Beginning Monday, August 26, the Graduate College will no longer close over the lunch hour. Our hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you have questions or need help you can also reach out to our Student Service Team at grad@illinois.edu or schedule a one-on-one meeting with Graduate College staff who specialize in career advising, academic coaching, fellowship applications and thesis support.

Co-sponsored by Illinois Human Resources and the Graduate College, this employee orientation provides information for teaching, research, pre-professional, and graduate assistants regarding appointments and benefits. The same session is offered twice by Zoom: Tuesday, September 3, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. (Join) and Thursday, September 5, 9:00  – 10:30 a.m. (Join).

The draft Spring 2024 list is now available at go.illinois.edu/lotrae. If your course is missing, check your instructor report against the criteria in the draft list. At least five students must have completed the relevant item(s) and you must have released your sections for inclusion on the list. For questions or corrections, email ices@illinois.edu or call 217-244-3846. 

Free speech and academic freedom are foundational to our university’s missions of discovery and exploration. Questioning ideas, posing alternative opinions and presenting different perspectives is how we create knowledge and help everyone to have more meaningful engagement with the world around them. Please educate yourself about relevant laws and policies as you decide how, when and where you add your voice and share your unique perspectives with others here at Illinois this year via go.illinois.edu/freespeech.

August 25 is the last day to cancel registration via Self-Service and receive a 100% refund. The refund schedule for Fall 2024 can be found on the Registrar's website. Students enrolled in non-standard part of term courses should refer to their graduate program for deadline information. Have questions about registration deadlines or submitting a Withdrawal/Cancellation form? Click here for an advising appointment!

August 30 is the last day to add a Part of Term A course via Self-Service or drop a Part of Term A course and receive a refund if reducing assessment range; and to submit a form to elect to audit a Part of Term A course. Have questions about registration deadlines or submitting an Audit form? Click here for an advising appointment!

International students on F-1 and J-1 student visas must be enrolled full time in the Fall and Spring terms to maintain their status. When finalizing your registration for the upcoming Fall 2024 term, international students should remember that while they may enroll in online courses, only one online course (up to a maximum of three credit hours) may count towards this full-time requirement. It is important that you finalize your full-time registration prior to the 10th day of classes (September 9) to maintain your status.

 Get Fresh features not only weekly sourced produce from the Sustainable Student Farm but also baked goods from a local cottage bakery, Tooth Butter, based in Urbana. Tooth Butter bread and sweets are made with local, organic ingredients. You won't want to miss this opportunity to explore and support local business! 

We are excited to invite you to join GLOBE! GLOBE 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. More information found here: https://go.illinois.edu/GLOBE Submit your interest form via this link!  https://go.illinois.edu/GLOBEInterestForm  

The National Science Foundation offers Graduate Research Fellowships to US citizens & permanent residents in STEM, social science, & STEM education fields. The application requires two statements, & the Graduate College will offer workshops on each. The next Research Plan Statement workshop takes place Aug 30, 2-4 (Register), & the next Personal Statement workshop takes place Sept 3, 3-4:30 (Register). Interested students should first explore our new self-guided NSF-GRF Fundamentals Canvas course. See the recent GradFELLOWSHIPS newsletter for details on these and additional workshops.

Get a great headshot to make the best impression. The Professional Portrait Lab in the Illini Union Room 335 offers free student headshots during the academic year, starting August 28. Hours for fall semester are Mondays from 1-2:30 p.m.; Wednesdays from 3:15-4:30 p.m., and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m.-Noon. 

Going on the academic job market? You’ll need a strong CV that presents your academic background and experience convincingly. And you’ll need a compelling cover letter that highlights your experience and fit with the department. Join us and learn the basics of preparing these application materials, including structure, content, and customization. You can join in person (Graduate College, 507 E. Green St., Champaign) or on Zoom.

Over 45 campus and local employers participating! The Illinois Part-Time Job Fair on September 4, from 1- 5 p.m. at the Illini Union is open to all Illinois students seeking opportunities to earn extra money and build career skills while in school. The fair features part-time, non-technical positions on campus and in the Champaign-Urbana area. Casual attire is acceptable. Registration is encouraged but not required. To learn more and to register visit Handshake.

The Graduate College Mentoring Certificate supports and recognizes the development of intentional mentoring practices in academic contexts. The certificate is available to any graduate student or postdoc who completes these three requirements: 1) 3 hours of mentorship training; 2) engaging in a substantive mentoring experience; 3) a mentoring philosophy and three reflection essays. We will offer workshops on mentoring in October that will fulfill the first requirement.

For support on your academic writing or presentation skills, the ESL Program offers advanced 8-week courses for international graduate students. ESL 592, Advanced Academic Writing, teaches students the conventions of academic writing in their own discipline through self-directed learning with individualized support. ESL 593, Academic Presentation Skills, improves students’ skills in speaking and presenting research in academic settings. Get individualized support in publishing an article, writing your dissertation, or preparing to present at a conference! REGISTER NOW! Seating is limited.

