Whether you are studying on campus or around the world, we are so glad you are here. Next week is Graduate Student Welcome (Back) Week, and we want to help connect you with some of university resources and communities available to you. Keep an eye out for emails filled with fun next Tuesday through Friday. Stop by the Graduate College (507 E. Green St., Champaign) to enter drawings for prizes or grab a sticker or notebook. And be sure to check out the calendar of events happening all over campus. There is something here for you, whether you are in your first or seventh semester.

What is AI, is it useful for your research, and how can the University help support your exploration? In this 4-session workshop series, PhD students and postdocs will experiment with ways to use AI in their research process and reflect on its usefulness. IT professionals will lead hands-on exercises in these tools, followed by in-depth discussion. Topics will include getting started with generative AI, ethics & privacy, and working with qualitative and quantitative data. This is a collaboration between the Graduate College and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Registration Required

Graduate Assistant Employee Orientation (for TAs, RAs, GAs, and PGAs) 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. Offered twice: Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, September 4, 2025, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.

The University Library and the International Student & Scholar Services are delighted to welcome international graduate students and visiting scholars to participate in the 2025 Research Connection. This event connects international graduate students and visiting scholars with faculty advisors and campus research services. Spouses, partners, and children are welcome! 

The Speakers Workshop offers one-to-one assistance to students working on a speech or presentation, including poster presentations, conference presentations, and thesis defenses. Using your Illinois credentials, you can now make online and in-person appointments for the Fall 2025 semester using our shared scheduling software: https://illinois.mywconline.com/. Contact us at speakersworkshop@illinois.edu for questions, class visits, or to develop unique programming. 

If you are registered for Fall 2025, you will be auto enrolled in the Illinois Student Health Insurance Plan unless you waive (opt-out) coverage, no later than September 26, 2025. If you want to use your insurance prior to September 26, 2025, please complete Enrollment/Opting-In Student Health Insurance to expedite your coverage! Visit the Student Insurance website for additional information, including adding dependents, requesting an extension as well as information about dental and vision insurance.

October 31 is the last day to change your curriculum for the current term. This includes adding or dropping a campus approved minor or concentration. Please check your student program information in Self-Service to verify your program information is listed correctly. Information on how to change your curriculum is available online.

By the 10th Day of Classes, September 8, students should be correctly registered for Fall 2025. Check your registration before this date on Self Service to make sure your registration is correct. September 8 is the last day to submit a form to audit a semester course, request "In Absentia" registration via the Graduate College Student Portal, add a semester course via Self-Service, and drop a semester course and receive a refund if reducing assessment range. Students enrolled in non-standard part of term courses should refer to their graduate program for deadline information.

Join Illinois Extension and STEM Illinois for an interactive self-care workshop series at Lincoln Square Mall, in the University of Illinois STEM Office (Suite 110B). Sessions are September 4, 11, 18, 25; October 2, 9, 23, 30; November 6, 13, 20; and December 11, 18 from 10:30 AM–12:30 PM. Learn the importance of self-care, reflect on strengths and barriers, and create realistic plans to build resilience and sustainable routines. Lunch provided. Registration required at https://go.illinois.edu/SelfCareLincolnSquare.

Join us for a free monthly practice of the Tamarkoz concentration and meditation method, which includes relaxation, breathing exercises, slow meditative movements and visualization. The practice will be led by a licensed clinical psychologist. Sessions will be held the first Saturday of each month from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Wesley Student Center on W. Green St. The next session is Saturday Sept. 6. For free on-site childcare, please contact us.

McKinley Health Center Stress Management Peers (SMP) invite you to join us for a weekly Run/Walk/Roll for Resilience Club. This program, led by peers, is open to all fitness levels with more walking than running to start. We will work up to 30 minutes of moderate-vigorous activity and 5K distance with a focus on exercise for physical and mental health. If you are more experienced or need to re-start exercise, we welcome you to join us for the social aspect! We will meet in the Well-Being Lounge entrance at ARC at 5:30 pm and start walking/running at 5:45 pm on Tuesdays starting September 2nd.

Welcome (back) to campus! Enjoy some international snacks and drinks with cross-cultural learning activities. This program is open to all current students, regardless of race, color or national origin. 

The Food Assistance and Well-being Program is an emergency resource for Illinois students who are facing financial challenges and need short-term food and basic needs support. Our pantry offers a variety of items such as protein, dairy, fresh produce, canned goods, grains, and limited personal care items. Every week, students can choose to either make an appointment at the ARC Instructional Kitchen, schedule a pick-up at CRCE lockers, or visit a Wesley Food Pantry.

