The Graduate College is revising its social media strategy. To best serve our graduate students, we would like to hear from you about which platforms you use and what types of information you want to see from the Graduate College. Please help us by taking a few minutes to share your thoughts in this anonymous survey.

On Sunday, November 9 from 2-5 pm, the Illinois Student Council (ISC) is hosting their annual winter clothing, safety, and community-building event, Cozy Thrifts, in the Illini Union Courtyard Cafe. ISC is partnering with International Education and the Jeffries Center to provide students with free winter clothing, hot chocolate, and informational resources for a safe winter. All students are welcome!

The last day to register for the December 2025 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is Friday, November 14. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 13 and includes the formal hooding of doctoral graduates by their faculty mentors. Make sure to review the requirements for graduation. More details and the link to register can be found on the event page on our website.

November 14 is the last day to drop a Part of Term B course online through Self-Service. Students may use a Late Registration Change request after this point in the semester. Have questions about registration deadlines? Click here for an advising appointment!

November 14 is the last day to change a course to the credit/no-credit grading option for a semester course via the Graduate College Student Portal, or to change from the credit/no-credit grading option to a standard grade. Please consult with your program if you are considering this option, because course and department restrictions may apply. 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 Credit/No Credit form? Click here for an advising appointment!

November 14 is the last day the last day for doctoral students to complete their Final Examination (thesis defense) for December 2025 degree conferral. Students should request their Final Exam Committee via Graduate College Student Portal at least one week prior to the date of the exam. Have questions about final doctoral examinations? Click here for an advising appointment!

November 14 is the last day to drop a semester course without a grade of W. To drop a course, students must submit a Late Registration Change request to the Graduate College Student Portal. Students are encouraged to discuss these decisions with their adviser and/or program. 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 Late Registration Change? Click here for an advising appointment!

November 14 is also the last day to withdraw from ALL semester courses without a grade of W. To withdraw from the term, students need to complete a Withdrawal/Cancellation Form and obtain their department's signature. International students must obtain a signature from ISSS. Students are encouraged to discuss these decisions with their adviser and/or program. 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 Withdrawal form? Click here for an advising appointment!

Whether you have SNAP benefits or not, learn more about resources and strategies for safe, nutritious food in this information from the University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center.

Everybody Eats is for anyone in our Illini community, especially those who may find it hard to get safe, nutritious food from time to time. If you are hungry, please come eat. Self-service; no ID required; in buildings unlocked throughout the day. There is a warmer and refrigerator at each location. In ISR, they are located in the Terrabyte retail location next to the Freestyle machine. In Ikenberry, outside the 57 North Retail location on the first floor, against the North mural walls. Hours: HOT FOOD 10:30 am - 8 pm daily COLD/SHELF-STABLE FOOD: Mon-Fri 7 am - 12 am; Sat & Sun 9 am - 12 am.

The SKY Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop a relaxed, stress-free mind and an energetic, healthy body. The retreat teaches tools such as evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork and self-exploration in a fun and an experiential format. Join us on campus for a detox-weekend! Fully funded for all UIUC students. Apply here.

The College of LAS Inclusive Excellence is sponsoring a Wellness Check-In Day for all students. Multiple resource tables will be available for students to learn about the support the College of LAS and campus can offer; decompressing stations (gaming, bracelet making, snacks) will be available, and students will have the chance to meet UIPD's service dog, Rosie. There will also be an opportunity to participate in a raffle to win a large LAS swag bag. This event is open to graduate students!

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grant writing proficiency. In this workshop from the Grad College's Office of External Fellowships, designed for students in science, technology, engineering, & math, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grant writer. Come with questions about this mysterious genre; leave with a template you can adapt to become a competitive applicant for prestigious awards. Register here.

Anna Liss Jacobsen, Assistant Professor, UI Library will highlight the University Library's Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis Service. Evidence Synthesis Service. Join our November Resources for Researchers office hours and learn about this valuable campus resource and bring any questions you may have about this service or any other campus resource for researchers!

Create the “write” habit! Our writing group provides graduate students with dedicated time to make progress on writing in a supportive atmosphere. These groups are ideal for graduate students who are seeking to create or return to a writing routine, make progress and meet deadlines on long-term projects, or jump-start a new writing project. During this time, students will work on their own current writing projects and will not receive feedback. If you’re looking to improve your writing, check out our events or make an appointment to get individualized feedback.