Schedule in-person, online, or written feedback appointments at the Writers Workshop to receive feedback on your writing. The Workshop provides tailored presentations for courses and student organizations by request, and we host presentations throughout the semester about common academic writing concerns. View our calendar for upcoming workshops and events!

Start the semester the "write" way! Our hybrid writing group provides grad students with dedicated time to make progress on any writing project in a supportive atmosphere. Each meeting consists of a short goal-setting conversation, quiet writing time, and a concluding reflection and wrap-up. You only need to register once with your U of I email to receive weekly email reminders all semester! 

Help your students understand appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in your class with the updated "AI in This Course" Canvas module from the University Library. It includes a beginner-friendly summary of how AI works, a customizable AI policy, and guidelines for citing AI. You can find this module in the Canvas Commons by searching for "University Library."  

This hybrid workshop offers a beginner-friendly introduction to how tools like ChatGPT generate text. We'll explore best practices for using AI in your scholarship, creative practice, and work. There will be plenty of room for experimentation and questions!

All Illinois users can now use a trusted certificate to connect to the campus Wi-Fi network, IllinoisNet. A trusted certificate is a more secure way to connect to the network compared to using a NetID and password and it lasts for five years. To get started go to the Connect to Wi-Fi webpage and follow the prompts to activate your trusted certificate and connect to IllinoisNet.

Students can benefit from using Illinois AnyWare, a service providing access to over 100 applications for students working anywhere. It is a remote desktop environment where users may access software securely and save files to and from their own device (Windows, MacOS, Linux). 

Illinois Student Council (ISC) is the university’s official form of student government, advocating for the betterment of our campus community with integrity and transparency. There is one open position for graduate students to represent the interests of students and advocate for the betterment of the campus community. This is a commitment of 2-3 hours/week, including a weekly Student Congress meeting (Thursdays, 7 pm) and an assigned committee meeting. Learn more about ISC. Complete this form if you are interested in filling one of the open positions for the 2024-25 academic year.

Looking for a flexible volunteer opportunity while meeting new people and having fun at the same time? The IEI is looking for English-speaking volunteers to meet with international students for conversation and cultural exchange for one hour a week during the fall semester. You'll be helping students adapt to campus and you'll learn about another culture at the same time!

The Amazon Trusted AI Challenge aims to enhance the safety, reliability, and trustworthiness of LLMs powering AI-assisted software development tools. This challenge looks to inspire developers, scientists, and researchers to create solutions that enhance AI-assisted coding tools' ability to protect users and systems. Amazon will select up to 10 teams for the competition. Each of the selected teams will receive $250,000 in sponsorship and monthly AWS credits, winning teams have a chance to win an additional $700,000 in cash prizes.

Flatlands Dance Film Festival presents BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCEHALL. The documentary film features an entrancing cast of Jamaican and New York luminaries who share their community story of building a cultural bridge between Jamaica and New York through dancehall.

Quad Day is one of Illinois's largest traditions! More than 700 student organizations host booths to promote their mission and recruit prospective students. Join us and explore the many opportunities to engage with Student Organizations and connect with your fellow students.

Exclusively for Illinois! The Career Center and JCPenney invite you to the annual JCPenney Suit-Up Event on September 8, 2024, from 4-8 p.m. Save up to 45% on select career wear, shoes, and accessories. You'll receive your JCPenney coupon upon check-in at the store; please bring your University ID. Registration is encouraged but not required. The Career Center will be providing limited shuttle service to and from campus. For more details and to register visit Handshake.

Bienvenidos! Welcome back to campus, familia! Paleta Social is La Casa Cultural Latina's annual welcome event featuring  over 35 Latinx Student Organizations, learning about our resources, music, dancing, and of course - free paletas!! Students, Staff, and Faculty are invited to attend with your i-card or Illinois App! Nos Vemos! 

Meet Illinois' 2024 cohort of Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows and the Illinois students who participated in the Health Equity Research Experience at Mayo Clinic for 10 weeks this summer. Learn about their Mayo Clinic research projects during a poster session, followed by a recognition ceremony. Light refreshments will be served. Register by Aug. 29.

Registration is now open for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Plant Sciences Symposium 2024. Don't miss this exciting event on August 30 (this Friday), available both in person and via Zoom. Enjoy an inspiring lineup of speakers. Register today!

Learn about NCSA’s DeltaAI supercomputer powered by NVIDIA’s Arm-based GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip. DeltaAI will triple NCSA’s AI-focused computing capacity and greatly expand the NSF-funded advanced computing ecosystem. NVIDIA’s Dr. John Linford will overview the GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip and cover topics to help researchers utilize DeltaAI effectively. Register here by Aug 28.

Join us for a special Grainger Engineering Conversations event featuring Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube. Chen will share insights from his journey from Grainger Engineering student to tech innovator, offering a firsthand account of the entrepreneurial path that led to YouTube's creation. This event is open to all students, faculty and staff. Sitting is limited. Live Stream available on Youtube.

If you or a student you know may need support with their basic needs or financial stressors, please reach out.

The University of Illinois Counseling Center provides mental health counseling and well-being education for students. 

McKinley Health Center serves on-campus students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.