Follow the department on social media!
Important Dates and Deadlines
- September 20: Deadline to DROP a FIRST 8-WEEK (aka Part of Term A) course
- October 18: Deadline to DROP a FULL SEMESTER (aka Part of Term 1) course
Questions? As always, see our advising website for contact information and instructions for scheduling appointments.
Don’t forget to stop by the advising office to pick up your free English Department T-shirt! Any time before 4:15 today or next week between 9 and noon or between 1 and 4.
Upcoming ESA Events
Literary Conversations– HAPPENING TODAY!
On 20 September, the Trowbridge Initiative will host Sunny Xiang in conversation with Joe Ponce, and Lucy Alford in conversation with Rachel Galvin to discuss their recent studies in American literary history in the Illini Union (Room 210). Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Kimberly Mack at the Krannert—HAPPENING TODAY
As part of the Pygmalion Festival our own Professor Mack will be in conversation with the poet Allison Joseph at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, September 20 at 6pm. She will read from, and talk about, her 33 1/3 contribution, Living Colour’s Time’s Up.
Become an I-Connect Facilitator
Diversity & Social Justice Education is Hiring I-Connect Peer Educators to facilitate group discussions around inclusion & belonging. Gain leadership skills! Make a positive impact in your campus community!
$15/hour, up to 9 hrs/week, must be a 2nd, 3rd or 4th year student, must be an undergraduate student and must be passionate about social justice. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. Submit an application here, starting September 4, 2024.
ATLAS Internship Program
Information Sessions:
Wednesday, September 25 4-5pm in the English Building – Room 15
Thursday, September 26 4-5pm in the Literatures Cultures and Linguistics Building Room G8C
An intern made a video navigating to these Internship Offices because they are sometimes hard to find: https://go.illinois.edu/findinternoffice
The flier says apply now, but applications will open October 1st for the Spring semester program.
If students have questions they’d like to email – please use Atlas-internships@illinois.edu
ACES + LAS Career Fair Coming Up!
Upcoming Pre-Law Programs
In the upcoming weeks we have some exciting programming available students interested in learning more about the pre-law path, including the Illinois Law School Fair on October 1 at the Illini Union. Below are further details.
- Northwestern Master of Science in Law Information Session | September 23 – for students looking for unique legal education and career opportunities in the intersection of Law, STEM, and Business.
- Pre-Law 101 Workshops | September 24, October 16, and November 14 – our introductory workshop for interested students, particularly freshman and sophomore students. Additional sessions will be offered in the spring semester.
- Law School Fair & Law Admissions Panel | October 1
- Drafting Your Application Workshops | October 10 and October 28
All upcoming events can be found our PLAS Events calendar.
Reception for and Reading by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program
The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2025 cohort.
URAP provides students with little or no research experience the opportunity to work with graduate students and post-doctoral scholars on their research projects, explore the culture and process of research, and build on their existing abilities within a community of scholars. In Spring 2025, the undergraduate portion of URAP will consist of two equally important parts: a one-on-one research experience with their research mentor, and the Introduction to Research course. The course is designed to complement the research mentoring experience, orienting undergraduate mentees to broader topics in the research process.
Participation in URAP is by application only; the application portal is now open. Students selected to be part of URAP are expected to commit to: (1) attending the regular weekly class meetings of GC 295, Introduction to Research (3 credit hours) with Office of Undergraduate Research instructors; and (2) working one-on-one with their research mentors, an average of 5-6 hours per week. As part of the course requirement, students will complete a final project, consisting of a poster, to be presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, an annual event on April 24, 2025.
The deadline for students to apply is October 11, 2024, at 11:59 pm. For more information about URAP, including research project abstracts, and how to apply to the program, please visit our website: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html
Informational Meetings
Get tips on creating a good statement of interest, why you should participate, and get your questions answered at our upcoming informational meetings. We have three sessions: September 13 (in-person), September 18 (in-person), and September 27 (virtual). No registration required; time and locations (including Zoom link) can be found on our program webpage: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/urap.html
Ecojustice Book Club: Parable of the Sower
Join the staff of the Women’s Resources Center as part of the 2024 Ecojustice Series as we discuss “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler. Parable of the Sower is a dystopian novel that depicts a future United States struggling with socio-economic inequality, racism, and classism. Butler describes the book as a cautionary tale that comments on what American society might look like if we don’t change.
Please be aware that this novel contains allusions to sexual violence, torture, and other forms of violence. We encourage participants to prioritize their self care and feel free to stop reading at any point.
Book Club will take place at the Women’s Resources Center on Thursday, October 3, from 4:00-5:00pm (616 E Green Street Suite 213).
Limited copies of the book are available on a first come, first serve basis by request. Register at go.illinois.edu/EcoBookClub
Call for Submissions
Hello! My name is Miao Wang, and I am the Editor-in-Chief of Rainy Day, Cornell University’s longest-running undergraduate literary magazine, which has published outstanding works of poetry and fiction since 1969. We accept submissions from undergraduate students throughout the nation, including those at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We are pleased to share the opportunity for English and Creative Writing students to submit their poetry, short fiction, short plays, and any other literary works to Rainy Day this semester. The deadline for this round of submissions is November 10.
