Huskies,come on you Huskie Huskies, Fight and make a score or two. Huskies,you’re Song Northern Huskies,the team to pull us through. Forward, together forward there’s victory in view. Come on youHuskies, fight on you Huskies and win for N.I.U. H-U-S-K-I-E-S… Go Huskies! Contents Welcome to 3 Northern Illinois University! Learning at 5 NIU NIU 23 OneCard Technology 24 Use Welcome from President Freeman Managing 27 Costs I’m very proud to be NIU’s president to seek out the many ways to get Joining our and thrilled to welcome you to our involved — whether through faculty- 33 Huskie Community Huskie family. mentored research and artistry, Life at All of us at NIU recognize that this community service or through our 38 NIU has been an incredible year of change more than 320 student organizations. We provide all students a welcoming Eating at and challenges for you because 44 NIU of COVID-19. We hope that your home to develop your voice, time at NIU is a new beginning and contribute new ideas and have fun. Getting Around opportunity to learn, grow and build Most importantly, each of you has 47 relationships that will support you access to multiple resources to Protecting for a lifetime. I want you to know that support your diverse academic, social 51 our Pack when you’re a Huskie, we’ll be with and emotional needs. Huskies are Living in you every step of the way and beyond. known for working hard and not 55 DeKalb As an NIU student, you’ll find our being afraid to ask for help, so please don’t hesitate to let us know what we Health and world-class faculty and staff excited 58 Wellness to help you explore your interests, can do to support you. find your passions and develop your Your bright future at NIU begins now. Involvement and 64 Engagement talents so that you can be successful Go Huskies, and stand out. I encourage you Family 72 Connections NIU Academic 73 Calendar Lisa Freeman Campus President, 74 Freshens Up Northern Illinois University Important 75 Contact Information 76 Campus Map The NIU OneBook 1 Welcome from Dean of Students Hello, new Huskie! • Outlets to practice freedom of As your advocate, I’m honored to expression, and explore civic and be part of your NIU journey and social justice issues. I remember diving in as a student, help you find belonging as a Huskie. wondering if I’d have to figure out Leaning into your opportunities here everything on my own. My residence will mean everything as you progress hall became a second home to me, to graduation — and beyond. and I brought my own future Our Student Affairs teams across career into focus by serving as a campus have a unifying belief in community advisor. unleashing your potential. The First in my family to attend college, support available to you extends far I found engagement was key to outside the classroom, encompassing: my growth. You’ll discover that • Chances to meet other Huskies, experience to be true for you, too. make friends and have fun at Huskies who get involved are more activities and events. likely to earn degrees. • A one-stop resource for questions Welcome to your life-changing new and referrals — the Center for chapter at NIU. Please consider Student Assistance. my Dean of Students Office to be a • Full services for living, dining trusted partner as you pursue and taking care of your physical your education. and mental wellbeing. • Access to hundreds of student From this moment onward, you’ll organizations, leadership always be a Huskie! positions and volunteer roles. Forward Together, Kelly Wesener Michael, Ed.D. Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students, Northern Illinois University 2 The NIU OneBook Welcome to Northern Illinois University! We’re so glad you’re part of our NIU family! You’re going to find that we’re a community that truly cares about your success both in and out of the classroom. That’s why you received this OneBook — to help you transition to life at NIU. In this book, you’ll be introduced to some of our many departments and resources. These departments and resources are here for you — to help you succeed from your very first day all the way to graduation. So, read the OneBook very carefully — and hang on to it — you’ll definitely refer to it over the next few years. At the end of each chapter, you’ll see a list of tips and reminders. These tips and reminders are things you should know and understand as you enter into NIU. They really work — so please read them carefully! Let’s get started. Go ahead and take a look at your first set of tips for success. This is Victor E. Huskie, your NIU mascot! Tips for Success — Using the OneBook 1. Save the link to this PDF in case you want to reference it during your Orientation and advising session, or throughout your time at NIU. 2. Be sure to share this with your family so they too have an opportunity to look through the OneBook. There’s lots of information inside that will be helpful for them to know. Content in this book is accurate as of 3. The OneBook is available to everyone on the NIU website. This way you’ll May 2021. Information is subject to always have access to it no matter where you are on or off campus. change without notice. For the most You’ll find it at niu.edu/orientation. up-to-date information visit niu.edu. The NIU OneBook 3 Your Future. Our Focus. 4 The NIU OneBook Learning at NIU In this section Understanding No matter what you choose to study, our focus is to 6 Your Curriculum Registering for help you achieve your goals. The NIU baccalaureate Classes 9 Life in the Classroom 11 degree experience enables graduates to think Academic 14 Advising critically, create and communicate by participating Academic Opportunities 15 Orientation and in an engaged learning environment to prepare for 18 First Year Programs Additional success in a diverse, global society. 21 Academic Resources The NIU OneBook 5 Understanding Your Curriculum As an undergraduate student, you’re working to earn either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.), a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), a Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.), or a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree. The difference has to do with the types of courses you’ll take. Don’t worry, your advisor will help you along the way to make sure you complete the right courses. Just know you’re going to need to complete at least 120 credit hours to graduate. However, some majors might require more. You’ll earn these credit hours by taking classes in your major along with general education courses. It’s a good idea for you to get familiar with our Undergraduate Catalog (catalog.niu.edu). The catalog will outline what classes and requirements you’ll need to earn your degree. What Are Credit Hours? You’ll hear advisors and students refer to something called “credits” or “credit hours.” Credit hours are tied to each class you take at NIU. For example, English 103 is three credit hours. Credit hours roughly refer to the number of hours per week you spend in class. 6 The NIU OneBook What Are My Major Requirements? Your major requirement courses are specific to your individual major or program of study. You’ll take courses that will give you major-specific detailed knowledge, such as foundational understanding of concepts, terms and processes. Major requirements include not only courses within your given discipline but also necessary courses in other disciplines. Again, your advisor and our Undergraduate Catalog will outline what’s needed to complete your degree. What Are General Education Requirements? The Progressive Learning in Undergraduate Studies (PLUS) General Education Program at NIU provides you foundational skills and a breadth of knowledge through study in a variety of different topics. You’ll take two types of coursework to fulfill your PLUS General Education Program requirements: 1. Foundational Studies courses help you develop competencies to succeed academically and personally. The types of classes you’ll take to complete this requirement include English, oral communication and math. 2. Knowledge Domain courses will help you continue to develop the foundational competencies as well as expose you to broad ideas, disciplines and ways of thinking critically about information. The Knowledge Domains are: Creativity and Critical Analysis, Nature and Technology, and Society and Culture. You’ll take courses in each of these Knowledge Domains. Your academic advisor will help you track your progress toward this important requirement. For more information about the types of courses you’ll take, visit catalog.niu.edu. The NIU OneBook 7 CHANCE Program As an NIU student participant in the McKinley “Deacon” Davis CHANCE CHANCE students benefit from diverse, Program, you’re continuing a proud history of student success and supportive and empowering services excellence. CHANCE has a history of identifying, recruiting, preparing during their NIU Huskie career. and graduating students who will continue to engage in lifelong learning, CHANCE services include: and demonstrate academic competence and a commitment to civic • Individual and group academic, involvement. personal and career counseling. • Financial aid counseling. • Academic monitoring and follow-up throughout your undergraduate career. • Tutorial assistance. • Academic skills-enhancement courses.