ANNUAL SPRING ELECTRICAL OUTAGE 2025                     

Listed below is the schedule for the Annual Spring Break Electrical Outage.  We are sending out the notice now to give everyone an early heads-up for scheduling and planning purposes.  As it gets closer to March, additional reminder notices will be sent out. 

The following buildings WILL NOT have electrical power on the dates listed.   

Saturday, March 15, 2025 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (10 hours) 

1. Old Main
2. Pemberton Hall / Pine Honors College 
3. Student Services Building (Portable Generator to be used for Data Center)
4. Old Steam Plant (will run off of generator power during outage)
5. Physical Science Building
6. Physical Science Building Chiller
7. Martin Luther King Jr. University Union FOOD COURT ONLY
8. Blair Hall

It’s FPMs intent to complete all the required service on the 8 areas listed here on Saturday March 15,2025. The focus will be on buildings 1 – 4. However, if unforeseen circumstances arise, the remainder of the required service will be performed on Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Thank you for your assistance and flexibility as we plan 2025's annual service outage. 

SURS representatives will be on campus Wednesday, March 5 to conduct face to face retirement counseling sessions with eligible employees who schedule an appointment.

The schedule is now open and will close Friday, February 21, 2025.  Sessions will begin at 8 a.m. and run through 4:30 p.m.  Sessions will be held in the MLK University Union, Casey and Greenup rooms. Appointment requests will be taken on a first come/first served basis.  Please call early to reserve your desired time!

Please see the following for more information on SURS counseling sessions, and to register.

Scheduling a Counseling Session or Written Estimate with SURS

Get ready to cheer on our Panthers at the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Games on Saturday, January 25 in Groniger Arena!

As an EIU employee family, you’ll receive one complimentary ticket for both games! Plus, you can snag additional tickets for just $3 each—a perfect chance to bring family or friends along to share the fun.

Here’s the game plan:

• Women’s Basketball tips off at 1 p.m.
• Men’s Basketball follows at 3:30 p.m.

How to claim your ticket:

1. Email Amber May at ammay@eiu.edu to request your complimentary ticket.
2. Want extra tickets? Purchase them online here and use the discount code STAFF at checkout.

All complimentary tickets will be available for pickup at will call on game day.

Let’s fill the stands with Panther pride and show our teams some love. See you there! 🐾

Go Panthers!

Amber May
Assistant Athletic Director for Development
Eastern Illinois University

Join us on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Tarble Arts Center for a closing reception to celebrate the fall exhibitions An Other World, Touch Me: A Flat File Exhibition, and Famous Black Americans: The Dolls of Ida Roberta Bell. This event will be free and open to all with free refreshments served. 

Last Chance to register for the 2025 Spring Pantherpalooza Student Involvement Fair!

 **Please disregard if you have previously registered**

Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 21, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the MLK Grand and University Ballrooms. The fair is great way for student organizations and EIU Departments to promote their activities, recruit new members or volunteer!

The deadline to register on-line for the 2025 Spring Pantherpalooza is Friday, January 17, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Each student organization or EIU Department registered will have the opportunity to have information about them featured during the event. Also, a short description of student organization or EIU Department will be made available to EIU students attending based on the registration form information supplied below.

Questions? Please contact the EIU Student Government at pantherpalooza@eiu.edu or call 217-581-5522, M-F.

To reserve your table/table space at the fair, please submit the form at:

https://www.eiu.edu/stdtgov/machform/view.php?id=63114

LIONS IN WINTER is an annual literary festival that has included author readings, craft talks by featured writers in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, editors panels, book fairs, and more.

Wednesday, January 29 and Thursday, January 30

The 2025 Lions in Winter festival features three internationally known writers: The Heartbreak Years author Minda Honey, teacher and the author of Maddalena and the Dark Julia Fine, and 2024 Kate Tufts Discovery Award winner Jacqui Germain.

