Emailed to Northwestern staff on January 22, 2026
Dear Northwestern Staff:
I hope the winter season is treating you well as we settle into the quarter.
This calendar year began strongly with a State of the University address by Interim President and President Emeritus Henry Bienen, who covered a wide range of topics, from the agreement with the federal government to staff concerns about benefits and merit increases. This direct engagement between leadership and the staff community propels the mission of the Northwestern Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC), inspiring future conversations and opportunities with senior leaders.
This year, NUSAC has worked with intention to connect staff, creating space for engagement. In February alone, we have two Staff Connection events: one in Chicago and one in Evanston. I hope you’ll join us at these and future events! Be sure to sign up for our listserv to receive timely information and invitations.
Beyond connections, NUSAC remains committed to advocacy. We continue to share your feedback with our university partners to drive conversations and help shape our future goals. Please continue to submit feedback through this form or email us. Your feedback helps create the change we want to see.
Together, we’re navigating change, and I think it’s important to recognize the compassion, care, and dedication of Northwestern staff. Our work is often done behind the scenes, but it helps sustain the university’s critical work. As always, remember to support each other with kindness, and remember that we’re in this together.
With gratitude,
Cymon Kimmel
NUSAC Chair
Join NUSAC for its winter Staff Connections event, Cookies & Cocoa! Enjoy a warm beverage and decorate cookies with NUSAC. Please use the links below to RSVP and add the event to your calendar.
Chicago Campus: Tuesday, February 10th | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Ryan Family Atrium, Lurie Biomedical Research Center
Evanston Campus: Wednesday, February 11th | 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Performance Hall, 2122 Sheridan Road
Purchase a discounted ticket to Northwestern Women’s Basketball vs. USC for Thursday, February 5th and $2 of every ticket purchased through NUSAC will be donated to NU Cares! NU Cares is a fund that allows faculty and staff the opportunity to help a colleague experiencing financial hardship due to a medical or catastrophic event. All are welcome to purchase tickets via this link, so bring your friends, family, and colleagues for a night at Northwestern Women’s Basketball and support NU CARES.
Additionally, this game will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day with a pre-game panel open to all ticket holders, junior roles for local youth, and giveaways for early arriving fans!
Click here to RSVP for the pre-game panel event.
The purchase deadline for this discount is February 3, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026
Pre-Game Panel: 7:00 pm.
Tipoff: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena
If you have questions regarding this event, please email rebekah.sigman@northwestern.edu.
NUSAC is proud to partner with the Illinois Secretary of State to offer a mobile DMV for both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. Services offered at mobile DMVs include: Driver’s License (renewal, duplicate, corrected), state identification card (first time, renewal, duplicate, corrected), vehicle registration stickers (expiring within the current year), and organ & tissue donor/voter registration with license or ID application.
Evanston Campus: Tuesday, March 10th | 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Norris University Center, 1-204 “Big Ten” Room
Chicago Campus: Thursday, March 12th | 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Abbott Hall, Wirtz Center, 2nd Floor – Room 212
If you have a health care or dependent care FSA (Flexible Spending Account) through Northwestern University, for plan year 2025, you can be reimbursed for expenses with service dates from January 1, 2025, through March 15, 2026. All eligible funds for plan year 2025, for claims incurred on or before 3/15/2026, must be claimed by March 31, 2026, otherwise they will be forfeited.
You can find more information about plan benefits, filing a claim, and other pertinent deadlines on the Health Care and Limited Use FSA page of the NU HR website, or reach out to your benefits coordinator with questions.
Starting January 1st, members of the NU community enrolled in a UHC health plan can access the Calm Health app for FREE! For more information, see the flyer here.
Faculty and staff enrolled in the HMO plan (not applicable to PPO plans) with UHC have access to an optional, no cost rewards program called UHC Rewards. See the promotional program flyer for more information on how to access the program.
The One Pass Select gym membership discount program is now active for staff and faculty enrolled in a UHC health plan, with access starting February 1. One Pass Select is a program where you choose a fitness membership tier to access a nationwide network of gym brands and local fitness studios. One Pass Select does not offer prorated enrollment if you join mid-month, so it is recommended to sign up at the start of a month as you will be billed for the full calendar month. Explore this add-on discount program through your UHC profile or https://onepassselect.com.
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. Our Winter 2026 staff member highlight is Devin Trezise!
Grab your colleagues and head to the newly opened Luna’s Pub & Grill for weekly programming, including Tuesday Karaoke and Trivia on Thursdays! Events start at 7PM and are free for all Northwestern community members. Make sure to keep an eye out for Friday Variety nights which will begin in February. See you in Norris!
This summer, the Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy invites students age 4 through grade 12 to learn with purpose and joy. CTD’s summer programs blend academic challenge with creative exploration — from hands-on enrichment to honors and AP® courses that can earn high school credit — available online or in person at Northwestern and Chicago-area sites. Students build skills, make meaningful connections, and deepen their interests alongside peers and expert instructors. With flexible formats for every learner, now’s the time to discover what’s possible with CTD. Applications are still open for winter online and weekend programs.
The Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) is holding a donation drive benefiting the NU Cares Fund. NU Cares provides faculty and staff the opportunity to support colleagues experiencing financial hardship due to medical or catastrophic events. Contributions can be made by payroll deduction or check, and all funds are used to assist fellow employees.
Additionally, you can purchase tickets for the February 5th Women’s Basketball game through this link and $2 of every ticket purchased here will go directly to NU Cares.
Out Network Chicago & the Women’s Center invite staff to stop by the Women’s Center, Chicago Campus, for a creative lunch break. They will have coloring pages, short writing prompts, and light snacks for attendees.
Location: 710 N. Lake Shore Drive Room 1400, Chicago, IL (Abbott Hall)
Date: Thursday, February 5th I 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
On Thursday, January 8, NUSAC hosted the State of the University event on the Evanston and Chicago campuses with interm President Henry Bienen. Thank you to all university staff members who attended either in-person or on the livestream. NUSAC looks forward to hosting future events with university leadership.
In October, NUSAC hosted its Staff Connections: Fall Edition events on each campus, featuring food, drinks, and an opportunity to network within the staff community. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Attend the Winter Staff Connections, highlighted above in the upcoming events section!
