering focused research areas in Culture and Society, Earth and Environment, Bioinformatics and Health Sciences, Material and Manufacturing, Data and Computational Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Digital Agriculture. The SPIN program is now accepting applicants for the Summer 2021 session. To apply, please visit our website, spin.ncsa.illinois.edu, and click on the “Mentors” tab to learn about the summer projects, and then click on the “Apply” tab. The applications are due February 15, 2021.

SPIN Summer 2021 session information:

  • Program dates: June 7 – July 30, 2021
  • Work 20 hours/week for 8 weeks
  • SPIN interns earn $12.50 per hour and are paid as Undergraduate Hourly employees
  • Any UIUC undergraduate student in good academic standing
  • No restriction on year of study or major
  • International students are eligible

COVID-19 note: NCSA adheres to the remote-work protocol mandated by the University of Illinois until the restrictions are lifted. SPIN interns will be allowed to work remotely this summer if NCSA continues following the remote-work protocol due to the pandemic. Otherwise, the SPIN program will be considering case-by-case applicant circumstances, and interns may be allowed to work remotely.

Upcoming HPRC Events

Sign up for one or more of the following zoom events through Handshake; for more info and links to each event see https://humanitiesprc.web.illinois.edu/.

Jan 21 at 4 pm – Senior Series: Where and How to Start that Job Search. Get some tips for getting started, knowing where to look for job openings, making use of campus resources (including virtual career fair). We’ll have a brief presentation, followed by Q&A.

Jan 26 at 4 pm – 6 pm – Focus Group: Seniors. Meet up with us and fellow students to ask questions, compare notes, get advice (no presentation — just friendly chat!)

Jan 27 at 4 pm- 6 pm– How to Maximize LinkedIn and Handshake. Get tips for curating your profile, making connections, and using these platforms to get hired.

Illinois Business Council Virtual Info Night
 
Business Council is a professional organization on campus, welcoming to students in ALL majors, that focuses on developing well-rounded individuals to explore their passions in any given career.  They will be holding a virtual information night is on Monday, January 25, 2021, at 7:30 pm.  See https://illinoisbusinesscouncil.com/contact/ for more information and a zoom link. 
ILC Spring 2021 Training Opportunities-
https://leadership.illinois.edu/spring-2021

Online Blended Inclusion i-Program
In a blended format (online self-paced learning and facilitated discussion via Zoom), participants will investigate concepts such as equity, equality, diversity, inclusion, and privilege. To learn more about this i-Program, go to http://leadership.illinois.edu/i-programs.
Participants must fully complete the self-paced module at least five (5) days prior to participating in the Zoom discussion session.
• Registration Opens- January 25th
• Registration Closes- February 19th
• Compass Modules Due- February 22nd at 11:59pm
• Zoom Session (mandatory)- February 27th from 10am-12pm

Online Blended Ignite i-Program
In a blended format (online self-paced learning and facilitated discussion via Zoom), participants will investigate concepts such as systems thinking, coalition building, and approaches to leading change initiatives. To learn more about this i-Program, go to http://leadership.illinois.edu/i-programs.
Participants must fully complete the self-paced module at least five (5) days prior to participating in the Zoom discussion session.
• Registration Opens- February 19th
• Registration Closes- March 11th
• Compass Modules Due- March 14th at 11:59pm
• Zoom Session (mandatory)- March 19th from 10am-12pm

Online Integrity i-Program
In a self-paced format, participants will investigate their personal values and the intersection of ethics and integrity through online activities. To learn more about this i-Program, go to http://leadership.illinois.edu/i-programs.
Students will complete guided activities, watch videos, and respond to case studies. This module takes about 5 hours to complete.
• Registration Opens- March 19th
• Registration Closes- April 21st
• Compass Modules Due- April 24th at 11:59pm

ILC Workshop Wednesday Series
The ILC offers a workshop series on Wednesdays throughout the semester open to all Illinois students. Students can participate in any of the workshops whenever the workshop is being offered. These workshops are being facilitated in real time and are being offered online only. The link to the Zoom meeting will be shared to those who registered prior to the workshop. See https://leadership.illinois.edu/workshops for details. 

