Northwestern Office of the Provost

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Staff Newsletter | December 2025

Dear colleagues,

As we approach winter recess, I think we can all agree that 2025 has been another year we won't soon forget. Yet, even under challenging circumstances, it was a year of accomplishments for the Office of the Provost, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight several of them:

The Strategy and Policy team, in collaboration with the Searle Center and partners across the University, led a smooth and successful re-accreditation process.
The Block Museum mounted a host of exhibits, including the spectacular "Woven Being," which showed 80 works by 33 artists and drew national attention.
The Global Learning Office, in partnership with Student Enrichment Services, launched Global Horizons, a program that sends students who are first-generation, low- income and first-time travelers on a fully funded, overseas trip. The first cohort is currently obtaining their first passports to visit Taiwan over spring break!
We also had some key leadership changes — the Office of the Provost welcomed two new, wonderful people to lead undergraduate education: Karen Smilowitz and Constance Wright.
And community builder extraordinaire Michelle Manno became head of the new Office of Community Enrichment.

This list just brushes the surface, and of course the impact of the Office of the Provost's work is felt across the University. Over the course of the year, the Office of the Provost was instrumental in the launch of a range of important University-wide initiatives and helped colleagues and students across campuses navigate a complex and constantly evolving federal landscape. I hope as you look back on this year, you feel a sense of pride in your contributions.

Thank you all for your dedication over the past year. As we approach the coming year, many new and exciting things lie ahead. I wish you all a restful winter recess!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost
First Chicago Professor of Finance

All about the staff

Meet Maeve Creagen

Maeve Creagen is the Communications and Operations Coordinator at the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). She leads the student recruitment and application process for CCE’s many programs and supports programming, special projects and events. She also manages communications and day-to-day building operations. “I’ve always had an intrinsic mix of being highly organized while also being creative, and this role fuses the two well,” she said.

What career path did you take to your current role?

During undergrad, I worked at my college’s CCE equivalent. From there, I worked with America Reads Tutor Corps and the Boys & Girls Club, which sparked my interest in creating equitable learning opportunities. I was an academic counselor for first-generation high school students for four years before joining CCE, which blends my two favorite professional experiences thus far: supporting passionate students and helping them leverage education to spread knowledge and impact.

Where did you grow up and what were your hobbies as a kid?

I grew up in rural Ithaca, New York, with two public school teachers as my parents. My activity options were basically to read, go outside or get crafting. Honestly, not much has changed, except that now I also spend time hanging out with my dog.

What is something fun or interesting about you that people may not know?

One of the most interesting things about me is my houseplants. I love rescuing plants from free neighborhood postings and now have over 150 plants (about 110 different types). Caring for them is one of my favorite ways to relax. If you ever want a plant, let me know because I'm always propagating!

Staff who joined or started new roles in Office of the Provost units in November

Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

Elizabeth Howell, Program Coordinator

Northwestern Network for Collaborative Intelligence

Sydney Hlavaty, Program Coordinator

News, notes and need to know

Performance Excellence (PEx)

Northwestern’s Performance Excellence (PEx) program is a year-round process led collaboratively by staff and supervisors. Its goal is to support individual growth, strengthen team performance, and enhance the effectiveness of departments and the University. Below is the timeline for the Office of the Provost 2025-26 PEx cycle.

2025-26 Timeline:

By Jan 28: Staff and supervisors complete mid-year check-ins
By May 20: Staff submit written self-reviews in myHR Learn
By June 17: Supervisors submit written reviews and assign ratings in myHR Learn
Supervisors pause for central review; Administration and Finance Team will confirm when to proceed
By July 29: Supervisors hold performance meetings, finalize and release reviews/ratings

Tax year 2025 reminders

To help ensure you receive a correct 2025 W-2 form, be sure to review pay stubs and/or myHR for basic information accuracy. This includes:

Spelling of your legal name
Correct SSN
Correct home address (the deadline to update your address in myHR is Dec. 19, 2025)

You can review and change your W-2 delivery option in myHR. Changes to your W-2 delivery option must be made no later than Dec. 31, 2025. More information can be found on the Human Resources website.

Benefits update from HR

Human Resources has shared a document called What to Expect Next for 2026 Benefits with information about medical, prescription and dental coverage for the coming year. For any questions, contact askHR at 847-491-4700 or askHR@northwestern.edu.

Update on Luna’s Pub & Grill at Norris

In preparation for the official grand opening of Luna’s Pub & Grill on Jan. 5, there is a soft opening this week for faculty and staff, which includes a special thank-you offer for diners who fill out a survey about their experience. The hours for the soft opening are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. through Dec. 19 and 5-11 p.m. Dec. 20-21. The full menu of lunch and dinner options will be available for purchase, along with craft drinks and mocktails. Spotted at the pub this week: The Office of the Provost Faculty team!

In case you missed it

Northwestern's Board of Trustees announced the launch of the search for Northwestern’s 18th president.
Northwestern Now published a look back on the year’s moments of purple pride.
Northwestern’s annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will kick off Jan. 18, with events and projects planned throughout the month.
The University is updating FAQs related to its agreement with the federal government. Additional information about the restoration of research funding can be found on the Responding to Federal Policies website.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit honorary degree nominations by March 1.
Northwestern is accepting letters of inquiry for the 2026-2027 ANCHOR Grant program.
View more news from around the University.

Mark your calendar

Events

Jan. 5-Feb. 1: The Block Museum will exhibit five of artist Bruce Conner's lithographs in the Living Room.
Jan. 20, 5 p.m.: MLK Commemoration 2026 keynote panel moderated by Sylvester Johnson, Chair and Professor of Black Studies
Jan. 22-23: Global Disinformation in a Post-Moderation World, a two-day symposium (part of the Roberta Buffett Institute's 2025–26 event series on Brave New Futures)

Key dates

Dec. 19: Deadline to apply for CatalystNU: Conversations that Transform
Dec. 24-Jan. 1: Winter recess
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (University closed)
Feb. 11: Winter Quarter Office of the Provost all-staff meeting will be held from 9-10 a.m.

More resources

Help us build future newsletters! If your unit is working on a project that is relevant to the entire Office of the Provost, or if you have awards, honors or accomplishments to share, send an email to officeoftheprovost@northwestern.edu.

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