Wednesday, January 29

Author Roundtable at Noon

Minda Honey Craft Talk at 4:00 PM

Jacqui Germain Craft Talk at 5:00 PM

Thursday, January 30

Julia Fine Craft Talk at 4:00 PM

Reading and Reception at 5:30 PM

The festival is free and open to the public and will be held at the Doudna Fine Arts Center on EIU's campus. Tickets are required and can be obtained from the Doudna Box Office.  For more information go to  Lions In Winter. 

Join us for EIU’s inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Breakfast on January 20, 2025. 

Breakfast begins at 8:15 a.m., followed by a panel discussion at 9 a.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Grand Ballroom.

Don’t miss this opportunity to honor Dr. King’s legacy with the EIU community.

RSVP at go.eiu.edu/mlkbreakfast.

Booth Library’s collections are continually growing to meet the research and information needs of the EIU community. During December 2024, Booth Library acquired and cataloged 235 physical items (books, DVDs, government documents, archival resources, and more) and 30,730 electronic resources (including ebooks, ejournals, digital audiobooks, and streaming videos). Included in the December e-resource list are over 28,000 digital graphic novels, manga, and comics from Booth’s new Comics Plus database. Individual issues of current periodicals are excluded. All items are discoverable through the library’s online catalog.

New acquisitions include items selected for purchase by Booth’s subject librarians, donations, re-cataloged library items, freely available government publications, and consortium-wide purchases.

Please contact your subject librarian with any questions.

President Jay Gatrell invites the entire campus community to the EIU Spring Update, scheduled for Wednesday, January 22.

Join your colleagues for coffee and donuts at 8 a.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Concourse with the update beginning in the Dvorak Concert Hall at 8:30 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you there if your schedule allows. If you cannot make it in person, you can watch the livestream via WEIU.

The UPI and the Office of the President will be hosting a town hall to provide members of the campus and broader community an opportunity to learn more about this proposed funding formula, wherein new funds would be directed to the State's public institutions based on the funding needs of each university, the needs of their students, and their unique mission. The event will take place Monday, January 27, 2025 at 4 p.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Lecture Hall.
 
 

 

Qdoba, in the Food Court, will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, January 18 & 19. Panther Grille and Chick-fil-A will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days.

EIU's Food Court will have abbreviated hours on Monday, January 20 -- from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Applications are being sought for the EIU Civil Service Council scholarship established to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the EIU Civil Service Council. 

Applicants that receive financial assistance or tuition waivers are encouraged to apply.  The scholarship is intended to assist with tuition, fees, or other costs associated with attending EIU, such as housing, supplies, daycare, gas, etc.  The award is payable in Fall 2025 to your student account, and any remaining amount will be dispersed to the recipient.  Fall 2025 enrollment must be verified before the scholarship is distributed.

The recipient must:  1) be a former, current, or retired Non-Negotiated Civil Service Employee; or a child or grandchild of a former, current, or retired non-Negotiated Civil Service Employee; 2) be a current or incoming freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or Graduate EIU student at enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours; 3) maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and in good academic standing; high school seniors accepted to EIU shall enroll in a minimum of 6 semester hours of coursework and be ranked in the top 25% of their class.  Financial need shall be the determining factor if all other qualifications are equal.

Please apply online at https://eiu.academicworks.com/opportunities/15788

The deadline to apply is March 15, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Morgan, EIU Civil Service Council President at (217) 581- 1107 or email mlmorgan@eiu.edu.

Looking to enhance your students’ learning experiences this spring? The CSI Active Learning Classroom (ALC) offers a dynamic space designed to foster innovative teaching and active engagement. The ALS is available for course sessions to support enhanced pedagogical innovation opportunities and student learning outcomes. Faculty members can reserve the ALC for up to four class periods per semester, per course!

This opportunity provides the following active teaching and learning opportunities:

Classroom Layout and Environment 

• The ALC has flexible seating which allows for countless arrangements that facilitate group work and otherwise can enhance the effectiveness of active learning.

Alternative Techniques 

• The ALC can support various active learning techniques, such as think-pair-share, group discussions, problem-solving tasks, case studies, and peer teaching, to cater to different learning styles.