We CU Community Engaged Scholars Program

The We CU Community Engaged Scholars program empowers students to make a positive impact in the community while building their resume/CV and enriching their university experience. We CU honors students for their community-based work and provides them with training, connection to like minded peers, access to service opportunities with partner organizations, and support from We CU program leaders. Scholars will complete all projects individually or as part of a course or group and track their service hours and activities online.

Learn more during an information session at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 28. Register for the info session even if you can’t attend so that you will receive a link to the recording and instructions for joining the program.

Looking for an interesting US Minority Culture Gen Ed? 

Check out CWL  204: US Border Literatures and Cultures with Eric Calderwood!  Exploration of the cultures, experiences, and conditions of people living on and around the borders of the United States. In particular, this semester the course will consider the ways literary and cultural production can help us understand the emergence—and the emergency—of climate change. Through the study of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and film, we will investigate the historical development, present crises, and possible futures of a warming world. Authors might include: Jesmyn Ward, Ben Lerner, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Craig Santos Perez, and Amitav Ghosh.

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Weekly Round-Up

Open Seats in Popular Leadership Courses:

There are open seats in the following four leadership courses this spring. These leadership courses would benefit you in developing the essential interpersonal and leadership skills for your future success in any field.

LEAD 140 (1st and 2nd eight weeks – online): Harnessing Your Interpersonal Intelligence lets you look inward. Practice self-awareness and self-management to gain control of who you are and what you want. Open to students with freshmen, sophomore, or junior standing.

LEAD 170 (2nd eight weeks – online): Leading Student Organizations helps you develop the tools to effectively lead student organizations. Learn elements of effective organizations and strategies for leading other people. Open to students with freshmen, sophomore, or junior standing.

LEAD 260 (full semester – both in person and online options): Foundations of Leadership focuses on what kind of leader you want to be to make a difference in your world. Explore diversity, foundational and contemporary approaches to leadership, and more to learn how to more effectively work with and lead others. Online lecture with both in person and online discussion sections available. Fulfills a Social & Behavioral Science Gen Ed requirement. Required course for the Leadership Studies Minor.

LEAD 470 (1st eight weeks – online): Leading Professional Organizations and Communities is all about developing the tools you need to lead professional, academic, and community organizations of all shapes and sizes. This course is for seniors.

For questions, contact Dr. Jenn Smist at jsmist@illinois.edu.

Space Available in HUM 275:

There is room still available in HUM 275: Careers for Humanities Majors (CRN 70726): 2-credit, full-semester, meets synchronously online on Wednesdays from 4pm to 5:50. Registration is limited to juniors and seniors in humanities majors.

Students in the course will have the opportunity to explore the skills and strengths that they developed in their major, connect with alumni from their programs, practice networking, craft effective career documents (resumes, cover letters, online profiles, creative portfolios), and get a more in-depth understanding of the career paths that are open to them.

Colors of Faith:

If you are interested in diversity and inclusion, dancing for fun, and learning about other faiths, then Colors of Faith is the right place for you. Colors of Faith is an interfaith dance team that aims to celebrate religious diversity, and to promote unity and mutual understanding through their art. They dance to devotional and cultural songs of various religions, and having danced to Jewish, Sikh, Christian, and Hindu songs in the past hope to continue their celebration of these faiths as well as expand. Students and community members of all identities are welcome. No prior dance experience is required to join. If this resonates with you, fill out this interest form: bit.ly/cof2021. Colors of Faith will keep you updated on the dates of their clinics and auditions (likely in January/February 2021).

New Gies Business Course:

A new course offering will be available to all campus sophomore, junior, and senior level students at 10:00 AM CST on January 6, 2021. The course is Business Data Innovation 199: Data Storytelling. It is a great elective option for students with an interest in building an understanding of data science and how to communicate with others about data. There is no expectation of a coding/programming background. It is a full semester course with no prerequisites. Feel free to contact at accy@illinois.edu if you have any questions.