Harambee celebration in the Recital Hall

Friday, February 4, 2022

Northeastern Illinois University has announced this year’s George Floyd Social Justice Scholarship recipients and continues its Black Heritage/History Month celebration with a presentation by entrepreneur, travel historian and Black history education speaker Tammy Gibson. Read about this and more in the latest edition of Noteworthy at Northeastern.

Around the Commons

George Floyd Social Justice Scholarship recipients 

Northeastern Illinois University President Gloria J. Gibson announced the recipients of the George Floyd Social Justice Scholarship for fiscal year 2022. The recipients are: 

  • Tamaya Levy (current graduate student, Linguistics)
  • Javonti Mordican (current undergraduate student, Communication, Media and Theatre)

Northeastern’s George Floyd Social Justice Scholarship was established in 2020. It is a resource for our students—the majority of whom are people of color—who are dedicated to pursuing leadership roles in the multifaceted, intersectional work of social justice.

Visit NEIU!

There’s a new way to visit Northeastern Illinois University: a 360 virtual tour! The tour includes videos featuring NEIU students and employees sharing what they love about being a Golden Eagle and their favorite spots on campus. Check it out and share it with any prospective students you may know. 

In-person campus tours are available by appointment on Thursdays beginning Feb. 10. 

An undergraduate Open House is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23.

And there’s more!

  • Northeastern Illinois University will be closed on Friday, Feb. 11, in observance of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday. 
  • Registration for the Second 8-Week Term of the Spring 2022 semester runs through March 18. If you’ve already been admitted to NEIU, it’s not too late to complete your registration for the Second 8-Week Term of the Spring 2022 semester! 
  • Beginning in Fall 2022, Northeastern Illinois University will cover the cost of four years of tuition for eligible students through the NEIU For You scholarship. NEIU For You will also cover the cost of a three-credit hour class for eligible transfer students. Learn more and apply today!
  • Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater will host Flamenco classes Feb. 8-April 23. Classes are available for all ages and skill levels.
  • Ensemble Español is also accepting applications for its After School Matters program: Spanish Dance Experience, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. from Feb. 22-May 8. 

To do

Black Heritage/History Month

The Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs and the Black Heritage Month Committee invite the University community participate in next week’s events:

A complete schedule and sign-up for more events is available on the Black Heritage Month website

Chicago Film Society presents “Rich Kids”

Join the Chicago Film Society at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the Auditorium on the Main Campus to kick off our Spring 2022 film series with a screening of “Rich Kids” (directed by Robert M. Young, 1979). This spring marks the 16th season of NEIU’s collaboration with the Chicago Film Society. Highlights of the spring series include a new restoration of the 1929 film “Hallelujah,” which was the first all-Black cast musical produced and released by a major studio, the 1932 pre-code John Ford adventure film “Air Mail,” the 1999 Hong Kong comedy, “The King of Comedy,” which is unavailable on disc or streaming and the 1931 Charlie Chaplin classic “City Lights.” All screenings are presented on 35mm film by the Chicago Film Society and sponsored by the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. All audience members must provide an ID, proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for contact tracing, must wear a face mask and be socially distanced while seated.

Coming next week

In the Media

  • Executive Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Shireen Roshanravan was mentioned in U.C. Santa Barbara’s The Current for receiving the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) award for Best Public Intellectual Special Issue. Roshanravan co-edited the special issue of the Journal of Asian American Studies: #WeToo: A Reader with U.C. Santa Barabara Associate Professor of Asian American Studies erin Khuê Ninh.
  • The Chicago Film Society’s release of a full season for the first time in two years was featured in The Morning Call
  • Professor Emeritus of Economics Ed Stuart gave a virtual presentation as part of the ASCM Chicago Chapter’s Economic Outlook Series on Feb. 3. 

COVID-19 update

From Jan. 26-Feb. 2, seven students and four employees reported positive COVID-19 tests. Two of the students were on campus. None of the employees were on campus. Since March 2020, a total of 127 employees and 393 students have self-reported to the University that they tested positive for COVID-19. Employees and students who feel sick should stay home. If you test positive for COVID-19, students should immediately notify Student Health Services, and employees should notify their supervisors and the Office of Human Resources. Additionally, faculty and staff are required to report positive and presumptive student COVID-19 cases and exposures to Student Health Services. When someone who has been on campus tests positive, Northeastern works with the Chicago Department of Public Health to determine the appropriate response, which differs greatly depending on the situation. We continue to follow Chicago Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines as we ensure proper protocols and preventative measures are in place for the health and safety of our students and employees. 

Student Health Services is currently verifying COVID-19 vaccination information for students and employees for this term. Data will be released in the coming weeks.

Other COVID-19 updates

  • Campus vaccination clinics and SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing are open and available for NEIU community members and the general public. 
  • The federal government is offering free at-home COVID-19 tests through the U.S. Postal Service. 
  • Free KN95 masks are available at City of Chicago alderman offices. It is recommended that residents call their alderman’s office first to ensure they have supplies. Walgreens and CVS locations will also begin distributing free N95 masks provided by the federal government. 
  • The Illinois Department of Public Health will also distribute 225,000 free at-home COVID-19 tests to residents in vulnerable communities through Project AccessCovid Tests (Project ACT). Tests are available on a first-come-first-served basis to residents in specific Illinois zip codes. 
  • Northeastern has free surgical, KN95 and/or N95 masks available for students and employees. Masks have been distributed to offices and classrooms and are also available at the Welcome Desk at the Main Campus, the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies and El Centro. 

Stay up to date on everything regarding COVID-19 by visiting the Return to Campus website. 

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