Emailed to Northwestern staff on October 9, 2025
Dear Northwestern Staff:
Welcome to another academic year! I’m Cymon Kimmel, proud to serve again as NUSAC Chair. My primary role at Northwestern is serving as the Assistant Director of Enrollment Management at the School of Professional Studies, and I look forward to supporting staff as part of NUSAC.
I hope you’re beginning this new season feeling refreshed after a summer of rest and reflection, enjoying activities that bring joy to you and your family. Summer is one of my favorite times of the year, especially in the Chicago and Evanston areas. It’s when communities come alive and make the most of our surroundings and resources. I hope each of you can maintain the momentum as we consider what’s ahead and begin making plans for our Northwestern community.
Reflecting on the events of the past year can feel overwhelming, as Northwestern has implemented unprecedented changes. You’ll hear NUSAC members say that we are here to advocate for staff and amplify your voices, and that remains true. Over the past year, we are proud to have gathered a wealth of feedback from staff in response to the many changes Northwestern has made. Your input has shaped and guided our conversations with senior leadership. Please know that your voices help drive productive dialogue at the university.
In addition to advocating for staff, NUSAC focuses on community engagement and professional opportunities. In our role as advocates, we aim not only to amplify our collective voice but also to provide opportunities for you to connect with the various resources and offices around campus. The strength of our staff community comes from our unified voices and commitment.
NUSAC has many plans for this year. We’re especially excited to create new opportunities for colleagues across both campuses to connect with each other, and we plan to dedicate time to show appreciation, build community, and give back. We’ll share more about this as events are scheduled, so please make sure you’re signed up for NUSAC’s listserv.
As we continue navigating change, I encourage each of you to seek the support you need, to help lift up your colleagues with small gestures of kindness and gratitude, and to stay rooted in resilience and connection.
We are looking forward to another year supporting Northwestern staff. We welcome your ideas, feedback, and collaboration. Please continue to share feedback using this form or by emailing us.
Thank you for supporting each other.
With gratitude,
Cymon Kimmel
NUSAC Chair
All staff are invited to join NUSAC for the quarterly Staff Connection series. This fall, join fellow staff members and NUSAC colleagues to connect over provided coffee and snacks.
Evanston Campus: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Harris Hall 108 (Leopold Room)
Chicago Campus: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Wieboldt Hall 703/704
Discover Unique Handmade Creations!
The annual Arts and Crafts Fair at Norris University Center draws hundreds of Northwestern and Evanston community members each year to support Northwestern artists and makers.
Unique art pieces will be available for purchase at a variety of price points—perfect for gifts or personal treasures. Featured works include ceramics, jewelry, paintings, photography, fine art prints, crochet, stained glass, sculptures, and more.
In addition to exploring artists’ work, guests will have the chance to participate in themed craft activities—a creative opportunity for students to relax and make art of their own.
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025 | 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Norris University Center, Louis Room (2nd floor)
Free and open to the public!
If you haven’t already, you can choose to receive your W-2 electronically instead of on paper. It only takes a couple of minutes – just sign in to myHR, click on the Pay tile, and select W-2 Electronic Consent. Choosing electronic delivery is a quick, secure, and sustainable option that helps reduce paper use.
To stay informed between NUSAC quarterly newsletters, join the NUSAC listserv for monthly updates on campus events, resources, and additional opportunities for Northwestern University staff members.
Blood drives continue across campus, Evanston, and Chicago in support of the Abbott + Big Ten We Give Blood Drive. Chicago campus community members can donate any Tuesday at the NM Prentice Women’s Hospital, and Evanston community members can donate at an upcoming campus donation drive. No matter where you donate, log your donation for Northwestern by visiting the We Give Blood webpage or texting DONATE to 222688.
Visit the Abbott We Give Blood Drive page to register for an upcoming drive
Do you have ideas, questions, or feedback you’d like NUSAC to consider in future discussions with senior leadership? If so, you’re encouraged to submit your inquiries. Feedback sent to NUSAC is aggregated and passed on to university leadership without names associated. While we cannot guarantee individual follow-ups, all submissions are reviewed thoughtfully in alignment with the council’s core values.
Did you know that Northwestern Human Resources hosts a Gratitude Wall, which helps to celebrate and recognize the special contributions made by members of the Northwestern community? NUSAC is proud to highlight a staff member each term from the gratitude wall by spotlighting them in our newsletter and honoring them with a small token of appreciation and recognition as well. Our Fall 2025 staff member highlight is Laura Dimitrijevic!
