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| Staff Newsletter | September 2026 |
Dear colleagues,
With the 2026-2027 academic year underway, all of our campuses are once again alive with the vibrant energy that accompanies learning, discovery and the exchange of ideas. While the start of every year brings a renewed sense of possibility, this one feels particularly special as we celebrate Northwestern's 175th anniversary.
It's impossible not to marvel at the legacy of this remarkable place. Across generations, students have come to Northwestern to pursue opportunity and knowledge, faculty have built careers defined by a passion for teaching and research, and staff have served as the connective tissue, ensuring the University thrives and operates at its best. This milestone is a reminder of the enduring nature of higher education’s mission and Northwestern’s resilience through the years.
On this note, I am excited to share that the Office of the Provost family now includes several new reporting units, including the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance and the Office of International Relations. Welcome to our newest colleagues — we are happy to have you!
As we dig into the work ahead, I want to thank each of you for your dedication. The momentum we are experiencing now is the result of your contributions and demonstrates how much we can accomplish when all of us work together. I have a strong feeling Northwestern's greatest achievements still lie ahead.
Sincerely,
Erik Luijten |
All about the staff |
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Meet Paul Schatz Paul Schatz, Director of Institutional Research (IR), worked in Northwestern's Office for Sponsored Research for four years before joining IR in September 2007. His role includes data collection, reporting and analysis for both internal and external use, and the creation, administration and reporting of institution-wide surveys. "One of the things I enjoy most about my role is that no two days are the same," he said. Using tools such as R and Python, Schatz extracts, cleans and analyzes data, develops Tableau dashboards to help people explore and understand the data, and maintains the Institutional Research website.
Where did you grow up, and was there an interest early on that may have led to your current role?
I grew up in Evanston, so I haven't ventured very far. As a kid, I loved studying the box scores in the sports section of the newspaper (this was pre-internet). It was fascinating to piece together the story of a game using only the statistics, especially when the outcome seemed to contradict the numbers, such as a baseball team winning despite being no-hit. That's not all that different from what I do today: using data to better understand what's happening and uncover insights that can sometimes be surprising.
Can you share a recent project in your department that you led that you are proud of?
After closing a survey, I'll typically share the summary results via a Tableau dashboard. Over the years, I've continually refined the process of extracting data from Qualtrics, integrating it with other data sources and designing dashboards that are easier to use. Recent improvements have made the dashboards cleaner, more intuitive and easier to navigate, helping users find answers more quickly.
What is something fun or interesting about you that people may not know?
My family has had Northwestern football season tickets since 1992. We've seen a lot of bad football, but there have been some memorable moments as well.
Leadership and staff who joined or started new roles in Office of the Provost units in July and August
Financial Aid
International Student and Scholar Services
Office of the Provost
Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Student Finance
The Block Museum
Undergraduate Admissions
OISS colleagues at Wildcat Welcome After working hard all summer on behalf of Northwestern's international students and scholars, members of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) showed up at the airport to greet arriving new students and then again at Wildcat Welcome to cheer on more than 400 entering undergraduates from all over the world as they marched through the Arch and started their Northwestern journey. Kudos to this team (and all those colleague across units who partnered with OISS!) for supporting our international community with professionalism and grace. |
News, notes and need to know |
Updates to Northwestern’s eduroam Network In order to improve campus network security and streamline connections, Northwestern IT changed the process for connecting to eduroam. Users now need to install an authentication certificate on each device that needs to be connected. Username and password authentication has been disabled. If any devices are still attempting to sign on using that method, the connection will fail. Please note: If you installed an authentication certificate before June 12, 2026, you must repeat the process by Nov. 4 to retain access.
Opportunities to Connect and Build Community
The Office of Community Enrichment (OCE) has several opportunities to connect, learn and build community. Upcoming offerings include the Staff and Faculty Affinity Groups Fairs in Evanston and Chicago, and the Understanding Conflict Styles Workshop. OCE is also accepting applications for CoLAB Partnerships, which support collaborative ideas, initiatives and learning experiences that strengthen the Northwestern community and CatalystNU, a cohort-based learning program that builds skills for dialogue, leadership and connection across difference. Sign up for OCE’s newsletter to see more details and upcoming opportunities.
Engage with the New Campus Reading Program Staff are encouraged to engage with the Litowitz Center's Campus Reading Program and its inaugural selection, "Vigil" by George Saunders. Tickets are available for the Nov. 19 keynote event with Saunders. The Campus Reading Program also includes an array of "Vigil"-related events, including lunch-time book club discussions organized by the Office of Community Enrichment and NUSAC in advance of the keynote (Nov. 2 on the Chicago campus, Nov. 18 on the Evanston campus). Lunch will be provided. Sign up here.
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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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