 Technology Integration 

• Upon request, the CSI can provide a variety of technologies to support active learning including tablet computers and presentation monitors. These tools can also bridge with external applications like learner response apps or collaborative tools like Google Docs or Kahoot!.

Reservations will be on a first-come, first-serve basis; not all requests may be accepted due to availability, usage rationale, or technology accommodation(s). Please submit your request at least 14 days in advance to ensure that we can accommodate your request and technology needs. Requests can be submitted at this link: CSI Active Learning Classroom Reservations.

Student staff support is available during your sessions. If you need instructional design assistance or would like to work with FDIC staff on designing sessions appropriate for the CSI, contact fdic@eiu.edu. 

Time reporting clarification for Monday, January 6th inclement weather:

• All biweekly paid employees that report their time via PAWS timesheet and were affected by today's late start due to weather, should report the two hours as "Emergency Closure - Non Worked."  This earn code will pay the regular hourly rate.
• Employees who were unable to work for the entire day because of the weather, may record 2 hours of Emergency Closure-Non Worked time and 5.5 hours of other time per IGP 23.
• Essential employees who were required to report to work at their required report time and worked a full day, should be offered 2 hours of flex time on future day with supervisor approval. The alternative time off must be taken by March 31, 2025.

Register Now for Renew!

Registration for Renew is now open. Renew is a program to reinvigorate the mind and body, clarify purpose, and strengthen relationships. It offers strategies for all aspects of well-being — physical, mental, social, and emotional. Participants can personalize their experience, focusing on the Renew activities most relevant and inspiring to them. With 30 activities to choose from participants never run out of ways to renew and refresh.

Motivating program features include:

• Tracking fitness and nutrition habits as you uncover a portion of a serene image in the natural world.
• A new scene each week with new surprises, animations, and activities that inspire you to reveal each masterpiece.
• Friendly Duo challenges offer extra motivation and accountability as friends support each other toward their renewal goals.
• Interactive message board (and Team Chat feature*) to give and get support.
• More than 200 delicious, healthy recipes to fuel success... and more!

Winners can choose from select prizes ($50 value) including:

• Ear buds
• Smart scale
• Activity tracker
• Magic Bullet

Logging activity is simple using your favorite tracking device or the Step Converter tool. By renewing and refreshing your well-being, you can start the year with more energy to do the things you love.

Sign up for Renew here: https://bewellillinois.renewmyway.com

In accordance with the 2022-2026 EIU-UPI Unit A agreement, Summer Research and Creative Activity Awards are available this year.  The awards are for research and creative activity projects conducted between the end of the spring semester and August 31, 2024 by tenured/tenure track faculty in Bargaining Unit A.  Approximately 16 awards of $5,000 each in the form of personal services payments will be granted.  Faculty who wish to apply for funding should apply online (https://www.eiu.edu/grants/admin) or hand-deliver their proposal to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, 1102 Blair Hall, no later than noon on Wednesday, February 5, 2024.  Researchers who have previously received a Summer Research and Creative Activity Award should make sure all reports are on file in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.  To obtain a copy of the application materials, please visit the website (http://www.eiu.edu/grants/).  Applicants should be sure to use the most current application forms.  If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at eiugrants@eiu.edu or call (217) 581-2125.

Starting January 1, 2025, all position announcements are required to include pay and benefits information.  The required information must include the wage or salary (or a defined pay range) and general description of benefits for the advertised position.  If a department is planning to conduct a search to fill an open position, please ensure the pay and benefits information for the position is included in the announcement.  Should you have any questions, please contact the Human Resources Office at (217) 581-3911 or the Office of Civil Rights & Diversity at (217) 581-5020 or civil@eiu.edu.

Part of your responsibility in driving a university owned vehicle is to report any accidents involving that vehicle to Mike Hutchinson, the University Risk Manager. You will need to come to Old Main - Room 1140 within 48 hours to fill out a claim report. If there is a police report, please bring it with you. Incidents involving damage to university property must also be reported. If you are unable to come into the office, call (217) 581-2921.