Many funding agencies require a personal statement in addition to an applicant’s research proposal. Why?! What on earth are you supposed to talk about? If these questions have induced writer’s block, this workshop is for you. We will assess the range of personal statement prompts you may encounter and distill their shared essence. Participants will learn the qualities of a compelling statement and practice writing techniques to arrive at a complete first draft. Please register at the link below for this online workshop. 

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal is a skill that can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grantwriting proficiency. In this workshop, tailored for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grantwriter. Please register at the link below for this online workshop. 

Interested in conducting 2-12 months of research in Germany? The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers research grants to students in any discipline except the fine arts (DAAD offers study scholarships for fine arts students). The University of Illinois is a "university partner" with DAAD, which means that two students seeking to conduct 7-12 months of research will have priority consideration in the national competition. The campus deadline for priority nomination is October 17. For details, visit the DAAD Grants for Doctoral Research in Germany listing in Fellowship Finder. 

In this session, we will discuss AI applications and how they can help with dissertation research. This session is open to all doctoral students. Please complete the form to register for the workshop. It will be conducted through Zoom. We are extending an invitation to master's degree students to attend this workshop. 

In this session, we partner with the Writers Workshop to cover the writing process of a literature review. This session is open to all doctoral students. Please complete the form to register for the workshop. It will be conducted through Zoom. Our team is extending an invitation to master's degree students to attend this workshop. We look forward to seeing you online. 

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! 

Schedule in-person, video call, 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!

Take your work with you anywhere with our virtual computer lab, Illinois AnyWare! Get optimized remote access to over 100 software applications—perfect for studying on campus, off campus or in class. Just log in, follow the prompts to install Citrix Workspace and you’re ready to go. Full details are on the Illinois AnyWare webpage. 

Joining a writing group is a great opportunity to develop a writing routine and schedule dedicated time to work on your thesis in a distraction-free setting. It's also a great way to connect with others! Join one of the Graduate Writing Groups being hosted by the Writers Workshop or form your own writing group with friends. Want more tips on developing writing habits? Our blog "How Good Writing Habits Lead to Short- & Long-term Payoffs" has you covered.

ORCID@Illinois provides all members of the campus research community with an easy way to obtain an ORCID iD and link it to their Illinois identity. ORCID iDs are unique, persistent identifiers that are being increasingly requested by funding agencies, publishers and professional associations worldwide. Whether you need an ORCID iD or already have one, get connected at ORCID@Illinois!

In this workshop, you will learn strategies for telling your story effectively in networking contexts, including introducing yourself and "elevator pitches." This session will be on Zoom at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace

What are the expectations for research statements on the faculty job market? What can make your statement stand out, and what are some common mistakes? This workshop will cover the purpose, structure, and content of research statements. No registration required. This workshop will take place on Zoom at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace.

Crafting Compelling Stories: A Hands-On Visual Storytelling Workshop- Facilitated by Amanda Rubin.The purpose of this workshop is to elevate participants’ research, professional and creative practice through visual narratives. Participants will be introduced to visual storytelling skills and methods, including storyboarding, mood boarding, and writing scripts, as well as working with and adapting archival materials. Participants will leave with the ability to use visual methods to craft compelling stories about their research, professional or creative interests.

The HRI Organize & Analyze: Social Movements Reading Group will discuss readings, films, short stories, plays, and poems on global working class social movements to inform our intellectual development, political education, and praxis. Sessions will take place Mondays at 5:30 pm in Lincoln Hall 3057. The first meeting on Mon Sept 8 in Lincoln Hall 3057 will feature a discussion of Augustus Wood’s Class Warfare in Black Atlanta, followed by a Q&A the next session. Open to all & light refreshments provided. RSVP for readings (and how to pick up a book copy). 

NCSA is hosting the Machine Learning and Big Data workshop presented by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. This workshop will focus on big data analytics and machine learning with Spark and deep learning using TensorFlow. Please note that this workshop will be held on 9/15 and 9/17; there is no class on 9/16. 

Learn to analyze 16S, 18S, ITS, or similar amplicon data in this hands-on workshop focused on microbial community structure and diversity, led by High Performance Computing in Biology (HPCBio), the bioinformatics core of the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center. This workshop will cover processing, taxonomic classification, diversity analysis and more! There are pre-requisites so please sign up early to allow yourself time to acquire any missing knowledge. Asynchronous prep materials will be provided for those needing a refresher. Please click title link for more details. 