For more information or to view past issues of the magazine, please visit our website at https://www.rainydaymagazine.org/. In addition, please do not hesitate to contact us at rainydaycornell@gmail.com if you have further questions.
Don’t Forget These!
Submit to Montage
Montage publishes work by undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is now accepting submissions through (tentative date) February 14, 2025.
See this page for more details or email montagejournal@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Need Help With Research?
Peer Mentors are in the Hub!
With the return of the Peer Mentors in the Hub, here are a few reasons to head to the Hub in Lincoln Hall (Tues, Weds, Thurs from 10- 3):
- building a resume from scratch or a quick look before a career fair
- connecting to research around campus
- learning how to gain some other experience to gain insights about your skills and preferences for future jobs
- finding that RSO or other group that are around to join
- Career Services has special drop-in times on Tues, Weds (10-noon)
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.
Paid Internship Opportunity
Illinois Club Scholarships
Through endowments housed with the University of Illinois Foundation, the Illinois Club provides financial support to worthy UI undergraduate students. This year, we will be awarding scholarships to students in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Global Studies, Education, STEM fields, and the Fine Arts. Applicants must have earned at least 60 credit hours by the beginning of the Spring 2025 semester and may graduate no earlier than December 2025. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required at the time of application and at the time of winning the award. Applications will open on September 3, 2024 and close on October 12, 2024 at 5 PM. Find more details about each scholarship and about the application process here.
New Course! FAA 448: Crip* Collective Advanced Study
LAS Career Services Upcoming Events!
City Year Fair Preparation Workshop, Sept 24, 3-5 pm in the LAS Lisnek Hub (Lincoln Hall). Join us in an interactive session to help you prepare for the career fair and an overview of City Year. You can work on crafting your pitch, reviewing your resume, and learning to chat with recruiters effectively. Plus, enjoy pizza while you prepare!
Feldco Coffee Chat, Sept 26, 1-3:00 pm in Hub (Lincoln Hall). Feldco is excited to invite students to our upcoming Coffee Chat, where you’ll have the chance to learn about our company’s journey and the exciting internship opportunities we offer (digital marketing, financial planning, human resources, or analysis). Join us to explore how you can contribute to a company that has been a cornerstone of Midwestern home improvement for over 40 years.
Speak with a Diplomat – Sept 27, 10-11:30 am in the LAS Lisnek Hub (Lincoln Hall). Hear Susan Falatko, Diplomat in Residence, as she returns to us for the 3rd time. Come with all your questions about the application process, recruiting, and the various opportunities available. She will be at the ACES + LAS career fair as well.
Interested in volunteering in the local community?
Participate in iHelp 2024 on October 5th from 10am – 4pm!
Presented by Student Alumni Ambassadors, iHelp is the signature campus-wide day of service in the fall that brings together students, their surrounding community, and university alumni in an organized effort to create a culture of giving at the University of Illinois. Each year, over a thousand students come together to assist dozens of agencies across the Champaign-Urbana area in a display of gratitude to the community we call home. The Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA) handle the logistics of the event, advertise the availability of volunteers to service agencies, and recruit students to participate. We strive to encourage students to realize the effect they have on the community via service in order to better not just the city, but also themselves.
Register now! Whether you want to get your RSO involved or just yourself, we would love to have you! All registration forms and other event info can be found at https://www.illinisaa.com/ihelp . Please reach out to us with any questions at illinivpoutreach@gmail.com.
Join the Skeuomorphics!
The Skeuomorph Press and Book Lab is housed in the FabLab, where they have a variety of resources relating to the history and art of the book (think letterpress printing, book binding, zine making, risograph, typewriters, word processing, and early home computing). The associated student organization, Skeuomorphics, is headed by one of our own English majors, Aaron Mukhopadhyay! For more info or to get involved, email skeuomorph-press@illinois.edu.
Join GLOBE in FA24 & Make Friends!
GLOBE, sponsored by International Education (Student Affairs) stands for Global Leaders Orange and Blue Engagement. The goal of GLOBE is to provide opportunities for all students to enhance intercultural communication skills, leadership experience, and build lifelong friendships. This program is open to all current students and can be repeated multiple times.
You will want to participate if you:
- Are a student at U of I (domestic or international)
- Have a sincere interest in sharing your culture and building relationships
- Have an interest in getting involved in campus life
- Want to develop intercultural communication and leadership skills
More information found here: https://go.illinois.edu/GLOBE
Submit your interest via this link: https://go.illinois.edu/GLOBEInterestForm
Undergraduate Research Workshops
Check out workshops offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research. You’ll find a list here with schedules and registration links (space is limited)!
Business Opportunities Open to All
New Mentoring Program
The Mentoring Academy exists to create a community of Mexican-American/Latino students where they feel supported and empowered to reach their full potential. The program seeks to inspire future generations of Latino leaders who are prepared to make significant contributions to the community and to provide additional professional support for Mexican and Mexican–American/Latino students.
The program is scheduled to run from September 4th to November 20th, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Sessions will be held in person at the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, located at 614 E Daniel St., Third Floor, Champaign, IL 61820, and will also be available remotely via Zoom for University of Illinois Springfield students. Click the link above to find out more.