Student Insurance provides the student worldwide protection 24 hours a day.  The Plan has a $100 deductible per diagnosis and pays up to 70% of eligible expenses for physician and hospital expenses, lab and x-ray, surgery, ambulance transport, physical therapy, maternity expenses, mental health and substance abuse issues. The Student Insurance Plan also reduces copays for prescription medications at the Medical Clinic, from SBL Prairie Pharmacy. 

Unlike an HMO or PPO, the Plan does not have a network, giving students a choice in their care and provides coverage for treatment the student receives while they are at home, at school, and wherever they may travel. 

Student Insurance is an economical way to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses when family health plans do not cover 100% of medical costs because of deductibles, co-payment amounts, limitations on specific benefits, and out-of network penalties.  The Student Insurance Plan complements the family health plan.  Most students find it beneficial to carry both, particularly if the family plan has a deductible and/or coinsurance.

You can find more information about the Plan at www.eiu.edu/studentinsurance or by contacting our office at 217-581-5290. There are 2 short videos on the website that do a nice job of explaining all about the Plan.

Spring 2025 semester students enrolled in 5 or more hours (any program format), are eligible for coverage. Please note, students enrolled in an on-campus program taking 9 or more hours,

Graduate Assistant, and international students enrolled in an on-campus program with a minimum of 3 hours are automatically billed for coverage.

Students wishing to enroll in the Student Insurance Plan must complete the Enrollment Form, available under the “My Health” tab in the students PAWS account. The deadline to enroll in the Plan is January 27, 2025. The cost of the coverage is $120.00.

Student Insurance provides the student worldwide protection, 24 hours a day. The Plan has a $100 deductible per diagnosis and pays up to 70% of eligible expenses for physician and hospital expenses, lab and x-ray, surgery, ambulance transport, physical therapy, maternity expenses, mental health, and substance abuse issues. The Student Insurance plan also covers prescriptions at the Medical Clinic, from SBL Prairie Pharmacy.                                   

Unlike an HMO or PPO, the Plan does not have a network, giving students a choice in their care and provides coverage for treatment the student receives while they are at home, at school, and wherever they may travel. When you have other insurance, the Plan coordinates with the primary carrier. Student Insurance is an economical way to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses when family health plans do not cover 100% of medical costs because of deductibles, co-payment amounts, limitations on specific benefits, and out-of-network penalties. The Student Insurance Plan complements the family health plan. Most students find it beneficial to carry both, particularly if the family plan has a deductible and/or coinsurance.

You can find more information about the Plan at www.eiu.edu/studentinsurance or by contacting our office at 217-581-5290. There are 2 short videos on the website that do a nice job of explaining all about the Plan.

The Spring 2025 Student Insurance fee will be automatically assessed to students enrolled in an on-campus program taking 9 or more hours; graduate assistants under contract to the University; and international students enrolled in an on-campus program taking 3 or more hours.

Students wishing to waive the Student Insurance Plan must complete the Waiver Form available under the “My Health” tab in the students PAWS account. The deadline to waive coverage for the Spring 2025 semester is January 27, 2025.

EIU offers a 403(b) plan for eligible employees.  A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement program that permits an employee to reduce his or her compensation on a pre-tax (or Roth, if applicable) basis and have the contribution deposited into a 403(b) investment.  

The IRS has released new contribution limits for 403(b) plans, which can be found at this link: Eastern Illinois University :: Benefit Services - 403B Universal Availability Notice

To enroll in a 403(b) program, you must complete a Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) Form, found on the HR Forms tab here: Eastern Illinois University :: Human Resources - HR Forms

For more information on 403(b) or other Retirement or Investment plans, please go to the "Retirement" tab on the Benefits webpage, found here: Eastern Illinois University :: Benefit Services - Index  

If you have questions about retirement options, please contact the EIU Benefits Office at (217) 581-5825 or benefits@eiu.edu.