Drawing on public talks, a film screening, dialogue, and cohort-created “vessels,” the Interseminars fellows and conveners welcome you to this two-day culminating event to engage the urgency of resistance, the resolve of refusal, and the radical possibilities of re-existence. Free and open to the public! View the full schedule.

Join us for the 2025 Mortenson Distinguished Lecture featuring Amanda Rubin documentary filmmaker and journalist, who will talk about her edition of "The Third Reich Dreams". Rubin will share Journalist Charlotte Beradt’s incredible untold story and legacy of courage as a woman, journalist, and refugee. The lecture will focus on the power of the irrepressible imagination and the potent symbolism of books, writing, and archiving as “witnesses to history.”  Thursday September 4 3:30– 5:00 p.m. CT (Hybrid lecture) 5:00– 5:45 p.m. CT (In-person reception and book signing).

Claudia Grisales (PhD Candidate, iSchool, U of I), will give a talk for CGS on her research that explores the role of digital technologies in struggles for land and recognition of a campesino, or small-farmer, community, in the northwestern Colombian Amazon. This talk will focus in particular on forest governance.

Dreams as Inspiration, Insights, Foreshadowing and Evidence: A Panel Discussion Through the Lens of “The Third Reich of Dreams”. moderated by Steve Witt, Director, Center for Global Studies and Head of the International and Area Studies Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in conversation with Amanda Rubin, Documentary Filmmaker and Journalist; Brett Ashley Kaplan, Director of Holocaust Genocide and Memory Studies, Professor Melita M. Graza, Associate Professor and Tom and June Netzel Sleeman Scholar in Business Journalism.

The Illini Swing Society is bringing the CU Lindy Exchange back! Get ready for a mystical weekend at CULX, a place to showcase your footwork with the fireflies and flowers Sept 19-21 2025 in Champaign-Urbana! And with live music, Southern Soul line-dancing, and a slow Mix-and-Match competition, there is a style everyone can enjoy in our Enchanted Garden. If you are looking for a unique dance experience, or you want to create a buzz that you are sure to remember, check out the Lindy games in the park--think traditional yard games, but with rock-step reverie! 

We offer 7-week series for beginners and intermediate dancers! During these series you will learn 8-count footwork, solo jazz, 6-count footwork, Charleston, and more! If you happen to miss the first two weeks of the Level 1 class, you can drop in for a free beginner lesson that can get you on the dance floor. No partner or experience needed. (Experience is needed for intermediate.)

Discover the cultural richness of Pakistani names in this interactive Names Training. Our presenter from Pakistan will explore how Arabic, Persian, and Hindi traditions, blended with local languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto, shape the naming practices of Pakistan. Participants will learn not only how to pronounce common given names and family names but also about the cultural significance, symbolism, and meanings that these names carry within Pakistani society. Open to faculty, staff, scholars, and graduate students. 

Please join the EU Center and the School of Music on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 8 P.M. for a performance by Riccardo Muti’s Cherubini Orchestra Cello Quartet. The concert program combines original repertoire with great masterpieces of Italian opera, featuring works by Fitzenhagen, Goltermann, Klengel, and Sollima, as well as transcriptions of famous arias and preludes ranging from Monteverdi to Puccini. Part of a five-city tour organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, this event is free and open to the public.

The IGB Graduate Student Association is organizing a potluck-style BBQ social! We are excited to reconnect and welcome new folks — all are welcome, regardless of IGB affiliation. For RSVPs, location details, and to stay up-to-date with all our future events and announcements, please join our IGB Grads mailing list. 

Ride your bike to campus on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and stop by one of eight U. of I. welcome stations (map) for snacks, refreshments, and a free T-shirt! Stations will be set up at Alma Mater Plaza, Campus Recreation Center East, Disability Resources and Educational Services, College of Veterinary Medicine, Orchard Downs, I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center, as well as other Champaign County locations, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. to help you navigate your ride and connect with other cyclists. You must bring your bicycle and preregister to get the shirt. 

Students who are undocumented, DACA or TPS experience unique challenges in higher education. Join university staff, administration and faculty to learn to better support undocumented students at the University of Illinois. This training is an opportunity to hear from undocumented students and join a network of campus allies. Register to attend at the link above. For more information, visit open.illinois.edu. 

Join us Sept 3 from 12 - 1 pm for the Center for Children's Books Open House! You'll get a chance to check out our space, learn about what we offer, and get some free galleys.

The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) would like to invite new graduate students who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies to the GSRC's Graduate Student Welcome! Meet other LGBTQ+ identified graduate students, learn about NetworQ (our LGBTQ+ grad group) and enjoy light refreshments. Contact: GSRC@illinois.edu

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.