This presentation will review basic principles of writing with GenAI, including strategies for prompting, addressing different stages of the writing process, and considerations for data privacy and ethical communication. It will be most useful to advanced students as well as instructors interested in learning more about how to support students’ incorporation of GenAI in writing. Register with your U of I email by 11/11.

Do you have questions about formatting your thesis? Do you want to know more about the deposit process? Do you have questions about preliminary and final exam committees? The Thesis Office is here to help! We're offering extended office hours this week. Sign up here for an online 15-minute appointment with Emily.

This virtual panel discussion is designed for PhD students and postdocs who are interested in pursuing careers in research, academia, or related fields. Panelists are alumni of diverse fields the University of Illinois and will share their personal experiences and path to postdocs and assistant professorships and offer practical tips for academic job applications and interviews. This event is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin. Please register in advance. 

Conflict happens everywhere, but how we handle it can look very different across cultures. Join us for this workshop exploring how cultural values shape our approaches to disagreement, communication, and resolution. Participants will learn the four intercultural conflict styles, discover how directness and emotional expression influence communication, analyze real-world examples and film clips to identify different conflict approaches, and reflect on their own preferred style and strategies for bridging across differences. Open to faculty, staff, and graduate students. Registration required.

Join us for Leveraging LinkedIn for Networking on November 10, 2025, at 5 p.m. at The Career Center. Learn to build a strong profile, maintain a professional online presence, and highlight your unique background. Discover how to find and connect with industry professionals and alumni, send personalized messages, and use LinkedIn for job and internship searches. Registration encouraged but not required. 

Celebrate those advancing inclusion and equity on campus! Nominations are now open for the 2026 Social Justice Awards, recognizing students, staff, and faculty dedicated to building a more just community. Submit nominations by February 9, 2026, at go.illinois.edu/SJAnomination. 

Join us for our first-gen graduate student drop-in hours. Chat with the FGSI team about your experiences as a first-gen graduate student, meet other first-gen students, and grab some free snacks! No RSVP required. 

Shrikar Lekkala, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Engineering, is the founder of Phraze - an AI translation software that combines voice cloning and lip-syncing technology. Shrikar and his team will conduct an information session and demonstration of this application. All are welcome! 

Gillen D’Arcy Wood will present his new book about the Victorian-era voyage of the HMS Challenger. From 1872-1876, its naturalists explored the oceans, encountering never-before-seen marvels of marine life. They had no way of knowing that the incredible undersea aquarium they were documenting was on the verge of catastrophic change. Wood looks afresh at this legendary odyssey and shows why, 150 years later, its legacy looms larger than ever. 

Please plan to attend the Cancer Center at Illinois Student Poster Session on November 19 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Beckman Institute Atrium. More than 30 students will showcase various thought-provoking research projects from CCIL member labs. Refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

Join CSBS for the Artificial Intelligence Methods Series featuring Stefan Uddenberg, professor in the psychology department, who will present his research at the intersection of social and visual cognition. His work combines simple behavioral methods with cutting-edge generative AI techniques. Location: NCSA Room 1030

Please join Academic Women in STEAM (A-WIS) for our monthly seminar series, Science Uncorked. Our next event will be Thursday, November 13th at 6 pm at The Literary in downtown Champaign. Our presenter will be Diana Morales Mijares, Neuroscience Ph.D. Student, who will present "Stress, Cancer, & Everything in Between". All are welcome! Interested in presenting in the future? Contact a-wis@illinois.edu.

Join us for a thought-provoking panel on decolonizing knowledge with Jenny L. Davis, Ph.D. (Chickasaw Nation), Associate Professor; David Eby (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma/Muscogee Creek), Doctoral Student; Oliver Tapaha, Ph.D. (Diné/Navajo), Assistant Professor; and Heather Wright, (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Panelists will discuss academia’s exclusion of Indigenous voices and centering Indigenous knowledge to reshape research. Open to all interested persons! Food provided; raffle for Trickster Academy!

Please join us for the University Archives' monthly Women in Science Lecture Series, Nov. 13, from 12 -1 pm. School of Integrative Biology graduate student Vivian Cheng will discuss her research using genetics, ancient DNA, and historical archives to understand the effects of climate change and colonialism on narwhals. This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives, Main Library 146 or you can register for the zoom link.

