How did you come to work in higher education and in your role? 

 

Like many folks who wind up working in college admissions, my journey started as a student worker in the undergraduate admission office at my alma mater, Drury University. After graduating, I landed an international admissions job at Purdue and really fell in love with the world of higher education — so much so that I eventually completed a master's degree in higher education administration at Vanderbilt. I come from a rural, first-generation, low-income background, so being in my current role at Northwestern, helping students with similar identities envision themselves in a college setting, feels very full circle for me!

 

What has changed the most about college admissions since you started working in the field?

 

One of the biggest changes I've experienced is the shift to building out a robust digital presence. Students now have access to so many virtual resources to aid their college search, including virtual tours, webinars, social media and options to connect virtually 1:1 with current students.

 

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

 

I'm attempting to become conversational in Spanish and currently have an 881-day streak on Duolingo!

 

 

Staff who joined or started new roles in Office of the Provost units in April and May

 

Enrollment

• Valerie Smith, Senior Associate Director, Undergraduate Admission

Financial Aid

• Grzegorz Bogaczyk, Director, Graduate Financial Aid, Evanston

 Institutional Research

• Samantha Haevers, Associate Director, Faculty Recognition Awards and Special Projects

Office of International Student and Scholar Services

• Capri Gehred-O'Connell, Program Assistant
• Lilith Osburn-Cole, International Student Advisor
• Jesica Rodriguez-Perez, International Student Advisor

Office of the Provost

• Tori Saxum, Assistant Director, Strategy and Policy

Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs 

• Kyndall Cox, Director, Buffett Undergraduate Programs
• Samantha Nissen, Senior Director Global Programs and Strategic Initiatives 

Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching

• Daisy Haas, Assistant Director of STEM Education

Performance Excellence (PEx) Timeline

The deadline for staff to submit a self-review in myHR Learn was May 20 and the deadline for supervisors to submit written reviews and assign ratings in myHR Learn is June 17. Supervisors then pause for central review and the Administration and Finance Team will confirm when to proceed. By July 29, supervisors will hold performance meetings, then release individual reviews and ratings. Visit the Business Hub for resources and guides.

 

Deadline to switch Eduroam sign-in authentication method 

Beginning June 24, users will no longer connect to the University’s primary Wi-Fi network using username and password credentials. Northwestern IT has already applied updates to most Northwestern-owned and managed devices to enable the new certificate-based authentication process and are on track to complete the change for the remaining managed devices across schools and units well before the change deadline. Learn more. 

Update from Human Resources

HR has created a new Updates and Announcements webpage as a go-to source for new information related to Northwestern benefits programs. If you have questions about your benefits, email askhr@northwestern.edu or call (847) 491-4700.

 

Central Utility Plant shutdown on the Evanston campus

Northwestern’s annual Central Utility Plant shutdown on the Evanston campus will take place from 5 p.m. Thursday, June 18 through 10 p.m. Monday, June 22. The shutdown will disrupt heating, hot water and air conditioning in buildings across the Evanston campus. The Chicago campus will not be affected. With the exception of the Juneteenth holiday on Friday, June 19, campus will remain open, and you are encouraged to work with your supervisor to determine if your on-campus work schedule will change during these days.

 

In case you missed it