Northwestern Field Hockey invites staff and guests to cheer on the undefeated, defending National Champion, Field Hockey ‘Cats as they take on Princeton. For Northwestern Staff Appreciation Day, the first 100 staff members will receive a free hot dog, water, and chips.
Date: Monday, October 13 I 2:00 p.m. (Gates open at 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Lakeside Field
ENTRY IS FREE FOR ALL
oin Northwestern Men’s Basketball for their pre-season open practice! Northwestern staff are invited to join the team in celebration of their upcoming season, watch a team scrimmage, and hear from Head Coach Chris Collins.
Date: Saturday, October 11th
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena
Schedule: Doors Open & Scrimmage Begins – 11:00 a.m.
Coach Collins Remarks – 12:15 p.m.
The Big Ten Academic Alliance Staff Development Program on Internationalization is a professional development opportunity for selected staff to learn about the internationalization of higher education and best partnership practices.
In 2026, Northwestern will award this opportunity to two staff members.
This program involves a series of monthly online webinars and additional special topic sessions. Webinars are interactive in nature and responsive to the current state of global education. Meetings feature guest speakers, including current Big Ten Senior International Officers (SIOs) and representatives from international partner organizations. As a result of participating, individuals gain a better understanding of campus internationalization strategies and mechanisms, as well as explore their own role in the context of their institution’s internationalization efforts.
The program’s final component is a field experience in an international location, which allows members to experience international travel and to meet with BTAA member universities’ partners abroad. This year’s field experience will take place in Ireland.
Application deadline is Monday, October 27, 2025.
Benefits changes are on the horizon—get a head start on understanding your options! Additional details will be provided as Open Enrollment approaches, but the resources below are available now to help you prepare and make informed decisions.
Watch this Medical Plan video for an overview of the changes.
Review the FAQs and Open Enrollment Website.
Contact United Health Care (UHC) dedicated customer support for Northwestern employees with any questions you may have:
For general questions about medical coverage, contact UHC at 833-314-1787 for PPO and HSA plans and 855-828-7715 for the HMO plan.
For those with questions regarding complex or ongoing conditions, you may schedule a one-on-one meeting with UHC to discuss how your treatment will be covered and transition of care questions. You may also email northwestern@uhc.com your questions to UHC directly
If you are unable to obtain information from UHC after at least 2 business days, email benefits@northwestern.edu for additional support.
IMPORTANT! To be covered under a Northwestern-sponsored medical plan in 2026, you must elect medical coverage during the Open Enrollment period (October 27, 2025 – November 14, 2025).
Student Organizations & Activities and Student Affairs are excited to invite you and your audience to Northwestern Night at the Art Institute of Chicago on Thursday, October 16 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This is a FREE opportunity for the Northwestern community to experience world class art and exclusive museum opportunities.
Family, friends, and personal guests are also welcome to attend for free. To receive free tickets, a member of your group must present a valid Wildcard at the Northwestern welcome table in the Modern Wing entrance (Monroe St. b/w Michigan & Columbus Aves.). No RSVP necessary!
The evening will feature custom tours led by museum staff, including Hispanic Heritage in Art, Exploring Outer Space, and The Human Anatomy in Art, along with time to explore the museum at your own pace. Tours are first come, first serve with more information at the welcome table.
For those traveling from the Evanston campus, free Ventra passes are available at our table in Norris or at your on-campus area desk. More information can be found on the SOA website.
NUSAC supported two campus blood drives for staff members to donate and get involved with the Abbott & Big Ten We Give Blood Drive Competition.
A drive was held on August 27 in Walter Athletics Center for Evanston campus staff members and on September 11 in Abbott Hall for Chicago campus staff members. These two drives resulted in 164 units of blood being donated, which can support up to 492 patients in need of blood!
With the nation facing the largest blood drive in a generation, Abbott is teaming up with the Big Ten conference and all of its schools (including Northwestern) to encourage more people to donate blood and become lifelong donors. The school with the most blood donations during the college football season will win $1M toward student or community health from Abbott and the Big Ten. The campaign runs between August 27 and December 5, and the winner is announced at the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 6.
If you missed these drives, donate on October 10 in Norris University Center, October 24 in Walter Athletics Center, or November 5 at Norris University Center.