Your health is influenced by more than personal choices—your environment plays a key role. Food availability, safe sidewalks, and green spaces impact healthy habits. This interactive virtual session explores how environments shape eating and activity patterns, offering practical strategies to improve your health and support others. Learn actionable steps to thrive and foster healthier environments for all. Presenter: Alexia-Patrice Hammonds 

Dr. Patricia Kennon (Maynooth University), the general editor of The International Journal of Young Adult Literature, will be giving a brief lecture on Asexuality in Contemporary YA Literature at the Center for Children's Books. Come learn!

Please join us for a hybrid CEAPS Brown bag with two PhD student Conference Travel Grant recipients. Jiwon Oh (Institute of Communications Research) will be presenting her talk “Navigating Gendered Anthropomorphism in AI Ethics: The Case of Lee Luda in South Korea.” Darren Chuang (Musicology) will give his talk “Sailing in Sonic Vortex: Close Listening to Taike Tunes in Taiwan’s Post-Martial Law Music Scene.”

Explore the world without leaving campus at 14th annual Travel Around the World, a cultural fair celebrating the diversity of our Illinois community. Country tables will feature traditional clothing, crafts, games, music, and cultural displays from across the globe. Engage in hands-on activities, learn about different regions, and collect stamps from each country to earn a free event t-shirt (while supplies last). Discover new cultures and celebrate our international community! To learn about this and other International Education Week events, visit go.illinois.edu/IEWevents. 

Experience the vibrant culture and traditions of Indonesia at this Intercultural Spotlight event! The program begins with a lively Ratoh Jaroe dance performance, followed by an engaging presentation on Indonesia’s diverse geography, languages, and cultural heritage. Learn about traditional festivals, arts, and customs, then immerse yourself in the experience by sampling Indonesian snacks, playing traditional games, and joining a photo booth and mini dance practice. Come gain a deeper appreciation of the warmth, creativity, and diversity that define Indonesia! Free and open to all.

Illinois Theatre presents A View from the Bridge. Lyric Theatre @ Illinois presents the enchanting Anastasia. Guitarist Kaki King fuses music and tech in BUGS for all ages. Discover local arts in Artists Talk: Walks B, Aaron Jaden Scot, and Austen Fuoss-Feinberg. Celebrate 50 years of Ian Hobson's artistry in Urbana with Sinfonia da Camera. Krannert Uncorked returns with Mariachi Libertad. Enjoy Vivaldi's Four Seasons at 300: Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois De Swarte, violin. Visit KrannertCenter.com for tickets or more information.

Join the Department of Dance and guest artist, Roxi Victorian and alum, Tyesha Lewis for a community-centered event that will feature video installation, line dancing, and connection across generations and experiences. All ages welcome (ages 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult). Admission is free. This event is sponsored and presented as part of Dance at Illinois' 2025-2026 season: Black on Black; A Celebration of Black Dance.

TONIGHT, November 9th, we are headed to Hamilton Walker's, a restaurant in downtown Champaign, to dance the night away! We will be there from 7-9pm. WEEKLY LESSONS: Our 7-week lesson series has begun and registration has closed, but we host free weekly drop-in lessons to get you on the dance floor! No partner or experience necessary. Intermediate lessons are from 6:30-7:30pm, beginner and drop-in lessons are from 7:30-8:30pm, and our social dance is from 8:30-10pm every Thursday at the Illini Union Room 103. Come join us!

Vietnamese people have been making Bánh Chưng for generations and pack the tropical nature and their warm family culture into it. This legendary rice cake is a deeply ingrained culinary and cultural practice, where families and communities bond during festivals like Tết (New Year Festival) and in their daily lives. Let’s unpack the cakes, savor the traditional Vietnamese flavors, and engage in a conversation about this tropical country. Open to all. Dinner is provided. 

Enjoy a free concert featuring the Music & Performing Arts Library’s Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Piano! See the piano in action and learn more about the instrument and roll collection. This is an informal event and all are welcome!

The Funk ACES Library has Activity Kits for children that can be checked out with a valid i-card from the Circulation Desk on Floor 2. Each Activity Kit comes in a tote bag and contains two books, a single-player activity, a whiteboard, and dry-erase markers. The Activity Kits can be checked out for two hours to be used in the library.

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

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

The University of Illinois Counseling Center provides mental health counseling and wellbeing education for students.